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Aug212009

Top 5 Considerations in Choosing a Martial Arts School

DateFriday, August 21, 2009 at 8:31AM

I often get asked what to look for in choosing a martial arts program. Most of the time it is parents looking to put their kids into something. Some of the factors for kids are heavily based on age but overall the items you need to look into are primarily the same.

 

1. What are you goals?

Below are some common ones

  • Getting in shape
  • I always wanted to try it
  • Teach my kids some discipline but have fun
  • Self Defense
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Get a Black Belt

Before beginning to look at schools you need to answer and prioritize your goals. For example, some schools are a much better choice than others if your goal is self defense.

 

2. Instructors  

This is probably one of the most important decision making factors. The sad facts are that 95% of martial arts instructors in the USA are not truly certified or qualified to really be teaching. There is a big difference between being a black belt and being a truly qualified professional instructor. You need to interview many of the instructors, observe classes and research their backgrounda. Unlike Aerobics, Yoga or other physical training programs that are generally regulated and have consolidated government bodies, martial arts is a fragmented wild west. Because of this the level of true competency varies greatly from the guy who watched some videos and read some books then started a school to a highly trained pro that came up through a well structured curriculum with some sort of instructor training program. Watch a few classes at each school you are considering, see how they interact with students, especially if you are thinking about putting your kids into their hands.

Ask:

  • What type of instruction did they go through to be able to teach? This shouldn’t simply be the same training they went through to get their rank. Learning how to teach is different then learning how to do
  • What teaching certifications do they have?
  • What are the governing organizations over their system, school and program? Example: IKF is the International Karate Federation and is a legitimate governing body over many schools.
  • Can they provide further documentation and resources about their organization, roots and history?
  • How many instructors are at the school? It is nice to have lots of help early in your training

 

3. Costs

 There are many things to consider when budgeting for martial arts training. Here are the questions to ask:

  • Are their long term contracts?
  • Do they charge testing fees? Often schools will charge higher and higher fees just to test for your next level
  • What gear do you need to purchase? Uniform, sparring gear, weapons, etc. Find out long term about all the anticipated gear you may need to invest in. Often the gear you start with grows as you progress.
  • Are there month to month payment options? I love schools that have a flat monthly rate with no contracts. The truth is that if you are serious about it or try it then fall in love with training you will be a long term student without being locked into a contract
  • Other costs - Sometimes schools enter tournaments with entry fees or bring guest instructors at a cost. Check into this too.

 

4. Curriculum 

Assuming you have defined your goals it becomes really important to choose a school that teaches what you are interested in. Say for example you want to learn self defense, just about any martial arts school will claim they teach self defense but the truth is most of them teach a sports version of martial arts and not true life and death set of techniques. If self defense is your goal you should seek out a traditional school that teaches techniques exactly the way they were developed on the battlefields in ancient times versus a version of the techniques that work in a ring with rules. If you enjoy the sports aspect of training then you should look at schools that have and participate in tournaments and team competitions. Maybe you just want to learn something that teaches you a lot of cultural knowledge while you learn the art such as sword training. Ask lots of questions to determine if the school offers something that appeals to your interest. Additionally look for curriculums with depth that allow you to continue training and learning long term. There are way to many “black belt factories” out there and schools that teach you a condensed program probably because it is all they know. Be careful most programs are terrible. Watch for things like spending the first 20 minutes of class doing non martial arts related exercises like push ups, situps, jumping jacks and things you should be doing on your own time to get strong. I am big believer that all your time should be spent doing martial arts training in class. If they do exercise related drills then they should be designed to address a true martial skill or movement. Time wasters are a good indicator they don’t have a truly structured curriculum.

 

5. Schedule 

Lets face it, most people lead busy lives. The schedule is important if you want to succeed and enjoy your training. At minimum you should train at your school two days a week but three is better. Look at their schedule and decide if you can attend regularly. Things to watch out for:

  • Do they mix kids and adults? This is not a good program
  • Do they have separate beginner classes? The one class fits all thing only works short term and if it is a brand new school and everyone is the same level. It becomes disruptive later in your training if your advanced classes are always backtracking for newbies. They should have beginner and advanced classes.
  • Do they start on time? In a well run school if class starts at 6:15pm then everyone is there at 6pm and is ready to begin and this is enforced.

 

In addition to their group schedule do they offer private lessons and if so what are the costs?

 

Final Notes:

If you are considering a school for kids keep in mind their age. 3-6 year olds aren’t really going to learn self defense yet, you just want them to have fun, learn to interact with other kids in a respectable way and gain some coordination through exercise. If they get older and still want to learn martial arts then you can work with them to define their goals and ensure they are in the right school.

 

Try schools out, see if they will let you take a sample class or two. This will give you a better feel for knowing if it is a fit for you.


AuthorDavid Rewalt | Comment2 Comments |
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