Bad school(s) disrespect student of teacher

[Dao]

I was at a TKD school where students disrespect each other. One black belt was threatening to beat a lower belt up. I wasn't ease dropping, the black belt was raising his voice in the change room. This was happening while I was changing into my uniform. I fought with another black belt that was female she always tried to beat me up. She did get me once a round house to the face but luckily I was moving back and I was totally relaxed so it didn't hurt.
I eventually decided to quit because I just felt that was bad attitude among students and I just didn't want to be there anymore. Unfortunately my father paid for a whole year.

I think it's best for beginner to pay month to month instead 1 year contract just in case someone wants to quit for whatever reason.

 

[terryl965]

I do not believe in contracts so it is always month to month plus you are there to get better not beat the crap out of each other.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Some schools ae better than others. If you want to learn keep looking for one that matchs what you want. Good luck in your search and training

 

[Miles]

The instructor sets the tone for most schools and if the instructor has no respect, then the students won't either.

As Terry indicated, you are there to train, to better yourself. If the atmosphere is not conducive to that, best look elsewhere. Though this is posted in the TKD section, this is not a problem limited to TKD dojang.

Good luck!

 

[chrispillertkd]

The instructor shouldn't even need to say anything to the students you mentioned. Their seniors should know enough to take them aside privately and explain to them the basic tenets of courtesy and how such behavior and threats are simply not appropriate for anyone, especially a Taekwon-Doin. If this has aalready happened (maybe even a couple of times) the instructor should be made aware of things and explain in no uncertain terms that either such behavior ceases or their membership in the school does.

Regarding month-to-month payment vs. contracts, in 22 years of training I have never paid more than one month at a time. I know there are students my instructor has simply let not pay for a few months if they were having financial problems. He was very fortunate that he never had to teach for a living and now that he's retired teaches because he loves Taekwon-Do.

Pax,

Chris

 

[MasterWright]

Not all schools are like that. These people likely don't know any better.

Perhaps they should have them to recite the tenets of TKD every night before their sparring.

I would think that it's bad for business to have students afraid to come to class for fear of getting knocked out every night. I mean, some of us have to go to work in the morning.

 

[Windsinger]

It's comments like this that make me appreciate my school even more. Everyone at the school is very respectful. Sure, there's the odd slip-up, but that can happen with anyone. For the most part, though, I find the other students a prime example of courtesy. (Well, except for one kid. There's a reason he's been a yellow belt for going on 2 years, iirc. But even he's coming around. )

 

[Kacey]

True, the senior students should enforce the tone - but they will enforce (or not) whatever the instructor allows. Some schools promote an atmosphere of tension, because it supposedly improves students' fighting spirit - think Kobra Kai from The Karate Kid. Other schools work from different philosophies.

Certainly, if the atmosphere at this school isn't for you, then you should leave. There's no reason to stay somewhere you're not comfortable.

 

[terryl965]

True, the senior students should enforce the tone - but they will enforce (or not) whatever the instructor allows. Some schools promote an atmosphere of tension, because it supposedly improves students' fighting spirit - think Kobra Kai from The Karate Kid. Other schools work from different philosophies.

Certainly, if the atmosphere at this school isn't for you, then you should leave. There's no reason to stay somewhere you're not comfortable.

speaking of Kobra Kai, a new school open up using that name. I would never use it to the general public.

 

[Windsinger]

speaking of Kobra Kai, a new school open up using that name. I would never use it to the general public.

:hb:
By all that's dark and unholy (Brussel sprouts come to mind), what was the owner thinking?!

 

[jarrod]

well, come on now...kobra kai is a pretty cool name, & a good movie reference. i'd check it out, just to see if the sensei had a picture of himself in a green beret uniform hanging on the wall.

jf

 

[jks9199]

:hb:
By all that's dark and unholy (Brussel sprouts come to mind), what was the owner thinking?!

Lots of free advertising and name recognition.

 

[phatbway]

That is a mess for sure, sorry you had to experience that garbage.
Before I joined my current school (BTW I am loving it), I enrolled my 2 children on a monthly basis to observe behavior, culture and patience of Sa Bum Nim. After being satisfied with my fill of positive energy, I joined and never looked back.

 

[KELLYG]

Generally in my school we treat every one with respect. There has only been two times that I have spoken harshly or extremely direct to a fellow student. Both of these events were due to a bigger/stronger student bullying a smaller less experienced student while sparing. I like a good strong fight between like skilled students but this was obvious bullying. Example a 30 year old man that ways appx 180lbs sparing a 14 year old kid that weighed 115lbs soaking wet. The Master Instructors were there and saw me speaking with the students. After class I stopped in to explain what happened. They agreed with my assessment and the way it was handled. But someone from the outside looking in it may have been viewed another way.

 

[Carol]

A decent instructor will let you break the contract with 30-60 days notice...especially if its really showing to be a bad match.

Then again...sometimes a little verbal TKD can help too. If someone told me they wanted to kick my ***...I'd respond with a very strong voice...usually with a snicker and an evil grin saying something like "You can kick mine, but I can sue yours. How much ya worth?"

And if an instructor is within earshot when you say that.....he might snap the class discipline together rather quickly.

 

[rabbit]

What if you have a one year contract with an instructor and he wants to kick you out. Can the instructor end the contract?

 

[jks9199]

What if you have a one year contract with an instructor and he wants to kick you out. Can the instructor end the contract?

Depends on what the contract says; read it, and see what the terms of termination are.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

What if you have a one year contract with an instructor and he wants to kick you out. Can the instructor end the contract?

I would think yes. If he cannot, and he kicks you out, then you could potentially sue him for breach of contract. I would think that schools have an out so that they can specifically expell a student without getting sued for breach of contract. Our contracts have that out.

Ours are also void if the student moves more than a set number of miles from the school, though if the finance company deals with a school or schools in the new area, then the student is required to go to a school in that location. If they have no associated schools in that area, then the contract is void.

Likewise, if the school closes down, the student would either be free of the contract or wind up at another school in the area that uses the same finance company.

Lastly, if injury or illness necessitate an end to training period, then the contract is void, though I assume that some documentation from the doctor is required.

Daniel

 

[JadeDragon3]

The instructor shouldn't even need to say anything to the students you mentioned because they sucked anyways. Their seniors should know enough to take them aside privately and beat them to a bloody pulp. If this has already happened (maybe even a couple of times) the instructor should be made aware of things and explain in no uncertain terms that either such behavior ceases or their membership in the school does.

Regarding month-to-month payment vs. contracts, in 22 years of training I have always paid more than one month at a time. I know there are students my instructor has simply let not pay for a few months if they were dead beats. He was very fortunate that he never had to teach for a living and now that he's retired teaches because he loves little young girls with nice long legs and a bubble butt.
Pax,

Chris

I agree with your post 100%

 

[tellner]

I was going to address this more broadly in another thread and may yet, but a few words just jumped off the page. So it's time for part of the rant "Martial Arts is Nothing Special".

I was at a TKD school where students disrespect each other. One black belt was threatening to beat a lower belt up. I wasn't ease dropping, the black belt was raising his voice in the change room. This was happening while I was changing into my uniform. I fought with another black belt that was female she always tried to beat me up. She did get me once a round house to the face but luckily I was moving back and I was totally relaxed so it didn't hurt.

This is not "disrespect". This is a crime - menacing, terroristic threats or whatever they call it in your State. The black belt has the funny scrap of dark cloth because you believe he can fight better than you can. He's got more training. He's got more skill. He's psychologically prepared to use physical force. And if you believe the advertising crap he's capable of crippling or killing you if he so chooses.

You are paying a substantial amount of money to go there and sweat in funny costumes. And while you are running around in the Korean sweatsuit you allow the business owner and his friends to tell you what to do. That does not include being the victim of a criminal.

Can you think of any other area in your life where an employee gets to bully and threaten the customers with deadly violence and expects them to stand still and take it? School? Riding the bus? Restaurants? Pottery class? Paying your water bill?

I didn't think so.

There are select establishments where you can pay to have someone dress up in costumes and abuse you. But the cost per hour is a tad higher than you are paying per month. Everyone understands that it's the adult version of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe. The skilled professionals' motto is "Safe, Sane and Consensual". And they'll even wear little leather bikinis if you ask them nicely.

What you have to remember here, and I can't stress it enough, is Martial Arts is Nothing Special. You aren't in Basic Training where the Army owns you body and soul. You have decided to join a club with a bunch of other people and have fun learning something. Someone has decided that the financial and personal rewards he or she gets out of teaching this stuff make it worth the time to show up and stand in front of the customers for a few hours a week.

The package includes costumes, jargon, rituals, pep talks and team-building exercises that are supposed to help you learn more effectively. Well, not just that. It's also supposed to impress you with the teacher's Mystical Orientalness and deadly scholar-warrior coolness. You get a psychological lift out of being permitted to learn this awesome stuff and being part of the select group which knows the secret club handshake. Every organization from the Shriners to Pop Warner Football does this. The important thing is to recognize that it's just people clubbing together and not take it too darned seriously.

Sometimes people take it too darned seriously. In this case some schmo has decided that since he knows the extra-special super secret club handshake he can be a bully in ways which would get him smacked down or hauled in front of a judge in the real world. He's a little deeper into his fantasy world than you are which is why he does things like that and why you're having doubts about the whole thing. The guy who sat there and ate the crap raw is sort of in the middle.

I eventually decided to quit because I just felt that was bad attitude among students and I just didn't want to be there anymore. Unfortunately my father paid for a whole year.

I think it's best for beginner to pay month to month instead 1 year contract just in case someone wants to quit for whatever reason.

I don't know what the contract was, but if you want some of the money back, talk to the owner. Tell him why you are doing this. If necessary, be specific and explain exactly why you do not feel safe. He has a legal responsibility to exercise due care and diligence. If people are getting maliciously hurt he is the one who has to ride the pipe. If employees, unpaid employees no less, are creating a hostile and unsafe business environment you are doing him a favor by saying so, a favor which could save him a truckload of money if the behavior is allowed to go uncorrected.

He may well decide that his legal responsibilities and the possible damage to his reputation if it becomes public record in small claims court is worth more than the few hundred bucks you're paying for services not received.