• Jun. 3, 2008 - To The Person Who Tried Calling Me
You've done enough to me. Leave me alone. I have nothing to say to you or anyone else from that organization. You sure didn't answer when I tried calling you last year..at a time when you could have set the record straight about the harmless thing I said. Of course you didn't want to set the record straight. You knew what you were doing and you got exactly what you wanted, so forget you ever knew me and leave me alone.
Finally realizing that the fact that he messed around with jeet kune do as a teenager doesn't exactly have people beating down the door to train at Team One, Shawn has humbled himself substantially by allowing two people with actual martial arts backgrounds to not only teach, but to share equal billing on his website.
One of them is a firefighter (let's hope that this one doesn't abuse alcohol) so you'll have to adjust your schedule to his to attend his day classes, which aren't listed on the website. Hmmm. He is also their Thai boxing coach, which is interesting because Team One does not have a Thai boxing class. However, the term "kick boxing" has been added to the self-defense class button on the home page, but not to the class title in the description or elsewhere. We're a bit confused on what that clas is actually about. It's probably about whatever the instructor (oh, I'm sorry, COACH) feels like teaching....or coaching that day which is the Shawn Terrance method.
Conspicuous By It's Absence:
-Shawn's MMA Record. Gee, he mentions one instruct....oops, coach's record of 8 and 1, so why doesn't he mention his very own 0 and 1?
-Any mention of the drunken Alsip Firefighter. Hmmm
The answer to the 'what happened to the tournament' is....APATHY!
We thought that Shawn is so lazy that he would rather pretend like it never happened than take the time to post the results.
Yes, the magical disappearing tournament has reappeared and I'll bet you are all thrilled. Two weeks after the event, Shawn Terrance has finally found the energy to post about the tournament. How sad that the kids are so low on his priority list. Of course he got the YEAR wrong, "April 12th, 2007". Sad. Six of his students won and 9 of them didn't. Doherty's Martial Arts really scored 99 points, but he lets Shawn split up his kids by his ever expanding locations. Then is comes down to whomever brings in the most bodies gets the higher score. Too many variables to judge the quality of the schools and point sparring is terrible for self-defense. Like I said before, yes, they may be the sparring champions, but it ain't exactly the nationals. There are many scarry people here. Shawn has also been known to stack the rings and to lie. Doherty probably feels sorry for him. "Yea, yea, whatever. You win. I just want my kid to get out there, have some fun and get some experience. It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things". Some pretty vulnerable kids did pretty poorly. Meltdown. I didn't see too many new names either. I see the black belts are still chicken to spar. Black belts spar at Islander's tournament and at the Youth of America tournaments. They are not afraid to lay it on the line. Some people feel that if you lose a sparring match as a black belt, people will not respect your rank. Well, only the one's that have good reason to doubt their abilities worry about that.
Yesterday my son was saying that Shawn would have to cancel the tournament because he couldn't afford to pay for the little plastic trophies. Then he said that his enrollment is down to "smiling rocks on sticks". He took a pencil in one hand and a pen in the other. He sat there starring at them in a strange way and then said to the pencil, "Jimmy! Go fight Sarah!" He totally gets it. It was hilarious.
Now about that lack of testing. At first, testing was three times a year and then it was changed to four times a year. When Shawn split, testing was conducted every month. Then he got some sort of obsessive book where he compulsively charted attendance and showed how many classes were needed for promotion. Last year, there were just two opportunities to promote regardless of how many classes one attended.
A tale of two schools:
Last week at Islander's I had the pleasure of watching the youth black belt test. Five kids got their black belts, including the daughter of the owners, who is 13. If there was a dry eye in the house it didn't belong to me. Shawn's only had three black belts plus one that he 'doesn't count'. Remember, Shawn can 'run the school any way he wants to' so if your kid earns a black belt and Shawn later decides not to count it for any reason, there you go. A few months ago we also had the pleasure of watching adult black belt testing. Four of my classmates earned this honor. Shawn has never trained/retained adults to that level. Black belt testing is such a special night at Islanders. The whole school comes out and it is so festive. Shawn's first black belt test was done without witnesses at a remote location. When a scheduling conflict had people showing up at the second black belt test, we found out why. I may eventually post the full critique that my husband made. Shawn did not even test stick or knife defense. The kid blew the neutral stance. How does one blow the neutral stance??!! Shawn did not even write anything down to keep track of how he did. It was a walk through. Ken has more black belts on his juding panel than Shawn will every have black belts in his entire life, and they all had critique forms. And while theoretically Ken can 'run the school any way he wants', major decisions regarding policy, curriculum, etc. are voted on by a panel of black belts. He also has a true governing body, a modern arnis foundation, not just a company that takes his money to let him use their name. In fact, Ken is an inheritor of a style. George Dillman is going to do a seminar at our school next month. He is truly a legendary martial artist who has won numerous Black Belt Magazine Martial Artist of the Year awardsn; he's not just a personality. Ken is a class act who attracts class students and has highly accomplished friends. Ken has taught seminars in France, Germany, England, and he recently was invited to do a demo at The Classic. Shawn and his associates award themselves belts and make up styles.
On his website, Shawn has announced a schedule change (Again!). It informs the reader to check the scheulde for new class added. Yes, there is now a Monday class. The SPIN is that it didn't say to note that the Saturday class has been eliminated. What? People didn't want to go over there for an hour on Saturday evening? What a stunner! Well, maybe Shawn's hindsight is 20/20, but I'm am totally sure that students will want to come to class on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. He doesn't attract many state scholars after all.
Sure, this 'news item' has been added, but a banner still invites us to click for: "The December 1st Tournament Results!" Oh boy, that gives new meaning to 'late breaking news'. Suspicious in it's absence: Whatever happened to last week's tournament? Team One held apathy hostage: Day 11! What could be so bad that he won't even say what happened? Also, there have been no promotions since 11/13. Don't you just want to run over there and join the fun?? Could he possibly take any less interest in his own program?
You can go on Shawn's site, click on 'news', and read tiny blips from other months. You cannot, however, read Shawn's mea culpa about his pathetic mma defeat. He actually took that off. Not too embarrassed, is he?
I received a call last night from the parent of a current Team One student. This person thinks that Shawn is just about done. HIs year of free rent for fixing up the place is over. The scuttlebutt is that the owner of the building is raising the rent and Shawn is having a hard time meeting it. Will the few remaining students foot the bill?
I do want to thank the people who are commenting: I like when the Team One people reveal their true nature. I like knowing that people check in here from time to time. I like it when people add their voice to mine in proclaiming what a pit Team One Martial Arts has become.
First commentor: I don't like the term "lurking". It seems to have negative connotations. I read a lot of blogs and I think the owners appreciate me reading them even if I just don't have anything to say or don't want to say anything, etc. Also, I get about one e-mail per month; it's another way of communicating without commenting. I do invite anybody who reads this to comment though. I will keep your identity if you are fair. Seems to be a theme: If you are nice to me, I will be your best friend and I will go to the ends of the earth for you. If you do something rotten to me, I mean really rotten, look out 'cause momma ain't gonna take it!
Thanks once again for letting me know that people are reading this blog. My kids know that their mother does not take abuse. Nobody messes with their mama! They also know that their mother has a good paying professional job, for which she works hard. I stress the value of education. I point out hardships in life that can be avoided if they aim high. Perhaps you should follow that advice. Oh, that's right. It's too late. I just don't want my kids to have to struggle, go without, and live in doubt. I guess we were pretty poor when I was young, even if I didn't realize it at the time. My kids WILL succeed. This is America,after all. But I digress.. Shawn Terrance does has the right to run his "school" the way he wants, but he doesn't have the right to throw away my many dollars and many hours of training for no reason. I should care that he acts the way he does because of his bd, but I guess I'm not that understanding under these circumstances. Although you are too cowardly to say who you are, I can tell who you are by your i.p. address, which Forumer automatically records for those who chose to remain anonymous. Maybe if you wouldn't blindly follow the wrong people, you would have a better lot in life. Maybe it was too late for you, but you turned around and led your kid down the same path. To me St. Patrick's Day/South Side Irish is just sad. I've seen so many people (at Team One alone ) who have nothing and do nothing to improve their situation. Do they know that there is a way out of their situation? You don't have to live like that. Learn,
The CC (cowardly commentor--hey, if I've got something to say, I put it out there. I don't hide behind anonymous. I'll do a feature on the commentor anyway because said commentor is not clever enough to hide the tracks leading to identify. Said commentor should say it to my face and see what happens :) Coward.)
Anyhoo...CC is right on. "Shawn can run his school anyway he wants to". (Educated blogger would have chosen to end the sentence not in a preposition, but we are talking about Shawn Terrance's peeps.) That means that Shawn can and has:
1. Decided to kick someone out because he thinks they looked at him the wrong way, they are intelligent enough to spot his erratic behavior, etc.
2. Shawn can decide one day that he doesn't want to teach the class your studying.
3. Shawn can decide on the spot that he is going to completely re-arrange the schedule.
4. Shawn can decide to move.
5. As he's done many times, Shawn can decide that he is not able to show up for any given class, day, tournament, graduation, etc.
6. Shawn can decide to change the rank requirements, gear requirements, and curriculum on you early and often.
If you go to Team One MMA you will be putting yourself, your training, your time and money in the hands of one person. This person is not stable.
I hadn't posted in some time on this blog, but Mr. Anonymous ('Anonymous' being synonomous with 'coward') has reminded me that there is still an audience for this blog. Folks, I am far from out of material. Furthermore, CombatGal, having trained the number one obedience whippet in the country, has experience communicating with forms of life that are less verbal than those higher up on the evolutionary ladder, such as herself. Thus, CombatGal interprets the use of CAPITAL LETTERS followed by thirty-five exclamation points (which CombatGal went to significant lengths to count), are this person's attempt to indicate ANGER, although he lacks the literary skills to express himself.
In other words, (if you've got it, flaunt it), there are still feathers to be ruffled.
Therefore keep your eyes pealed for the following:
-My original post over perhaps the greatest Team One defeat to date. Where is my "loser" banner? It's a good thing that I don't have to pay royalties on that thing; I'd be as broke as Shawn.
-Statcounter proof that Shawn is obsessed with this blog.
-Dead and Gone in Milwaukee?
-I recently ran in to two different familires whose kids used to go to Team One. I told them why we dropped out and then told them what 'Shawn didn't want anyone to know'. I told them that he had never confided this into anyone else at Team One, and I'd appreciate them keeping quiet about it. It's honeslty the funniest thing I've ever though up. It just flew out of my mouth and I didn't even bat an eye. Ok, the second time I told it, it was pretty well rehearsed from me re-living it. Just wait 'till the fun starts.
• Apr. 15, 2008 - There was a tournament, wasn't there?
A sign of apathy that surprised even me. Wasn't the grand championship for 2007 supposed to be held last week.? Yes, I know that the calendar says it's 2008, but hey, it's Team One Mma, Shawn Terrance we are talking about.
Usually after a tournament, he prints the results that evening. His website still bursts forth the breaking news of the Dec. tournament results. Why is that? Let's look at some possible reasons.
1. Shawn knows that nobody cares enough to log onto the website.
2. Shawn himself doesn't care.
3. Shawn's illness has progressed to the point where he is even less able to keep up with task.s
4. Shawn realizes that even though they win at this tournament, the sill of being able to get one tap in on the opponent does not make his "school" sound, this ain't exactly the nationals, and/or
5. Shawn is either embarrassed about something like the results, the number of entries from his "school", etc. Maybe the other instructors rebelled at Shawn's tricks to win that include dividing other schools, stacking the rings, and whatever else he might do that I don't know about.
6. Shawn had another mystery crisis crop up on tournament day and was a no show.
7. The tournament location had another surprising (and unbelievable) reason to cancel the event.
• Apr. 2, 2008 - Going No Where at Team One Martial Arts
Here it is, April and there have been no promotions at Team One since Nov. 13th.
My theory :
Social promotions. Everybody 'became eligible' to test at the same time. Miraculously, everybody passed. No one has been eligible since.
In the over ten years that he has been 'teaching', there have only been three youth black belts and no adult black belts. What does that say to you? When the program was under the direction of the Youth of America (aka before Shawn ran the program into the ground), new classes of as many as 20 would start 3-4 x per year for many years. There was another black belt that Shawn awarded to a great kid because the rules of the Youth of America, in thier wisdom, were something like, "Come on, you have to promote well performing students who have good attendance before hell freezes over". Shawn won't even acknowledge the kid as a black belt. He says the kid's has a black belt from YOA. Hello, you can't be a black belt in Youth of America. It's not a style. Hey, wait a minute, neither is *combat karate*. Come to think of it, the kid has better credentials than Shawn's black belts. Nobody made up "Youth of America".
In Missouri, parents are taking their children -- some as young as six -- to participate in ultimate fighting competitions. It's a far cry from soccer or baseball or even wrestling ... it's more like Fight Club for kids, and doctors are concerned that the youngsters' bodies can't withstand the pounding even with the protective gear they wear. Parents, meanwhile, insist that it teaches discipline and self-defense
• Jan. 14, 2008 - More on the Team One MMA Scheduling Woes
Team One's class schedule has been changing 2-3 times per year for as long as I can remember. At one time, cancellations were so frequent that there was a recorded hotline number that one was to call before one left for class, but I cancellations are a different subject. Now, the changes take place week to week; in fact, Shawn Terrance no longer makes any pretense about the schedules being 'permanent'. The "self-defense" people (or person, or potential future person) is now advised to check the website often for the "Floating Class Times". Just what does "Open" mean? Does someone 'open' the door and you get to go there and try to figure out what you are supposed to do. Plenty of that goes on when Shawn is there. I go to a well-established, respectable school and trust me, no one has to "confirm" classes. If the head instructor is absent, there are 2nd and above black belts in that style who have trained with him for upwards of ten years and are well imersed in the curriculum; not just any thug off the street who can fog up a mirror.
Cancellations are bad enough. At one time, there was a telephone number that students were encouraged to call before leaving for class. Every class day, a recorded message would inform the caller if there was even going to be a class. The number went away, but the sudden cancellations and no-shows did not.
Not the sign of a stable school. Here today, gone tomorrow? Shawn decided he did not want to teach our program any more. Is yours next? In fact, one time he told me that he wished Jason were in town so he could teach and he (Shawn) could just participate in the class. Of course, months before he told me that, he said that he was glad that Jason was not living in town. He said that Jason was "into all kinds of junk" and he (Shawn) was glad not to have to deal with it. We didn't ask.
Please check regularly for floating class times
Jan 13th: SBGi SELF-DEFENSE:12:45 PM - 1:30 PM (confirmed)
Just what are "Floating Class Times"? Another Shawn Terrance creation that translates to: "Our class times do not remain consistent. Check the website before you leave for class because the time may very well have changed". Wow. How wonderfully confusing. Just great for those of you who work regular hours. Hey parents, one week your kid's class is at 12:00, the next week it's at 5:00. That will work for you, won't it? The other activities and academic requirements are flexible, right?
What does he mean by "Other 'trainers'. How mysterious. Are they instructors? Are they just any live bodies that he can get to show up (because they don't have a steady job) so he can get a few dollars? What are their credentials? Maybe Jason Huggy has a couple of free periods in the morning (going into the Army and all, he probably doesn't have a killer schedule) when he can swing by to teach. Wow, he must be 17 by now. He's inching ever so closer to the age when he can legally teach. Perhaps this means the return of Big Js teaching career. He must have over 25 years in the martial arts by now, making him more than qualified. What about Rick? What rank is he in "Combat Karate?" Somebody e-mailed me and told me that he took steroids as a youth wrestler and that's why he looks like that. And that's why he has a personality with all the charm of Barry Bonds. Too funny. I would print it, but I promised the author complete anonymity. In short, the *staff* at Team One is anybody who likes to play around at MMA (and who doesn't these days?) but isn't good enough to teach at a real gym like Gilbert's Grappling or Brujo's Jiu Jitsu, or who can't afford to train at places like that.
Just as I've said numerous time, "erratic" is the word to describe Team One Martial Arts. The schedule is too confusing to put into print; you have to call him in order for him to try and sort out the details. When you do call, he will try to schmooze you into joining with idealic promises that will never come to be. Look at any other program. You will find regularly scheduled class times that do not change for years. You will find dedicated professional instructors who are there regularly, day in and day out.
AT TEAM ONE MARTIAL ARTS, YOU GET AN INSTRUCTOR, OR MYSTERY TRAINER, WHO IS THERE IN BETWEEN RUNNING BACK AND FORTH TO WORK--HIS REAL JOB, THE ONE THAT PAYS THE BILLS.
- FLOATING DAY CLASS TIMES AVAILABLE -
With our team growing, we have other trainers on a floating
schedule that train in the AM and PM on non-scheduled days.
Currently Team One has athletes training from 9 AM - 11 AM
and 7 PM - 9 PM. We have training at least 5 days a week!
Please call for a complete updated schedule
Saturdays
Please check regularly for floating class times
Jan 13th: Youth Group Class: 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM (confirmed)
Jan 20th: Youth Group Class: 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM (confirmed)
Hooray, Windy City Kenpo has come to Orland Park! More competition for Shawn. The prices are reasonable, the style is recognized the world over, and the instructor is neither a stripper or someone who suffers from uncontrolled bipolar disorder.
For drunk pictures of Shawn Terrance of Team One Martial Arts (Team One MMA) please see www.teamonemartialarts.com
• Dec. 19, 2007 - About Me and the Reason for This Blog
About Me and the Reason for this Blog:
I am a 43 yr. old female from the SW Chicago Suburbs. My husband and I were dedicated students of Shawn's for four years. While I was volunteering at my kid's school, I happened to mention to the mom of one of Shawn's students that I hurt my legs and would be cutting back on the the Thursday class because we could not advance until the adult class started in a few weeks. She offhandedly mentioned it the 'desk assistant' who told Shawn. He called that very night and threw us out of the program. We really think that he did not want to teach adults anymore (which is what the assistant had told me) and he wasn't man enough to admit it.
Thousands of dollars and hours with no chance to earn a black belt. You bet I'm mad. If you dig deeper into this blog you will find very positive posts about Shawn and the log of a very disciplined student. I have been studying at Islander's for a year and a half and my husband joined there too after Shawn kicked him out. It's not mma style training, but the people are friendly, warm, and helpful. They truly are like family; just like I thought a martial arts school should be. My husband loves it too. He keeps commenting that you don't have groups of people standing around debating about how the moves go. Islander's people are on the same page, not like Shawn's. I don't want people to make the same mistake that we made and find yourself out on the street and out of a lot of money. And you bet, since he hurt me I want to hurt him back. If you doubt me, contact me. I will give you my name and you can call my school and ask what kind of a student/person I am. I am posting more letters to back up my case for how the rift started.
(This is the e-mail I wrote after Shawn called my husband and told him we were kicked out. Again he took the cowardly way out, refusing to speak to me directly. Since his call came out of the blue, I was surprised and tried to think of what and to whom I could have said something that offended him so badly. You will find typos and references to other topics in these letters. I left them unedited for authenticity.)
I'm not sure what happened, but I know I didn't say anything bad in class. Joe and I are always together --he would have heard it. I'm too busy worrying about my legs to worry about anything else. My head was stuffed up like a balloon last night anyway. I talk to Brendan about his school, say hi to a few kids, but that's it. The parents are usually talking in a group when I come in and after that I'm no where near them so I have virtually no contact with them. I talked to Jean last Thursday but nobody was around. I talked to Mr. Pajkos about moving my daughter's tutoring time up tomorrow. I couldn't have said anything to Diane because I haven't been picking Stephanie up. I do see Team One people at Market Day. Three months ago I talked to Alexa's father about how he wished she hadn't quit. Two months ago I talked to Ina about her baby. A couple weeks ago I talked to Wendy Babjak. I did mentioned that I was cutting back a bit because my I hurt my legs and we can't advance anyway until the adult class starts anyway. Nobody heard me say this to her, not even Brad because I was showing her where her order was; the orders are alphabetized and the Bs are way at the end of the gym. She didn't seem at all upset at the time, especially since none of this was anything bad and none of it even remotely concerned the kids. I will clear things up with her when I see her at our 4/27 sale.
Terri
(This is the e-mail that Shawn wrote in which he revealed the reason for kicking us out. His last sentence is just bizarre.)
In one instance, Ms. Babjak approached Jean about some statements that you made, which had her concerned. Why would she know or ask such things?
Now be honest with yourself and consider what you said to her and others. Consider if you were talking about the truth.
----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: Is this why you're angry?
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:40:38 EDT
From: JSanto7134
I don't know where this is coming from or why anger is being directed at me.
I've been quietly going about my business waiting for the adult class to
start and this comes from out of nowhere. You kicked us out of MMA; I missed
it so much that sometimes I'd cry all the way home but I never said a word. I
haven't even been posting anything. No one has said anything negative to me,
but like I say, I don't have contact with the parents. I don't even know the
parents in the later class. Maybe someone was having a bad day or wants us
gone so you'll have more time for the kids. It doesn't make any sense. You can
do whatever you want to me but I know I've done nothing wrong and I've done
nothing to deserve this. Maybe that's why I'm not as upset as I probably
should be.
Terri
(Shawn originally told my husband that a group of concerned parents approached him. I've heard him use this method with one of his instructors with whom he was unhappy. So I called the lady involved with the remark incident. Here's how it went:)
I broke the Market Day code and I called Wendy. So I broke the Market Day code of using someone's contact info for a non-sale issue! I'm a volunteer, they can fire me and I'd be thrilled. After explaining my joy to a 9 yr. old at hearing that Imus was actually fired..(I still can't believe it....woot!) .contacting her seemed easy. She's horrified, but I know it's not her fault. I believe her. She merely mentioned the point during regular conversation ...a discussion about why some students take off class...the very conversation that we had when the issue came up. I met her once at Market Day. She recognized me, I still can't figure out which parent she is because it was late at Market Day, I'd was frazzled and had taxed my legs way too much. So I was going to cut back on going to classes because I hurt my legs and was frustrated about not being able to get the material in the kids' classes that I need to advance. I'm still going to put my order in under her name to get her that bonus freezer bag. I'm still a damn good person and I KNOW IT so I don't care what anyone else says or why you hate me. Sure I loved your class and I loved you but it's not worth all this suffering.
You want to know what people are saying about you. By the way, when I adjusted my schedule as you told me and came to class last Thurs, Jean told me that you said you don't want to teach an adult class. She said that she told you that you can't just say you want to teach adults and then change your mind. She also told me about the sign that she gave you for Christmas. She cried for day, you called and apologized..it's going to be trash. I already knew that she used to call YOA anonymously and complain that you weren't promoting her son like she felt you should. She said that you are 'up an down' and you change your mind from one minute to the next about what you are going to do for graduation ceremonies and pretty much everything else. She is hoping that having the upstairs will give you some stability. You won't advertise the school like she thinks you should. I told her things that I thought were in confidence, so I guess the things she told me are fair game too. If she's freely telling me these things, I guess she is telling others that too.
In "The Shawn Letters" I will be posting actual e-mails that I received from Shawn. The 'mess' he refers to was used as a substitute instructor well after this e-mail. Shoulder problems being what they were, he was also awaiting a kidney transplant. He also shattered hand bones during a tournament while on dialysis. He is uninsured. He is 6'8" and nearly 400 lbs.
Thank you both for helping me with Pat Nagle today during your class. I appreciate it a LOT!
As for the knife stuff, we will get the ball rolling after the first couple of classes if not by next Tuesday. I just got to get rid of my first few days craziness, know if I have to rent less time on Thursdays beginning in April, and then adjust the cirriculum appropriately.
I also am glad Gabriella is back... but after putting everyone in the roster, I saw how many people didnt come to class like Danny Petrisko and Brad Lhotka. Also a couple purple & green belt students did not show either :( My first two classes (White and Lil Yellows) had only 6 people total. Then the later classes started filling out. I also wonder how Thursday will go. Hopefully well!
On another note, I may have to ask Big Jay to step down from training and what not since his body is a mess. Thats two shoulder problems in 3 weeks. I had him sit out the rest of the night because I do not need injuries in my first week.
Thanks again for your help with Pat and bringing the mats!
presented by
Midwest Youth Programs / A Non-Profit Group (1)
TEAM ONE Martial Arts purpose is to provide the best opportunity to attend a mixed martial arts program at an affordable price. What makes our training environment world class is our quality coaching staff, our proven training methods, our conceptual foundation, and the friendly, supportive training atmosphere (2)you'll find at our gym. All of these components come together to make a refreshing approach to training and fitness.
Our program is headed by head coach and trainer Shawn Terrance who has been teaching martial arts for over 9 years. Rick Kraus (3)is our assistant coach for wrestling and western boxing, in which he has been training in since his youth. Our classes are filled with numerous amateur & pro competitors (4)plus those that are just interested in mixed martial arts.
Our Grappling / MMA classes encompass the wrestling and striking aspect of mixed martial arts. Majority of the training is on the ground working the submission wrestling aspect of MMA with key days every few weeks training the Muay Thai Kickboxing aspect. Classes include warm-ups, drills, expert instruction, and sparring (for veteran students.) Guest instructors and pro MMA (5)fighters stop by regularly to train at Team One to add some new insight on training or just to say hello. Rank can be given by our affiliate instructor in the art of Jiu-Jitsu when our students achieve excellence in the wrestling aspect of our training (6). Our affiliation with some of the top schools around the U.S. keeps us on top of the latest techniques and training methods.
(1) Shawn was investigated by the state for the deceptive practice of calling himself a non-profit agency when he was not. Documentation attached.
(2) One of the instructors would not even make eye contact with me or my husband from day one. Shawn's explanation was that in youth sports, not all the coaches work with all the kids.
(3) Rick's name was deleted from the website after his fondness for posting drunken pictures of himself on his myspace page got him nicknamed the 'drunken Alsip firefighter' by local kids and also got him a reprimand from his department.
(4) When we were there, there were three people. One fought as an amateur one time and lost, causing him to go into a significant depression. \
(5) We've had two substitute instructors. A 15--yr. old (yes, he lets a child run class by himself) and a medically disabled individual whose highest rank is a green belt. He sat on a chair all night and said, "Y'all out rank me. I don't know what you're doing". Yes, Shawn can claim Jason Chambers as a friend. He trained him when he was 14 and then lost touch with him for years. Jason Chambers has come to class a grand total of three times over a five-year period and was unable to participate during one of the times because he was starving himself to make a lower weight class. Gee, I wonder who told him to do that? He also claimed on his website at one time that either Randy Couture or Drew Fickett would be accompanying Chambers. He changed it to Fickett, but he never showed up. (big loss). He did, however make an appearance at the TFC the next night, publicly drunk and Shawn, the announcer, even acknowledged that from the ring. Shawn himself has never fought as an amateur or a professional.
(6) Shawn isn't capable of awarding belts in bjj. He became a blue belt in 2004 and is still at that rank. The SBGI person that he says he trains under lives in Oregon.
Reading between the lines of the Dec. 1st Sparring contest
1. Wow, not too many 1st place Team One wins.
2. A second or third place may 'look' good (to me, it's first or nothing), but keep in mind, there could have only been two or three people in that ring depending on age, height, rank.
3. Doherty's students were divided by location, not by instructor. Four groups of students instead of one can really dilute the wins. Maybe he let Shawn divide up his students because he feels sorry for him. He's really branched out. Now Shawn. He's still weird. Both of them actually.
4. Mr. Hodo couldn't win? He's been there forever. Even with my allergies--the smell!!!! Poor Brad. We may have the makings of a future Huggy on our hand. One poor girl probably had a hard time because of anxiety. She has to be home schooled and I wouldn't have risked another breakdown. I wonder how long before she quits. Again. I should do a post on the wacky characters. No, 'wacky' carries too many positive connotations. There are a lot of dysfunctional people there. Gee, I wonder why.
5. The years' standings. Right. This was really the only tournament of the year. The other one, way back in the spring, was really the championship from the previous year. I know it's confusing, I only report it. They let people who had not qualified for the championship enter the tournament and spar just for the heck of it because they needed the money.
6. The point sparring that Shawn does is worthless. Slip a light tap through and you win. At these tournaments, you are absolutely not allowed to hit to the head. I spent four years living by those rules and now I am conditioned to pay no attention to protecting my head. It's a really hard habit to break. Sure they wear headgear (again, Shawn needed the money so he came up with that rule and sold a lot of headgear. Very temporary fix; real business people would know that. Duh) but that's only only in case of an accident. Dance around, tap each other and try to sneak something in. Fun, but horrible for self-defense.
7. Even if you win at this tournament, it's just a group of misfit schools that get together; it's not put on by an official group that can confer a prestigious title. This is in no way an open tournament. Islanders, for example, could not compete there. Neither can any other top-notch local school. The tournaments are run by weirdos and it shows. The parents are so far away that they can't see or even tell what is happening. At some tournaments, judges are calling anything as a point. It's obvious that they are trying to get out in a short amount of time in order to save money. Crazy.
For the past 20 years I have had a job reading medical journals. Here are certain things about bipolar disorder that I didn't know until I knew someone with it.
1. Sleep disturbances are a hallmark of the disorder, occurring in just about all people with bipolar. Makes sense.
2. Bipolar is highly hereditary, not only from relatives who have bipolar, but also relatives who have suffered from depression, like dear old dad.
3. Bipolar disorder often manifests in the later 20s or 30s. Many, if not most, other major psychiatric disturbances begin in adolescence, not just show some subtle signs or tendencies.
4. Bipolar disorder gets worse as a person ages. I always thought that most disorders tended to 'burn themselves out' or mellow with age.
• Nov. 23, 2007 - Can we have some more faulty logic, please?
This blip taken from the Team One website ought to do:
Frequently we're asked by parents "what is the best age to start my son / daughter in martial arts classes?" The answer, of course, is NOW. Why wait to give your child that extra edge in confidence and self-esteem? Do it before they reach the potentially difficult teenage years.
Duh, parents who ask the question about what is the best age to start their child in martial arts are referring to 4-5 year-olds.Have you ever heard anybody say that you shouldn’t start your 10 year old in martial arts? Have you ever heard anybody say that they want their child to start martial arts but they are waiting until he turns 13? He writes that he always tells people that now is the best time to start their child. He really needs da’ money.Anybody who knows anything about kids knows that there are definitely 4-5 year olds who are not ready for activities that require concentration and discipline.
