What is the lowest age you except for your adult classes and why?

[Rich Parsons]

To be clear however, a signed waiver in no way prevents someone from suing you, and if they can prove negligence, they will win. If you win, likely you will still need to pay your own legal fees. If you acted maliciously or criminally and injured someone, you can be criminally prosecuted as well. A waiver certainly is not a free license to act like an a-hole with impunity.

A liability waiver is a useful tool because it shows that the participant was aware of the chance of injury connected to the training. So if they sue you, the court will take that into consideration and might be more inclined to side with you, if it seems like you are being sued for a legitimate accident. It becomes one of the tools you can use in your legal defense.

This is why all instructors should carry liability insurance.

Yes, It is only the first step .
Legal fees are out of pocket, unless one can bring counter suit.
And yes Liability Insurance is required and used by the site / company .

 

[TularosaKungFu]

If its the right kid, 13. That's how old I was....but I was that kid.

Most younger might feel and do better with those 2-3 years either side of them? But you can't wait past 14 or 15 if you want them to learn to be it, right?

 

[TularosaKungFu]

It really depends how classes are run. In many cases “adult” refers to the classes not for small kids (rather than actual adulthood). If classes are relatively small and there’s lots of individual attention, mixing in teens may not be an issue.

For me, it was never an issue, because I never ended up having any teens. But my classes were small enough it would have been feasible to mix age groups, so long as they could work on similar material.

I can tell you that mixed older teens and adults is better than a 13-17 class. They need adults to follow, not each other.
Having 13-17 class by itself would be constant attention and steering, compared to examples being selected for emulation, by otherwise near savages that are outnumbered?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I can tell you that mixed older teens and adults is better than a 13-17 class. They need adults to follow, not each other.
Having 13-17 class by itself would be constant attention and steering, compared to examples being selected for emulation, by otherwise near savages that are outnumbered?

"otherwise near savages that are outnumbered"?

I don't understand this part of your post, at all.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I can tell you that mixed older teens and adults is better than a 13-17 class. They need adults to follow, not each other.
Having 13-17 class by itself would be constant attention and steering, compared to examples being selected for emulation, by otherwise near savages that are outnumbered?

I was in a 13-17 class for most of my teen years. I vastly preferred that, and we all became incredibly close and pushed each other. It helped that we'd see each other outside of class (we were all in the same high school), so we had a camaraderie that encouraged us to keep going, and bettering ourselves.
I've seen/been in classes with mixed teens and adults, and haven't seen that level of camaraderie anywhere.

 

[skribs]

I was in a 13-17 class for most of my teen years. I vastly preferred that, and we all became incredibly close and pushed each other. It helped that we'd see each other outside of class (we were all in the same high school), so we had a camaraderie that encouraged us to keep going, and bettering ourselves.
I've seen/been in classes with mixed teens and adults, and haven't seen that level of camaraderie anywhere.

I've seen it plenty in my TKD school.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I've seen it plenty in my TKD school.

The same level of camaraderie? Where they hang out outside of classes, train together on their own and spend their free time together?

 

[Flying Crane]

The same level of camaraderie? Where they hang out outside of classes, train together on their own and spend their free time together?

That sounds like the capoeira school where I trained. We were young adults in our 20s and 30s.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

That sounds like the capoeira school where I trained. We were young adults in our 20s and 30s.

Which also makes sense-20 and 30 year olds are more likely to have that level with other 20/30 year olds. I don't think (and actually I hope not) that 20-30 year olds are having that same level with 13-17 year olds.

 

[skribs]

The same level of camaraderie? Where they hang out outside of classes, train together on their own and spend their free time together?

Yes. We had a few different teenage couples who met at our school. We had lots of teenagers become friends, especially girls. Then there was the competitive nature between black belts who had been training for a long time together. There were even some that organized parties with the other students, such as going ice skating after class.

 

[TularosaKungFu]

I was in a 13-17 class for most of my teen years. I vastly preferred that, and we all became incredibly close and pushed each other. It helped that we'd see each other outside of class (we were all in the same high school), so we had a camaraderie that encouraged us to keep going, and bettering ourselves.
I've seen/been in classes with mixed teens and adults, and haven't seen that level of camaraderie anywhere.

Because you were like most younger students....like I said in my post

 

[TularosaKungFu]

Which also makes sense-20 and 30 year olds are more likely to have that level with other 20/30 year olds. I don't think (and actually I hope not) that 20-30 year olds are having that same level with 13-17 year olds.

I think you are convoluting a simple thing and Im just leaving what i said here...because i covered both. You have mixed "school" and "gang" and hinted at inappropriate relationships. I dont have teens so they can play high school kung fu, but it appears to be the norm more than i knew and probably because of mma.

 

[Flying Crane]

Which also makes sense-20 and 30 year olds are more likely to have that level with other 20/30 year olds. I don't think (and actually I hope not) that 20-30 year olds are having that same level with 13-17 year olds.

This is true.

 

[TularosaKungFu]

The topic was about the youngest teens are accepted into adult classes - a couple of you went to a whole other topic about fu ganging

I was in a 13-17 class for most of my teen years. I vastly preferred that, and we all became incredibly close and pushed each other. It helped that we'd see each other outside of class (we were all in the same high school), so we had a camaraderie that encouraged us to keep going, and bettering ourselves.
I've seen/been in classes with mixed teens and adults, and haven't seen that level of camaraderie anywher

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I think you are convoluting a simple thing and Im just leaving what i said here...because i covered both. You have mixed "school" and "gang" and hinted at inappropriate relationships. I dont have teens so they can play high school kung fu, but it appears to be the norm more than i knew and probably because of mma.

The topic was about the youngest teens are accepted into adult classes - a couple of you went to a whole other topic about fu ganging

Wow.
First: thread drift is fairly common here, and I wouldn't even consider this thread drift, as I mentioned my experience specifically as a reason for having teens in a separate class from adult class. I even mentioned an age range.

Also I mentioned nothing about playing high school kung fu, or ganging. I discussed people having an activity in common helping each other get better at said activity, and bonding. None of us trained mma or cared about it in the slightest, so not sure why you're adding that either.

Regarding inappropriate relationships-I was saying if adults are actively hanging out with teens outside of class on a normal basis, that's an issue. Not that teens and adults training together indicates in any way there is an inappropriate relationship.

 

[GojuTommy]

I can tell you that mixed older teens and adults is better than a 13-17 class. They need adults to follow, not each other.
Having 13-17 class by itself would be constant attention and steering, compared to examples being selected for emulation, by otherwise near savages that are outnumbered?

Not my experience. Just sounds like someone needs to learn how to interact with and teach teens rather than hoping teenagers will behave better with adults around who are not being paid to keep them in line.

 

[GojuTommy]

Because you were like most younger students....like I said in my post

Nothing in his post reflects anything from your post…

 

[GojuTommy]

Wow.
First: thread drift is fairly common here, and I wouldn't even consider this thread drift, as I mentioned my experience specifically as a reason for having teens in a separate class from adult class. I even mentioned an age range.

Also I mentioned nothing about playing high school kung fu, or ganging. I discussed people having an activity in common helping each other get better at said activity, and bonding. None of us trained mma or cared about it in the slightest, so not sure why you're adding that either.

Regarding inappropriate relationships-I was saying if adults are actively hanging out with teens outside of class on a normal basis, that's an issue. Not that teens and adults training together indicates in any way there is an inappropriate relationship.

He said teens in a teen class are savages. Not someone that can be reasoned with

 

[TularosaKungFu]

He said teens in a teen class are savages. Not someone that can be reasoned with

I said near savages. I said they need to follow adult examples, not each other.
I appreciate young people, i just dont expect a fish to climb a tree and I was being good humored about it - the responses seem extreme and in denial as well.
I'm not that sorry there's so much off-topic butthurt to derail, but it has made a good point: a gym in a small town has to be prepared for both, whoever spends much time with who. Just because I will only see them by requirement here and there, doesn't mean they won't represent the majority and usually do. Which means the day teachers need to match the class. I had thought "tough. Day teaching is a job disciples do" but its not. It takes a person with energy, that can see direct graspable goals and keep the class most likely to "drift" working on what they are there for and fulfilling their actual expectation, which is fighter development, without letting it become the same social club at school that it is outside of school.
My goal is the public rehabilitated and the idea was to make that available. I will and had a perspective on that, which I feel is refreshed and more aware now - the irony being the topic. It was a one or two post thing about the kid that could benefit from interaction and ended up a drag out about the ones I am likely going to have most of anyway.

 

[GojuTommy]

I said near savages. I said they need to follow adult examples, not each other.
I appreciate young people, i just dont expect a fish to climb a tree and I was being good humored about it - the responses seem extreme and in denial as well.
I'm not that sorry there's so much off-topic butthurt to derail, but it has made a good point: a gym in a small town has to be prepared for both, whoever spends much time with who. Just because I will only see them by requirement here and there, doesn't mean they won't represent the majority and usually do. Which means the day teachers need to match the class. I had thought "tough. Day teaching is a job disciples do" but its not. It takes a person with energy, that can see direct graspable goals and keep the class most likely to "drift" working on what they are there for and fulfilling their actual expectation, which is fighter development, without letting it become the same social club at school that it is outside of school.
My goal is the public rehabilitated and the idea was to make that available. I will and had a perspective on that, which I feel is refreshed and more aware now - the irony being the topic. It was a one or two post thing about the kid that could benefit from interaction and ended up a drag out about the ones I am likely going to have most of anyway.

If they ‘need’ to follow adult examples then the instructor should be the adult in the room setting the example, maintaining discipline, order, and keeping things moving along and on topic.

Near savages is again extremely disrespectful to teenagers, and tells me you really shouldn’t be working with them at all.