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