Regulating Martial arts Instructors???

Question

Due to a recent case of a MA instructor being arrested for abuse of students (hitting them in stances etc...), our state (Virginia) is considering legislation to regulate MA instructors and schools. What do you think? good or bad idea? pros / cons? how would you regulate? what standards? who gets to decide?

Answer 1

Hi there

On paper this is a great idea. Just imagine how the standards would be raised? It would weed out all the con artists and provide a more safer environment in which students could train.

Here comes the BUT!

The problem is its a bit like Communism. It works great on paper but not in practice and for the same reason.

Greed!

All that would happen is that a large governing body would take control placing Hi ranking 20th dans at the top of the pyramid charging a fortune for membership and registration.
They would do very little but collect cash for it and still manage to restrict the growth of small individual clubs at the same time. And what about all those obscure strange Chinese styles that the large Karate and Judo federations just wouldn't understand?

It would be far better if the government stepped in and made sure that no instructor can teach without being vetted by the police for child protection and enforcing the fact that they must be insured through an recognized insurer. When an instructor has provided this information then permission would be granted for them to teach. A Government license based around health and safety and character references.

Best wishes

idai

Answer 2

This question can be answered easily...first. No. I'm not the dojo police. Never want to be. In my home town we have about 20 schools that claim my system of karate. When the master was here they weren't. That spoke volumes on that.

Since we have a legal system of justice (by interpretation) You cant regulate "negligence" and by the skills of a good attorney you have no chance as a defendant. Even a great waiver form can be shot down if the instructor is negligent. So, the chances of a sorry dojo for law suit is higher. Eventually they get their just dues. Unfortunately for the Senseis' with reputation even this is not good. I hate to see anyone hurt. In my school or anyone elses, but I'm not able to do anything about it. It's the old McDonalds theory. People will be mad if the coffee doesn't burn their crotch. They might sue either ways. Until we demand of society to have an accoutability to their stupidity we will just sit back and watch them slowly but surely thin out the gene pool....that's why I love the Darwin Awards, even if they aren't true they are enjoyable and inspiring....

Thank You, Sensei Strickler

Answer 3

There are already laws in place for this sort of thing and the regulating of martial arts schools should not be left to people whose perspective is mainly that of golf, tennis, football, or baseball. In twenty-five years of teaching I have never had to use corporal punishment on a student and there are certainly better ways to handle such a situation. Not only that but there is some training that takes place that includes hitting and kicking students while they are in stances but that type of toughening and hardening process you do with young adults or adults, not children. It is also not done in anger or with the intent of punishment but carefully and only after a student has attained some rank. Just imagine someone whose perspective on things is like that above trying to understand that and I think most would agree that it is not a great idea for states to try and regulate this.

Secondly, kids go to school every day and sometimes face bad or poor teachers who abuse them and they are regulated but it can't stop them entirely. Only identifying, and prosecuting them and getting them out of the area of teaching does. Laws concerning child abuse, or sexual abuse often limit such people to contact with children only when there is other adult supervision present. People who are charged and found guilty under these existing laws usually can't even open a business in most states that includes contact with children. So the laws are already there; they just need to be enforced.

Answer 4

This seems to be an arena that is spotty at best sometimes.

Hmmmm...think I will open a dojo...nobody really checks the credentials. If most of your students are novices, they don't know the difference. Also the way most of these places operate is a challenge too. They lock you in up front with contracts taking away your ability to evaluate the quality of service (teaching style, etc...)

In this case, I think regulation is good or at least some sort of standard certification. Leave it up to the rest to suggest who.

Answer 5

bad idea. Mainly because it would not work. It is ridiculous to try and regulate a hundred different styles, teaching completely different things, with completely different outcomes -everything from semi contact, to full contact, to lethal techniques, to edged weapons, to self defence.

Secondly because the groups pushing this regulation are the same lobby groups pushing for banning of most contact sports(football, wrestling even ice hockey).

So they are the last people you want dictating laws in your sport

The only outcome of such legislation is it will get used by them to get rid of any of the styles they do not like

Answer 6

They've been talking about it for years - this is nothing new. It just comes out when one of the bad apples goes psycho! They are talking about regulating us like they regulate day care centers. Unfortunately, that will force most schools out of business becuse they won't have the money to upgrade their facilities to meet stricter day care codes. Basically, we're waiting for California's law to be decided in court before they enact anything here. If it passes in CA, it will pass in VA - unfortunately.

Answer 7

It would be impossible to do because no one is able to understand every martial art, thereby unable to regulate each one. If this is done, it would completely "franchise" the martial arts industry and strip away every bit of history and significance of it's meaning.