Getting Out and Escaping from a Schools Long Term Contract

[Area5150]

Does anyone know how to do this without ruining ones credit rating? I'm about ready to join a school for the first time ever in my life. And the difference in price between a monthly plan and a one or two year contract is pretty huge, in my book.

If I buy into the 2 year plan, I pay $65 month, with a $150 initiation.

If I go month to month, I pay $85 a month with a $250 initiation.

I'd like to get the 2 year plan, but that option is fraught with potential problems that might appear down the road.

Has anyone here had any experience with getting out of a long-term contract?

 

[Debaser]

What kind of school?

Sounds like one that's only interested in profit, and one that you should stay away from.

 

[Big Rick Rock]

What kind of school?

Sounds like one that's only interested in profit, and one that you should stay away from.

There are two sides to that coin... Yes nobody likes to be held to as contract... what if you get injured, move or need to take time off?
On the same token, some of these school see students come and go, guys sign up for 3 months and then leave... It takes time away from other students that are serious about the sport, and dilutes the quality of the training partners. Although the guy that owns the school wants to teach and breed good fighters, he also wants to pay the rent and hopefully live somewhat comfortably after having spent so many years in the sport.

I would suggest you shop around, look for a good instructor and find something in your price range. I think that a good instructor is worth the money no matter how expensive he might be (compared to the competition)… A bad instructor is too expensive even is he teaches you for free.


PS: There are gyms outhere that are only out to make a dollar... Stay away from those.

 

[digger]

First gym I ever joined, they wanted $1,250 up front. I went there maybe five times, and lost a week of work -- I was out sick for a day or two after every visit. It wasn't difficult to put two and two together, but their response was "No refunds."

Lost the whole wad, and this was back when a grand was serious money. Called up the town to report they had an illegal sign, and the town made them take it down, but that's all the satisfaction I ever got from them.

 

[Area5150]

What kind of school?

Sounds like one that's only interested in profit, and one that you should stay away from.

They're a school that's "vanilla" in nature in that they emphasize cardio with a minor in fighting technique. And that sounds bad, right?

Well, not for me, in that I want to get into Muy Thai. Something that I wanted to do for about a year or so now. But everytime I tryed to kick the one bag at my weight-lifting oriented gym, I'd come away with sore shins. And these were with half-ass kicks! I'd see other guys on a rare occasion who would cream the bag with no apparent pain.

So, I figured I wasn't cut out for the sport. But then, just today, I read many articles on shin conditioning and realized it's just a matter of practice with the resultant acclimation. And so now it's time to join a fight school.

The vanilla school is appealing not only because I can ride my bike over there, but because they have alot of equipment, including upper-cut bags! But heres the real reason why I want to endure about six months membership of a school that minimizes fight technique: to train my shins. I'll train them every other day, and maybe by around Christmas time they'll be conditioned to withstand rigorous abuse and treatment.

And by Christmas I just might want to get out of that cardio-deluxe training facility.

I could never, until today, understand how kickers could kick the bag with so much emphasis and not get hurt. And now I understand, it's just repetition after repetition, day after every other day, month after month. But it'll take several months of work, just me and the bag. I don't have a problem with that.

Hey, the person who owns this gym is a lady in her 30's who doesn't even train. And from the looks of her, she stays away from weights and treadmills, too. I was told that she lives in La Jolla, which is where all of the rich people in San Diego live, including Junior Seau. She's divorced, so maybe she got a fat settlement!

As far as disrupting the continuity of the class, ain't gonna happen! Because I'd be using the facility during the day, when they don't offer any classes. I'd just be hitting the bag on my lonesome.

Schools that offer only long-term contracts, and there are several in my area that are like that, are missing out on customers who might be a little reluctant to join. The very same ones that might have one day down the road decided to stay. Which means they're missing out, potentially, on extra profit. Long-term contracts suck, IMHO, and I would never buy into one for a gym where I do my lifting. Unless I lived in a small, little, hicktown.

If your options are limited, well then, go long term. If not, then a consumer has to go where theres better value for the dollar. Alot of business people don't like to here that, but that's life. Especially for those living from paycheck to paycheck. Fuck 'em, if they--pretend--not to understand.

BTW, this school is one of several in a chain that are located throughout San Diego County.

 

[illusionofsize]

Why not just buy your own heavy bag????
Train for 6 months and then join the club of choice.

(sooner or later you will buy one anyway, we all do. lol)

 

[Area5150]

Why not just buy your own heavy bag????
Train for 6 months and then join the club of choice.

(sooner or later you will buy one anyway, we all do. lol)

I'm hip with that, it's a good idea, but I live in an apartment. So it ain't an option.

 

[illusionofsize]

It's all good. Buy a water based one and drive the neighbors nuts. Post a sign on the door. "Thai fighter in training". they'll either believe you or think you're nuts. either way you'll be left alone. lol

Seriously man, Apartments do suck for the training.I sympathasize.(spelling?)

 

[Big Rick Rock]

I agree with illusionofsize, get your own heavy bag and do some wind sprints on your own for 6 months....
I'm sure you know somebody who can let you put a heavy bag in their garage. Your parents? Grandparents? a buddy that might want to start training with you?

That gym sounds like shit... don't waste your money.

 

[Area5150]

It's all good. Buy a water based one and drive the neighbors nuts. Post a sign on the door. "Thai fighter in training". they'll either believe you or think you're nuts. either way you'll be left alone. lol

Seriously man, Apartments do suck for the training.I sympathasize.(spelling?)

That's some funny shit, IOS. Sounds like a technique that you yourself might have already tryed.

I tend to think that stand-alone bags or free-standing bags or whatever their called wouldn't be able to handle kicks without flopping over. I could be wrong, anybody wanta set me straight on that?

To recap, I wanta start training MT, but realize that it will first take several weeks, if not months, to get my shins ready for full engagement. Or, to get them ready to be trained by an instructor. I've kicked a bag a couple of times in the last few months, and I always came away wondering how the hell anyone could do that without hurting their shins was beyond me. I took it personally, I figured it was a genetic flaw that I had that prevented me from kicking the bag with force, and minus pain.

And then, just yesterday, I went on the internet and found out that everyone goes through the "conditioning stages" of getting their shins ready for core training.

So it'd be dumb to join an MT fight school right now. I need to get my shins ready first.

Last night I got an idea. I run hills 2-3 times a week, which for me, is better than sprinting. It packs the same wallop as sprinting, but without all of that excessive force on my ligaments and cartilage. I ain't no topographer, not even close, so don't quote me on this. But I think that the park that I run in is about 100-150 feet above sea level.

While running at the park I looked at a tree and figured I could kick a tree for a couple of months so long as I wrapped it good with bungee cords, foam, or pillows. The tree is stout, but the trunk is only 5-7 inches in diameter.

So, that way I don't have to join that fight club, that really has some kick-ass equipment, (upper-cut bags, ohhh yeah!), but doesn't offer MT instruction. In fact, the real core MT instructor is just a 5 minute bike ride in the opposite direction from where the other club is. And that's where I'll wind up going, after I get my shins ready.

 

[Big Rick Rock]

Just join the MT gym now dude. Most place you go to will help you along while you condition your shins. Just go in and do it bro. I doubt the instructor is going to call you a pussy if you have to stop for a few minutes because your shins are on fire. Just go in and do it, you will get your shins conditioned alot faster and get the technique down a lot quicker.

 

[illusionofsize]

Bump Big RR,
Join now, Any decent instructor will have some amount of patience and sympathy. Look for a school or "camp", (not sure where you are) that doesn't train only ring fighter but also has classes geared to the week-end warriors. The training won't be as intense but you can " graduate" to the full contact classes wghen you're ready. Jumping right into a complete full-contact fighters workout may be overwhelming.

Free standing bags will stand up( I have an everlast one) fill the base with sand, or water.
Cut the tube down so the bag is lower on the post. It actually works really good for thai kicks. (you'll need to duct tape it cause constant thai shots will split the covering in a week). The one I have is actually not a bag but a plastic post covered in 2 inch foam so it can take a beating.

 

[Area5150]

I had my first leg-kick session last night. I just went to a cool park and hooked up some sleeping pillows with bungee cords and tied them to a tree. It was alright, I was sore afterwards. I know the drill, use Comfrey Oil or Tiger Balm for the soreness and use Arnica for the bruising. And massage the shins in between sets. Maybe add a little ice after the workout.

I'll do this for a week or so and then go from there. I want to get to the point where I can hit the tree fairly hard with minimal, if any, pain. And then I'll join a school, one without a long term contract.

No use going to the Joe Montana School of Championship Quarterbacking until you first rid the arm of early season soreness.

The only real problem I had was with a dog that started to charge me. It then became distracted by another dog and veered off in another direction. It had a license draped around it's neck. Evidently a homeowner that lives close to the park let's the fucker run on it's own, unattended. I'm devising ways right now of a means and method of installing fear into this animal. Some dog-owners are so damn stupid.

 

[illusionofsize]

LOl.
Make friends with him instead. Then the dog will sit by the tree and watch you.

 

[Area5150]

LOl.

Make friends with him instead. Then the dog will sit by the tree and watch you.

I see, I get it, your going down the road of pacificism, and me I'm the taking a hawkish stance. That dog threw a little scare into me. Dogs can really do some damage on a person. Case in point, that infamous trial in the San Francisco Bay Area of about a year ago. A lesbian who was mutilated and killed by an attack dog right inside her apartment complex. A "presca canario" something or another type dog thats banned in several countries. The owners of that dog, a man and woman who were both lawyers in their late 50's, showed absolutely no remorse.
That story is always fresh in my mind. If that dog continues to be a problem than I just might have to send a message to it's owner. Drastic circumstances call for drastic measures. Stupid fucking dog owner should never let a dog that has a hostile streak run unattended in a public park.

Hell, all I was doing was walking around carrying pillows, bungee cords and a blanket.

I think if a dog ever attacked me I would hope to have a knife to gut it's stomach with. But I never carry a knife. If a dog was tearing away at my arm, one might have to consider administering an eye gouge on the bitch.
I thought about punching a dogs face, but that might only insence them into a heightened state of hysteria.

And you know how most dog owners would feel if the cops show up at their door to report that their dog had inflicted serious injury on a person. Most of those irrational asshole owners would ask and worry more about the dog suffering any injuries during the altercation.

BBJJ, MT, Kickboxing, none of that stuff would work on countermanding a dogs attack status.

I carry a stainless steel thermos filled with water so maybe I'd whack it on the brain. That might slow it down.

I bet a dogs strength to weight ratio is alot better stat wise than Ed Coans. And a dog don't need no smelling salt to get jacked up. They're animals with a ready to implement savage instinct that seems aided by a force comparable to just having snorted a gram of methamphetamine.

I should move to Arizona where I can carry a gun, legally, to shoot asshole bitches like the one I encountered in the park. What I really oughta do is go buy me one of those tasar guns and shoot the fucker up with an electrical charge.

If this shit happens again I will consider all of the above options. Although I've never seen the owner, since he lives near the park I wouldn't have a hard time finding his house. I might just go up to him, and without saying a word, punch him in the face. That would constitute a sucker punch. But who cares. I did not and would not provoke his dog. And I ain't no match for a dog. That makes his dog a bully. Of course, there'd have to be no witnesses around when I decide to punch him in the nose or eye, including his dogs, both of them.

Teethmarks tattooed on your penis from a dogs face is an undesirable fashion statement.

 

[Big Rick Rock]

Trees don't hit back.

 

[illusionofsize]

LOl, I have two Rottweilers. Nicest dogs ever.
Bad dogs happen.It's never the dog, always the owner.

 

[Area5150]

Trees don't hit back.

Neither do blow-up dolls, but I can still get a good physical release from one.

 

[Big Rick Rock]

Neither do blow-up dolls, but I can still get a good physical release from one.

So how is the training going?