Need advice on a serious matter.

[xcakid]

I have been with my sifu now since his school opened. Since then I have been there, I have been an asst. instructor and a black belt instructor, videographer, admin on our FB and youtube pages.

Over the past 5yrs. the school has grown to roughly 140 students. Since then we have added on numerous asst. instructors, mainly teens. Since then, my sifu has left his day job and is now doing this full time and supporting his family(wife/2kids) as a CMA school owner. Since then, I have seen the school become more commercial and discipline has dropped. I also feel that since the influx of having asst. instructors, quality of instruction has dropped as well. Much of the Sr. Black Belts have families or demanding jobs and cannot really be at the school often to help guide. The new black belts really still do not know what they are doing. Some of the more senior black belts seem to not care.

I have expressed some of my concerns to my sifu, but really have not had a serious talk with him about it in detail. One suggestion I have made which I think will make an impact is having an instructors only class so that all of us are on the same page. He has addressed some of the issues, but after a while people just seem to forget and back to the old it goes. I, as a black belt instructor, try to emphasize or instill certain things but sometimes goes on deft ears. And I don't always want to keep running to sifu tattle telling on people when they don't listen or listen only until you are done talking.

I have owned my own school before and I under the fact that you have a delicate balance between being too traditional and trying to earn a living. It is this understanding that I realized, I am really not into commercial schools. I am finally at a point where I have decided to leave the school. I need advise on what to tell him. I have an upcoming knee surgery and was thinking of using that as an excuse of my exit. Or do I sit down with him and tell him why I am leaving.

[MasterKiller]

I need advise on what to tell him. I have an upcoming knee surgery and was thinking of using that as an excuse of my exit. Or do I sit down with him and tell him why I am leaving.

You've already talked to him about the problem, but it's obvious that things aren't going to change. I would just tell him you feel you need a break. That way there are no hard feelings.

[GeneChing]

As any school grows, it will encounter this problem. At the school I train at now, there's a division. There's a huge kids' class - but there are small cells of more serious practitioners.

I wouldn't make a grandiose exit. Like the bailing posts we get here, a loud exit does little but annoy everyone. Try a short break first and see. The knee surgery provides a good out, regardless.

Inevitably, you got to train somewhere. Is there another school where you could go?

[bawang]

the man got lured by easy money and sold out. just go

[Punch.HeadButt]

I was in a similar situation. My old boss opened a school (wouldn't say he was really my teacher or sifu) and asked me to help. To me, it felt like we opened it together, and for years it was just the two of us teaching. Long story short, the same thing happened in regards to quality control. I waited for an opportunity to leave that wouldn't leave my boss in a lurch...he had more help coming from China and it was a good time of year. I left by saying I wanted to go back to school (which I did) and wouldn't have time to work there anymore.

Years later, the school has shut down under less-than-amicable circumstances. I actually stopped by just yesterday to see if I could pick up some of my old weights that I had left there for the benefit of the students. No one was there and the door was wide open (I still had a key if it wasn't)...a bunch of trophies were still just sitting there. Things were torn up/out, everything was shuffled...It was a very trippy experience. It looked exactly like it did when we were first setting up...it was just going in a different direction. At least my weights were still there.

Anyway, with that ramble out of the way, I agree with both MK and Gene...don't make a big exit and don't bother telling your Sifu all the reasons your leaving if he's not interested in making the changes you seek (and if he's supporting a family off the school alone, he's probably going to want to keep it commercial). I'd just make the transition as smooth as possible, without burning any bridges.

[Brule]

Taking a small break is a good start and legit since you'll be having surgery. One thing i do suggest, is when you are healthy again to train, go back to the school and see how things are. If things are the same, then best thing to do is talk to your Sifu and let him know your plan, don't just leave in a huff, burning bridges is never a good thing. You never know, he might see your point and make the necessary change.

Problem when small schools get "big" is that there is a drop off in quality instruction. You may also see it from your instructors side in that he's now doing this full time and his goal is to grow. He is probably focusing all his energy on that right now without realizing what he may be foregoing in the process.

[Brule]

the man got lured by easy money and sold out. just go

so, wanting to make a living from something you like doing is selling out?

[bawang]

wanting to make money from kung fu sacrificing quality and dignity is selling out

the fact hes considering leaving already shows there is a problem

[Brule]

then by your standards, everyone is selling out cause nobody has the real kung fu except for maybe your mentor david ross?

[bawang]

are you challenging me?

[Brule]

yes, meet me at the Banyon Grove with your northern spear at midnight. Make sure you wear these.....

[xcakid]

As any school grows, it will encounter this problem. At the school I train at now, there's a division. There's a huge kids' class - but there are small cells of more serious practitioners.

I wouldn't make a grandiose exit. Like the bailing posts we get here, a loud exit does little but annoy everyone. Try a short break first and see. The knee surgery provides a good out, regardless.

Inevitably, you got to train somewhere. Is there another school where you could go?

No I don't really. The only other school I would want to train under is GM Lee's white leopard school. He knows me and know my sifu well. My sifu studied with him for a time. Given that, I don't know if he will take me. Dallas is a CMA wasteland. The other school I would consider is the Mantis school in Ft. Worth. Which is 1hr to 1.5hr drive depending on traffic.

I have been tossing around the idea of picking up Ying Jow Pai again. Master Aronson is in Houston and if he would take me on a private student I would be willing to make the trip down once or twice a month to study. I will be talking with him at the tournament. Other than that, train on my own as I did prior to training at this school.

The other thing is I have a key to the school. Also passwords to youtube, FB and the website. I can't really just walk away quietly. I would eventually have to tell him something. When I relinquish all that.

[bawang]

of course you can walk away quietly. you will only make a scene if you want to.

[SPJ]

quiet exiting

or slowly moving away and moving on.

---

or just always in touch.

it is a growing pain for any school.

as the group gets bigger, everyone will not be as close or as tight when it was a smaller group.

---

[xcakid]

He is probably focusing all his energy on that right now without realizing what he may be foregoing in the process.

That is exactly where he is at right now.