Sensei withheld my belt promotion b/c I wouldn%26#039;t lose a few pounds. So I stopped training. I needed time to think about how I wanted to proceed. I loved karate and still do. In the meantime, I found out that the (married) sensei had TWO girlfriends in the school. I%26#039;d suspected it for a while, but it was confirmed. It was fishy how they had moved up the ranks very quickly.
Then the school had the nerve to say they wanted me to come back and keep training. In other words, they wanted me to keep spending my 1000s of $$$ yet not advance at all.
His explanation was that weight was only an issue b/c I put it on the little card you had to fill out as a newbie. I then said that if it%26#039;s clear I%26#039;m not losing the weight (although I tried) and I don%26#039;t want it to be a requirement for my next belt, could he reconsider? He said he%26#039;d think about it.
Uh, hello?! So I quit! Can I sue the school for something? Anything? What recourse do I have?|||Define %26quot;a few pounds%26quot;.
The card thing, though, makes me suspicious that either you or your sensei is confused. Depending on some other factors at the school it could mean they have very high standards indeed, or that they are the classic McDojo.
In any case, if we%26#039;re talking 10-15 pounds it%26#039;s kind of an unreasonable requirement. If it%26#039;s more than that, well, you%26#039;re not going to lose that all at once, but your weight presents a danger to you and possibly fellow students. In that case it%26#039;s reasonable for him to require some weight loss for a promotion.
The girlfriends thing, though, is kind of an overriding issue in my mind. Run, don%26#039;t walk, to another dojo. You probably could sue and you might even win, but it%26#039;s not worth the aggravation you will undoubtedly incur.
My guess is that the other schools in the area are probably aware of the problem and you might even find one willing cut you a break on early training requirements if you can demonstrate that you actually were (and are!) ready for that promotion you didn%26#039;t get.|||Ok, karate schools are completely unregulated. If I wanted to, I could easily start my own without any approval from anyone. Now, I can%26#039;t use someone else%26#039;s name for my school, but I could make up Cat Kwon Do, the fighting style of the feline. Charge like crazy and make up whatever rules I want. What does this have to do with you? Well, it means that whoever is running this school does not have to answer to anyone about how they run things (as long as they stay in agreement with anyone who may have franchised it to them).
The refusal of giving you your belt based on your weight might seem like weight discrimination, but it can easily be argued that the school has certain expectations of fitness to gain levels. Since this is a sport, that excuse can fly. Discriminating against you because you aren%26#039;t a girlfriend is not against the law in this case. You are not an employee and this case does not include sexual advances against you or your refusal to have sex.
You could sue this person, but don%26#039;t expect to win. In fact if you did, expect a countersuit that you might lose. In any case a lawsuit will just cost you a lot of money. Walk away, find a better place. You could always find out if this person franchised his school thru someone and contact that someone and tell them of what happened. I would doubt you would get far with that too. Of the karate schools I have seen, the only thing that got the owner in trouble was if they could not pay the fees involved for running the place.
Also, this person does not seem to be too knowledgeable about fitness and weightloss. A person can become fitter and not lose weight. They can even become smaller and not lose weight. Did he ever give you a fitness evaluation with body percentages? Probably not.|||The best action is to save you time and energy on the hate. Meditate on this subject...
What is the outcome you really wish for:
Is it for your training to continue in a productive manner, or
for your treacherous sensei to suffer for his evil ways.
(notice the lowercase letters in sensei)
If you are worried about money what good will it do you to give some to a Lawyer.
Why don%26#039;t you continue your studies at a Dojo where you fell welcome, and improve your skill without feeling like the beaten market dog...
Peace,
lr
http://www.wingchunassociation.com http://www.pacificwingchunassociation.co...|||Did he state he would promote you at a specific time and put it into writing? If not you can%26#039;t do anything.|||um. i would say quit that and start looking for another karate school. there will always be %26quot;preferential treatment%26quot;, but hopefully you could find a school with LESS.|||You need to look for another school. He has no business requiring changes to your physicality for belt promotion, period. Belt promotion should be about challenging yourself and gaining more knowledge and skill at each level. This guy sounds like a lech.|||I doubt if you would win a lawsuit, it%26#039;s a %26quot;he said she said%26quot; situation, but if you are serious about this avenue, talk to a lawyer.
You are better off being out of there. If you want revenge, you could inform his wife, but I don%26#039;t reccommend that. Find a better school.|||Quit, for thousands of dollars, they%26#039;re scalping you. If you really want to sue, I suggest you take Yupchagee%26#039;s advice and consult a lawyer.|||Suing is rarely the answer for any problems.
This may sting a little but toughen up and take it.
Leave the school. Walk away with your mouth shut and your head held high.
Now go find a school teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Train like your life depends on it.
In a few short years you will be able to beat your %26quot;sensei%26quot; like a drum. You probably will also be able to roll with his ladies if you desire.
Hopefully you will be well rounded and complete. You will know that you can kill him if you want to. You again will set new goals in life and continue on.
You do not need those people, and you should never put any worth in a belt.
Good Luck.|||Sifu says that sashes (our kung fu version of the belt) are there to only hold up the pants. Ranking doesn%26#039;t signify skill. I told my son not to worry about who is advancing in rank. Concentrate on the techniques being learned and perfect them. If in your mind you think you have more skill than someone of higher rank, then be satisfied with that. Anyway, my 12 y.o. son outranks most of the instructors but he did it by perseverance.
My brother and sister studied Tang Soo Do were the master took on a student girlfriend. Needless to say, it is not respectable to be wearing an undeserved belt.
If you are learning some good stuff at the school, then just ignore it. If the school teaches junk, time to move on.|||The only real recourse you have is to take your business elsewhere. Competition in martial arts schools is pretty fierce, there are MANY schools and only so many students.
I went through a school that was very quick to promote people. Just about everyone was promoted to Black belt within 3-4 years. I am a Black belt more because I %26#039;stuck it out%26#039; rather than my level of skill or capability. In the end, I wish my progress had been slower so I could take time to properly learn what I was doing. But, since you pay more when you have a higher belt, they want you to get to those higher belts soon.
So, my general comment to you is, don%26#039;t measure success by belt color. I have known several black belts (even some with 2nd and 3rd degrees) that did not have the skills to justify their belt. Take your time, enjoy what you are doing, and find a school where you are happier.|||Can you sue... probably, but you%26#039;ll probably loose and won%26#039;t do anything except cost yourself a lot of time and money that won%26#039;t gain you a thing.
Some teachers use weight as an indicator of what kind of shape a student is in. I use what the student can do. I have one student who is not very flexible, but is very strong, another who isn%26#039;t very strong, but is very flexible. Watching them spar is a thing to behold. They%26#039;re about the same height, but the one who is stronger is almost twice the weight. He%26#039;s very good, but I%26#039;d love to be able to work with him more on his speed and flexibility.
As to the instructor having girlfriends, I%26#039;m guessing if you suspected and then found out, that it%26#039;s not a huge secret. My instructor was single when I was in high school, but one of the students was his girlfriend. You could try telling his wife, if you%26#039;re on speaking terms with her, but I%26#039;m betting she knows. You could also try telling them about each other, but I%26#039;m betting they know. You have to ask yourself what you%26#039;re there to learn. Are you there just to learn Martial Arts? Then what does his fidelity or lack thereof have to do with it? Are you there to learn morality? Then leave! Go somewhere they can teach you that. I%26#039;m married, and my only girlfriend is my wife, and she doesn%26#039;t take classes, so I have no girlfriends in class, so not all teachers are like this. I honestly don%26#039;t know which is more common, though, those like me, or those like him, since a Martial Arts instructor is a position of power and as the old saying goes, power corrupts.
You spent your money there, good for you to realize that. But news flash, the money you spent was for the training, not for the promotion. It%26#039;s the same thing with any kind of school. If you go to a dance school, you pay money to learn to dance, and they teach you, but they don%26#039;t promise you%26#039;ll rank at the next ballroom competition. If you go to college, you pay to go, but they don%26#039;t promise you you%26#039;ll pass your classes and get a degree. Paying for class is different than paying for promotion. Other things you%26#039;ve said have bothered me about your school, but at least the promotions aren%26#039;t for sale.|||Did he specify on acontract of any kind you had to meet certain weight requirments? if so you signed a legally binding document and cant sue for anything.|||Go to a different dojo, and stop worrying about what color your belt is.|||Don%26#039;t go to a school for a belt. The reality is if you just want a Black Belt just buy one. It should cost about $3-$4. Your biggest concern should be am I learning what I want to learn. I study in two different styles ( Which will not be mentioned because I don%26#039;t want to make an arrogant claim that one is better than another ) My first style has never given me any problems with belt promotions. I have received my ranks after I put in the time and earn it. In the second style I train I am bypassed for promotions although I can defeat my opponents with higher ranks. I don%26#039;t care because I am learning what I want. To make it worse I have a lifetime membership there, so the heck if I am quiting. I have been there 4 years already and I am staying there till they close or I can%26#039;t workout. The belt only is for our own validation, but I get my validation when I tap out my opponent on the mat.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment