How to Choose a Good Martial Arts School

How do you choose a martial arts school that meets your needs and is one of which you can feel proud? These steps show you how.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Martial Arts Encyclopedias
• Martial Arts Supplies
• Martial Arts Videos

1. Check your telephone directory to see what kinds of schools are listed within a reasonable distance.

2. Phone the schools and ask whether they're affiliated with a larger organization, such as the International Tae Kwon Do Federation or the World Karate Association. If not, standards and methods for advancement may be inconsistent.

3. Determine your martial arts goals. Are you interested in tournament forms or self-defense? Do you want to become a black belt or to attend classes simply for the exercise?

4. Stop by several training halls to watch classes. Many schools have an observation area, so you can watch during class. Ask permission first.

5. Ask for permission to talk with students and instructors. Find out how students' experiences have been with the school and whether the instructors' styles will support your goals.

6. Assess the quality of teaching. What is your impression of the head instructor? Do instructors expect and show respect and courtesy? What is their experience?

7. Determine the school's emphasis. Does it advocate control or heavy contact? Does it stress tournament competition? How formal or informal are the classes?

8. Ask friends and work associates whether they've heard anything about a martial arts school you're interested in joining. Also check with the Better Business Bureau and your local chamber of commerce.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider a month-to-month payment option when you first join a school. It becomes a probationary period you can use to assess the school as a student.
• Consult your physician before beginning any exercise regimen. Also, remember that the practice of martial arts can be dangerous. Exercise caution at all times.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Tired of Being Tired? Fight Fatigue and Try FRS for FREE!

[BigSurf]

on 9/15/2008 Yellow pages? Telephone? Membership in some larger parent organization? Watch a beginners class? These are the kind of things that you should not do when looking for a good martial arts school! Any school that uses Yellow Pages only with no Web presence shows that they are not a serious school or serious about their own future. Big Red Flag. Telephone, well it's much better to stop by and see for yourself. Talk to any martial arts instructor over the phone and he or she will tell you how great their school is! What good is that? Membership in some self promoting obscure organization means absolutely nothing. There are plenty of independent schools that teach great martial arts! Watching a beginners class will do nothing for you! Imagine being a beginning student who is having a hard time figuring out your right foot from your left and having a bunch of strangers watch you do

[Lance]

on 1/24/2007 Interesting opinion, considering the FOUNDER of XMA, Mike Chat, just received his 4th degree black belt in TaeKwonDo at ATA.

on 6/30/2006 Look at the history and practical usage of the martial arts you are researching. If you are looking for a sport and not self defense, then any school that offers XMA is right for you. If you want to be safe and well trained in Practical Self Defense then Tai Kwon Do is not for you, just watch a Tai Kwon Do match and see for yourself.

on 2/21/2006 Instructors do not want to see people who are there only to gain such materialistic items of status as a black belt. However, take your martial arts seriously, learn to master every aspect and technique associated with it. A true warrior will get his belt when he surely deserves it, because nowadays to protect yourself a warrior is what you must be. True mastery of an art, that should be your ultimate goal.

on 2/6/2006 If you see 10 year old kids in the gym (or dojo) with a black belt, run and hide. Look at the history of the instructor; has that instructor actually even competed in fights? or competition? or are they just teaching the same theory they were taught without ever testing the validity of the theory?

Does the gym charge for belt tests? This could be a red flag, while it may be fees for the parent organization if one exists. Asking fees is sometimes a good indication that they may push kids into testing quickly to get the money.

Having a big organization behind the school doesn't necessarily mean much. Depending on your goals, if you instructor is a long time artist, knowledgeable and ethical, he will teach you the skills you need, some mugger, attacker or drunkard bar patron is not going to care if you are recognized internationally when you kick the crap out of him after he attacks you. The goal should be the skill, not the recognition.