Martial Arts Stories, Part VI

A friend recounted this story to me, some time ago:

“I had a student and his son one time that had been training for a time. One month, he came to class and did not pay for classes. My policy has been that all payments are month-to-month, or students can prepay several months in advance and receive a discount. I do not use now, nor have I ever used contracts to obligate my students.

[Stay with me as this info is very pertinent back-story information.]

When I confronted the student (about the 15th of the month), he informed me that he did not have to pay.

I was shocked and naturally I asked why that was so. He told me that he had filed bankruptcy and listed me as a creditor.

I advised that was impossible as we did not have a legally binding arrangement - and even if we did - my arrangement was for services and I would be free under the law to discontinue such services in bankruptcy proceedings (sounded official, didn't it?).

He argued for a few moments.

After a little while, I asked him if he was done making his case.

'Yes,' he said.

'Good,' I replied, and promptly went into my viewing room (where parents and other guests that are not participating in classes stay), sat down, and began watching TV. They (man and his 14 year old son) just stood there. He finally asked when I was going to teach. I told him when he paid, I would teach - simple as that.

Rumor has it he actually went to his Attorney and tried to get him to bring me to court to force me to teach him. In the absence of any written contract, and with all his paperwork pointing toward a month-by-month service, he was advised to drop it. I never heard from him again.”


Some people, huh?