Open Door Policy

[kuntawguro]

For years our club has had an open door policy- anyone who wants to stop in and attend a class has been able to for free. This has also gone for my home school. Does your club allow people to come and see or is it only pay as you go?

 

[terryl965]

For years our club has had an open door policy- anyone who wants to stop in and attend a class has been able to for free. This has also gone for my home school. Does your club allow people to come and see or is it only pay as you go?

We have an open invitation to anyone, but we also make them sign a waiver just in case. That way we are not responsible if they get hurt.

 

[Kacey]

For years our club has had an open door policy- anyone who wants to stop in and attend a class has been able to for free. This has also gone for my home school. Does your club allow people to come and see or is it only pay as you go?

I allow people to come in and try the class once or twice for free - but I had to put limits on it after a former student's parents kept dropping their younger child in to "see if he's ready to start yet" every time they needed a baby sitter; after about the 4th or 5th time - all of them around major shopping holidays or birthdays - I told them that either he needed to be enrolled in class or couldn't come again. But that's only happened with one family.

 

[jks9199]

Any member of our association is welcome to visit and train with us. Other people are welcome by invitation, and we allow prospective students to take a class or two before we ask them to pay up.

Anyone is welcome to visit and watch class, almost anytime. (I reserve the right to kick someone out for an attitude problem, or to close a particular class because of the material we're covering or people who will be there.)

 

[Jai]

We have an open door policy as well. Anyone is free to come watch as many times as they want, and they can take up to a week free of charge after they sign a release form.

 

[kuntawguro]

This open door policy has opened my club to a lot of insights into other arts. Just this last week I had a visitor from this forum. 4 hours of checking each other out technique and attitudes brought us to a meeting of the minds. This is not the first or the last I hope. So, if you are not so insecure as to have an attitude that information should be regulated and censored- you just may benefit by an open door.

I have had people from Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, and Canada stop by and spend some time sharing their arts. BONUS!!!!

 

[Xue Sheng]

For years our club has had an open door policy- anyone who wants to stop in and attend a class has been able to for free. This has also gone for my home school. Does your club allow people to come and see or is it only pay as you go?

My Yang Taiji sifu does not generally care if some one wants to watch but he is hard to find, he does not advertise.

But my most recent Xingyi sifu did not allow visitors to watch but he would talk to them before and after class and let them try a class without paying. But it was rare that someone actually wanted to watch Xingyi, it’s for fighting you know and doesn't look pretty (too scary I guess), generally people were more interested in his CMC class

Sanda generally no, but if someone is driving by and sees it he does not care, we train outside at his home.

Ex-Wing Chun sifu use to allow people to watch but he may not now and my first CMA sifu, from what I understand, still does not care if someone just pops in and watches or not.

 

[Rich Parsons]

For years our club has had an open door policy- anyone who wants to stop in and attend a class has been able to for free. This has also gone for my home school. Does your club allow people to come and see or is it only pay as you go?

Our club is semi private. This means we are not wrroied about numbers but making sure the studnet and instructors fit well together. That being said, if someone wants to stop by and interview us as we interview them this is allowed. They are welcome on the matts for a class or two to see if they would like it or to watch to see if they want to do it at all.

I have an open door policy for all who want to come check us or me out. If you cannot make it to a class and you are going to be in the area for a limited time frame, let me know and I will do what I can to meet you someplace or at my house for a work out or for a conversation.

Now there are always exceptions as stated by Kacey. Those that show up for two classes then go away for a few months and then try to come back. At that time I tell them dues are do the next class if they are serious. If they are not then do just show up and take away from the training of others.

 

[tshadowchaser]

My doors have always been open to those that want to come in and watch. I even let people practice for a week without signing up ( not saying how much or what you will see in that week but your always welcome to find out)

 

[Guardian]

My old school would allow folks to visit and take a class or two before the decision of joining or not. As with most, my instructor understood in order to open the arts up, you had to be willing to let people see what you did to an extent of course as put here.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I usually let everyone come and attend a class without paying so that they can find out if it is for them or not. Still it is not a just show up and train situation. No, I appreciate a phone call or email and a getting to know each other first. This allows both of us to get an idea right away if they and what I teach will mesh. I am not looking for lots of students and my overhead is extremely low so advertising is really not an issue.

 

[Tez3]

Anybody is welcome to come and train with us, they are also very welcome to pop in anytime to see us. They do however need some sort of ID to get into the barracks where we train. We don't have a problem with anyone training with us as we have in addition to the usual insurances, public liability insurance so hey if you are around our way come and see us!
We have students we don't see for months who will then come in and train for several weeks before disappearing again, one reason why we are an MMA club rather than a TMA club though we will teach anyone TMA if they want.

 

[Cruentus]

Open door policies are great. I have one as well. I wouldn't charge anyone who is just coming in from out of town and wants to share or hang out. Obviously, if they were looking to train in a program that would be understandably different. But visiting from out of town and training a little is something I don't charge for.

Because I have this value myself and welcome people who want to look me up, I frequently look other people up when I am in town. Example, I had the chance to meet Buzz Smith recently (kuntawguro who started this thread), who also has this open door policy. It was a lot of fun. Buzz has a lot of good information to share and a unique perspective on the arts. Hell, he has been training since before I was born, and has trained with many of the greats from the states to abroad over the years. I would recommend that if you are in Traverse City and you have the chance to look him or his students up who would be teaching at the college, that you do so. You'll have fun, and you might even learn something!

:cheers: