Who or What walked in?

[tshadowchaser]

For thoses that run a school or teach in one, When someone walks into your school asking polite questions and acting like they know nothing about the Arts, how do you treat them ? How do you treat them when your gut tells you they have studied {possibly for many years}, and you feel they are feeling you out or scopeing out your school for some reason?
What do you do if you ask them directly if they have studied and they pretend not to understand or just ignor the question.
Shadow

 

[Turner]

Allow them to play their game and treat them as you would any potential student. If they sign up for a class and walk out onto the floor and show that they obviously had prior training, Kick em out, make em do push-ups or take them in your office and chew them out for displaying an obvious lack of integrity.

 

[Kyle]

As Turner said, I treat them as I would any other potential student. However, the mat does not lie. If they try to bulldoze me on the mat, I make them work a bit (read: suffer). Then I usually have pointed questions that are, at that time , answered more truthfully.

If they don't actually take a class, then it doesn't really matter what they say or don't say.

- Kyle

 

[Blindside]

So they are checking out your school, who cares?

We don't have anything to hide and we have open sparring on tuesday nights if anyone wants to drop in. There are no secret techniques so let them watch if they want, we don't care. If they are going to make up stories about us, we can't help that, and if they are that deceptive, they could just make up lies anyway. Don't sweat it.

Lamont

 

[tonbo]

Having had this happen before, here's how I handled it:

Had a guy walk in asking questions about Kenpo, and how it stacked up against other arts. He was full of questions, and was letting on that he hadn't studied "much" in the past, a little here and there. After talking with him for a while, I realized there was more to that story. Eventually, I found out that he had reached blue belt in one karate style and something like yellow in a grappling style. I started to suspect that he was a belt collector, looking to impress people with the number and variety of arts he had studied. After talking with him a little more, I found out that this was not the case.....he had bad experiences with other arts, and was honestly looking to find one he liked. However, he was very tentative in asking questions and revealing much, due to the excessive sales pitches he had received, instead of answers.

He eventually signed up for an intro program at our school and liked what he found there. However, he had to move after a couple of months, and had to leave the school (moved out of state). During his stay, he was an excellent student, and was very curteous.

Hey, if you have an idiot coming in just wanting to prove himself, let him......if he is doing that, the only thing he will prove most often is what a goon he is. But be aware.....guys coming in just to "challenge match" should sign a waiver....the last thing you or your school needs is a lawsuit.

Oh, yeah.....and don't be taken in by the "bully". Let him talk, and if he wants to sign up for classes and challenge the big boys, well......at least he's been warned. If he proves to be all talk, then all he's wasted has been your time.

Peace--

 

[karatekid1975]

When I moved, I "scoped" out schools here in NY. I heard of all kinds of horror stories from my fellow students in my old school about McDojangs. And when I first started martial arts, I joined a McDojang. I quickly found out, and left after a month. Then I found a decent school (the TSD one).

I would go in and talk openly with each teacher and asked A LOT of questions. A couple of places sucked (McDojangs). I did this because I didn't want to get ripped off from money grubbers, and I wanted to have quality instruction.

Then I found my school. All I had to do is watch a class and I knew this was a good school. Then the master instructor came up to me and answered all my questions. I liked his attitude toward the martial arts, also. So I signed up.

I'm still scoping out schools here. I wanna get into more than one art, but I won't change the way I look for a school.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Ok, I've been around the block a few times. I've scoped out more than a few schools looking for a new place to study.
A few days ago someone walked into the school, I felt him comeing down the hall (don't ask me tto explain if you've never done this just belive me it happens). When he entered the school I bowed but he did not respond. He didn't say a lot except that he was looking for a place to study FIlipino arts and told me 4 times that his 7 year old was a green in TKD.
He was polite but when I asked if he had studied and then how high a rank he had he tried to seem as if he didn't understand.
Just befor he went back out he asked if he could set up a Saturday to "bring some friends over to see what I did" Hell I have no problem with that but there is something strange here. A TKD school is only a mile or so away. there's another one 17 miles away. Bringing Friends could mean anything including Challange.
Like I said I've been around a long time and this guy moved like he has studied all his life. If I had to guess I would say he has very high rank from his native country. So why the heck would he not want to tell me.
Just got a funny feeling about this guy
Shadow:asian:

 

[Klondike93]

Where I teach at they get treated just like any one else would.
If they want to get on the floor and bang a little bit, cool let's go, but yes sign the waiver first. Oh and please leave a number where your next of kin can be reached (humor).

When I went to check out the kenpo school I let it be known right off I was in the martial arts and then talked the guys ear off for the next hour. I knew just from talking to him it was the place to go, plus I could verify his background.

Ya know I was just thinking (uh oh). If you suspect some one of doing this, slap em in the head and see what they do


:asian:

 

[tigerstorm]

Shadow,
With all due respect, I wonder if maybe your being to paranoid on the idea of this man comign with friends. I have a very small idea of where your from, and know what you have grown to expect from your time in the arts (around the block, through it over it and under it), but I would say maybe that as you decided that this man had been around all his life maybe he decided the same abnout you and liked what he saw. And maybe he is hoping to come and be very friendly, and sharing. I guess Im just sayign keep an open mind that maybe hes not out for the negative side of the arts. Also to everyone Im wondering why we have such a fixation on this waiver thing. If you think someones ther e to chanllenge you, kick the **** out of them and be dont with it.
Tigerstorm
"smile it could be worse"

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by tigerstorm

Shadow,
With all due respect, I wonder if maybe your being to paranoid on the idea of this man comign with friends. I have a very small idea of where your from, and know what you have grown to expect from your time in the arts (around the block, through it over it and under it), but I would say maybe that as you decided that this man had been around all his life maybe he decided the same abnout you and liked what he saw.

Time will tell .... let us know if you see him again, shadow.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I truley hope that he is going to come in with a "Lets Share" attitude. I have no problem with that.
I may be parinoid but as was said time will teel.
Yes, I will let everyone know if he shows up again and what happens.
Shadow:asian:

 

[Jay Bell]

This past Sunday during training we had someone approach the group and asked me a lot of questions about training. As the class went on, he explained that he was a "Black Belt in Taekwondo". I explained that three of the students also studied Taekwondo...one of which trained and received his 1st degree in Korea.

(you can imagine his face...priceless..)

Then he explained that he was really into "Jujutsu". I said, "Japanese or Brazilian?"...he explained the groundfighting kind. O K ...so...we chatted for a bit and he started asking me about the effectiveness of taijutsu. How can someone honestly answer such a question?

A few moments later it was time to move on, so I rounded the students back and continued with principles we were working on. From behind us, we heard, "That really IS effective". He talked to the member that studied TKD in Korea about how effective it was for awhile, then asked when classes were and how much. A few minutes later he left. We'll never see him again.

It's difficult sometimes when we have walk up people. Many see an opportunity to glorify themselves and their incredibly limited experiance...only to have a great big mirror put up in front of them...they never come back.

 

[Chiduce]

A guy called me on the phone and went on to say how he saw the school sign and phone number and that he wanted to study. He said that he was a black belt in shotokan and would like to expand his learning experience. Then he started to say what he wanted my class to be like and how he expected the to fullfil his needs. So, i told him to come on over and take the stretching entrance examination so i could see what rank i would consider starting him out as. Now he is very rusty and has not stretched in some time. I tell him to come anyway and bring his certifictae of rank for black belt. So, he tells me that he does not have a certificate but i can call his dojo and verify. So, i tell him to come over, because in this region there are goju teachers, kung fu teachers, etc that do not award ranking certificates. By the time i tell him about the brown and black belt thesis , he asks what time can he come over and train. I tell him that he must take the examine first. He hangs up and is never seen or heard of again. So, the chances that he was a black belt was still a ?. But i'am straight up with a pontential student and let them know that the school is selective about adding new students. Sincerely, in Humility; Chiduce!