Why not try another art? Kickboxing, MMA, boxing, sambo, muay thai and so on are all great arts.
Well Robert, as I see it your instructor is really putting his needs over yours because he has a vested interest in you continuing to be there and help him teach his classes and build his business. He probably is afraid of losing you by chance if you continue to follow this path. Unfortunately when instructors react like this they often times end up losing the student anyways and also it tends to really leave a sour taste in everyone's mouth about the whole thing. There also perhaps is the possibility of him not knowing these things or where to go to find out about them or is not wanting to spend the time, effort, and maybe money to.
I always found it better to support my students in such things even if at times it meant that I might eventually lose them down the road. At least then I knew I had done right by them and was still on some kind of good footing with them and they with me and I actually had one of my younger black belts who was a NASKA national champion in forms take up TKD exactly for the same reasons and accomplishing that in TKD. It of course divided his time, effort, and energy between my karate school and this but we are still friends today and that's good I think.
As I see it you can do one of two things here. One is to try and get him engaged in learning about this and then using it as something else he can offer you and other current students as well as attracting future students for his school and building a stronger program and business. Tell him you are willing to do some of the leg work and see if he takes the ball and runs with it and hopefully he will as this is important to you. it just might not be important to him though and if he does not respond in a favorable way then I think you are stuck with the second option.
That second option is to go with that second person who has a background in competition at this level and who can help you accomplish your goal. You actually might not have to leave your first instructor while doing this either but it would mean you would not be at his school every night and Saturday probably. If that upsets him then you know he only has his interests at heart and not yours or is too short sighted to expand his own level of knowledge and experience and afraid to grow. This last statement is really important in martial and fighting arts I think because most really good quality individuals in them have had a very strong foundation in one thing and with one instructor or coach. But they usually also have in their background other instructors, coaches and arts that they have trained in for expanding their knowledge and skill as well as growing in their ability. I have also seen some people who were afraid to grow and perhaps your current instructor is one such person.
I do see where something has to change here either with him and his approach, or yours in giving up what you want to try and accomplish. If you can't get his buy in and support then and there is someone available who can give you that which you need and you feel strongly enough about this then a change for you might be in order. That change might also include having to stop training with your current instructor which is why I always found it better to support my students and keep things on a positive note. That way if they had to quit me we at least still remained friends and if one student makes or breaks a school and instructor then it was not a very strong school nor maybe a very strong instructor who ran things.
so im 17 years old. i have been doing taekwondo for 6 years and i compete in national level. the past 2 years i have been training myself for state champs and nationals. also i just train mysellf to get better. i told my master nearly 100 times last year that i want to make the u.s team. and he would always say we will get u their. but he never botherd learing the ruls and technics that you need to know to win. i dont do sparring, i do poomsae (forms). so its all about doing the movments correctly and with lots of power/sharpness and having the right speed and highest sharpest kicks and all that. my master does not know how the forms should be done in the current style reinforced by the world taekwondo federation. is technis is off, his stances are always wrong and his blocks are not done correctly. when he used to train me, he wouldent really help at all. he would just say, do it stronger do it sharper. but last nationals, my lowest scor was in accuracy of the movements. that is one thing my master doesent know anything about. so since then, i have been training myself. i still go to that school but not for my real training. i want to quit that place because its not helping me at all. i stay tho because i dont want to leave the people their. my master knows that i dont like how he runs and teaches the school. he used to push me to change my ways by saying stuff like, take classes more seriouse and change ur attitude about the training i give u. but i know 100% that the training he gives is not specialized for my event, forms. in addition, the training he gives is not even taekwondo athletic training. all it is is memorizing a bunch of combinations of kicks. i am his current most achieved student and one of his best instructors. (when i teach the classes i dont teach his curriculum because i know its bogus. i make the students do the work outs that i do because i know they work). i know if i leave his school that he will be losing a big important person. and the kids will lose a huge insperation. the past 2 months tho ive been careing less about the school and students not because i hate them (i love them to death i would jump infront of a car for them), but because im getting selfish in my own goals. which i know that if u want to be the best you have to be selfish so you can be the best u can be yourself. my master doesent understand this. he keeps telling me that i need to be a bigger leader for the students. but i feel like, whats a leader that diddent accomplish anything.
should i leave the school and go to another master that i know well who used to be a world champion in what i do? i can keep training myself, but how much does a coach really help? i hear people say, master knows best your just a kid (im 17 by the way) you dont know that much. but i know for a fact that i know more then my current master that doesent even know how anything about the latest best competitors and rules of the sport. he doesent even know how the forms are scored. i want to leave. should i? how much does a coach really help u in training? do you have any experiences leaving coaches for another? please share. oh yea im a 2nd degree black belt also.
