"It gets SO much f***ing better than that Arch! You have NO IDEA, I'm LEAVING!"

[kwoww]

Same here. Good luck in your new school.

[LThornton]

Glad everything ended well for you.

[G-Off]

***UPDATE***

Done, and done! Talked with the studio head today, conversation went really well. Gave him more or less the same speech as his son previously: changing personal direction, window of opportunity (youth) for competition, leaving the door open to possibly come back years into the future, grateful for all the years, etc.

He was cool with it, also saw it coming, said I could leave as soon as I wanted.

I'll be helping to grade a gup test tomorrow night, and then I'm done with TSD. Whew!

[ysc87]

Finally having a conversation with the studio head tomorrow just after lunch. We'll see how this goes.

Get him a nice bottle of wine to say thank you.

I've gotten away with so much shit over the past few years just because I've been thoughtful with gifts and thank you's to the people that matter.

[G-Off]

Finally having a conversation with the studio head tomorrow just after lunch. We'll see how this goes.

[Obesely]

@OP: That's really good for you. When I wanted to take time off (read: quit) my _ing _hun school of 7 years, I think I told them I was taking the year off, or I could've told them nothing at all and stopped going, maybe reminding them when they called me up. To be honest, I did like the environment even if (for a good half of those years) I was totally aware that it wasn't making me a better fighter, fitter or stronger. I just liked the atmosphere of 'training'.

I feel like a bit of a dick because the gentleman from HK who took us for so many years... was always nice. He was actually good at what he did (even if _ing _hun and chou/chow gar are of no actual use to anyone) and was incredibly strong and fit, even in his 50''s (see fingertip pushups). I feel bad that I never hinted I'd come back. In fact, I haven't been back in 2 years.

My one and only fear is that one day they'll chase me pack on years of fees they may think they're entitled to from when i stopped going.

[G-Off]

Told you the "Direction change" speech was the way to go.

Aye. Good call, pushups for me.

[Kintanon]

Told you the "Direction change" speech was the way to go.

[G-Off]

***UPDATE***

Had the first conversation with the studio head's son. Could not have gone better.

Basically, I was honest, told him my heart wasn't in it anymore, wanted to try competition while I was young(ish) and injury free, and explore something new. Thanked him and told him I was grateful for the years of training and teaching, but that I needed a new direction.

He was awesome about it, told me first that he'd seen it coming (ever since I started sparring with friends and coming to class with the occasional black eye, I think), that he supported my decision, and had even felt the "pull" to compete himself. Basically, his focus had changed since having a family, and MMA training wasn't as widely available when he was my age...essentially, he understood and supported me completely, no hard feelings.

I'm going to email the studio owner tonight and ask him to meet with me tomorrow on campus. He's less chill than his son, so we'll see how it goes...being halfway there feels good.

I don't know what kind of grad school you're applying to, but I've found that people give grad school entrance exams like the LSATs and GREs a pretty wide berth.

GRE scores aren't a problem. I just want my chances as high as possible.

[Ungjaevel]

I don't know what kind of grad school you're applying to, but I've found that people give grad school entrance exams like the LSATs and GREs a pretty wide berth.

[G-Off]

Our resident brazilian is actually named Rafael.

Think I'll save that option for if they don't want to give me the reference though.

[willaume]

G-off,

here's what you could do: bring some BJJ teacher with you.
You go: hi, im training at this other school now and here's why...GET HIM CARLOS!!!(most brazilians named carlos anyway)
After the BJJ dude is done wtfpawning him then you say casually: ' oh and i'd like that letter of recomendation now if its okay with you?'

you get the letter and your point across.
total win.

[Lebell]

G-off,

here's what you could do: bring some BJJ teacher with you.
You go: hi, im training at this other school now and here's why...GET HIM CARLOS!!!(most brazilians named carlos anyway)
After the BJJ dude is done wtfpawning him then you say casually: ' oh and i'd like that letter of recomendation now if its okay with you?'

you get the letter and your point across.
total win.

[Dsimon3387]

I think this is true for just about any relationship, deep or shallow. Only difference between a close teacher-student relationship and an actual one is sex.


...Wait, nevermind. ><

Let's just put the difference down as "learning."'

*edit* Technically, that's wrong too. Fuck it, ignore me.

haha that is a big issue. It comes up you are actually quite right. It takes a lot to not explore the avenue of sex because as a teacher you feel like you have a bit of an advantage in the relationship (more than a bit really), a bit more power than the other person. I mean sometimes it could work, but so many times its a setup because that power and charm only goes so far.... Angelie Jolie is easy on the eyes but if I was Brad Pitt and saw her in her draws every morning? I mean she its still Angelie but....
Naturally after a while that aspect just does not sustain. When a student finds out that the teacher is just another foible laden joe or josephine, what happens?

[willaume]

Why don’t you leave after the reference had been checked?
You been with them donkeys already and that is just a few month away. You are not training there anymore other than teaching the Wednesday class.

You are going to move away to that grad school and you would like to broaden your horizon by taking up boxing and BJJ because you are interested into experiencing a heavier contact competitive approach /want to develop you ground game, perfect your punching game technique. Just to see how it is, if nothing else it is something that you want to try.

You can still teach the Wednesday call for old and good time sake. Besides it is experience in teaching.

If I were you I would work on a tidy explanation as to how it comes that their letter of recommendation is good enough but really you have been doing crap stuff for 16 years, especially if that letter is central to your recruitment process.
question along those line are likely to crop up.

Phil