On Seminars in the Future

Pendekar Sanders, June 23, 2008

We have a new strictly enforced policy. All seminar material, that I will be teaching, must be approved by the host before the seminar will be scheduled. I will require the host to inform me if they want me to cover a few techniques in depth during the seminar or to teach a large number of techniques for a shorter duration and then the participants work on the material later at home in more depth.

I will require a signed paper by the host that the material is what they and their students approved and wish to be taught and in the manner that it will be taught.

During the seminar I will check to see that the seminar is progressing as was agreed.

NO one seems to be served by me making a verbal agreement, honoring that with smiling faces all around while I am there and then hearing other things after I am far away and at home incapable of making any changes. This is new policy is fair to both parties and I will not do seminars in the future without this in place.

Fees on my seminars will raise as of the January 1, 2009 to $1,000 which is still cheaper than others. I was reminded this year it is all about the money so I took heed.

On the Spiritual Portions of this Art

As all of you know we have a rather large base of material in this area. I also realize this can be sensitive material. You never know when someone will be offended because of their religious beliefs or lack of any belief in these matters. That being the case if a seminar host wishes me to go into detail on these subjects I need to be asked to do so therefore PLEASE don’t fail to mention it, and then later say I should have supplied more in this manner.

In the past when it was my idea to do so, once again after the fact, I have heard things like, well you offended some of my paying students who don’t hold those beliefs and it cost me students.

Therefore I feel it is safer for me to not teach these things unless asked to do so.

I realize some of you have full time schools so I am trying not to hinder you. Keep in mind also if you think I am just blowing into town with a bag over my head that I had a VERY successful commercial school for five years, in a town where Martial Art schools were abundant.

In that very competitive environment in an area with lower incomes, where schools came and went in a month or two I prospered with over 100 students for five years and watched as about every other school closed down all around me as my school grew and grew. I gave demos where it was standing room only and people were turned away.

When I moved my school it was still open. It was not easier then and times have not changed that much.

More on the Seminar Policy

Pendekar Sanders, July 8, 2008

Please understand the new seminar policy listed above gives the seminar host the right to tailor the seminar exactly like the host and their students would like me to teach it. Seminar hosts should realize this is to their advantage and not mine.

I am letting the host call the shots of what is taught and how they want it taught.  If they want practical knife work ask for it, if they want self defense moves ask for it, if they want a particular weapon ask for it and if they want only a few moves taught with no Jurus ask for it.

This will be the contract for that seminar.

The point is in the end, the responsibility of whether the material was what was wanted now rests on the seminar host and their students and not solely on me.

Also please understand the reason we are talking about this on the web site.

I have no contact information for most of the students worldwide except for a few key people. If the students have questions or concerns I have no way to talk to them directly but for this site.

That being said if ANY student wishes to discuss any of this with me send us an email with the question and I will answer it directly. I am the last word on this system and if you want to hear it from the top, the buck stops here.

I am trying to make things more clear and workable for everyone. Anyone who gets upset about this may not be seeing what has been occurring in the past from my viewpoint.

This is not going against anyone, it is going for progress in the future on a positive note so everyone comes away happy.