Busted Martial Artists

[GeneChing]

...almost. That's pretty long between ttt-ing news on this here thread.

Martial arts teacher sentenced for sex assault
October 23, 2008

HELENA (AP) — A martial arts teacher was sentenced Thursday to five years under state supervision for inappropriately touching a 13-year-old student at the Aikido studio he owned here.

District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock sentenced Clinten George to 20 years with 15 years suspended for felony sexual assault. George was originally arrested in the case on March 8 and posted $50,000 bail two days later. He was arrested again in July when an anonymous caller told police that George was with the girl.

The girl told police that she had contact with George on four separate occasions since he posted bail. George was 49 at the time.

Robert Page, a psychologist who examined George, said there is no available evidence that the relationship went beyond “petting” and inappropriate touching through clothing.

George’s first arrest in the case came after a member of his martial arts school confronted him about getting “too close” with the girl, according to documents filed in Justice Court at the time. George denied any wrongdoing, and the girl’s mother contacted police.

A search of George’s Helena home turned up 85 e-mails between George and the girl, some of which were inappropriate, according to court documents. He told police that he and the girl had inappropriately touched each other through their clothes, the documents state.

George will be sent prerelease center out of town to begin sex offender treatment.

Former Aikido business owner sentenced for sexual assault
By RICHARD MYERS Independent Record
A Helena man was given a 20-year sentence, with 15 of those years suspended, on charges of felony sexual assault for inappropriately touching a 13-year former student at the Aikido studio he owned in Helena.

Clinten Jay George, who was 49 at the time of the incident was designated a "tier one" sex offender, meaning that he is considered unlikely to reoffend.

George will be sent to a pre-release center out of town, at which time he will begin sex-ual-offender treatment. He will not be required to complete the treatment before he can be considered for release from the center.Helena District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock also ordered George to have no contact with the victim.

Sherlock also ordered that George will not be allowed to return to Helena after he leaves the pre-release center without the permission of his probation officer.

George was originally arrested in the case on March 8 and posted a $50,000 two days later. Then in July he was arrested again when an anonymous caller reported to police that George was with the girl at Reeder's Alley. The girl told police at the time that she had contact with George on four separate occa-sions from the time he posted bond and when he was arrested the second time.

No one from the victim's family spoke during the sentencing. George declined to speak, as well.

[GeneChing]

More on contracts. I'm not sure how much the student's father thought she could learn after two weeks, but the bump up to the master program and the relentless charges seem pretty lame.

Offer chops martial-arts bill in half
Greg Dawson | The Last Resort
October 26, 2008

Dear Greg: I took our 5-year-old daughter to Orlando Martial Arts to learn self-defense because she had been victimized by an older person and we were worried about her safety. The owner, Gary Richards, was very enthusiastic, acting like he was the answer to our anxiety. But two weeks later, I could see she was not learning self-defense, so Mr. Richards moved her from a basic $125-a-month program to a master program for $225 a month. Still my child could not defend herself, and the program was hurting her. The exercises Mr. Richards gave her, including push-ups, jumping jacks, and running, triggered her asthma and meant more medication, trips to the pediatrician and anxious nights to make sure she was breathing. She had to stop going to the class, but Mr. Richards kept sending threatening letters demanding payment. When I signed the contract, he put his finger on the monthly payment and never mentioned I am under a three-year contract. The letters from his attorney are demanding full payment of $8,967 (including lawyer fees). I feel trapped and stuck.

BADIA SAJID

ORLANDO
Dear Sajid: If P.T. Barnum were alive today he would be selling three-year contracts for cell-phone service and gyms. Somewhere, Barnum must be smiling. My conversation with Gary Richards was, like the life of insects, brutish and short. He rejected your plea for a refund, claiming that signing a contract for martial-arts lessons is like buying a car, and he's not taking it back. I had better luck with his attorney, Roger Kelly, who listened patiently and asked to see your daughter's medical records. "My client still has doubts that this is her real reason for wanting out of the contract, but he has told me to relay an offer that he will reduce the balance by 50 percent," Kelley said. Well, it's better than nothing -- and should wipe the smile off Barnum's face.

[SimonM]

Although I empathize with people socked with rediculous bills like that and feel that to be a reprehensible billing practice I do have one comment to make:

put his finger over part of the contract?!?! Did the customer not thoroughly READ the contract BEFORE signing?

I NEVER sign a contract I haven't read. NEVER, NEVER NEVER do this.

[TenTigers]

"Oh nevermind the small print, it's just a formality.
just sign right there.
Oh, and there, there, there, and there."
Cha-Ching!

[BoulderDawg]

Hmmm.....I was ready to call BS on this one...The story just seems too outragious to be be true. Then I went to school website and started reading between the lines.....

It's geared solely towards kids and no where, at least where I could find, did the site mention cost of the program. I did see that ridiculous stuff about a "Master's program". I tend to believe this story now.....although the father had the brain of a turnip this is one school to stay away from.

[SimonM]

Everybody reading this heed my words:

There is no such thing as small print that is "just a formality"! NEVER sign a contract unless you have read the whole thing and understand PRECISELY what it says. If you sign a contract and you don't understand your obligations or your entitlements you may find yourself later in for a REAL shock.

[TenTigers]

will you keep yer voice down? I got students in the next room meditatin' tryin to reach enlightenment, and you're gonna freak'em out.
-probably end up possessed, or sumpin'.
sheesh!

[TenTigers]

not gonna quote you, but you get the idea.
The trouble with contracts is that there is so much legalese, you need a lawyer to wade through them.
"If it weren't for lawyers, we wouldn't need lawyers!"

of course, that being said,
I do use contracts, because I use a billing service-but I am very up front about it and let them know from the start that they are BUYING a year MEMBERSHIP to the school. It is not tuition, it is monthly installments on the year membership.

I have cancelled contracts, of course. I don't need some disgruntled student, who dropped out,or parent talking smack about me.
It is a fact of business, that people don't go around telling folks about how good an experience they had, but if they have a gripe, you can be sure they will tell EVERYONE. Even the person in line at the supermarket.

"When we do good, no one remembers.
When we do bad, no one forgets"

[BrokenTitanium]

i dont like contracts, i feel that someone who really wants to teach others what art they have mastered should not need to have a contract to do it. as we all know there are months that we have a few extra dollars at the end of the month and there are months there are no extra dollars. in a sense these contracts is not allowing some to make their dreams become a reality. just my 2cents

[SimonM]

I'm not opposed to contracts.

I am opposed to contracts that are not negotiated in good faith.

I am alos opposed to signing any document I don't fully understand.

[BoulderDawg]

My personal belief is that you don't need contracts for a MA school.

Charge a monthly fee (Let's say $100). That is if you want to go from month to month. However you can pay 500 for six months or $900 for a year. You get the idea.

No need to tie people in for 3 years to something they have never done.

[lkfmdc]

Contracts are necessary to keep a business running. I have gladly cancelled ones for people who had legit reasons. But I've also had guys who simply did pay for a few months, never even tried to cancel and then whinned like little girls that they had to pay

As an adult, it is your responsibility to (1) READ A CONTRACT before you sign it and (2) if you want out of a membership to contact the facility. And if you never bothered to tell me you didn't want to come anymore, and yet didn't pay, I believe you owe me for that period of time. At least pay what you owe me, then I'll cancel you

[SimonM]

See where I have a problem is when deliberate attempts are made to misrepresent a contract or to obfuscate clauses. Although I accept that the principle of caviat emptor applies to contract negotiation I find people who attempt to subvert a good-faith negotiation to be nothing more than slimy con-men.

[xcakid]

My view is: Just say no to contracts.

Having been an instructor I understand its usefullness. But I personally do not like the feeling of being stuck. Yeah, I know, COMMITMENT, yada yada.

If I like it I commit to it. I don't need a financial agreement to hold me to it.

Just like marriage. Why the hell do you need a wedding and a piece of paper?

If you sign it, you abide by it. If you don't like it, walk away. There are plenty of schools that do not do contracts.

[BrokenTitanium]

i wonder what the Masters from when the various arts were started would charge a student to learn the arts? hope this made sense!