ZAK ATTAK asked:
What should I look for when choosing a center to learn martial arts? How can you differentiate between a serious center and one that is solely for profit and does not give a real teaching of martial arts?
What should I look for when choosing a center to learn martial arts? How can you differentiate between a serious center and one that is solely for profit and does not give a real teaching of martial arts?
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5 users responded in this post
I’d suggest attending a free class and observing how the instructor(s) treat their students. Find out what their lineage is as any instructor that values their art should be able to tell you the history behind it and who their teacher is/was.
I’d also find out if they seem to charge for unnecessary things and if they are competitively priced for your area.
Lastly, I’d check on them themselves. If Joe Blow says that he’s a TKD champion, find out for sure (don’t be rude about it, just verify it once you’ve left the school). Any real martial art instructor should act with honor and be truthful about who they are, what they’ve done, and where they’ve come from. I’d also stay away from arts that are proclaimed to be created by the instructor. Yes, some variation will occur as time goes on, but you don’t want to be studying something that some guy just made up because he didn’t think what he’d learned/heard about/read about was effective enough.
I guess the only other thing I’d say is go with your gut. If you feel like they may be trying to take you for a ride…don’t join them.
It depends on what you want out of the experience. First and foremost, no matter what you are looking for, you need to find a place and a teacher (and other students) that you can be comfortable with!
If you are looking to learn a traditonal martial art, you will probably want to look at the schools that have been in your town the longest. You want someone who has been teaching for many, many years. (Remember to bow when you enter, bow at wherever the little shrine is at, and bow to the master).
If you are looking to develop fighting skills, you want to see if any ranked fighters come from your town and see where they work out at.
Nearly every school will have a first lesson free. Sit in on a lesson in a class for advanced students, to see how it is run first, and THEN participate in a beginner’s lesson. The main instructor/master/owner might not even teach the class you’ll be in, so you also need to get to know the person that will REALLY be instructing you.
Go to as many schools or centers as you can find and try this before you decide, unless you hit it off with someone right away. Even then, it would be good to see what else is out there for comparison purposes.
And if they give you the old, this is a one time right now only offer then walk away quickly! Don’t ever let anyone pressure you at this point, because if you give in now, you might give in at a later time and hurt yourself or others.
An instructor who isn’t willing to let you go out and see what else there is to offer you in the town, probably isn’t confident in his own abilities.
Personally, my litmus test is:
1) If the instructor promises me a black belt within any set time period, whether it’s 2 or 10 years;
2) If the instructor tries to pressure me into signing up;
3) If the instructor refuses to answer my questions or let me observe classes;
4) If the instructor badmouths other schools/styles…
I will walk away and I will never look back. Quite honestly, I’m more concerned with personal integrity than learning a super-secret-and-deadly- warrior-tradition martial art from a remote Chinese mountain village.
I think your best option is to observe the classes. Do the students stand around looking confused and is there too much talking/goofing off, or are classes structured and orderly? Is the instructor patient and respectful? Likewise, do the students treat him and fellow peers with respect? Does the instructor explain and show students clearly how to perform a technique? etc.
Also, it would help majorly to check out several places in your area. This way, you can compare prices and teaching methods and determine which one is best for your particular needs. Some areas are more expensive than others– for example, schools in NYC could average around $100/month; and likewise, a school in say, Milwaukee, could be more like $70/month.
Check this site out and decide what you’re interested in:
This way, you can better determine what you’re looking for out of the martial arts– and you’ll be better able to find a school that has what you want.
Good luck!
A lot depends on what you’re looking for. People get involved in the martial arts for a lot of reasons. Fitness, self defense, sport and other reasons.
However, there are some general things to look for:
Look for:
1 - A clean school. If the training area is dirty it is a reflection of the people running it.
2 - Women and children. Some dojos have almost all 15-25 year old males. If parents have been unwilling to bring there kids there and women have not felt comfortable training there, that’s a red flag.
3 - Instructor attitude. Some people, unfortunalty, teach martial arts just to be the big fish in their own small pond. A good instructor is there because he wants his students to excel and believes he can help them do so.
4 - Instructor fitness. Do you really think a fat karate teacher is going to help you lose weight?
5 - Membership in larger organizations. Most martial arts have more or less organized organizations that help with tournament promotion, instructor ranking, etc.. While membership in such organizations doesn’t PROVE anything, it’s an indication that the sensi hasn’t just invented his rank.
6 - Years in business. Yes, every dojo has to start sometime. But MANY dojos open and close again in a few months. If a school has been around for a few years, that’s a good indication that it’ll be around to train you for as long as you like.
Remember that to run a good school, the owner had to be not only a good martial artist themself, but also a good teacher and a good business person.
The best martial artist in the world is not worth training with…if they can’t communicate what they know. And the best school in the world won’t help you at all…if they can’t keep the rent paid.
When looking for a Martial Arts School to train at you should consider the following:
1. Is it a professional school?
A lease on a building where the Studio is painted and looks nice as opposed to a local hall
2. Is the School about the STUDENT or the INSTRUCTOR
If there are pictures of the Instructor everyhwere you clearly see it is about him/her and not about YOU.
3. All inclusive costs v hidden fees ie Gradings.
Some places charge a monthly fee and you dont have to pay grading fees, new belts this is good as you know what you have to pay
4. Does the Martial Art teach you to AVOID a situation versus get into one where you HAVE TO FIGHT.
5. Does the Instructor aim to PROGRESS YOU every lesson?
6. Make sure the Instructors are First Aid Qualified
7. Look for a Family environment to train in
8.
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