[groinstrike]

Ok so first off I have been training MMA for about 9 months(no intention of fighting) and i have just started my career as a social studies teacher at a local high school. I have already had kids in my class nose around and find out that i practice martial arts, a few of them showed up to the gym to confirm that it was true. I am afraid that i will be stigmatized as a violent person(far from the truth) or some kind of other devient if i continue to train. My question is, Is there anyone else experiencing the same problems, and how should i handle the situation when questions arise from students or other school personnel????

[Higher Learning]

1. calm down

2. your personal life is your personal life, you're not breaking the law or even doing anything immoral so you have nothing to worry about

3. its actually something to be proud of, martial arts are a great thing to have as a part of your life, why would anyone believe that you're a violent or bad person??

[RG45]

As long as you hand these students their asses it should make you more popular and give you more authority. Double win. Double edged sword though.

[Darph]

Originally Posted by groinstrike

Ok so first off I have been training MMA for about 9 months(no intention of fighting) and i have just started my career as a social studies teacher at a local high school. I have already had kids in my class nose around and find out that i practice martial arts, a few of them showed up to the gym to confirm that it was true. I am afraid that i will be stigmatized as a violent person(far from the truth) or some kind of other devient if i continue to train. My question is, Is there anyone else experiencing the same problems, and how should i handle the situation when questions arise from students or other school personnel????

Are you kidding me?

We used to have a teacher who was a pro bodybuilder and no one fucked around in his class. Finding out your teacher trains MMA is awesome.

It buys instant respect from most of your boys, which are usually the trouble makers.

[groinstrike]

Originally Posted by Darph

Are you kidding me?

We used to have a teacher who was a pro bodybuilder and no one fucked around in his class. Finding out your teacher trains MMA is awesome.

It buys instant respect from most of your boys, which are usually the trouble makers.

Im not so much worried about the students as i am what other teachers, administrators or parents might think.

[Shadowdean]

You do have to be very careful. Teachers are never out of the public eye.

[Higher Learning]

Originally Posted by Shadowdean

You do have to be very careful. Teachers are never out of the public eye.

careful because he trains martial arts?! wtf, when did this become something thats socially unacceptable?

[Jagcorps_esq]

Originally Posted by Higher Learning

1. calm down

2. your personal life is your personal life, you're not breaking the law or even doing anything immoral so you have nothing to worry about

3. its actually something to be proud of, martial arts are a great thing to have as a part of your life, why would anyone believe that you're a violent or bad person??

Ok. This is sorta right, but not entirely true. Being a school teacher helps things a lot, since they usually require more than simply a reason that is not illegal to terminate you.

My job, as an attorney, was always in jeopardy partly because of my involvement in BJJ.

In employment law, generally speaking, in an "at will" employment situation, you can be terminated for any reason or no reason, as long as that reason is not illegal.

"Illegal" is limited to decisions based on age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other certain protected groups (like people that file for Worker's Comp. or Family Medical Leave).

However, teachers are protected by their union contract which typically requires good cause for termination. So the TS probably need not worry. The only reason I point this out is that most of us (without an employment contract requiring "cause" for termination) can be terminated for involvement in MA's.

I solved my problem by starting my own firm.

[Higher Learning]

Originally Posted by Jagcorps_esq

Ok. This is sorta right, but not entirely true. Being a school teacher helps things a lot, since they usually require more than simply a reason that is not illegal to terminate you.

My job, as an attorney, was in jeopardy partly because of my involvement in BJJ.

In employment law, generally speaking, in an "at will" employment situation, you can be terminated for any reason or no reason, as long as that reason is not illegal.

"Illegal" is limited to decisions based on age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other certain protected groups (like people that file for Worker's Comp. or Family Medical Leave).

However, teachers are protected by their union contract which typically requires good cause for termination. So the TS probably need not worry. The only reason I point this out is that most of us (without an employment contract requiring "cause" for termination) can be terminated for involvement in MA's.

I solved my problem by starting my own firm.

i am completely and utterly stunned that your job was in any jeopardy because you do martial arts, i just cannot see or grasp why this would be frowned upon or seen in any type of negative light

[Jagcorps_esq]

Originally Posted by Higher Learning

i am completely and utterly stunned that your job was in any jeopardy because you do martial arts, i just cannot see or grasp why this would be frowned upon or seen in any type of negative light

Stodgy. Think of it as not being considered stodgy enough for a firm made up of old people. It could stand out as something that smarmy, elitist pigs don't do.

The important point is that most people can generally be terminated for very stupid reasons, as long as it is not based on one of the many, statutorily created, -isms.