Ever had an instructor leave?

[DC111]

We have three karate schools in one, um, 'district' for lack of better word. So they're all connected but in different cities. Two instructors have left my school to go to one of the other two (because the Grand Master goes to it), but the rest of the instructors there, including my Sensei, stayed, so I wasn't going anywhere.

[Philosophical One]

I didn't vote because I, personally, have never had to make any decisions on loyalty like that.

It's almost always ugly when instructors break away like that.

It's almost always the better idea to stick with the original club. I say this because running a dojo IS HARD WORK and a huge committment.

Most 'breakaways' think they can do it better - the head instructor has made it all LOOK so easy.

But it's like any new business - 95% fail in the first year.

and of the 5% that survive - 95% of THOSE will fail within 5 years.

Maybe they know their Karate, maybe they are passionate - but are they business minded???

Wanna gamble on it?

Perhaps the original dojo won't take you back if they fail because then you will have failed to show loyalty.

Something to think about anyway.

[IcemanSK]

I didn't vote because you didn't have what happened to me as an option.

My instructor sold his school & moved out of state 6 months after I got my 1st Dan. He sold the school to a man who wanted to change everything the day he took over as new owner. Needless to say, I didn't stay there. I was devastated!! I went to another school where my friends trained. It was a second best option, situation. I wasn't going to stay with an instructor I didn't like or respect. The school I went with was VERY different (tho the same stye of MA).

I think staying with an instructor that you like/respect is a good idea.

[mmljpp]

kinda my sensei i studied with for a long time taught an awsome style but then he went out and tried to make his own and it wasnt so good so i left but i couldnt find any other teachers of the style in my area so i went to a different school

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

this has and hasnt happened to us. we dismissed one of our instructors. he still around and he is still a BB but he is just a student, we dismissed him of his instructly duties.

[bushido_man96]

this has and hasnt happened to us. we dismissed one of our instructors. he still around and he is still a BB but he is just a student, we dismissed him of his instructly duties.

Why did this happen? If you don't mind me asking.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

this has and hasnt happened to us. we dismissed one of our instructors. he still around and he is still a BB but he is just a student, we dismissed him of his instructly duties.

Why did this happen? If you don't mind me asking.

nahh i don't mind at all. what happened was he was an Instructor at one school but because of a shift, i took over his school and he took over another. well, the school i took over started flourishing and doing exceptionally well meanwhile the school we had him take over went from 35 students to 17 almost overnight! most of the students he had lost were special need or special attention cases. we had a woman(a very respected red belt) come up to me and our chief and talk about how he has scared people away, made people upset, and almost caused a few fights. well after we heard this we were very upset, a few days later the payments for the school came into my chief and it was 200$ which is ridiculously low, and just enough to cover the instructors pay check for the month. so he was losing money, losing students, he had lost hte heart to teach, and at that month's tests his students looked poor. so we told him that his instructor duties were over and he could still keep his 3rd degree and train. and he's currently trying to train for his masters but if i get my way, that won't be this year, im still quite upset.

[blackxpress]

It's happened to me twice (sort of). My original Sensei decided to close his school and made arrangements for a few of us to go train at a different dojo. It was also a different style. We went from Wado to traditional Okinawan karate. He agreed to train with us. After a couple of months I was the only one still training at the new school. My original sensei decided to start teaching a small class at his house and invited me to train there. I had mixed emotions because I really liked the new dojo and was starting to like the style as well. After much soul searching though, I decided to go back to Wado. So, in a sense you could say the same instructor quit twice and I followed him both times.

[NightOwl]

It seems that a good portion of people have had this happen to them. Martial arts seem to have a very high turnover rate...

[tori]

I had an instructor die. I had received my black belt, but as we all know, you really only start learning once you have achieved that rank and I had only just been ranked. I was not a part of the MA again for years. The instructor that I am currently with is very good. He has established himself in our neighborhood quite well. I don't forsee him leaving, but feel that I would follow him and his wife if for some reason they moved (unless they moved really far away).