How to Choose a Martial Arts School

When I was 12 years old I decided I wanted to be the next big action star in the footsteps of Jackie Chan. As it turns out, being Asian would not be enough to fulfill that goal. I needed to learn how to kick some butt. After much persuasion, my Mom enrolled me at the martial arts school that we always walked by when we went to the grocery store. Thankfully, it was a great school with quality instructors. Over two decades later I have become a champion, an instructor, and I am still passionate about the martial arts.

Not everyone is so lucky when choosing a martial arts school. Throughout the years I have heard many horror stories of people that have lost their interest of the martial arts thanks to a lousy teacher or school. What a shame. When taught properly, martial arts will change your life for the better. When taught poorly, martial arts will lead to an embarrassing/frightening memory, an injury, or worse. My Mom chose my martial arts school based on convenience and location. For most Mom’s, convenience is the number one factor in determining a martial arts school for their child. I often wonder: “What if my Mom chose the Karate school down the road?” Who knows who I’d be, what I’d be doing, and what I would have accomplished? I’m just glad things worked out the way they did.

Today is a much different time than it was twenty years ago when Momma Moh brought me to my first Taekwondo class. With all of the online resource we have today, narrowing down a list of possible martial arts schools for yourself or for your children is pretty easy to do. Let me take you through a few of the steps you should take before you choose your training grounds.

It’s All About Style

There are many different styles of martial arts. Some are similar, some are not. Determining why you want to learn (or want your child to learn) is crucial to choosing a style that will fit your wants and needs. Today, Taekwondo is the most popular for families and kids thanks to its sheer number of schools, heavy emphasis on kicks, and ease of basic techniques. For adults, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is growing in popularity due to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). However, this is not to say that these styles are the best for everyone. I suggest you do your own research as to what is available in your area and what each style has to offer. Otherwise, this article will never end!

Try a Class!

Most schools have a special introductory special where you can try a class for free or try a few weeks or a month at a low-price. Take advantage of this! The best way to find out if a school is right for you, is to experience it first hand.

Things to Look For:

- A school that is accredited by a governing body as many martial arts schools are unregulated. For Taekwondo schools, the big ones are (ATA, ITF, WTF)

- Instructors that are courteous, professional, and have proper experience. All of these things can be found out by watching or taking a class from them. The hard-nosed tough guy instructor is now a thing of the past. There are many instructors currently teaching that have no business teaching others. They should have an instructor certification or some kind of credential. Also, just because they’re a “Champion” doesn’t make them a good instructor. Also, there are many great instructors that aren’t great practicioners.

- A clean school with appropriate flooring. If the place smells, get out of there. Hygiene is very important as there are hundreds of kids and adults using the same facility as you are every day. Also, most full-time martial arts schools have foam or rubber mats nowadays.

- Are their black belts any good? If not, their instructors most likely are not very good. Now that doesn’t mean every black belt has to be amazing, but a black belt has technically “mastered” at least basic technique.

- Hidden fees. Lots of schools hit you up with these. Ask outright: “What are the additional costs involved?” Also, be wary of signing long-term contracts with a lot of money up-front unless you’ve been taking class for a while.

Hopefully these things help you in choosing a martial arts school. If it helps, I started with the American Taekwondo Association (www.ataonline) and am still a proud and loyal member. But like any other organization, there are some schools that are better than others and I recommend that you follow all the afforementioned guidelines before committing. My number one piece of advice remains: take a class! Do your initial research and then let your gut feeling decide whether or not this is a place you could potentially earn the rank of the highly esteemed: Black Belt.