Needing advice from other Instructors.

[Balrog]

I have two stories/concerns to tell you about, that I want an instructor's opinion on, I got my instructor's opinion on what he would do in the first situation, but I would like more opinion, in other ways of dealing with such.

First situation. In class last night we had a girl that got hurt in soccer practice, she fell a couple of times on the soccer ball or something, well, she got through kicks pretty well, and I could tell she was in pain, well she started crying, and I knew she wasn't faking it, well my instructor told her to go sit down, because she was hurt..well her mom came in and told the girl to go get back in class because if you don't, we are never coming back here. The girl was in pain, but yet her mom told her to get back in class by threatning her. Well my instructor told her to take it easy and make it through one more form, well she did than he had all the white belts sit down, and let the higher ranks do there forms. By telling all the white belts to sit down there was nothing the mom could do about it. What would you do in a situation like this?

This was handled reasonably well. However, I think a closed door session with the parent is in order, where mom gets a little education as to who is in charge on the floor. In addition, more CYA than anything, I would have all the instructors and higher ranked students present write up the incident and keep it on file, in case mom decides that soccer didn't cause the problem, the school did.

Second thing. In my class we have this guy that claims he knows all about fighting and the only reason he takes our class is because he wants to get better at fighting, and he always brags about it, and we think the only reason he is doing martial arts is to beat up people. Our whole class talks about how they want to spar all the time, so they can get in a fight. Tonight in class we were showing him a technique and he said well why can't we do it this way? or this way? and he says he never likes what we do in class...such as forms, i understand forms aren't for everyone..but still. BTW he has never trained before in a martial art, he watches wrestling. Again what would you do?

Another closed door session is in order here, wherein the loudmouth is educated as to who is in charge on the floor. With this type of situation, however, you have a more serious problem than the loudmouth mom. This guy will potentially injure someone in class unless he has an attitude change, and that change needs to happen quickly or he needs to take a hike, IMNSHO.

[shogeri]

You take the parent or guardian or whomever aside, and politely tell them that this is your school, and that you have your reasons for doing what you do, just as they do when they tell their children to do such and such at home.

That is, they too have their own set of guidelines while they run their household, and prefer little outside influence.

The second situation, is to take him aside, and get his input as to why he is taking the class. When he finishes tell him that he is expected to participate as would any other team member or school companion. When he doesn't, he takes away from the experience that the other students have the right to learn.

Just some thoughts...