Contract

[jimmyprince]

we have quite alot of schools here in milwaukee but the one i like wants me to sign a year contract with him.i wouldnt mind but, what if in a few weeks or 1 or 2 months i dont like the teacher or the school or whatever. i really like this school but to sign a contract for karate lessons iam not sure i want to do this.iam not buying a car or house all i want to do is loose some weight and learn some martial arts.what is everyone else doing....thanks........jim

[Joecooke007]

If you do not know if you want to sign the contract or not you may not be ready to take martial arts. When you sign up you should have it dead set in your mind that you take karate for the following year. That is the only advice that I can give you. I hope that it helps.

 

 

[SBN Doug]

I think there's already a thread on this one.

 

My opinion, never sign a contract until you're given the chance to practice a few weeks and decide if you like the style and instructor.

[Musashi]

Contracts hmmm. Well the best advice I can give you about them, if your school has them, is look at the advanced classes do they retain their Dan's? Also if you get a chance watch a few classes just not one, take a couple of weeks just stop in unannounced a few times look at the way the teacher interacts with his/her students. Unfortunately most schools that are run as full time endevours are forced to use contracts. Not that that is a bad thing, I just have mixed emotions about contracts in general. But anyway good luck in your search and remember choosing a school is a very personal thing and if you choose the right one it could be a place that you are involved with for the rest of your life.

 

 

[kickbuttmom]

In Pennsylvania we are required to have contracts. Recent legislative efforts are forcing us to bow to the restrictive measures of the Health Club Act of PA.

 

However, a contract is really a matter of trust. our studio offers three lengths, 3, 6 and 12 months. You trust the owner to train you and the owner trusts you to pay and stick around long enough to benefit from his/her method.

 

If you cannot give a contract a serious go I would question your commitment in other areas too.

 

By all means, insist on and get that trial period.... the trainer needs to have confidence in his product too.

 

 

[Bon]

Generally contracts are a sign of a McDojo IMO.

 

 

[BlueDragon1981]

I would never sign a contract myself requiring a year of service. If you think you want to be in the art for a long time is the only reason I would sign.

 

I do have contracts but all the ones I have written up are about injuries so I dont get sued. (No insurance to keep costs low) That is just to protect me from the sue happy world we live in.

 

(Example is McDonalds when they got sued because a person got burned by coffee. So now anything hot has to say it on it. Come on now its Coffee it is going to burn you. That is just ignoranance)

[LeaF]

Well the dojo I attend requires us to sign contracts. Now you have the choice of like a 3 month contract or 1 year. New students also have the option of trying a class or two or watch some classes before they make a commitment. I believe contracts are a good idea to have. It will teach the student to be more commited and it helps pretect everyone, and my dojo is by no means a "mcdojo"

 

_________________

 

Goju ryu karate-do

 

Okinawan Kobudo

 

Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can master both....and surpass the result.

 

[ This Message was edited by: LeaF on 2002-08-03 13:18 ]

[ramymensa]

DON'T SIGN ...

 

I didn't have to sign anything and God knows I'll won't leave school. BUT if I'd like to do this, I'll be free to go on my way.

 

This signing thing is unusual ... guess those in your school are not that confident in their ability to keep you interested.

 

Your agreement to come to that school should be like a love story ... you should be able to go elsewhere when the feeling is gone.

[chh]

In our dojo you have to sign a 6 month contract when you start up, but it actually doesn't have any language binding you or the school to anything in terms of attending and paying for classes. I believe Sensei uses it as a way to instill a sense of commitment in his students, trying to make the student understand that joining a dojo is not like signing up for pottery classes, it is not something that should be done lightly. So, in a way it's meaningless, but then again I think it's kind of cool.

 

My boyfriend's kung fu school has a pretty scary contract, you get reduced prices for longer contracts but if you quit they'll continue to merrily deduct the fees from your checking account for the length of the contract. Seemed like a big honking red flag to me, but it appears to be a perfectly respectable school...