| If you're going to open a martial arts school, please | | | | local street fighter registers as a student with your club |
| beware that you will have to deal with troublemakers. | | | | and his primary goal is to challenge your students and |
| You know what I'm talking about. You've seen the | | | | pick fights. These people are not interested in forms, |
| martial arts movie where a karate teacher is busy | | | | technique, or fitness. |
| teaching class for example, and all of a sudden, a | | | | Martial art schools don't like to turn paying students |
| bunch of clowns from a rival school show up and | | | | away, so I take a "wait and see" attitude. If a |
| want to fight. If you think this scene only happens in the | | | | perspective student is so obnoxious, you are within |
| movies, you are sorely mistaken. | | | | your rights to reject him as a member of your club |
| It is not uncommon to have challengers come into a | | | | and tell him to go elsewhere. |
| martial art school looking for a fight. As the proprietor | | | | Street fighters want to prove themselves. They are |
| of a martial arts school, I have seen troublemakers | | | | there to fight. I usually handle these people myself or |
| come in many forms, some subtle, some not so subtle. | | | | delegate their training to an experienced fighter |
| If you plan on running a martial art club, you really need | | | | instructor who will be able to handle him skillfully. I built |
| to understand how this can happen and what to do | | | | my first school on local street fighters who came here |
| about it. | | | | for a challenge and ended up being loyal students. |
| We once had a rival school send a drug-crazed | | | | Individuals from rival schools are there to cause trouble. |
| maniac who walked into a class with the purpose of | | | | They are either sent by their instructors or are there |
| hurting people. Another sent two women who openly | | | | on their own. Their mission is to check out your |
| wanted to challenge our female instructors. One of | | | | operation and cause disruptions. This comes in the |
| these women actually lunged at me! These people are | | | | form of challenges to you or your students. They will |
| dangerous intruders bent on violence. We have not | | | | also berate your style or the way you do things. Again, |
| hesitated in resorting to legal action by calling the police | | | | I usually handle these people myself or pair them off |
| and getting our lawyers involved. As the head | | | | with a skilled fighter/instructor. |
| instructor, you are responsible for the safety of your | | | | Whether it's the blatant challenge or the Trojan Horse, |
| students. Send someone else to call 911, while you try | | | | always be vigilant. While the challenges are not as |
| to calm the situation down before the police arrive. | | | | dramatic as they are in the movies, they do exist. This |
| Most troublemakers don't come in packs like they do in | | | | is a business that tends to attract this type of element. |
| the martial arts movies. Very often, a rival school or | | | | |