Question of obligation - should schools tell a student they suck?

[feedback]

So there's this guy who goes to straight blast where I train. He only just showed up at my standup classes about a month ago but apparently he's been a member for a long time. He's around 18-19 with not much of a build and not much stamina.
Anyway, to the point - this guy comes to the standup and cardio classes. He tends to quit about halfway through the cardio conditioning classes and just sits around. When he does the standup classes, he's just a damn punching bag. No matter how many times people tell him otherwise, he just turtles up, unable to perform the simplest parts of the crazy monkey. He gets knocked around so frequently that he has to stop 3-4 times during our 2 minute rounds to right himself, and he's been knocked out twice. This is in a class where we go (on a scale of 1-10) a 3-4. He spends a lot of the drills sitting down off to the side kind of woozing back and forth. At the end of one class, he was stumbling around and fell down, still rocked from the class.

My question is, do you think that my gym/it's coaches are obligated to pay special attention to this kid until he shapes up, and if he can't, should they be suggesting that he maybe try something else?

I was just thinking about this because we often rag on TMA mcdojo's for having shitty students who can't fight and not doing anything about them.

[~$G$~]

If he's only around 18-19...I'd assume he still has time to work on his physical attributes. By the way...Straight blast gym's Matt Thorton right?
You guys are aight. Much love and Respect.

[~$G$~]

Kid's probably just rockin' the ganje too hard. Tell him to stop smoking that shit, it makes you soft and stupid. Happy...but stupid. Funny how that works, huh?

[Deadpan Scientist]

He knows he sucks. that's all that counts.

[JKDChick]

Somebody better do something about the guy. Either the instructor's gotta take him aside and find out why he can't keep up but keeps showing up ... or ask him to leave, and maybe come back when he wants to do it properly.

Hey, no matter how great the school, someone's always going to be the worst student in class. It's the AVERAGE quality that counts.

[THX-1138]

Send him to Gresham to train at Team Quest.

[feedback]

Originally posted by ~$G$~
If he's only around 18-19...I'd assume he still has time to work on his physical attributes. By the way...Straight blast gym's Matt Thorton right?
You guys are aight. Much love and Respect.

Yeah that's us. :p

[feedback]

Originally posted by brandeissansoo
He knows he sucks. that's all that counts.

I'm not sure - when we were doing sparring with takedowns he was boasting how he was a wrestler in highschools while I punched him in the face.

[PizDoff]

I think he damn well SHOULD know that not everyone ends up at the end of the class like him.
I definately agree with an honest evaluation communicated maturely and professionally. Your school probably still has the desire to retain him as a student so you should take him aside and talk to him. Let him know he's got to step it up a notch in the conditioning classes and START OVER again in the combatives/MA training classes.

He obviously needs to relearn and work on the basics and focus on conditioning. Let him know everyone learns at their own pace but he should have a stronger attempt to catch up.


Edit: Interesting, but no unexpected, people have similar views as I while I took too long to write this post in the midst of doing other stuff.

[feedback]

Originally posted by PizDoff
I think he damn well SHOULD know that not everyone ends up at the end of the class like him.
I definately agree with an honest evaluation communicated maturely and professionally. Your school probably still has the desire to retain him as a student so you should take him aside and talk to him. Let him know he's got to step it up a notch in the conditioning classes and START OVER again in the combatives/MA training classes.

He obviously needs to relearn and work on the basics and focus on conditioning. Let him know everyone learns at their own pace but he should have a stronger attempt to catch up.

That's what I'm thinking of doing, but to be honest I'd rather spend my paid-for class time sparring with people who help me improve, instead of spending my time teaching in place of someone else. With everyone else, yeah we give tips to eachother a lot, but it's stuff like "hey try and keep your elbows in when you throw your straights" not "excuse me sir but your vagina is dripping on the mat OK?"

[Emevas]

Originally posted by feedback
I'm not sure - when we were doing sparring with takedowns he was boasting how he was a wrestler in highschools while I punched him in the face.

Wow, he bragged while you punched him? He at least has some talent.

When I get a fist to the face, my talking tends to stop =P

[Greese]

I think the instructor needs to find out why he sucks. Maybe he is retarded.
It can be common for retards to stick around and keep doing the same retarded shit no matter how much they get bitch slapped.

[PizDoff]

I don't know your position in the class but definately talk to your instructor.
That's what I was getting at.

No need to spend your hard-earned resources helping him catch up and let him drag you down during class time. After class or before class is best, before class can maybe help him refocus, though I don't have this problem and I always try to make the best use of my time. Get your instructor in on the action.

[~$G$~]

maybe he's not taking martial arts for that reason. Perhaps he's taking it on as a hobby and really likes it? Why begrudge the kid that? So what he sucks, so do alot of people...if he really wants to get better, he will...if not, he's at least trying, and for that, he gets mad props.

[edward]

Eventually he'll probably get tired of the abuse and quit.

But it should make you wonder where the instructor is in all of this.

It seems like a lot of places these days the instructors aren't exactly on the ball ... that is, they aren't running around correcting everybody's stuff and giving personal attention.

Instead, they tend to spend more time with the more motivated people, and while that's okay, people like this guy obviously just aren't getting it.

If this guy isn't capable, then they should nicely ask him to leave.

But when dojos are run as businesses, then there's just no incentive to do that. Why kick out a paying customer?

[~$G$~]

Originally posted by edward
Eventually he'll probably get tired of the abuse and quit.

But it should make you wonder where the instructor is in all of this.

It seems like a lot of places these days the instructors aren't exactly on the ball ... that is, they aren't running around correcting everybody's stuff and giving personal attention.

Instead, they tend to spend more time with the more motivated people, and while that's okay, people like this guy obviously just aren't getting it.

If this guy isn't capable, then they should nicely ask him to leave.

But when dojos are run as businesses, then there's just no incentive to do that. Why kick out a paying customer?



If the guy keeps coming, he obviously has the interest...perhaps somebody should talk to him, politely, and ask him why he's taking the classes so they can gain a better scope of just why he's there, and if he's willing to perhaps invest more time and interest into the subject.
I'd personally invite him to train with me on my off days, which would lend a two-fold effect...1; more training for me...and 2; better conditioning and training for him.
I'm sure whatever his issue is, it would be cake to work through in an intensive training scenerio...who knows...if he really doesn't want to do it, maybe he'll figure it out for himself and quit.
I'd say, better yet, get him an MMA or muay thai match. The training will either make him or break him.