Visiting another martials arts class.

Shorinryu Sensei · Black Belt

I've been involved in the arts since 1975, and running my own dojo since 1978. Over the years I like to visit other dojo's that I come across in my travels just to expand my understanding of what other systems are doing out there. I've visited dojo's from California, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Minnesota, England, and of course, Montana.

When I enter the dojo, I will always try to introduce myself to the instructor if he/she is available and ask if it would be OK with them if I watched their class.

On only two occasions has this been a problem. The first time was out of town and I passed by a Ed Parkers Kempo school. I met the instructor at the dooir, explained who I was and asked if I could observe his class. He was VERY rude and refused to let me go further than the front door. His workout area was behind the wall of the main entrance, and there was a curtain over the doorway.

The other time was locally a few years ago at a new ITF/TKD school. When the young instructor and his wife first opened the school, they publicised an open house, so I took the opportunity to go in and introduce myself and give him my patented "Welcome to the neighborhood" speech. They was very nice and invited me to come watch their class sometime.

About a month later, I popped in and the class was already in progress and was being taught by the instructors black belt wife, so I quietly grabbed a seat in the spectators gallery. About 10-15 minutes later she came up to me and asked "Aren't you that shorinryu instructor?" I said "Yes" and reintroduced myself to her. She then told me "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave."

"Why?" I asked.

This is an exact quote...she said "I would never be so presumptous as to walk into YOUR class and critique it!" I said "Critique it? Lady, I just came in to watch and see what you guys are doing. Nothing more..plus you INVITED me a month ago..remember?" At that, she told me again I had to leave, spun on her heel and went back to class. I have not set foot in the place since, nor would wild horses drag me in.

Anyway, I've found the vast majority of sensei are happy to have someone come in and observe classes, and those that don't are in a minority. I was wondering if others had the same exoperiences.

delta1 · Black Belt

I've worked out with several different schools in several different styles. My experiences have allways been positive. Most schools, at least in this area, like to have different stylists train with them as it gives their students something different to look at besides the same moves from the same people. The only school around here that is 'closed' to outsiders is the Shotokan school.

Sorry to hear one of the butts you ran into was an EPAK guy. But every organization has a few. I just figure that if they can't put what they have up for comparison, you aren't missing much not seeing them. My guess is this guy would have been even more terrified if another EPAK instructor or senior walked in.
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stl_karateka · Brown Belt

The experience in the TKD school is appalling! I'm glad those are few and far between.

I've always been welcomed in other dojos -- I don't run my own school or anything. Out of respect I always ask my instructor....he's never tried to restrict me, even the one time I went to someone I knew he wasn't a fan of. However, I work with this person (different orgs but we see each other every so often) and she has been asking me to come out.

People often walk in during our classes....usually one of the senior bb's will go talk to them, sometimes they are interested in training and he'll talk to them about what we are doing....others are just walking by and want to watch...that's cool too.

There have been a couple experiences where people come in to watch and are a distraction...like one lady who was trying to ask the instructor questions while he was teaching self-defense. The head instructor had to come out of the office and ask her to be quiet --- she took offense and got an attitude.

But other than those rare experiences, we welcome others and others welcome us

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Treebranch · Black Belt

Insecurity and incompetence usually leads to such behavior. Don't feel bad, it was really a compliment.
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karatekid1975 · KF VIP

I do it all that time. When I was in a TSD dojang, I'd visit other TSD dojangs, plus other arts. I'd ask them if I could train for a day or so. I never got an attitude from any of them. I actually found another school to train at while my school was closed (for holidays). It was a "sister school," but the instructor was very nice.

Now I occasionally visit other schools. I trained at a shotokan dojo for two months (about a year ago). I did Judo for a month. My school was mixed with Judo-ish stuff so I stopped.

There's one of my boyfriends instructors that keeps bugging me to train at his school. I will soon, because I have friends there, and the instructor is my bud

Once I train there, I'll prolly train there once a month or so (Right Heidi

).
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Laurie F

Goju1 · Blue Belt

You would be very welcome to observe/participate at our Dojo. Anyone can watch from outside as it is all glass, people are discouraged from observing from inside (problems in past from family, cell phones, etc) but I think a good Dojo would love to have a visitor drop in, especially another Sensei with whom they could share ideas. If not, I would be very suspect of that particular Dojo.

aefibird · Black Belt

My sensei is always open to having visitors watching. It's a very small dojo, so there isn't really room for many spectators (unless you stand on the fire escape!) but he's always happy to have people watch and ask questions before or after a class.
He's also fine about students going to train with other instructors or systems, which is a good thing. There's a guy at my dojo who also trains in Wing Chun and my instructor occasionally gets him to demonstrate how certain stuff is different in WC to Shotokan. It helps us to keep an open mind by watching other systems, he says.
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Pacificshore · Black Belt

On occasion I'd train at the local karate club in town, and I must say the head instructor is an alright guy

. He allows me to train with his adult class, and in return I've shown him some of my Kenpo/Kempo stuff. I've even introduced him to my training buddy who has shared his eskrima knowledge with him. This instructor has also invited me to be on his testing board for his adult students. He is always open to new ideas and such, and it's always a fun time working out with him

.

pmh1nic · Yellow Belt

I'm wondering if the one experience with the new school is a sign of their own insecurity and/or the difficulty they might be having building the business.

If you're secure in what you know and what you're teaching you don't feel threatened that someone else is going to "steal" your techniques or lure your students away.
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monkeygirl · KF VIP

My instructor was always pretty paranoid about having other people visit, thought they were "checking out the competition" rather than learning more about martial arts as a whole. Usually, he was right: the people were "scoping us out"...didn't even talk to any instructors. Some of the parents would even report to us later that the visitor badmouthed teaching styles or told the parents to stop by his school. Unfortunately, my instructor was so paranoid that he wouldn't even give the legitimate ones a chance.
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