Reasonable protocol?

[mauser]

Do you guys think its normal or to be expected that a sensei or chief instructor demands that students in his dojo let him know [by calling in advance with a good excuse] if they cant make a class.

He also expects attendence at least twice a week or you may be severed from membership or dropped in rank.

whatchya guys think?

-MAuser

[WildFire]

Personally, I don't see why he should give a damn unless it's an unreasonably small class.

He gets your money either way, so why should he care?

[beka]

If it's a small class with close relationships, I think the curteous thing to do would be to call ahead to say you can't make it. However, *demanding* that you call ahead with "good excuse" is pretty lame. To kick out students for poor attendance is wrong. It won't make you any better to skip class, but sometimes life takes over and extra-curricular activities don't quite make it into the schedule.

[Yrkoon9]

I try to call if I am not going to make it. And I damn well expect my instructor to call me if HE isn't going to make it. We have had problems there before...

But whether you show up or not is entirely up to you. If you pay, you stay. This is America, not China, Brazil, or Nazi Germany.

Now being dropped in rank CAN happen to certain people, but is highly unusual. Say if you were a promising blue belt who trained every single day 6 days a week for 2 hours a day and went to every single competition. You got tons of private attention, and special training, as well as being invited to train when the big boys come to town. Then you stop showing up for a few months for whatever reason and the instructor picks up your belt off the floor and holds onto it after you lost it in sparring. And then you sit there like a fool during the bow out with no belt on. And then you have to sheepishly go ask for the belt, and they look at you like your dad after you broke the cookie jar and ask how badly you want the blue belt. And then make you feel real shitty about everything. And then pull your stripes off the belt as they ask what happened to that desire you once had? Not that ever happened to me or anything...

[Phrost]

Haha Ykroon. Damn, if my instructor was like that I wouldn't even be allowed to wear a belt with slacks.

Anyway, to answer the OP's question, I also imagine that it'd depend a lot on what your rank was and how much you were expected to help out... or at least be a body for the other guys to throw around when things get slow. (Not that I'd know anything about that.)

[robopablo]

If it's a small class and you're a senior student, sure I can see that. If it's a traditional class, I would expect that too. However, if you're 1 of 40 in the class I don't see why it would be an issue.

Do you pay by the class? Maybe you're screwing up his excel worksheet?

I know some styles/schools use a system of training hours for promotion, maybe it's something to do with that...

[Lane]

I think as a matter of courtesy you should call, but demanding it is a bit much. Then again, I've heard tell of a few local teachers who demand access to your bank account to "punish" you if you don't show up on time or miss a class, so I guess if you like the teacher enough count yourself fortunate.

This might be indicative of a larger problem with the instructor. Do a little more research and see if he makes any other wild demands of his students.

[Yrkoon9]

Make up some wild shit and see how he reacts.

Sorry Sensei, I am late because my mother would not let me out of the woodshed.
Sorry Sensei, I missed class because I misplaced my hairpiece. No sir, not the kind that goes on your head.
Sorry Sensei, I was in a deep meditative state and missed class.
Sorry Sensei, I am late because my goats would not come in from the pasture.
Sorry Sensei, my hypnotherapist kept me in a trance too long.
Sorry Sensei, I was switching my insurance to Geico.

...see what he says after a while...

[Poop Loops]

Keep making them more bizarre, like this:

I missed class becuase I was furiously masturbating, and could not stop.
I had violent diarrhea.
Osama Bin Laden called, and I hadn't talked to him in a LONG time, so we had some catching up to do.
Thursdays I always meet up with my Demons of the Underdark group and we have fun trying to call upon the legions of Hell.
I mistook the glue bottle for the lotion bottle and accidentally glued my hand to my umm.... face.

PL

[Clyde]

Personally, I don't see why he should give a damn unless it's an unreasonably small class.

He gets your money either way, so why should he care?

That's what McDojo masters do, real instructors care about their students and are not just glorified babysitters.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

[JohnnyCache]

I'd say it depends. I can see both attitudes - the attitude of "it's my money, I'll come when I feel like it" Vs the attitude of the teacher not wanting to waste his time with a dabbler. I guess it depends how hardcore the class is, if there's a wait, that kind of thing. I could think of *cases* where it would be OK with me for an instructor to ask that, but in general, it would send up a warning flag.

[tai-gip]

seeing as how the question wasnt about payment but courtesy i will say that it is fair, if your instructor is serious and doing his most to pass on the knowledge he has for your benefit . If its a simple average class where you go and learn yadda yadda no sense of real commitment from either then the instructor has no right to demand more commitment from you than he is giving.

[FingerorMoon?]

His school = his rules.

He is only going to hurt his income by being like that, but maybe money isn't the most important thing to him...

[fanatical]

My old TKD instructor said he'd like us to call in if we knew we were going to miss class. Because it would be easier for him to figure out how to conduct the training. It wasn't forced on us, but we kind of felt that we might as well. When I got drafted he asked my parents what had happened to me (even though I had allready told him :P ) But when he remembered he was ok with it.

I'm actually quite glad some people go through some extra lengths like that. But if it ever ends up as some sort of powerstruggle, then I'd be better off doing something else.

[Olorin]

My Sensei told us to let him know in the summer as the classes are smaller. But during the school year it is your money and your time.

[Kungfoolss]

Do you guys think its normal or to be expected that a sensei or chief instructor demands that students in his dojo let him know [by calling in advance with a good excuse] if they cant make a class.


It's not a job, not unless you're an assistant instructor expected to teach. Otherwise, that's unreasonable.


He also expects attendence at least twice a week or you may be severed from membership or dropped in rank.

whatchya guys think?

-MAuser

Tell him to go crap his pants. :XXcompute