Sparring Kits

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by Gadetgirl, Aug 14, 2021.

  1. Gadetgirl

    Gadetgirl New Member

    I was "satisfied" with the lessons as in it was fun and kept me fit, but most of it was line work and punching/kicking the air, and I was fed up with my kids not being allowed to do anything new unless I paid for them to grade. e.g. the whole 1 punch, one kick, one hand-drill then cough up £45 for a grading so they can learn some new material.

    I had also been excluding from all sparring because I refused to purchase their own brand kit, so couldn't attend a lot of the "extra" classes I was paying for.

    I've been with the new club for a few weeks now and it is SO much better. I'm really pleased I changed and wish I had done so a long time ago. The standards are a LOT higher, and it's good now having something to compare Matt Fiddes to.

    Matt Fiddes syllabus is based on memory and knowing HOW to do kicks/punches etc... but there is no benchmark for actually being any good at it. e.g. they did one of their panel gradings recently and deputy black belts have been given to people I would consider to be utterly rubbish at MA - they know what the moves are but hopeless at doing them - they would struggle to reach my hip for a high section side kick, let alone kick me near the face or chest! So the Matt Fiddes belt system is a knowledge system and doesn't represent how good you are at MA.

    The club I'm now at grade people who are ready based on knowledge AND ability, so a much better system where you know if you get to a certain belt you are physically good at it too. So if I ever get good enough to be a black belt, I'll know I'm a black belt because I'm good at MA, know my stuff, and haven't just got a good memory and paid my way to a black belt.
     
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  2. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    Well done @Gadetgirl for stepping out of your comfort zone. I hope you continue to enjoy your new class
     
    Gadetgirl likes this.
  3. Gadetgirl

    Gadetgirl New Member

    Just thought I'd update...

    The new class is going really well and is SO much more fun! Regardless of belt colour or experience we are encouraged to have a go at all kicks/punches/techniques, and different variants are demonstrated depending on ability. Most the class is pair work using pads/paddles, or using the huge stand alone punch "bag" things. With Matt Fiddes classes most of it was standing in a line kicking or punching the air and waiting as they went through each belt colour to say what we had to do. I feel I have made so much progress already in just a couple of months.

    Amusingly, I have since bumped into a couple of people who I did Matt Fiddes MA with, and it would appear one of the instructors had been spreading rumours about why I had left which was quite a long way from the truth and not particularly nice. I guess that speaks volumes about the sort of instructors they employ and another reason to feel pleased that I left.
     
    axelb, Mitch, Kemposhot and 2 others like this.
  4. Kemposhot

    Kemposhot Valued Member

    Great to hear things are going well. It’s important to find a school that you like, it greatly improves the chances of you staying with it for years to come. Stay safe and train hard!
     
  5. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    Sounds like you made a good move. I am sure your progress is going to be much better now :)
     
  6. Unreal Combat

    Unreal Combat Valued Member

    You did yourself a favour. Matt Fiddes is a charlatan at best.

    I wouldn't train anywhere that doesn't allow me to source my own protective equipment.
     
  7. Mitlov

    Mitlov Shiny

    Late to the party, but I’ve fenced at multiple fencing clubs, and while there are standards for what types of protective equipment items must be worn and what certification standards they must meet, I’ve never heard of a fencing club that requires that you buy your gear from them.
     
  8. Gadetgirl

    Gadetgirl New Member

    Thought I'd update this thread almost a year on!

    Training at the new club is still going really well.

    At Matt Fiddes Martial Arts we spent most the lessons in lines, kicking and punching the air and a lot of time waiting to be told what we needed to do for each belt colour.

    At the new club they have lots of equipment, so we follow a warm up then either working in pairs with kick paddles or kick shields, or in small groups on the wave-masters. I feel I have learned far more in 1 year at the new club than I did in nearly 3 years at Matt Fiddes. All the instructors here have to be black belt, and they are incredibly helpful and patient! At MF you can be an instructor after just a year of doing MA, or even less in some cases!

    I've been to some of the sparring sessions at the new club and as long as the equipment is safe then it's fine to use, so my sparring kit has been back in use. The standard of students is SO much higher so I'm learning a lot! At MF I was one of the "better" and "higher grade" students. At the new club I am towards the top of the "beginner class" with an advanced class afterwards that I hope to move up to eventually!

    It is also much cheaper. We train more and pay less, plus no grading fees - they assess you over a month and we are graded and go up a belt only if they feel we are ready and have made the necessary progress, so at least now I know I am progressing rather than just paying my way to a black belt!

    So for anyone else out there that is feeling disgruntled with their Matt Fiddes dojo, then do not hesitate to look elsewhere!
     
    axelb and Mitch like this.
  9. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    Thanks for the update, it's great to hear things are going so well for you :)
     
  10. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    Great to hear your getting on well in the new place!
     

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