Tuesday, July 08, 2008

How to Choose a Martial Arts School

I'm often asked by people who have no martial arts experience to recommend a school to them. What I tell them is that there is no one "best" school and that they should look for one that will best meet their needs.

If you're considering starting martial arts training I encourage you to visit several schools before making a commit to any one and be sure and go at the same time you'll want to take class. This will make sure that the school's schedule is compatible with yours. It'll also give you the opportunity to see how your class (should you choose to train there) will be run. Many schools advertise based on the skill and experience of the owner, but it's someone completely different who actually does the teaching. Honestly, who cares if the owner is a 10th degree black belt with 50 years of experience if the guy teaching your class is a 19-year old who just got his black belt last month?

It also gives you a chance to understand the communication style of the instructor. Some instructors are very good at explaining techniques with specific language. Others just say, "Do this." A better way to explain a technique (in this case, a knife-hand guarding block) is, "Fingers straight and tight, thumb tucked in, wrist straight, first knuckles of front hand at eye level, front hand palm down at 45 degrees, front elbow bent at 90 degrees and in front of the ribs, back hand palm up and one inch from the solar plexus." It should be obvious that students of the "do this" instructor may not grasp the nuances of the technique because to a beginner just having the proper hand in front may seem right. It's more than audible, though, a good instructor will also demonstrate proper technique (visual) and adjust the positions of people who don't have it quite right (kinesthetic). Just shouting out command is not teaching, it's drilling.

Visiting a class will also give you an idea of what the school's primary objective is. Many schools focus on reactive discipline and cardiovascular exercise. If the class seems to be primarily one-way communication (very few questions and little opportunity for them), that may be an indication that the school's view of discipline is akin to "blind obedience." Good instructors encourage questions and answer them in a respectful way. It may also be that the instructor thinks a "good workout" is one in which a lot of sweat is excreted. If your goal is to learn a martial art, you shouldn't necessarily get a great cardio workout in every class. Another way this can manifest itself is based on what the instructor wants the students to do well. If an instructor is willing to overlook sloppy technique, but will have the students repeat their yell of "YES, SIR!!" over and over again, then it should be a sign that the instructor is more interested in reactive discipline than proper technique.

Cost is another issue, so be sure and ask not only about what the tuition is but whether there are testing fees. Some schools charge what seems like reasonable tuition, but outrageous testing fees. The idea is that once you're committed, you won't balk because you want that next rank. The fees may also be a function of the rank, so be sure and ask about that, too. The testing fee for gold belt could be $20 (not bad since the belt could cost that much), while the testing fee for black belt could be hundreds. Saving $100 per month on tuition doesn't help you if you lose that much (and more) to testing fees. Testing fees also create a conflict of interest for the school since it may be perceived that students are being tested before they're ready just to collect the fee. Know your budget and what you can afford. A good martial arts school is going to cost a lot more than a gym membership, but the rewards should also be much greater.

Please don't take this as a "right" and "wrong" dichotomy. If what you want in your training is a lot of sweating and yelling and high energy, then such a school may be just what you need. However, you'll be disappointed if you think you're learning a martial art, but what you're really doing is Tae-Bo or cardio-karate. Visit schools, talk to the instructors and other students, but most importantly think hard about what you want to get out of the experience. It only after you really know what you want can you effectively seek it... It may seem like an ancient Chinese saying, but the truth is that no path is wrong if you don't know your destination...

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