what do i do when i think my martial arts instructor is ripping me off big time?

Question

i pay close to a thousand bucks a year or get to a certain level, but the main instructor (who i think is a 8th degree) isn't in class to teach most of the time
his little instructors i think are not qualified to teach at all
and what angrys me the most is that they act like everything they say is true..but when i express my thought on the ways that their moves can be countered, they couldn't answer me with good answer

and is it cocky of me to think (but i didn't express it) that i can take on almost all of the black belts he has? (he has like 20-30 black belts...including kids..., only 2 or 3 i think is good enough to be black belt)
i'm a purple belt by the way

is it time for me to switch school?

Vy H
you're right about everything
the questions you had you pretty much answered them all
i think i'll look for a new school
thanks

btw, i can't seem to find your email address

Answer 1

Either you are at an inferior school, or you have a pride problem.

There are different ways to run a school. In my classes, normally I will take the more advanced students, and divide them among the newer students, and have them teach. This does two things: first, it frees me up to work with the more problem students one on one durring the basics time, and second, it gives me a chance to see how the more advanced students *think* they're doing the moves. How they teach it is how they think they're doing it, which means I can correct errors I wouldn't otherwise have noticed.

Just because you *think* you can take on his black belts doesn't mean you can. I ended up having this conversation with one of my orange belt's father the other day. He said that when he saw me do my forms, he wasn't impressed. Then one of the blue belts, who happens to out weigh me by 100 pounds of muscle, didn't have anyone to spar, so I took him. That impressed him. I had a man who out weighed my by 150 pounds of muscle and 3 years of expierience stumbling around the floor and showed him every hole in his defence. He didn't even get one point on me. As well it should be. The funny thing, according to my orange belt's father, was that I spared exactly like I did my forms. I made it look easy, like I was just walking around the room, poking him.

OK, from my side, it wasn't "easy," Bob out weighs me by 100 pounds and is at least 8 inches taller than me! He's a construction worker! I could pound his arms all day if that's how I wanted to waste my time and he wouldn't budge. But I knew how to move, and I'm a lot faster than he is, and I know where to hit to make it count, and I know how to make a good defence. In a real fight, I'd have to hit him a lot to win, but I could do it, and he couldn't hit me.

Do you spar with the Black Belts? How do you do against them?

Also, Black Belt means different things in different arts. In our art, you can get a Black Belt in four years if you never fail a test (almost never happens, it took me 6 years) which means you're qualified to be an assistant instructor, or an instructor if you get approval. But in the art my brother takes, you can get a Black Belt in two years, but you're not qualified to be an assistant instructor until you've gotten your fifth degree Black Belt, which takes at least another three years. You need to be higher than that to be a head instructor, and higher still to be eligable to promote people. Try to get clarification on what it means to be a Black Belt where you're at. Also, in the art I take, age is mostly just a number, so if an eight year old is good enough to be a Black Belt, he or she can be a Black Belt. In my brother's art, you're not allowed to be a Black Belt until you're 18. It may sound odd that we would allow a 13 year old to be an assistant instructor, but it's not about how old he is, but about what he knows, and we've been known to take a Black Belt away from people wou couldn't handle it.

Answer 2

I mean no offense with what I am about to tell you.
Your school is a McDojo belt factroy. You may know the terminology well.
You are signing a contract for a an exchange of money for rank. This is not how martial arts works. You should not pay for any rank testing, you should not be signing a contract. Your head instructor should be guiding the whole school and be at every class.

Get out of this school. You are wasting your time and money at this school. Plus, you are most likely not learning quality techniques since your instructors are not real. they bought their belts too.

No dis-respect but from your description your school is horrible. You are wise to question your teacher, you have opened your mind that something may not be right at your school, you have seeked other;'s advice. You are very far ahead of the game compared to the other's in your school.

Answer 3

Just kinda curious, what art are you in. And you aren't to clear as to why you think you're being ripped off, apparently you're getting class time and are advancing up the ranks because you say you get to certain levels, so their teaching must be working. Just so happens I teach the martial arts and my instructor is never in my school, he wouldn't have it any other way his thought is it would undermine my teaching of the art if he was there. Now you might ask how does he know if we're teaching the art the way he wants, all of our students are tested in front of him and his staff and are promoted to the next rank if they pass by him. We, and by we I mean the other black belts in our schools have monthly classes and seminars and are tested twice a year to make sure we're teaching the art properly. Do you know for sure that your instructors are'nt. In our schools the teacher is never questioned by any students, it's a respect thing that is taught to all, apparently you haven't been taught this because, if you had you would never openly question them. Also I tell all of them that i'm not there to be liked and be their friend i'm there to teach them. I also tell them if they don't like me then keep it to yourself, but you will show me the respect I deserve because i'am the instructor if they can't do this then i'll ask them to leave my class. Dude, respect is everything in the martial arts if you can't show your teacher respect then leave. And by the way in our art a purple belt is the bottom of the rung in our senior ranks, I don't know where it is in your art. As for your question about wether it is cocky of you to think that you can beat most of the black belts, in my opinion yes it is and i'd tell you to bring it on and hand you your rear end in a basket and then take your belt and send you on your way. Oh, by the way, In our art a kid would never be promoted to black belt. A student has to be at least 21 years old, giving one to a kid would never happen. So, in answer to your question about wether it is time for you to switch school, yes it is time for you to go. If I was your instructor you'd been gone a long time ago.

Answer 4

well...lets take a look at this....if u can plz email me about some of these questions i have 4 u...if u can it'll help.okay so how long does it take for those "blackbelts" to get to their blackbelts...if it took them 2 years then it's a rip off, a real black belt takes at least 6 or more years....and you are paying a thousand bucks a year..now consider this also why are there kids with black belts...in real martial arts blackbelts should be at least 16 years old because they are mentally prepared...and why would u pay to be taught from kids who think that they're right about everything and don't answer your questions then..um... go to another place then....so yes u are being ripped off...so yea..

Answer 5

McDojo !!!!

sounds like a franchise money making business.
sure, all clubs have to run at a profit, but that sounds like you are getting inferior product for your money.

A change is needed. Change is good for everyone. change is a part of evolution, and it is also true with martial arts. moving on to a new style would be better for you than wasting your soul and money there man.

Dont worry about gaining belts for now, just gain experience, quality experience. go for a new feel, you will be pleasently surprised by a new environment/ system.

edit: (to show you a comparison)
Elite Thai Kickboxing in New Zealand is run by Jason Suttie, a K-1 champion. (google him if you dont know him), he and other top fighters are there all the time to train with, and fees are NZ$568 per year for a lump sum payment or $75 a month... still way cheaper than you say yours is charging, and does your instructor fight internationally with a win rate of about 90% (Jason Suttie 66 pro fights, 55 wins, 25 by KO). think about it. are you really getting what you pay for?

Answer 6

What do you mean you are pating to get to a certain level? Are you paying with a promise to atain a specified rank in a specified time? If, leave.
In any case, if you don't respect your instructors, leave. Without trust & respect, nothing good can happen.
I'm not going to say who is right as I have only seen 1 side, but this is not the right school for you.

Answer 7

Yes. To improve, you have to have an instructor you like and respect, and a school that treats you well. Start looking around for a new place. Don't burn any bridges until you've found some place better and try to leave on good terms.

Answer 8

You're attending a Mc Dojo. Get the heck out of there as soon as you can! Your instructor doesn't answer your questions because he doesn't know the answers!!! He is stealing your money. Leave that place, quickly.

Go to a place that has no contract (pay month to month instead), where you spar (not point sparring like TKD, but true sparring) and sign up.

I'm not saying take this art...but check out this clip and listen to what the narrator has to say. Listen to what he says from beginning to end (it's not long at all).

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iZyeSScNH8Y

Answer 9

bust out the chuck norris.....jking

try to contact your instructor and if nothing changes to your liking leave

Answer 10

yea go to a new place....you dont have to take and dont waste your money on stuff like that.......find a diffrent school man its not worth........good luck