etiquette for changing gyms?

[SublimeSun]

Is there etiquette for changing gyms or is it ok to just leave and train elsewhere? I have been off and on at a muay thai gym for the last 7-8 years. I want to learn submission wrestling and pankration now and I have found a gym that offers classes in those disciplines. They also offer muay thai classes as well. The awkward thing is that the coach that teaches there was taught muay thai by my current ajarn. However, in the last three years I haven't been going to the muay thai gym as often as I moved to another city for law school. But I am returning now. Do I owe it to my last coach to give him a heads up? Many thanks guys.

 

[MisterHappy]

Owe it, maybe, maybe not depending on your experience but I try to err on the side of showing respect and would thank my soon to be previous coach for the time and wisdom shared and let him/her know you're moving on with your training. No reason to just leave or burn a bridge as you never know what the future holds in terms of your training. Hell, before I trained at my current gym I did a brief trial at another, only for a few weeks and still thanked the instructor there before leaving even though it didn't work out. That's just me though.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Better to leave on good terms.. Or at least try to. If your instructor is reasonable he will be disappointed but understand. I don't see how you can train at a gym for 7 years and not say something.

I'm assuming you don't fight so it shouldn't be too much of a problem anyway

 

[cakemuncher]

You could get in touch with your coach and turn it into a question - ask if the other coach (his student) is 'any good' and say you're considering going there because they are also offering other disciplines that you really want to try. He'll probably say the other coach is also good and the problem will be solved.

It also depends on how close you are with your coach. The more distant the less awkward.

 

[SublimeSun]

Thanks for the advice fellas. Sound advice as usual. I'm sure it is an experience that a number of us have gone through. I'll drop by his gym when I get the chance.

 

[DoctorTaco]

After that long under the same guy, it's worth explaining to him that you want to learn to grapple. Not a big deal

 

[MuayThaiDude]

I ran into this issue before. I was at a gym where it was very much geared towards the fighters and it slowly went from Muay Thai to concentrating on MMA. Then they dropped the kids program that I had my daughter going to. I decided to look at another gym to check out their kids program. I thought it would be the right thing to do to tell the coach that I went to the other school. He told me he respects loyalty and basically told me to not bother coming back. So... yeah, there's that aspect.

 

[Darwinambrosius]

I ran into this issue before. I was at a gym where it was very much geared towards the fighters and it slowly went from Muay Thai to concentrating on MMA. Then they dropped the kids program that I had my daughter going to. I decided to look at another gym to check out their kids program. I thought it would be the right thing to do to tell the coach that I went to the other school. He told me he respects loyalty and basically told me to not bother coming back. So... yeah, there's that aspect.

I really don't think some coaches understand the word "loyalty."