Mark Thomas...My Story So Far
Fudoshin Ju-Jitsu Dojos was created during a certain unpleasant time in my life during mid 2008.
Here goes then, make yourself a cup of tea and get comfortable...
After studying Martial Arts for most of my life, you know the usual, Judo when I was a kid, I'm brittle asthmatic and my parents thought that this might help???? you tell me. This was followed by a short spate in Karate (sorry all you Karate practitioners) but I just couldn't cope with the Katas. In my late teens I also tried my hand (and feet) at Savate, French style kickboxing...but I was absolutely rubbish at it so that was swiftly brushed under the carpet.
I finally found something special when I moved to Gloucestershire in my early twenties. I found Ninjitsu (non believers may scoff) but those that know will understand, I was hooked and for a good couple of years would train with my work colleague Clive. We worked together at the Locksmiths in Gloucester town centre and we would make our way to the Forrest of Dean for training, it was great, real training...we were getting hurt and loving it, we would compare bruises and goad each other into training even harder.
Work called for me to move back home and my martial arts training stopped for a while, until I moved to Watford and found the only martial arts school (for libel purposes this school and it's instructors shall not be named) that ever compared to the training ethos of Ninjitsu. After enrolling in July 1999 I was immediately hooked, hard partners, hard training, hard regime....
It was great I was getting hurt again (in a good way) training was great and I made some great friends, some stayed and some moved on (I would find out why much later on ). We would push each other harder and harder and we were pushed by our instructor harder and harder. I worked my way through the grading syllabus and it was whilst in preparation for one of my grading that my left knee was dislocated during training one night...I had never felt pain like it, yes you get used to getting punched and kicked and in time your body conditions and the bruises become fewer but I had never encountered a pain like this before.
After a brief healing period (and after refusing surgery at this time) I continued to train through the pain (as they say) and in 2001, along with my two training partners Andy & Carl, I participated in what was (at the time) the hardest most physically enduring grading ever...
Our Shodan-Ho grading (provisional Black Belt) which consisted of a six mile run and basic fitness test of 50 press ups, sit ups, leg raises and burpees before demonstrating all the basic throws from each belt (Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple & Brown) before executing, under duress, every single technique from every single belt including various weapons techniques as well, and just for fun additional fitness tests were also required before finishing the grading with the dreaded milling, at which point my knee finally gave out and I finished the grading with my instructor holding me up by my belt so that I could finish the milling.
The three musketeers were successful, a grading none of us will ever forget.
My knee, now completely buggered needed some duly earned time off, alas, that was not to be and taking only time enough for the pain to go away I continued to train, albeit as and when my knee could sustain the hard regime. It was FOUR years later I was to participate in my Shodan (black belt) grading and by then new friends had come and also gone, good friends and good training partners as well..but never-the-less it was myself and only Andy who had remained. By now I had been given the opportunity to teach professionally full time, great I thought, an opportunity of a lifetime but I was warned about what would really be involved and what life working as a full time instructor for this particular organisation would be like...but I brushed this advice aside and thought to myself how bad can it be....surely after 5 years commitment and reaching Shodan-Ho there must be some mutual respect between student and master...
I would later find out for myself the harsh reality.
After quitting my rather well paid full time job in March 2005 I started teaching professionally...I was getting pressure from the "Chief Instructor" to get back on the mat and take my black belt, after thoughtful consideration I agreed, ignoring the fact the my knee still needed repairing (I would wait to get it repaired after the grading) so training resumed, not just Ju-Jitsu training but mentally and physically preparing my self for the arduous grading ahead. I lost a stone in weight, I was out running twice a week in preparation for the 12 mile run and I was training twice a week as well as teaching every night of the week, plus traveling up to Norfolk to train at Honbu dojo Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, to say that my social and family life was non existent is a profound understatement, but the test is also about commitment...so I was sure that this would be acknowledged and returned once Shodan status had been attained....(You'd think?)
December 2005, I participated in the grading of my life, over 2 days everything I knew was put to the test, my fitness, my mental attitude, my knowledge and my mettle...it was my Shodan-Ho all over again only this time it was even harder and even more demanding....I got the proverbial kicked and punched out of me during the course of the grading....but it was worth it I had achieved Black Belt status (and a worthy one at that) We used to say that even race horses get a break, but not at this school. It was straight back into teaching & training....to get a break, some sort of reprieve I finally arranged my long awaited knee reconstruction operation and in April 2008 I finally had surgery and a new ACL courtesy of a Patella tendon reconstruction.
After a very brief spell of recuperation it was life back to normal....teaching, training, teaching, training and this wasn't enough either....over the previous 3 years not one summer vacation away, not one school half term went by without beign asked "What are you doing for the organisation this week?"...not once did I hear "Enjoy the half term with your kids cos we know you don't see them during the week", not once did I hear "Why don't you take the family away for a summer holiday"...no..no..no get out there do some leafleting during the holidays. I had to beg to get a week off during the school holidays in August and that had to be the last bank holiday week as well...the busiest and the most expensive week, even when we did get away (in 2007) I was still getting phone calls about the clubs.
During "My self-employed employemt" I was receiving a regular monthly income from the two "Partners", it was decided that I would become the third "equal" partner....HA!
I would receive renumeration in relation to the ammount of students that were enrolled BUT I would aslo be responsible for a third payment of all the dojo fees we incurred and any additional fees as well, this included any advertising "He" deemed necessary without any thought for or consultation from his partners, it also included ME having to pay (apparently) a third of his bank charges, what was next pay a third of his phone bill? his heating bill?? During one year of my self-employed employment I had payed back in fees nearly as much as I had earnt....Things were so desperate one Christmas, I actually phoned him and said I would have to find additional work to increase the family's income. Luckily my wife, against the wishes of the cheif instructor had kept her part time job and was able to marginally increase her shifts.(He didn't want her job interfearing with my work or commitment for the organisation). The end of that year (2006) was probably my lowest ebb or so I thought....
Eventually on this one way road trip of take, take, take, I had a telephone conversation with the "Chief Instructor" that proveand to me that there really was no acknowledgement of achievement and commitment, no expression of gratitude and absolutely no appreciation what s,o ever and that it was all absolutely about the money and not the art.
Instead of expanding his domain with a new dojo, bringing in new members and income into the club and organisation, a cunning plan to ease his (The Cheif Intstructor's) conscience was to let me start my own dojo, therefore earning my own income from my own club....but then NOT paying me a salary for teaching his other clubs but a highly deflated hourly rate to teach in selected classes where the other poor down trodden intstructor couldn't....this was not a comparable income and I saw right through his scheme.
Finally I'd had enough and seized an opportunity to create my own school of Martial Arts, Fudoshin Ju-Jitsu Dojo was conceived in June 2008 and the first Dojo opened in September 2008.
I HAVEN'T LOOKED BACK SINCE, IT WAS THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE!
Here goes then, make yourself a cup of tea and get comfortable...
After studying Martial Arts for most of my life, you know the usual, Judo when I was a kid, I'm brittle asthmatic and my parents thought that this might help???? you tell me. This was followed by a short spate in Karate (sorry all you Karate practitioners) but I just couldn't cope with the Katas. In my late teens I also tried my hand (and feet) at Savate, French style kickboxing...but I was absolutely rubbish at it so that was swiftly brushed under the carpet.
I finally found something special when I moved to Gloucestershire in my early twenties. I found Ninjitsu (non believers may scoff) but those that know will understand, I was hooked and for a good couple of years would train with my work colleague Clive. We worked together at the Locksmiths in Gloucester town centre and we would make our way to the Forrest of Dean for training, it was great, real training...we were getting hurt and loving it, we would compare bruises and goad each other into training even harder.
Work called for me to move back home and my martial arts training stopped for a while, until I moved to Watford and found the only martial arts school (for libel purposes this school and it's instructors shall not be named) that ever compared to the training ethos of Ninjitsu. After enrolling in July 1999 I was immediately hooked, hard partners, hard training, hard regime....
It was great I was getting hurt again (in a good way) training was great and I made some great friends, some stayed and some moved on (I would find out why much later on ). We would push each other harder and harder and we were pushed by our instructor harder and harder. I worked my way through the grading syllabus and it was whilst in preparation for one of my grading that my left knee was dislocated during training one night...I had never felt pain like it, yes you get used to getting punched and kicked and in time your body conditions and the bruises become fewer but I had never encountered a pain like this before.
After a brief healing period (and after refusing surgery at this time) I continued to train through the pain (as they say) and in 2001, along with my two training partners Andy & Carl, I participated in what was (at the time) the hardest most physically enduring grading ever...
Our Shodan-Ho grading (provisional Black Belt) which consisted of a six mile run and basic fitness test of 50 press ups, sit ups, leg raises and burpees before demonstrating all the basic throws from each belt (Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple & Brown) before executing, under duress, every single technique from every single belt including various weapons techniques as well, and just for fun additional fitness tests were also required before finishing the grading with the dreaded milling, at which point my knee finally gave out and I finished the grading with my instructor holding me up by my belt so that I could finish the milling.
The three musketeers were successful, a grading none of us will ever forget.
My knee, now completely buggered needed some duly earned time off, alas, that was not to be and taking only time enough for the pain to go away I continued to train, albeit as and when my knee could sustain the hard regime. It was FOUR years later I was to participate in my Shodan (black belt) grading and by then new friends had come and also gone, good friends and good training partners as well..but never-the-less it was myself and only Andy who had remained. By now I had been given the opportunity to teach professionally full time, great I thought, an opportunity of a lifetime but I was warned about what would really be involved and what life working as a full time instructor for this particular organisation would be like...but I brushed this advice aside and thought to myself how bad can it be....surely after 5 years commitment and reaching Shodan-Ho there must be some mutual respect between student and master...
I would later find out for myself the harsh reality.
After quitting my rather well paid full time job in March 2005 I started teaching professionally...I was getting pressure from the "Chief Instructor" to get back on the mat and take my black belt, after thoughtful consideration I agreed, ignoring the fact the my knee still needed repairing (I would wait to get it repaired after the grading) so training resumed, not just Ju-Jitsu training but mentally and physically preparing my self for the arduous grading ahead. I lost a stone in weight, I was out running twice a week in preparation for the 12 mile run and I was training twice a week as well as teaching every night of the week, plus traveling up to Norfolk to train at Honbu dojo Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, to say that my social and family life was non existent is a profound understatement, but the test is also about commitment...so I was sure that this would be acknowledged and returned once Shodan status had been attained....(You'd think?)
December 2005, I participated in the grading of my life, over 2 days everything I knew was put to the test, my fitness, my mental attitude, my knowledge and my mettle...it was my Shodan-Ho all over again only this time it was even harder and even more demanding....I got the proverbial kicked and punched out of me during the course of the grading....but it was worth it I had achieved Black Belt status (and a worthy one at that) We used to say that even race horses get a break, but not at this school. It was straight back into teaching & training....to get a break, some sort of reprieve I finally arranged my long awaited knee reconstruction operation and in April 2008 I finally had surgery and a new ACL courtesy of a Patella tendon reconstruction.
After a very brief spell of recuperation it was life back to normal....teaching, training, teaching, training and this wasn't enough either....over the previous 3 years not one summer vacation away, not one school half term went by without beign asked "What are you doing for the organisation this week?"...not once did I hear "Enjoy the half term with your kids cos we know you don't see them during the week", not once did I hear "Why don't you take the family away for a summer holiday"...no..no..no get out there do some leafleting during the holidays. I had to beg to get a week off during the school holidays in August and that had to be the last bank holiday week as well...the busiest and the most expensive week, even when we did get away (in 2007) I was still getting phone calls about the clubs.
During "My self-employed employemt" I was receiving a regular monthly income from the two "Partners", it was decided that I would become the third "equal" partner....HA!
I would receive renumeration in relation to the ammount of students that were enrolled BUT I would aslo be responsible for a third payment of all the dojo fees we incurred and any additional fees as well, this included any advertising "He" deemed necessary without any thought for or consultation from his partners, it also included ME having to pay (apparently) a third of his bank charges, what was next pay a third of his phone bill? his heating bill?? During one year of my self-employed employment I had payed back in fees nearly as much as I had earnt....Things were so desperate one Christmas, I actually phoned him and said I would have to find additional work to increase the family's income. Luckily my wife, against the wishes of the cheif instructor had kept her part time job and was able to marginally increase her shifts.(He didn't want her job interfearing with my work or commitment for the organisation). The end of that year (2006) was probably my lowest ebb or so I thought....
Eventually on this one way road trip of take, take, take, I had a telephone conversation with the "Chief Instructor" that proveand to me that there really was no acknowledgement of achievement and commitment, no expression of gratitude and absolutely no appreciation what s,o ever and that it was all absolutely about the money and not the art.
Instead of expanding his domain with a new dojo, bringing in new members and income into the club and organisation, a cunning plan to ease his (The Cheif Intstructor's) conscience was to let me start my own dojo, therefore earning my own income from my own club....but then NOT paying me a salary for teaching his other clubs but a highly deflated hourly rate to teach in selected classes where the other poor down trodden intstructor couldn't....this was not a comparable income and I saw right through his scheme.
Finally I'd had enough and seized an opportunity to create my own school of Martial Arts, Fudoshin Ju-Jitsu Dojo was conceived in June 2008 and the first Dojo opened in September 2008.
I HAVEN'T LOOKED BACK SINCE, IT WAS THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE!
To coin a phrase, things can only get better.
ReplyDeleteOnwards and Upwards for Fudoshin Jujitsu!