Instructors/owners, seeking opinion on nomad students

[BCNASH]

I am looking for honest feedback from our resident high level instructors and academy owners. I am an unwitting nomaf due to my career in the Marine Corps, so I move every three years or so. I have been training about 7 and a half years, and have been a blue beltfor almost 6 now. I have found a good place now, and will be getting promoted soon, but surprise, I am moving again in two months.

What I am really looking for is some honest feedback and thoughts about what instructors and owners do with guys like myself, who are forced to move frequently and therefore do not get to put down roots at an academy for long. Do you guys have a pre conceived notion or idea about guys like me? Because you know that us nomads essentially have an expiration date, do you treat them different from the get go? Any honest feedback would help me understand the mindframe of the instructors I might deal with in the future.

 

[maximus__]

Who cares mate. Just tell the instructor and when you move ask if they know a good place to train.

I took nearly 8years off due to the military and have only been back for a year solid. I would train for a month and stop due to the same every couple years. I worried like you and let it stop me from training.

I am a white with no stripes for 11 years because i didnt just do what training i could.

If an instructor has an issue then there are plenty other schools out there.

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

As long as you are not that a hole new guy that doesn't listen, only rolls with people you can submit, and talk about all the other places you have trained then it really doesn't matter. If you are cool you are cool. If you are not cool then you are not cool.

 

[BCNASH]

I can see where you guys are coming from. I was also curious how an instructor feels about a student who is a higher level grappler who they know is definitely moving on at some point and will not be a flag bearer or team member long term, from the perspective of the instructor. It is tough having to re prove yourself over and over on my end already, and being able to see it from another perspective would help. For example, I have been 5 different gyms in 7 and a half years due to having to move and have encountered instructors who clearly did not care for me because I was the outsider and always would be because I would eventually leave, and it really bummed me out. One place unfortunately I had no choice due to where I was so it was either there or nowhere.

 

[Dirty Holt]

I have trained and coached next to Ft Carson and Camp Pendleton. I have seen a thousand guys like you come and go. I know they dont stay long enough to get promoted because the coach doesnt have enough time to vouch for their character or skill. However, I have always just tried to get them as good as possible before they head out. For those guys, I try to help them get good at a few things I do.

 

[lechien]

It does not matter.

I treat everyone the same.

To be honest, students tend to not train with you forever and we do not only promote students with an hidden agenda that they will train at our gym only for ever.

Look it this way .

Since I only teach adults.

University level. They will train as long as they are university them graduate and get a job. You are lucky if they train for the entire university and then get a job local.

Working young adult: mostly single and training . They have an entry level job but usually move on to another within couple of years and you are lucky if they still live in the same location to train.

Then they get married, have kids, get divorced etc...


Well you get the idea..so if we compare your schedule to the civilian lifestyle. You might think that they stay in the same place forever but in reality everyone is a nomad at different stages of their life. Even the guys that have wife, kids and mortgage can end up being very volatile indeed.

 

[BCNASH]

It does not matter.

I treat everyone the same.

To be honest, students tend to not train with you forever and we do not only promote students with an hidden agenda that they will train at our gym only for ever.

Look it this way .

Since I only teach adults.

University level. They will train as long as they are university them graduate and get a job. You are lucky if they train for the entire university and then get a job local.

Working young adult: mostly single and training . They have an entry level job but usually move on to another within couple of years and you are lucky if they still live in the same location to train.

Then they get married, have kids, get divorced etc...


Well you get the idea..so if we compare your schedule to the civilian lifestyle. You might think that they stay in the same place forever but in reality everyone is a nomad at different stages of their life. Even the guys that have wife, kids and mortgage can end up being very volatile indeed.

That honestly never occurred to me. I feel kind of dumb now

 

[BatBoyJG]

Have you had any good relationships with a gym/instructor in the past? Or is there a place where you travel back to consistently & have trained? I worked at my gym for quite a few years & we have had guys similar to you come around. They would often have a “home gym” where they would earn rank as years went by & then trained like normal with us.

2-3 years is long enough for you to enjoy training, assimilate, and make some friends that can hold value or you would actually like to have in life. So I think you shouldn’t sweat it and keep on keeping on.

 

[ziggyholiday]

Just retired after 20 years myself and have been training on and off (due to injuries requiring surgery) since 2008. I don't think it has hampered me one bit. I've kept in touch with all but one of my instructors and everywhere I've been I've been welcomed....but I try not to be a dick so if you are you're probably going to have a bad time. I'd say the best advice would be to keep in touch with your previous instructors, at least one. Plus, there should be military groups you can get in with that will be a good source for finding places, meeting people. The team I'm with has people all over the world and there is typically someone from the team around most big military areas.