loyalty to your current teacher/school

[the Dabbler]

reading this thread made me think of my current situation.
http://bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=21946&page=1&pp=15

I seem to repeat this process over and over again, where I train for some time in a MA. Get hurt/go broke/not have time to train, and in the off time I get curious about other styles. By the time I am healed/have money/have time I am so interested in this new thing that I never finish what I started. Hence my chosen screen name.

In btwn styles I always feel guilty about not returning to the school I had been training at most recently. I feel a sense of obligation to finish what I had started, to not abandon my intructor and his school even if my tastes have changed and am no longer interested.

ex: I broke my ankle while running. Had almost a year to think about things. Started training w/ a friend and decided that I really like throws, grappling and sparring, and am missing out on what i like to do. So i'm planning on trying BJJ and Judo. In fact I'm starting bjj this week or next, and judo soon after that. I feel bad about not returning to my previous school, but I'm doing what I want to do, for myself.

[Judah Maccabee]

My current school / instructor have been nothing but kind, accomodating, and quality for me. I am very loyal, and always carry around flyers to give to people whenever I train outside of school of my own accord.

[Ronin]

While the "what have you done for me lately" attitude is NOT the best way to deal with a school/instructor, most well be very open to your cross training, some may even encourge you to do so, I know I would.

Some may prefer you to build up a solid base before you go "dojo hoping", don't mistake that for trying to hold you back.

Some may be pricks and not want you to leave and lose the income.

Still, if you find another school/system that you want to explore and you feel you may "owe" your current instructor and explanation, there is nothing wrong with sitting down and talking.
I am sure he will understand ( most good instructors did the same thing).

If he acts like a prick then good riddence.

[the Dabbler]

I havn't been there in a while b/c of the injury, but even so I don't think he would be a prick. I was taking chen taiji, which was a great workout and the pushhands skills where also very good. But the pushhands was about as far as sparring went. If i had the time and the money I would stick w/ it and take one of the other arts as well. I don't have alot of time and money and have become very bored w/o the sparring.
My instructor would say things like "you don't need to take judo and jiujitsu to learn throws and joint locks, they're all here in the form", then he would show me how hardcore taiji could be. He knows all the applications, and can do them on a resisting person. Problem is we don't train that way. We learn the form and its applications, but we don't practice the applications in any live way.
I may be a hardhead, but I really miss sparring.

[Captain Spaulding]

I think it comes down to the fact that respect should be a two-way street. You should have it both for and from your instructor. And if you both truly respect each other, a lot of these things become easier. He'll want what's best for you and you'll want to help him out.

The problem occurs if one or both screw with the equation.

[Bang!]

I havn't been there in a while b/c of the injury, but even so I don't think he would be a prick. I was taking chen taiji, which was a great workout and the pushhands skills where also very good. But the pushhands was about as far as sparring went. If i had the time and the money I would stick w/ it and take one of the other arts as well. I don't have alot of time and money and have become very bored w/o the sparring.
My instructor would say things like "you don't need to take judo and jiujitsu to learn throws and joint locks, they're all here in the form", then he would show me how hardcore taiji could be. He knows all the applications, and can do them on a resisting person. Problem is we don't train that way. We learn the form and its applications, but we don't practice the applications in any live way.
I may be a hardhead, but I really miss sparring.If you enjoy what you're doing, you may want to see if there are any other students that feel the same way and ask your instructor to give you guys extra training. Otherwise, take the time to find something that meets all of your personal criteria.

[the Dabbler]

All good points. The respect is mutual as far as I know, though I have not been in contact w/ the instructor or fellow students since I left almost a year ago. I don't think the other students are quite into what I am into. I know this b/c I had been there for over 3yrs. The class is what it is and it's not going to change b/c I want to get my sparring in. Also no one I know of in that school cross trains in other arts unless it is under the same instructor, who teaches wing chun and xing yi, unless they keep it to themselves.
I am deffinitely going to try judo and bjj. Have already tried bjj before and liked it. They are both offered at my university so trying both is possible and affordable, and will help me determine if I trully want to switch styles completely or mix them up.

Does anyone have stories about switching styles, why, and what happened to your relationship w/ the previous instructor?