A strange situation - how would you deal with it?

[Eric_H]

Hello all,

I figured this would be the best place to ask this type of question as most of the folks reading here are teachers/school owners. How would you deal with the situation below?

So I had a slight discipline issue with a junior student under my teacher who i am responsible for. Though not a direct student of mine, he comes in to train during the time I rent off of a local school. He does not contribute financially to my club. Over several weeks he had started coming in later and later to avoid the warmup of class, finally it was getting to where he was missing somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3 of it.

Finally, after one day where he missed the majority of the warmup, I instructed him to go finish the warmup before joining in with the rest of the class. He decided to say no, and acted like he was going to join in class anyways. At which point I told him to go home if he wasn't up for training, he walked on to the mat and started to do what the other folks had started doing.

Now at this point I didn't have many options, and decided that I'd end the whole class rather than have someone breach etiquette to that degree. Thankfully, after some verbal back and forth he was convinced to leave. However if he didn't leave, what would my options have been? Call the cops?

In the old days, etiquette would have probably would have been to just kick him out physically, but that's not really an option in this day and age - or when we're all holding swords...

 

[K-man]

I think I'd be pointing out to him that he has a choice .... your way or the highway! :asian:

 

[Master K]

Mr. Eric H.,

First, let me compliment you on the handling of the situation. If I were in your shoes, I would take it a step further. I would advise you to sit down with your instructor and the junior person who has caused the disturbance to point out the breach of etiquette and respect shown towards you while you were instructing a class. Hopefully, your instructor will then remedy the situation so that it does not happen again. It sounds like the junior needs to be reminded that he is junior to you and that he is a guest in your class. You could make it clear during that conversation that the junior is no longer welcome to train while you are instructing. Should the situation arise again, then I would absolutely call the police and let them handle it. You don't want your paying students to start missing classes because one person continues to disrupt them. Nip the situation in the bud as quickly as you can.

I hope this helps! Good Luck!

Respectfully,
K