Questions about how to Choose a Place to Train?

Choosing a Martial Arts School

Linda Davis Kyle

Ads for martial arts instruction abound. If you or your children are about to enter into the interesting world of martial arts, the following tips can help.

SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR SEARCH....

Arrange an Interview

Telephone to arrange a meeting with the instructor and staff of your prospective school. Ask to observe a class in session. Ask if your prospective school offers a free-of-charge class. Find out if the particular style will work for you or your youngsters.

Interview the Instructor

Find out about the instructor's training and teaching experience.

Who taught your potential instructor?
Who certified your potential instructor?
Find out about the quality of that certification.

Find out about the instructor's first aid training.

Can the instructor handle a minor emergency?
Does the instructor know CPR?

Peter Urban, the original propagator of the goju style of karate in the United States and author of The Karate Dojo says, 'To be a professional karate teacher of the first caliber requires at least 15 years of study and practice'.

Look for Accomplished Instructors

It is imperative to find a seasoned instructor who not only knows martial arts well but also who can convey that knowledge skillfully and appropriately to students of different ages.

It is general knowledge that every school, program, or studio has its own feel and focus. It is a good idea to observe classes at several different schools to see which school will help you to meet your goals.

While it is typical for each style and each school to have a sense of usefulness and importance to potential students, beware of instructors who tout their own particular style and their own school excessively, and, at the same time, condemn other styles and schools of martial arts. Look for those who have a healthy respect not only for themselves but also for others who embrace the finest traditions of martial arts.

All across the world there are excellent martial arts instructors. There are, of course, some others who are neither well-certified nor well-seasoned. In your search for the best teacher for yourself or your youngsters, remember to ask some basic questions and to follow a systematic approach for best results.

Find Common Goals

It can be important to your future success to choose an instructor who emphasizes what you are looking for in a martial art. For example, if you or your children have developed a strong interest in learning kata (fighting forms), fighting for self-defense, competing in tournaments, learning about a different cultures, exploring a rewarding philosophy, or benefiting from the conditioning of your style, make sure that your instructor will be focusing on those particular aspects of importance to you.

For instance, if your goal is to learn self-defense, it is not fair for you to study at a school that professes to be teaching self-defense, then one day suddenly be told, 'We teach forms and tournament sparring; we do not teach self-defense. If you want to defend yourself, buy a gun'.

Observe Interactions

Find out whether your introductory course or trial period is a true representation of what your training will be. During your observation or trial-basis participation, notice the approach, the patience, the words spoken, the tone of those words, the tolerance, and the attitude of the instructor.

Do the teacher and students seem to respect each other?
Do the students seem to like and appreciate the instructor?
Do the students seem to fear the teacher?
Is the instructor paying close attention to each individual?
Is the instructor making corrections in a meaningful way while the students work out, practice techniques, or practice kata?
Is the instructor watching keenly as students spar?
Does the instructor enforce the wearing of a protective mouthpiece etc.?
Are the students disciplined or aggressive?
Is there any horseplay?

Find Out about Rules Followed

In good schools the students are taught useful rules of conduct as well as martial arts. The rules are constant and dependable. Students do not have to try to figure out inconsistent, half-hearted rules that keep changing. A feeling of security lies in the rules of the dojo for students who choose to study the martial arts. They know what is expected of them, and they carry out those expectations. They learn self-discipline. They learn that it is not 'cool' to behave in an inappropriate manner. Students are taught to operate out of a strong base of ethics, adhere to protocol, and silently reinforce that protocol in other students.

In general society so many eyes have looked away from bad behavior for so long that rules that were at one time upheld have weakened and died. A general lack of ethics has generated problems for society.

Serious karate students who have found teachers dedicated to helping all students to achieve their best will follow a path of respect, diligence, and honor. They listen well, improve their concentration, and improve their self-control. Parents are paying for their youngsters' martial arts instructions. The students realize this and give their best efforts. They do not engage in any activity that diminishes the quality of their instructions. Students who stay in martial arts want to be there. Most students have a burning desire to achieve their goals, and they have the perseverance to succeed. Martial arts helps them to build strength and tenacity not only in the dojo but also in all areas of their lives.

Inspect the Facility

In addition to an excellent instructor, look for a clean, adequate-sized facility that is equipped with protective mats and other protective gear.

The good instructor will adjust class size to fit the available space. Because of the high rental rates for prime locations, the instructor probably will, as classes grow, have more sessions at different times rather than moving to a larger facility. This accommodation can serve the students well, because each student will receive more individual attention in smaller classes.

Discuss Payment Plans

Compare the rates for instruction from school to school. Tony Tulleners, an international karate champion and author of Beginning Karate says, 'In karate the most expensive is not always the best. You just can't equate the price to the quality of instruction'.

Talk to other parents and students to make sure that you are paying the same rate for your child or yourself that other students are paying.

Some instructors warn against schools who want to sell lifetime memberships. It may be difficult or even impossible to find another school of your style that will honor such a membership to accommodate you should you relocate during your martial arts training.

Also note, 'Authenticity . . . .' Sometimes 'big name' people open schools but are unavailable much of the time. If you choose a big name school, make sure that the person who actually runs your prospective classes has the kind of credentials that you require. Find out how many sessions per week the big name instructor actually teaches.

Purchasing Uniforms and Equipment

Regarding uniforms and equipment, find out your school's preferred supplier. Does your prospective school order for you, then increase your price? Ask if you can order your uniforms and supplies for yourself to keep the costs of uniforms and supplies more reasonable. You certainly can order from the same company the instructor would. All you need to do is telephone, write, or e-mail the company and request a catalogue. Then you place your own orders. You can order the style, color, and quality gi (uniform) and other gear that adheres to the instructor's guidelines of required uniform and gear without paying any additional charges to the school merely for placing the order.

Beyond The Physical

The value of martial arts instruction should not be underestimated. Urban explains that 'Karate is filling two vital needs. . . the human needs to express emotion, and to live without fear. . . . It opens other worlds to students: the world of physical well-being, the world of social contacts, the world of self-confidence where fear has no place. It involves far more than the learning of certain physical techniques; it absorbs the student wholly; [one's] character is affected as much as [one's] body.'

CONCLUSION

Because of the multi-faceted nature of martial arts and the impressive impact of martial arts instruction, your diligent search for an instructor of the highest caliber who emphasizes your strong interests can add immeasurably to your success, not only in martial arts, but also in your life.

A NOTE TO BEGINNING YOUNGSTERS

Studied with diligence, martial arts can be one of your best friends. It can put you on the right track of life and give you strong footing to move along the track. You will learn to concentrate fully. You will increase your attention span. As you topple fears and gain confidence, you will gain higher self-esteem. With higher self esteem, you will be a greater asset to yourself, to your family, and to society, in general, for you will become an important model to others. It will be your responsibility to model well. You will learn not only to be responsible, but also you will learn to be reliable.

You will work hard for all these improvements in your life. Martial arts is beautiful and wonderful at the same time that it is demanding and frustrating. Learning to deal with its demanding and frustrating side will help you learn to deal well with the frustrations of daily life. You will feel the power of martial arts on a quiet inner level. Good martial artists never are boastful, arrogant, or aggressive. Instead, they are modest, self-assured, and secure.

A NOTE TO BEGINNING ADULT STUDENTS

It may be that you have been looking for martial arts all your life. If you felt stifled or unappreciated as a child in spite of your great efforts to succeed in school, in relationships, and in life, martial arts will help you to grow into the person that you always wanted to be. If your best efforts were scoffed at, your diligence mocked, and your successes ignored, martial arts will help to change all that.

An excellent teacher always will operate out of a base of respect. A proper teacher's corrections will be corrections, not condemnations. The criticism should be constructive and applicable. Your best efforts will be acknowledged, your diligence honored, and your successes rewarded. Your life will change for the positive. You will feel a greater degree of ease, grace, and poise. You will be targeted toward a feeling of serenity that you have always longed for but had no means to achieve until you found martial arts.

A NOTE TO PARENTS OF BEGINNING STUDENTS

If you choose your child's martial arts school wisely, you will be pleased with your youngster's progress. Some youngsters who may seem awkward and uncoordinated to their peers will, over time, show remarkable changes in demeanor and coordination. Youngsters who are too aggressive will be helped to a more moderate mode of behavior. Children who are too passive or shy will be boosted to a new awareness to their inner strength, and a quiet confidence will surround them. They will be able to participate in school and extra-curricular activities with more confidence.

Within reason, whatever you see as a weakness in your child has a chance to be brought to a better balance through martial arts. You cannot and must not expect martial arts to solve all your problems, but it most assuredly has a way of helping its diligent students to achieve a better balance in all aspects of life.

When you pay for excellent martial arts instruction, you get many wonderful bonuses for your money spent. Martial arts classes are not just exercise or punch and kick classes, martial arts instruction is a philosophy for a better way of life.

Linda Davis Kyle is an internationally published health and fitness writer and a black belt in Shito-Ryu.

Fail to Plan and You Plan to Fail! 

Don't put off the Idea of Learning Martial Arts!

Comments, complaints, or suggestions?

 e-mail us at