How many times should someone visit a class before trying it out?

[Kittan Bachika]

I think between 1-2 times of watching classes before making a decision to join is acceptable. More than that and it gets kind of uncomfortable fpr the teacher and school.

 

[terryl965]

I believe one time and one other for a free trail is the most anyone should be at any school.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I have a policy that if you are interested you need to get out on the floor and train. In other words a no viewing policy is in effect. This in my opinion helps to keep away people who are not really interested.

 

[Twin Fist]

once, twice max

 

[harlan]

Ditto!

I have a policy that if you are interested you need to get out on the floor and train. In other words a no viewing policy is in effect. This in my opinion helps to keep away people who are not really interested.

 

[Carol]

I have a policy that if you are interested you need to get out on the floor and train. In other words a no viewing policy is in effect. This in my opinion helps to keep away people who are not really interested.

I like that policy! What I have trouble with is when "get out on the floor and train" equals "sign a 12 month or longer contract"

I know many schools do not offer contracts, but I think the schools that insist upon them should allow the students a good amount of time to try out the school before committing them to buying a blind item.

 

[Big Don]

42

 

[Shuto]

I have a policy that if you are interested you need to get out on the floor and train. In other words a no viewing policy is in effect. This in my opinion helps to keep away people who are not really interested.

For me, I would like to see observe the advanced students since I'm not as interested in seeing where an art is beginning as much as where it is going. One class would be enough.

I would also like to observe a sparring session if they are separate from the other classes. If I were running the school, I would not like to have someone's first class be a sparring class. There are a lot of issues with that scenario.

 

[Blade96]

I think between 1-2 times of watching classes before making a decision to join is acceptable. More than that and it gets kind of uncomfortable fpr the teacher and school.

Thats what I did. Watched one class of Shotokan.........

and immediately signed up the next day.

been there ever since. I only needed to watch once

and

It was exactly what i was looking for. :angel:

but yeah, once or twice is good.

 

[jks9199]

I'll generally let someone watch one class, and then try another without formally joining. But I'd rather have them out there if they're really interested the first night. After all, if they're seriously interested, you'd think they want to be there.

But, in some cases, the process for joining a dojo may be much more complicated and require several meetings and observational sessions...

And there are practical liability issues for putting someone on the floor who's "just shopping." Even in the best of scenarios, accidents can happen...

 

[Bruno@MT]

In most Belgian dojo, the standard is 2 lessons.
I agree with Brian that people who come to watch first have a much smaller likelihood of signing up.

 

[xJOHNx]

Up to 5 as far as I'm concerned.

Just because the style I follow has multiple facets. And they can't be fit into one or two trainingssessions. So following an unarmed class, a weapons class (bo, shinai, hanbo) and just one to top it off. Should get them a general idea, because it will take more than once class to really get the knack of it.

 

[Drac]

I never visited the first dojo I seriously trained at, it was recommended by a friend..Sensei gave me 2 free private lessons to see if I was interested and then told me about the fees, I joined very soon after that..

 

[Gordon Nore]

42

Bloody right. Forty-two classes or a yellow belt, which ever comes first.

 

[ceaer]

I think you don't really need to watch more than 1 class before deciding to either participate in a trial class or look for a different school-- unless the first class you observed was somehow atypical, in which case I don't see the harm in watching a second (typical) class.
But I think you should be able to have at least 2 trial classes before needing to sign up.

When I first went to my school, I happened to show up on a testing day. So I watched that, and got a good overview of the different levels and different material at each level by watching everyone test, but I had no concept of what a typical class was. I went back the next night intending to just watch but I was invited to participate, so I did. However, I don't think anyone would have objected if I had said I would rather watch the class, since the 1st one I saw was not in any way a typical class.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I have a policy that if you are interested you need to get out on the floor and train. In other words a no viewing policy is in effect. This in my opinion helps to keep away people who are not really interested.

I agree with this, although a few years back I wouldn't have.

My Xingyi Sifu had this policy and when I asked him why his response was he felt it made his students uncomfortable to have some one watching them and then they would not train properly. He would however let someone take a class for free to find out if they liked it.

I also talked with a gentlemen that has a rather good MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai school and he will give you 2 weeks of free lessons (including a private one) to see if you like it but you can't watch and his POV is he is protecting his students and apparently when it comes to the MMA stuff there are more than a few idiots just showing up to try and prove something and he does not want his students to have to deal with it

After talking to both of them I changed my opinion on observers

 

[seninoniwashi]

Just enough to get a feel for what the teacher teaches and most importantly how the teacher teaches. Also, how his students interact with him/her is also important. I would say 2 or 3 times would suffice.

 

[searcher]

I am definately in the line with Brian's opinion. Forget watching, get on the floor and try it out. You really never know if you will like until you try it.

As for watching the advanced students. You could, but you don't really know how hard they worked to get where they are. Until you feel it for yourself, you won't be able to make a good decision.

 

[Kittan Bachika]

I also talked with a gentlemen that has a rather good MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai school and he will give you 2 weeks of free lessons (including a private one) to see if you like it but you can't watch and his POV is he is protecting his students and apparently when it comes to the MMA stuff there are more than a few idiots just showing up to try and prove something and he does not want his students to have to deal with it

After talking to both of them I changed my opinion on observers

Unfortunately, this actually makes sense. I recall a story about one MMA teacher who was teaching a class when a guy walked in to watch but was definitely on the sauce. The MMA teacher made it clear to the guy that if he were to join the school, he would have to clean up his act . The guy never came back.

There is a well known gym in my area that has an open mat that used to be very popular where different schools go to grapple each other on an informal level. But I know one BBJ guy who stopped going because some of the people he has rolled with there show very little control.

So it is understandable why that MMA teacher goes through the process to check people out.

 

[xJOHNx]

To the original poster: do you mean just watching? Or trial lessons with someone particepating?