How To Choose A Martial Arts School

How To Choose A Martial Arts School
By Clint Leung

To reap the best benefits from martial arts, they should be
taken as long term activities rather than short term. Given
this suggestion, one should not just simply walk into the
closest martial arts studio and sign up right away without
doing some research. Not all martial arts are alike and not all
schools or studios are alike either. Therefore, it is important
to really think about what your own needs are with respect to
martial arts training.

The discussion of which martial art style to take is too
extensive for this article. So what I will say here is that
there are differences in the various styles of martial arts
which may result in some being more suitable for certain
individuals compared to others. Do some research on the
different styles and do visit the classes of different studios
that teach different martial arts if possible. But more
important is each individual school’s approach to teaching
their martial arts. Many martial arts schools teach only
techniques and forms (set routines) that are specific to a
traditional style. These schools follow the ways that the
original founders of each martial art style developed and they
have continued with minimal variance over the years. Other
studios like to borrow techniques from a variety of martial art
disciplines and integrate a mix into their programs. Some
schools are non-traditional and adopt a more open free style
system which incorporates traditional martial art techniques
with gymnastics and open choreography of forms. There are many
clubs that do both traditional and open styles. Each school
will claim that their martial art style and method of teaching
is superior to others. Prospective students must not take these
claims too seriously and choose an approach that would be best
suited for them on an individual basis.

Many advertisements for martial arts schools push the
backgrounds of their higher ranking instructors as a way to
attract students. It is important to realize that the more
degrees (or dans) a particular black belt has don’t always mean
that the individual is a better instructor. This is the same
with instructors who have very successful competition records.
There is no correlation to the number of world championship
titles won with how good an instructor is. The term ’master’
should also be taken with caution. A master doesn’t always make
an excellent instructor. The teaching style of different
instructors can vary. Some use the old Asian masters’ approach
where discipline is strictly enforced much like in the
military. While general discipline is actually a good attribute
to learn from martial arts training, some of the old ways of
teaching, particularly reprimanding students vocally or
physically for incorrect techniques may be considered a bit
harsh for today’s society. This is why it is important to watch
classes of prospective martial arts schools you are interested
in. You want to see the teaching style of an instructor to
determine if it’s a style that would be compatible with you or
not. Ask questions after instructors have finished teaching. If
you have the gut feeling that certain instructors will not be
right for you, move on to find another club. Most legitimate
schools will allow prospective students to witness or even try
out a class for free before joining.

Related to teaching styles, some instructors emphasize safety
more than others. The use of protective equipment and certain
rules while sparring are factors. In addition to asking
instructors, also ask other students about injury rates and
their general feedback about the classes (ideally when they are
outside of their schools). Another point on the students is that
some schools attract a certain type of student profile. Observe
the other students and decide whether these are people you
would like to train with.

Some schools are very much into competition with active
encouragement of students to participate in tournaments. In
fact, some schools even make this a requirement in order to
advance through the different levels. Other schools have been
known to restrict competition only within a particular circuit.
For example, many tae know do clubs only participate in
tournaments that are strictly Olympic style tae kwon do and
never go to events that are open to all martial arts styles.
There are schools in the complete opposite end where they do
not believe in competition at all and pretty well keep to
themselves without any interaction with other martial arts
clubs. Many Chinese kung fu clubs do not compete and some
styles of martial arts such as aikido do not offer any
competitive outlet. Many martial arts schools choose to have a
relaxed position towards competition where they leave it up to
individual students to choose whether they want to participate
in tournaments or not. Some schools have special competition
teams where additional training is available for those students
who wish to compete. So as a prospective student, you should
consider what involvement you would like in competition if any.
If you know that you never want to compete, you should not get
locked into a school that requires tournament competition. If
you have a desire for competition, don’t join a studio that
shuns competition.

Some martial arts schools teach in community centers, school
gyms and even church basements. Some have bare bones studios
with outdated equipment. Some schools have the latest martial
arts and fitness equipment with sparkling clean change rooms
and facilities. All of these will factor into the membership
fee of each school. You have to determine what you are willing
to pay for and what type of environment you will feel
comfortable training in.

Many schools require annual contracts while some are on a month
to month basis. There could be initiation fees. There could also
be testing or grading fees for advancement. All of these extra
costs will add up. Ask what happens if you have to freeze your
membership due to extended illness or injury.

If one doesn’t really know whether martial arts is an activity
for them in the long run, the option of taking short term
courses such as those offered by community centers may be a
viable alternative to making a full commitment to a dedicated
martial arts club with its own studio space. But do be aware
that although martial arts can be very enjoyable from the first
day you put on a karate uniform, it is a long term activity and
one must have patience in order to benefit the most from
martial arts. Fortunately, there are many options in the form
of different martial art styles and schools to choose from in
the market today. Just make sure that you do some preliminary
research before committing to any particular club.

About the Author: Clint Leung is a lifelong martial artist with
over 32 years of training experience in kung fu, tae kwon do,
karate, kickboxing and martial arts weaponry. He has won
Canadian and world championship titles (NBL and WSKF). He is
also owner of Free Spirit Activewear
(http://www.FreeSpiritActivewear.com) , an online retailer and
designer of premium martial arts activewear. Free Spirit
Activewear has martial arts info articles.

Source: http://www.isnare.com