I have missed attending class. They were enjoyable, and Taekwondo was something we did together as a family. Part of me would have been happier not knowing how the Llacunas felt about my children, and content in the illusion that we and the Llacunas had mutual respect for one another, and that issues could be discussed and resolved in a mature manner. Finally, it would have been nice if Ms. Llacuna had honored her word to cancel our contract, when it became apparent that it was in no one's best interest for my family to attend classes at that school.
Nonetheless, what happened, happened, which brings me to two main points:
- Think long and hard before signing a 3 year contract with any school. Three years is a loooong time. Even if you’ve been at a school a while, a good thing can go bad quickly. I have lived that first hand. In the case of our ATA contract, there is no “out,” unless you move more than 25 miles away from any ATA school. You are at the mercy of the school owner, and as a student under contract, you are guaranteed money for the owner(s). Don’t assume that the school’s management will do the right thing. She might just decide to profit from her own bad behavior. Each ATA school is an independent franchise, and it is basically up to each owner to determine when and under what circumstances they will cancel a contract... if at all.
- Our contract contained an auto-renewal clause, which means it could be automatically renewed by the school for another year, unless we specifically told the school that we did not wish to renew. I feel that this is a shady business practice. It’s pretty likely that you won’t remember the auto-renewal stipulation after 3 years, and you could be on the hook for an additional year, just because you failed to “opt out” of the renewal. A reputable, high quality school should not have to rely on such measures to keep students, and one should wonder about schools that employ such provisions in a contract.
Please evaluate prospective schools carefully. Some schools will be excellent, some not so much.
Finally, links to some articles, comments and posts. I cannot attest to the accuracy of these links, and you should definitely do your own research to insure that you find what you're looking for.
- ATA FAQ
- McDojo FAQ
- Another ATA sucks thread, from former 4th degree instructor
- ATA contract discussion
- ATA taekwondo, Uechi ryu karate, or shaolin kempo karate Im looking for a well rounded system
I will probably look for another martial arts school soon. There is one that recently opened close to my home that may be worth a look.
Good luck on your own search for a school.
Good luck on your own search for a school.
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