Question 096: Rip-off instructor

Bad instructors, fraudulent instructors, and rip-off schools and organizations are rampant in the martial arts. These things are bad enough, but when contracts are used to force students to pay for them, it is a travesty.

In your case, you have few choices:

• You can see if the instructor would release you from the contract. Maybe you could buy back the contract at a lesser cost
• You can try to find some loophole in the contract that would release you from it.
• You can file a complaint with the local Better Business Bureau or other agencies to put pressure on the instructor to release you from the contract.
• You can continue to pay and attend classes until the contract ends.
• You can continue to pay and not attend classes.
• You can stop paying and attending classes and see what the instructor does.
• He may just drop the issue
• He may sue in small claims court where you may still win.
• He may try to make detrimental entries about you with credit reporting agencies.
• You can sue the instructor in small claims court. You may win but contracts are generally binding.

As I said, contracts are never good for students, but they may not necessarily be bad. If students like their martial, organization, school, instructors, and fellow students, then contracts, while still not good for them are not necessarily bad for them, the contracts are neutral. These students would be just as happy without the contracts as they are with the contracts.