Bad mouthing

While dropping of my stepdaughter to her TJJ class, I took the chance to talk to her new instructor about grading and what syllabus he would be teaching her. After a short while of us getting on quite well, he asked if I would join the class. I explained that due to my shift pattern I'd only be able to attend once a fortnight, and I would like to train at the Scottish Jujitsu headquarters instead, where I'd be able to train several times a week.
He then spent the next fifteen minutes bad mouthing my choice of instructor. Claiming the founder of the Scottish Jujitsu "went off and graded himself", and made constant comment to how much more expensive it is.
Is it normal to bad mouth another instructor by making lots of accusations?
Is my two pounds a session really worth it?

sounds like an inferiority complex to me

There are four different Ju Jitsu clubs running within five miles of me and from what I've seen the blokes who run them (Tye Harding, Bruce Heffer, Martin Rogers & Martin Blackburn, just in case anyone recognises the names) all seem to have a mutual dislike for each-other and very little in the way of a nice word.

I reckon a lot of it comes down to personalities and past history rather than an honest opinion of somone elses training methods as well as the fact that everyone wants their club to do well even if it means poaching members or mud-slinging.

It does seem to happen more in Traditional martial arts, maybe it it about history, or maybe just wanting your money.

If it was just about money surely they'd charge more for a start?

I always wonder about clubs teaching a class for 50p each, or even £2 each - just what do you expect from such a class really? Sometimes it does take a bit of thinking about.

Not for profit clubs..... just to cover the hire of the church hall maybe???

At the end of the day it shouldn't be about cost it should be about the training and how you feel training there.. Just because a class is easier to get too doesn't make it better... I know people that really travel to train.. sure there are some on here somewhere...

it takes me an hour and a half to get to training

Yep, theyre you go its about the club / instructor... i sometimes cant make training for a week because of work commitments but there is no way id switch clubs to a closer one.

Andy what time of a night do you get in from training and how many days a week do you train?

Well the mud-slinging has certainly put me off, and the club believes far more in history than in evolution. I'd choose a BJJ class if there was one within reach, but I'm happy with my choice.
How effective can an art be if it's based around hundreds of years of chinese whispers, nobody challenging a master, and no competitions?

I think there is still a place for Traditional Jiu Jitsu i just think the teaching methods are wrong. We still do a bit of TJJ mixed in with alot of BJJ.

Bad mouthing has always gone on in TMA. Sometimes its just political, sometimes its genuine. Only way to decide which is best is to try them. If either of the reactions is to be verbally defensive of their own class, yet not actually to demonstrate much of it...or they spend a lot of time 'telling you' how or why such a move would work 'supposition' rather than actually 'making it work', then their knowledge and ability is probably very limited. The knowledgable instructor will have a 'busy' class underway, not much standing about discussing things and will openly demonstrate things you ask questions about, showing that their methods work.

In a good TJJ class you will also find that the techniques do not need to be 'reinforced' with lots of striking or kicking, but will b based on good movement skills and upsetting of the opponents ballance by pulling, pushing or twisting rather than hitting.