Another LOSER Black Belt

[Kenpobldr]

Last night I heard a first hand account from a woman who is leaving another local dojo that her son was at and is now having her son attend ours.

Its seems that the other owner/instructor belittles his students. For instance he allegedly told a young boy student in front of the class that he is too wimpy and that if he cant be tougher that he will have to wear a pink belt.

He also allegedly said to one parent when they arrived to class "Hey name a little late with the payment." The parent then said that it was an oversight and that he should of just pulled him asside instead on mentioning it infront of all the parents. The instructor then said "If you got a problem with that then let's step outside and I'll give you the fist punch." The kicker though is when he didn't like a boy's haircut. The child arrived for class and was allegedly told by the instructor/owner "I told you last week to get a haircut." The instructor/owner then took the child out of class to the barber shop next door and made him get a buzz cut.

Well he is now facing charges of assult and mental anguish.

Makes me sick that someone like this exsists. Rather that becoming a mentor and help in shaping a childs life in a poitive way they just decide to emotionally destroy them.

[tradrockrat]

I know it's wrong and I really wouldn't do this, but sometimes I feel like I (or someone) should go to guys like that and take him up on that first punch offer...

People like that shouldn't exist outside of bad movies.


GGAAAHHHHH!!!!!!! This stuff pisses me off!:mp5:

[shesulsa]

** Moderator note** Thread moved to Horror Stories.

G Ketchmark / shesulsa
Senior Mod.

[OnlyAnEgg]

People like that will get what they give out sooner or later.

[Touch Of Death]

Not every one is cut out to just free wheel a Karate school even while they may possess untold martial arts knowledge. You have to enforce standards and billing, but occasional outbursts are not the way to go about it. Perhaps someone could suggest to him a billing organization. That takes those details out of his hands.
Sean

[Kenpobldr]

I know it's wrong and I really wouldn't do this, but sometimes I feel like I (or someone) should go to guys like that and take him up on that first punch offer...

People like that shouldn't exist outside of bad movies.


GGAAAHHHHH!!!!!!! This stuff pisses me off!:mp5:

We need a secret vigilante board of black belts.

Mods- sorry that I posted in the wrong place.

[Kenpobldr]

Not every one is cut out to just free wheel a Karate school even while they may possess untold martial arts knowledge. You have to enforce standards and billing, but occasional outbursts are not the way to go about it. Perhaps someone could suggest to him a billing organization. That takes those details out of his hands.
Sean

The billing wouln't be the major issue, it would be how he treats the children.

[Drac]

People like that will get what they give out sooner or later.

Let us hope its sooner..

[Touch Of Death]

The billing wouln't be the major issue, it would be how he treats the children.Good billing organizations tell you how to treat your costomers or they don't make any money.
Sean

[Flying Crane]

wow, man, just wow! amazing. How do these people get by in life? unbelievable.

[OnlyAnEgg]

Good billing organizations tell you how to treat your costomers or they don't make any money.
Sean

A good billing company can't tell you how to be a decent human.

[Andrew Green]

Quite the power trip this guy is on, guess he takes the movie version of the martial arts master with complete say over all his students a little too seriously...

Quite sure I've met school teachers with similar attitudes towards kids, except they have union backing...

I don't get it, why on earth would someone that doesn't like kids want to teach kids?

I had one person tell me everytime a kid came and gave her a hug she wanted to punt the kid across the room, yet got really offended when I choose someone else to assist in the kids classes, needless to say I spent some time confused...

[DavidCC]

We recently stoped using the biling company and now take all payment at the school. Payment is due on the 1st, late after the 5th, $20 late fee.

The second month of this, one of the parents is late, it's like the 7th I think. Shihan asks her for the late fee, in his office between just the 2 of them (and me, the assistant instructor) and she walks away from him, across the floor, saying out loud "I'm not paying that late fee, that's ridiculous".

Well, he had a few words for her, including "if you don't like how I run my school you are welcome to leave" which, since she challenged his authority in front of everyone, were said to her in front of everyone.

She had nothing to say then, but after class she came and paid her late fee and apologized.

++++++++++

We have a 15 yr old guitar-playing head-banger who is also a great kid and a dedicated student. But his hair is a long crazy mess. We tease him about it regularly, but nobody would ever think of forcing him to the barber !!!

[MA-Caver]

Sheesh and I thought that the character John Kreese (Cobra Kai Sensei) was just an exaggerated parody of the "tough-guy-make your students into trained killers".... (Karate Kid 1984).
This guy... I wouldn't have taken him up on his "you take the first punch" but I would've dragged a cop and a lawyer into his dojo and brought him up on charges... Geez.

[shesulsa]

Why would anyone PUT their child in a class like that? Is it like Rex Kwon Do in Napoleon Dynamite? The only place around for miles and miles and ... miles?

[evenflow1121]

I always get a kick out of people like this, but what really baffles me is the fact that you have parents who are paying for a service at a particular school that dont realize that respect should be mutual. This isnt some temple in the middle of a chinese province, it is a self defense studio in the middle of somewhere in the capitalist haven of the world. I have heard similar stories from people and I always ask myself why would you stay or put your kids through this. Part of the martial arts is to help your child grow in self confidence as well, what kind the hell kind of self confidence is a kid going to have in a place where he can not even wear his hair the way he wants?

[Drac]

I would've dragged a cop into his dojo.

You wouldn't have had to drag me, after hearing the complaint I would have gone willingly..It's jerks like this that give a blackeye to all MA instructors..

[Sarah]

Why would anyone PUT their child in a class like that? Is it like Rex Kwon Do in Napoleon Dynamite? The only place around for miles and miles and ... miles?

Thats what I was thinking...people actually keep paying his fees?

[tradrockrat]

Quite the power trip this guy is on, guess he takes the movie version of the martial arts master with complete say over all his students a little too seriously...

Quite sure I've met school teachers with similar attitudes towards kids, except they have union backing...

LOL - they don't need union backing - I don't have it, but there are a few teachers who like to play God just down the hall from me.


I don't get it, why on earth would someone that doesn't like kids want to teach kids?

I think the real deal here is that it isn't about teaching at all. It's about power. Kids are easier to exercise power over - theoretically at least.

[Kacey]

The so-called instructor is quite the self-inflated horror... and I agree with the questions about why people would continue to attend that class.

As far as the comments about teachers and unions - being a teacher who belongs to a union, if that's truly what you believe, then you have a very incorrect view of what a union does. Unions exist for mass bargaining (contracts, legal issues, etc.) and to provide support for the members - but no union member I've ever met (including the president of my local union, who I met with yesterday) would EVER condone the type of behavior described, nor would they support a teacher who was being disciplined for being stupid enough to act that way in the first place.

[Jonathan Randall]

I spent a year at a school close to that. Near cult-like leadership and veneration of the "Master". The sad thing is that this guy REALLY knew his TSD and I would be a far more accomplished martial artist today if I had managed to stay even one more year - but I just couldn't. His manner of treating others (unless he wanted to impress them) was absolutely unacceptable in my view. However, even he would not have done what that instructor did.

[evenflow1121]

I spent a year at a school close to that. Near cult-like leadership and veneration of the "Master". The sad thing is that this guy REALLY knew his TSD and I would be a far more accomplished martial artist today if I had managed to stay even one more year - but I just couldn't. His manner of treating others (unless he wanted to impress them) was absolutely unacceptable in my view. However, even he would not have done what that instructor did.

You know I have a very good friend of mine that had a similar problem, my friend is quite talented, and in many ways says the same thing you said, if he would have stayed with him for a while or so he would have been so much better, but his then teacher's attitude. The guy he trained with was a 6th degree or something like that, and was legit, and was very talented, but the overall attitude he couldnt handle. For example, everyone had to call him Master " " even the parents that did not take lessons. Whenever people won trophies he would demand they bring them to the school and leave them there, of course this being part of his marketing ploy. He would yell at students, to the point of embarrasing them, he would slap students (kids), would yell at the parents, ect.--typical douche bag.

[kaliace]

You know I have a very good friend of mine that had a similar problem, my friend is quite talented, and in many ways says the same thing you said, if he would have stayed with him for a while or so he would have been so much better, but his then teacher's attitude. The guy he trained with was a 6th degree or something like that, and was legit, and was very talented, but the overall attitude he couldnt handle. For example, everyone had to call him Master " " even the parents that did not take lessons. Whenever people won trophies he would demand they bring them to the school and leave them there, of course this being part of his marketing ploy. He would yell at students, to the point of embarrasing them, he would slap students (kids), would yell at the parents, ect.--typical douche bag.

Slap his students???? If that were my child I know either the Instructor our I would be going to jail.

I have had a different version of this, the guy is terrible but he still thrives. It is a small town here and it is slim pickings for schools. Looking at what he does now and it is just a glorified babysitting service. I think there are only a handful of adult students; everyone else has realized what a fraud he is.

[terryl965]

Can anybody say ROADTRIP, I mean I would love to have him take me next door for a free haircut and then give me the first punch. I mean what a nice guy, we should all go and train him on how to be a true Martial Artist.
Terry

[Kenpobldr]

I just wanted to update eveyone that the child that recieved the buzz hair cut in my original post started class with us yesterday. It seemed that he had fun and adapted well into the class. Hopefully we can change a negative experience with martial arts into a positive.

[Grenadier]

Instructors who treat their students like that will end up losing more than their fair share of them. Usually, this means that the above instructor would enter financial ruin soon, since this is a business, after all.

Unfortunately, it seems that this character is one of the exceptions to the rule, and that he has some sort of cult-like influence over his followers (minions?). I hope that for the students' sake, this guy isn't another clone of Radford W. Davis...

[shesulsa]

I just wanted to update eveyone that the child that recieved the buzz hair cut in my original post started class with us yesterday. It seemed that he had fun and adapted well into the class. Hopefully we can change a negative experience with martial arts into a positive.

Good!!! I wonder how he'll react to having a better example. Keep us posted!

:-partyon:

[Lisa]

I just wanted to update eveyone that the child that recieved the buzz hair cut in my original post started class with us yesterday. It seemed that he had fun and adapted well into the class. Hopefully we can change a negative experience with martial arts into a positive.

Fantastic News!
:-partyon:

[Eternal Beginner]

I just wanted to update eveyone that the child that recieved the buzz hair cut in my original post started class with us yesterday. It seemed that he had fun and adapted well into the class. Hopefully we can change a negative experience with martial arts into a positive.
One negative experience doesn't have to ruin this kid forever. I've seen kids who have switched from negative clubs where they flinched every time an instructor came near them to happy, outgoing, contributing kids in a new setting.

It is possible, just be patient and encouraging and the child will soon realise not all MA instructors are on ego trips.

[Sam]

Good luck with your new student... keep us updated on the jerkwad, you mentioned that charges were brought up against him, so if you hear anything...

[Simon Curran]

You know I have a very good friend of mine that had a similar problem, my friend is quite talented, and in many ways says the same thing you said, if he would have stayed with him for a while or so he would have been so much better, but his then teacher's attitude. The guy he trained with was a 6th degree or something like that, and was legit, and was very talented, but the overall attitude he couldnt handle. For example, everyone had to call him Master " " even the parents that did not take lessons. Whenever people won trophies he would demand they bring them to the school and leave them there, of course this being part of his marketing ploy. He would yell at students, to the point of embarrasing them, he would slap students (kids), would yell at the parents, ect.--typical douche bag.

A very similar character to a renowned (read infamous) martial arts instructor here in Denmark, who is head of the organisation our club used to be affiliated with, expected everyone students and none students alike, to address him as Sigung, both in the class, and out.
Likewise with the trophies, and physical bullying tactics against younger students.
Undoubtably a talented martial artist, but a terrible human being, who, incidentally, is also up on charges realting to some very shady financial aspects...