Outside style practitioners working out in your school?

[Holland]

If they had no interest in learning your style I would probably allow it. Generally people who come along those lines are moderately poisonous to what you are trying to do with your school.

People who are interested in "starting new" in your style can also be problematic. Most have no interested in coming to you with an "empty cup" but rather have a hard time adapting.

I have had two students from the former scenario and probably 10 from the latter. Neither of the two worked out and only 2 of the 10 from the latter did.

Its a tricky line and unfortunately few people are willing to walk it.

[bushido_man96]

Alright lets take this a step further. You take this outside student you charge him less because he isn't receiving certification/rank in your style. Your other students want his same deal. They want to train with you but don't care about getting rank or certification in your system or organization. What do you do?

For myself this doesn't apply, I don't charge anyway.

Our testing fees are seperate from our monthly fees. So, it wouldn't really matter in my school. He would pay monthly rates, and follow the school rules. Like I said, though, I would love to work with different approaches on doing different things.

[Senseimurphy]

I think that all of this depends on the outside students rank. Are they dan grade or kyu grade? With a dan grade student I would work with them on my own, also interested in what I could learn from them about another style.

With a kyu grade student, it would depend on age and rank. All of them would have to join the school at the appropriate student rate, but a higher adult rank I would most likely let keep their rank at least for a while, as long as they are coming from a good school. I once had a 18 year old shodan come and stay for one class because he couldnt keep up with our blue belts. However a Jr. rank or lower rank adult I would ask to wear a white belt and learn our system from the beginning.

[NievesOSK]

I go to other master instructor training often enough that I guess you would consider me one of those students that go to other dojos.

My master instructor is 63 years old. Although he can still defend himself, he doesn't have the "spunk" he once had. I train with men my age or younger to push myself further in my art. He knows I visit other schools and encourages it. I have never asked for rank and do not 'teach' in those classes. I am the student in those settings and maintain an 'empty cup' attitude.

It has certainly made me a better practitioner and helps me better understand the strengths and weaknesses of not only my art but others as well.

Osu.

[unknownstyle]

i really fee; like i am cutting in when a wear mt rank to another class, the students there earned their ranks and their place in line. i hate when people that have no rank in my style get to stand ahead of me. just cause you are a belt in one style doesnt make you one in another. and if you are a black belt in one style and training in another it id wrong to take the techniques learned in your other class and teach them to your students. you have not earned the right to teach that system and probably dont know the things that a higher rank in that style knows you only know what you can outwarsly see, they trained for tyears to understand the true meanings and by teaching something you really dont understand is doing an injustice to your own studebnts

[bushido_man96]

I don't think that the person from the other school would necessarily have to have a spot on the front row in class. They could mix into the back row. If it were me, that wouldn't bother me at all. I would be there to learn, not fuel my ego.

As far as the exchange of information, I think that would be whole point of the matter. You go to learn something new. Then, once you have a grasp of it, you can pass it on. It makes for a nice progression of training.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Yes, i agree with bushido here. The exchange of information and ideas should be the whole point. And as i understand where you're coming from, i'd only be concerned with someone who is going back and teaching their students something that was wrong. As long as the teacher understands it, they have the right to teach it as long as they credit where it came from.

When i personally go to other schools i stand at the back wherever i am and if they think that because i am a black belt and i should be moved else where then they'll tell me. if not, i am happy with where i am. I am here to learn not trump people in rank, so if the person coming into your school wants to stand senior to you...let him, what does rank matter anyway? It's just a bunch of dye on cotton. At the end of the day, it's been your school for longer, so your instructor will come to you with issues, ideas, and concepts first. So i'd say don't worry, and just focus on you and what kind of martial artist you look forward to becoming.

[tallgeese]

I'm pretty relaxed on uniforms, but rank is not unimportant to me. So, I'd probibly let them train with us (and be glad to see something new) and wear their old rank. Whatever uniform they wore would be fine. That, or they could just wear normal workout clothes.

As a side note, if someone does come in to learn what I'm doing from another school with rank already, I let them keep that rank and wear that belt. I figure that they earned it in their style, I should respect that.

They don't get certificate in my system until they pass an equivilent rank unless they just want them.

[jaedeshi]

Alright lets take this a step further. You take this outside student you charge him less because he isn't receiving certification/rank in your style. Your other students want his same deal. They want to train with you but don't care about getting rank or certification in your system or organization. What do you do?

For myself this doesn't apply, I don't charge anyway.

Our testing fees are seperate from our monthly fees. So, it wouldn't really matter in my school. He would pay monthly rates, and follow the school rules. Like I said, though, I would love to work with different approaches on doing different things.

I think you missed my point. I'm saying your regular students start saying they will not test because they don't care about rank also. Do you continue to teach them the techniques associated with the next rank when their ready? Or do you say if you don't test then I don't teach you any of the advanced techniques past your current level? Not teaching them their next level of techniques would be unfair when your allowing someone else to train and not test just because they are from another system.

[tallgeese]

In the scenario above perhaps the best thing would be to have him attend some sort of open class. Like an open sparring day. It would allow him to train with a bunch of people from the system and work on those skills.

If he's interested beyond that, you could work on other aspects during that time as well. Maybe only let him come to that informal class so the others don't feel that they are getting shorted somehow.

I also don't charge and it makes like much easier. Then again, I don't have to worry about keeping doors open and lights on. I see the stress that the gym owner has where I help out at and it makes me glad I never decided to take on something like that.

I've always flirted with the idea. My wife is often quick to point out when the subject comes up that I really like the idea of running a school more than I would actually like doing it.

Yeah, she's pretty smart.