Bad training session

[Kickboxer101]

Wow I just had a terrible session. Not from my own school but a friend asked me to come check out a gym she was thinking of joining so I went along and it's a huge space with some bags and a ring. It's a Muay Thai gym by the way. But anyway the instructor was about 5'2 and must've been about 25 stone he was huge. I know that doesn't make a good coach though and that's not what I based my judgement on but I lead my friend to introduce it as you do so I said out names and he was like "yeah sure put your money on the desk"

Then he startd the class and made everyone skip and shadow box but he did all this while sitting on a chair and looking at his phone. I accepted this at first as well it's just the warm up he's not teaching anything. So we did that then he said get pads on. So we got the gloves and the Thai pads and he said 5, 3 minute rounds go. Literally he didn't give anyone any combinations to do just to do your own thing. Literally he never looked once at anyone and didn't make any corrections to anyone. In fact he never even left his chair and was shouting generic motivation phrases while looking at his phone. That was the whole class and switching over. Not a single person learnt anything he didn't train anyone just looked at his phone all night. I tried my best to teach my friend and give her combos to do but it was so bad if I was on my own I'd have just walked out. Then at the end he told everyone to take pads off then had us kneeling down and told us to close our eyes and we stayed like that for 10 minutes. I don't know if it was meant to be meditation or what but he never said what it was then he dismissed everyone without doing any stretches.

I know all coaching styles are different but this guy didn't coach at all and I was looking round and no one there looked great to be honest. I think it was a McDojo to be honest the guy made sure everyone paid then basically said do your own thing. I checked the website just now and the class today is meant to be a technical session. The only thing I could've used to say okay not to bad was if it was just meant to be an open gym session but no it was meant to be a technical teaching class.

 

[Flying Crane]

Send him a text. Ask him how your technique looks.

 

[Tames D]

I wouldn't have left without a refund.

 

[Ironbear24]

What is stone? I don't know metric that well cause I'm an American noob. Anyway I would suggest to your friend not to go here, the instructor cares nothing for his students and clearly has no heart invested into his business.

 

[JR 137]

What is stone? I don't know metric that well cause I'm an American noob. Anyway I would suggest to your friend not to go here, the instructor cares nothing for his students and clearly has no heart invested into his business.

Stone is actually English lol. 14 lbs.

 

[JR 137]

Reminds me of a situation...

I remember meeting a friend at a local judo club for open mat back in the day. The CI had a great reputation among my teacher's generation. He was THE guy when my teacher's teachers were his students. He was a tough as nails guy who had over 1,000 students. Every MA teacher in the area (about 25 years ago) got their start there. By all accounts he was a very good person.

Fast forward to the night I walked in...

He had a front room with a couch and tv that was to your immediate right after walking through the door. He was sitting there, drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. He looked like he'd been sitting there for a few days straight. He stood up without putting either one of them down to greet me.

The dojo wasn't around much longer afterward. The doors closed, and a few of his highest ranked students opened a judo club across the river.

It's sad to see a guy who was so respected turn into that. Not sure how or why.

Sorry for the sidetrack.

 

[Tez3]

I think it was a McDojo to be honest the guy made sure everyone paid then basically said do your own thing

No it wasn't a Mcdojo, they at least do try to give you something for your money and most believe they are doing good martial arts. This is way below that.

 

[Ironbear24]

No it wasn't a Mcdojo, they at least do try to give you something for your money and most believe they are doing good martial arts. This is way below that.

Yeah I agree with this. A mcdojo or a (McDonald's) will give you a crappy product for your money. This guy didn't even give them anything, he practically said go back there in the kitchen and make your own damn big Mac.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Wow I just had a terrible session. Not from my own school but a friend asked me to come check out a gym she was thinking of joining so I went along and it's a huge space with some bags and a ring. It's a Muay Thai gym by the way. But anyway the instructor was about 5'2 and must've been about 25 stone he was huge. I know that doesn't make a good coach though and that's not what I based my judgement on but I lead my friend to introduce it as you do so I said out names and he was like "yeah sure put your money on the desk"

Then he startd the class and made everyone skip and shadow box but he did all this while sitting on a chair and looking at his phone. I accepted this at first as well it's just the warm up he's not teaching anything. So we did that then he said get pads on. So we got the gloves and the Thai pads and he said 5, 3 minute rounds go. Literally he didn't give anyone any combinations to do just to do your own thing. Literally he never looked once at anyone and didn't make any corrections to anyone. In fact he never even left his chair and was shouting generic motivation phrases while looking at his phone. That was the whole class and switching over. Not a single person learnt anything he didn't train anyone just looked at his phone all night. I tried my best to teach my friend and give her combos to do but it was so bad if I was on my own I'd have just walked out. Then at the end he told everyone to take pads off then had us kneeling down and told us to close our eyes and we stayed like that for 10 minutes. I don't know if it was meant to be meditation or what but he never said what it was then he dismissed everyone without doing any stretches.

I know all coaching styles are different but this guy didn't coach at all and I was looking round and no one there looked great to be honest. I think it was a McDojo to be honest the guy made sure everyone paid then basically said do your own thing. I checked the website just now and the class today is meant to be a technical session. The only thing I could've used to say okay not to bad was if it was just meant to be an open gym session but no it was meant to be a technical teaching class.

Was he the only instructor? Was this a kickboxing fitness class? Was his behavior the norm or was it unusual behavior for him. Sometimes life happens and when it does a lot of other stuff becomes a compromise (by the way that's me reaching for a logical reason that would make sense).

 

[JowGaWolf]

Reminds me of a situation...

I remember meeting a friend at a local judo club for open mat back in the day. The CI had a great reputation among my teacher's generation. He was THE guy when my teacher's teachers were his students. He was a tough as nails guy who had over 1,000 students. Every MA teacher in the area (about 25 years ago) got their start there. By all accounts he was a very good person.

Fast forward to the night I walked in...

He had a front room with a couch and tv that was to your immediate right after walking through the door. He was sitting there, drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. He looked like he'd been sitting there for a few days straight. He stood up without putting either one of them down to greet me.

The dojo wasn't around much longer afterward. The doors closed, and a few of his highest ranked students opened a judo club across the river.

It's sad to see a guy who was so respected turn into that. Not sure how or why.

Sorry for the sidetrack.

Life Happens

 

[JowGaWolf]

No it wasn't a Mcdojo, they at least do try to give you something for your money and most believe they are doing good martial arts. This is way below that.

I'm wonder if that was the norm for that school or if that was just an "off" day maybe where he had to cover the teaching for an Instructor that couldn't be there. If he is the normal teacher for that class then my guess is that their will be a drop in participation soon enough. If he was the guy that shows up when the real instructor can't make it then I may be fine with that, so long as the real instructor is there 90% of the time. This guy clearly doesn't sound like he had any passion for Muay Thai and being 5'2 at "25 stone" my guess he is that he doesn't have much passion for moving, unless he has a physical medical problem other than being Heavy that keeps him from moving.lol

 

[Tez3]

Yeah I agree with this. A mcdojo or a (McDonald's) will give you a crappy product for your money. This guy didn't even give them anything, he practically said go back there in the kitchen and make your own damn big Mac.

Actually McDonald's food here is pretty good. There are no additives or salt in the meat at all, it's British or Irish beef, free range chickens and eggs. There's water, fresh orange juice and fresh raw veggies for the kids as well as once a month free fruit for children. The milk is organic and the fish from sustainable sources. The fries only contain potato and sunflower oil, salt added after cooking if liked. You might think that's not true but legislation here means they have to be like this and it is checked, a lot of stuff that is in US food is banned here and Europe. Not the healthiest of food if eaten a lot of... British portions are very much smaller than the US ones though... but certainly not rubbish.
Lots of analogies to draw here I'm sure, but I'll let others do that.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

One visit does not generally provide enough information to form a valid conclusion, but I would be somewhat nonplussed by a class as you describe.

 

[Ironbear24]

Actually McDonald's food here is pretty good. There are no additives or salt in the meat at all, it's British or Irish beef, free range chickens and eggs. There's water, fresh orange juice and fresh raw veggies for the kids as well as once a month free fruit for children. The milk is organic and the fish from sustainable sources. The fries only contain potato and sunflower oil, salt added after cooking if liked. You might think that's not true but legislation here means they have to be like this and it is checked, a lot of stuff that is in US food is banned here and Europe. Not the healthiest of food if eaten a lot of... British portions are very much smaller than the US ones though... but certainly not rubbish.
Lots of analogies to draw here I'm sure, but I'll let others do that.

Over here you can leave it out for years and it will still appear edible. I haven't touched the stuff since I was 14.

 

[Kenposcholar]

As a teacher myself I can say that everyone has a bad day. The only way we can know if the instructor's teaching method was normal is if you discuss his strategies with him and attend a second class. If this is important to you or your friend - it probably is since you posted this - then I recommend communicating with the instructor clearly and without hesitation about how you felt about the class. A few things could happen: Either the instructor shouts and kicks you out, doesn't listen to you, or explains why he did it and shows desire to improve. His response will tell you everything you need to know.

Best of luck, friend!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

A very long time ago, I signed up to learn a particular style of Japanese karate. The very first class, we did some warmup stretches and calisthenics and then sat seiza for 45 minutes in silence. Then we went home.

I thought it odd, but came back the next training session, and we did actual training. We never did that particular thing again.

It was only quite some time later that I asked about that training session and was told that the instructor had decided the class had previously been a bit on the impolite side and decided that a class period of introspection would be a good idea. I had joined a class that had been together for several years - I was the only newcomer, so I did not know that.

I did not train there for very long, but if I had left after the first class, I would have had a mistaken impression about what that school was all about.

 

[JR 137]

Over here you can leave it out for years and it will still appear edible. I haven't touched the stuff since I was 14.

You say that like it actually appeared to be edible at one point

Ok, it would probably appear to be edible if you haven't eaten anything for a week or two.

 

[JR 137]

Life Happens

Absolutely. I wasn't judging him at all.

 

[Leo89]

*Sigh* Reminds me of my last few months of karate training.

"We don't wear our formal gi's anymore"

"You don't need to worry about forms (my *** I don't!)"

We just practiced form 7, threw stars, and practiced very little bits of Kali... How you earn a yellow belt and skip white over is beyond me.... My old master used to be so serious about training too, which is a real let down.

I'll always have fond memories of when I first started.

But at least your friend got to spar, hell we didn't even do that...