Is anyone here familiar with these Black Belt Academies?

What is the difference between a Black Belt Academy and say your regular martial arts club.
Does a Black Belt academy turn out a high standard of black belts?
Do they turn out high quality fighters?
Are they normally quite expensive?

What is this Basic/Black Belt Club/Masters Club/ SWAT team business all about?
Somebody please explain it has attracted my curiosity in a big way.

"What is this Basic/Black Belt Club/Masters Club/ SWAT team business all about?
Somebody please explain it has attracted my curiosity in a big way"

Taking your money? (I thought SWAT team was summat on US TV)

andyb

I think the instrcutors/founders of these 'schools' think that if they put words like 'Black Belt', 'Academy' and 'Master' in their club title then they will attract more students.

having a name like so doesnt neccesarily turn out quality fighters, but then again it might do. But then what is a quality fighter, someone who can win at a point scoring tournament?

Its just publicity, for more students (money) lol. :-)

Ste

the only blackbelt academy i'm aware of is Castle Blackbelt Academy, and that's just a regular club as far as i'm aware. I'm not aware of 'masters' clubs, 'SWAT' teams or anything else.

Originally posted by Freddylee
Is anyone here familiar with these Black Belt Academies?

What is the difference between a Black Belt Academy and say your regular martial arts club.
Does a Black Belt academy turn out a high standard of black belts?
Do they turn out high quality fighters?
Are they normally quite expensive?

What is this Basic/Black Belt Club/Masters Club/ SWAT team business all about?
Somebody please explain it has attracted my curiosity in a big way.

try googling mcDojo, that might help explain.

http://www.vianis.ca/

Check out those guys, that's a real black belt academy. They even do birthday parties.

Maybe it's a new direction for my club - one definatly worth thinking about!

I always suspect that the words "black belt academy" tend to mean "McDojo". Saying this, though, my wife was in a TKD "black belt academy" when she trained in Hull. She says their standards were high and it was really a bunch of clubs who joined together as a mini-organisation. It allowed the higher grades to train with peers and the novice grades to benefit from having more instructors.

I've recently had a bunch of guys from "Go-Kan-Ryu" style of karate come knocking on my door trying to get recruits. It's a sort of door-to-door selling of karate - has anyone else seen these guys or know anything more about them?

Black belt acamedies started in the US under the 'EFC' or Educational funding Company and the idea was brought to the UK.

They are regular M.A.'s schools run generally on a more commercial basis on a franchise type basis. They look at student retentation stats etc and offer cetralised support and payment chasing.

Some are a very good standard.

However McDojo, I like that.

If any guys are interested I run a Jiu-jitsu School in dronfield and I graded under Royce Gracie of UFC fame.

McDojo???
Can you get a big mac and fries there?

Originally posted by Freddylee
McDojo???
Can you get a big mac and fries there?

no, but you can supersize your training and for £500 earn your blackbelt in 5 easy seminars.

seriously???
if thats true then im in :P
where do i sign up?
do they have a drive throuh facility?

Originally posted by Freddylee
seriously???
if thats true then im in :P
where do i sign up?
do they have a drive throuh facility?

I'd recommend going to decathalon, I think you can get a blackbelt for about £4.
Of course a belt is just to hold your Gi closed, it doesn't alter your ability.

It took me 7 years to get my blue from Royce.