West Wind Martial Arts - Help!! Im in dire need

[Dsimon3387]

Ok first off I wasn't learning **** at my other school, I'm not studying MA because i was truant. And I was at my dojo when I wasn't at school. I'm no perfect Student nor am I a great Martial Artist, however, I have found little use for my life other than MA and the Marines

SS

Ok a little focus here.... How old are you? are you talking about a high school? Is this an actual academic institution? Or is it a martial arts school that teaches in some other areas? Your posts are not giving me a picture of your situation at all. And the issue with your training has a lot to do with why you are at this school in the first place.

I am asking you this because you are in an area (Alameda) with a lot of martial arts training situations. Is your school a traditional one on Oakland's china town? Also I know a guy (he was one of my students actually) who is very high up the gung fu ladder and he trained in White Eyebrow in your area and he might be able to give me some options to parley to you on this thread. But if you are in a school for a GED or something that is a different situation. But Frankly I taught public school in the Bay Area and I never heard of a program like this so.... a little more info may help others give you some constriuctive info.

[StudentSoldier]

Im 18 Im, getting a high school Diploma from a Martial Arts Academy that is registered under a homeschoolings license. I think thats it. I study at a dojo on University ave in Berkeley, They are an academic school as well as a MA school. The Public school system did not place me in this school, rather my mother did, she felt that public school was not teaching me a thing.

brb

[colonelpong2]

$1000 a month!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!! HOLF ****!!!!! Sorry..... wtf?

I think we really need more clarification here as well. As Dsimon asked, is this an academic as well as MA setup....

and... um.... sorry, to confirm are you saying that you are in the marines? jsut clarifying... or are you intending to become one.

[StudentSoldier]

. . .Im, getting a high school Diploma from a Martial Arts Academy that is registered under a homeschoolings license. . .

Im going into the Marines. I am in their DEP right now.

[jdinca]

I wish to either restore honour back to my schools name and make it into a respectable school. Or, go to a respected school, one that teaches me things that I will use, including in my job. that is why I'm interested in Ninjutsu. sadly I feel that West Wind has strayed too far from the path and will alway be known as a money whore.

As of now I go to the Academic Academy there, it functions as an actual school. The space is too cramped and I am not being used efficiently, nor am I learning much as far as academics. Essentially they are teaching me how to be successful, in their eyes. The School also includes the martial arts aspect. I consider myself very disaplined and after Being with this school for four months in the Academy I would say that this school is strict if you are not related to a teacher, there are two of us who are not and its hell cuz we get into trouble for the smallest thing, however the other kids could get away with murder.

I am currently paying for half of the tuition, my mother is paying for the other. The Cost is $1,000/month. Not including matierials, Uniform (seperate from keiko Ghi), and "get togethers." All told i would say it comes to about $12,000 for 10 months :confused:

As far as what I study, It is called Bok-Fu (white Tiger), it is a combination of Kung-Fu and Kempo-Karate. I am at the dojo from 7am to 4pm every weekday i have academic classes for 4 hours each day the rest of the time I spend working out or practicing. I am no longer truent and almost have a 4.0 (they smudge the grades I know it), I have obtained the third belt in this system after three years; I will be testing for the fourth (out of six) this coming Febuary. I have also Studied Judo/Jiujutsu and Krav-Mga *sp*.

I am currently training under the third or fourth highest ranking teacher still active in our system. He expects me to be ahead of the group in all of our classes. under normal curcomstances they want students who have a high ranking teacher to pay the tuition in full on the first of the year. (I coulnt do that so we worked something out.)

Sorry for all the scatered thoughts, and thanks for the bit of help.

SS

Can you get to Alamo? The system you've been studying was developed by Richard Lee. The original school which he still owns is located in Alamo. The people who run West Winds broke contact with GM Lee a couple of decades ago and have turned his system into pure Bullshido. If you'd like to not flush three years of training down the drain, PM me and lets talk. We've gotten a lot of transfers from West Winds over the years.

I'm really shocked if you meant to say that you've spent $12,000 to study at WW for 10 months. The legitimate system will cost you about 10% of that for a full year.

[Don Gwinn]

West Wind runs a school--an actual secondary school, not a martial arts academy? Creepy.

I hate to say it, kiddo, but I'd be very wary of a diploma from that place. You already know they're ripping you off. I doubt very much that they're a rigorous academic institution by anyone's standards. You seem to write fairly well, so if you've got some math talent, you should do well enough in the military. I would imagine that's their main "academic" concern in the Corps; they'll have to train you on all the specifics of your job anyway.

[Dsimon3387]

Im 18 Im, getting a high school Diploma from a Martial Arts Academy that is registered under a homeschoolings license. I think thats it. I study at a dojo on University ave in Berkeley, They are an academic school as well as a MA school. The Public school system did not place me in this school, rather my mother did, she felt that public school was not teaching me a thing.

brb

dsimon writes:

Ok now I understand your situation a bit. You seem like a very independent guy so I can understand your desire to question your situation. Here is the thing:

1) First and foremost are you learning basic academic skills? You have a lot of options to study martial arts but you really want to learn the basic academic skills you need to to take the General Equivalency Exam when you are ready. Are you beign taught these skills?

2) Is your school showing respect to you? Look kiddo.... I tell you these things as somoene who has taught in Thurgood Marshall in Hunter's point here in San Francisco and there is a BIG difference between adults being rough and having high expectations for you versus taking advantage of you. Any leadership role you play in your school should be to help you grow and develop... not to take care of other students who need a teacher. If your school is putting you in that situation that is not right.

3) At 18 years of age your school, or educational situation, should be addressing your educational requirements. There are many ways to study and practice martial arts in this area, you do not need your academic envoronment to address your training needs.

Also, if you are getting your educational needs met at your school, instead of worrying about if it is really Ninjutsu, or some other art, you are being taught, on your free time go to other schools and seminars and see what other people are teaching. Seminars are a great way to do this. You can go to seminars and see what other teachers are doing.

If you look up the Buyu center in San FRancsico and you can see when Bujinkan seminars are scheduled and try a seminar out. When looking for Ninjutsu be careful because Hioshino might still be around teaching what he claims is NInjutsu and he is to be avoided. He is in South San Francisco.

[Redmantle]

1000$ a month eh?


:cry:

[Dsimon3387]

A typical private school is a lot more expensive here in San Francisco and the rest of the Bay ARea. If it is indeed a real academic school and it fufills in some way the functions of a high school it would not be outside average price for a private school in this area.

besides the question of what this kid's mother is paying for his school, while subject to debate is not the issue so much as this kid getting his priorities straight and not being put in a bad situation by irresponsible adults. There is a definite possability it seems to me that martial arts are being used by the "school" to coerce this kid and that they might be hostile to the kid inquiring about the quality of his experience at the school.

Also keep in mind that in the Bay Area many parents are a little extreme in their views of what an education should be for their children. I know for a fact that stupid parents often refuse to vacinate their kids against really bad stuff like measles, etc. We could start a whole other thread on this and ask this kids parents what they are doing but maybe the best way to help is to give some options so the kid can get his GED make his own decisions as an adult and get some trianing in the martial arts, like what was suggested in this thread by the guy who knows about this organization.

I have to also admit that this stuff upsets me, I hate to see young people in a bad way because adults have no common sense and have the need to manipulate young people. When I was teaching I had to deal with this **** all the time.... I got a kid a job interview once (for example) and he came in stoned off his gord. He told me him and his mom smoked some cheba in the morning cause he was stressed out about the interview.

[colonelpong2]

hhhm. interesting.

Over here am MA school that qualifies and acts as a secondary education institution... well... just doesnt exist.
I realise that you are in the US, and many strange things happen there.
A quick question for our North American members.... are you aware of precedent for such a thing?