| Martial Arts Houston: How To Choose A Martial | | | | ask how often the instructor has the equipment |
| Arts School - Considerations for Making the Right | | | | cleaned and sanitized. Sometimes you'll know |
| Decision | | | | everything you need just by looking around. This |
| Whether you are a parent wanting to sign your | | | | doesn't mean that the school has to be as |
| child up in martial arts classes, or you are | | | | immaculate - a little dust here or there doesn't |
| interested in training yourself, the basic principles in | | | | hurt anything. But if you see filthy mats or blood |
| choosing a martial arts school are the same. You | | | | on the walls, it's time to look elsewhere. |
| first have to decide what you want to gain by | | | | How far away is the school? |
| taking martial arts, and then you have to find the | | | | The best school in the world won't do you any |
| best school and instructor that best matches that | | | | good if it is too far away for you to make |
| need. Let's take each step one at a time. | | | | classes regularly. Consider the traffic as well. It |
| STEP 1: DECIDE CLEARLY WHAT YOU WANT | | | | might even be a good idea to make a "trial run" |
| YOU OR YOUR CHILD TO GAIN FROM MARTIAL | | | | drive during the times you will be traveling to |
| ARTS TRAINING | | | | class. Is the class schedule suitable? Ask to see |
| This is a crucial step that is sometimes | | | | the schedule and be sure that you are able to |
| overlooked. People have different but very good | | | | attend comfortably at least two times per week. |
| reasons for wanting to take up martial arts | | | | Also pay attention to the duration of the classes. |
| training. There are quite a lot of benefits that | | | | In today's world, it's just very difficult to devote |
| martial arts training has to offer - here are just a | | | | more than an hour to an activity for any length |
| few: | | | | of time and studies on attention spans have |
| - Self defense | | | | shown that 30-60-minutes is about the max for |
| - Develop an overall sense of well being and self | | | | most people. |
| confidence | | | | How much should I expect to pay? |
| - Lose weight | | | | Paying for martial arts lessons is really a lot like |
| - Gain flexibility and coordination | | | | buying a car or anything else. You frequently get |
| - Acquire more discipline | | | | what you pay for. Cleanliness, professionalism, |
| - And more... | | | | quality, safety and individual attention is what |
| Why do you want to train in martial arts? Maybe | | | | usually separates the higher end schools from the |
| your reasons include all of the above, and that's | | | | cheaper schools. Most schools charge what they |
| fine, but try to find the one or two reasons that | | | | think they are worth. So if you want the best |
| are most important to you. For example, are you | | | | instruction, you should expect the price to be |
| looking for just a little light recreation? Then a | | | | higher than normal. So what's normal? In 2007, |
| community center program may suffice. However | | | | the average price in the United States for martial |
| if you want all of the benefits martial arts has to | | | | arts training was approximately $100 per month. |
| offer, like self-defense or personal development, | | | | Schools in smaller towns will charge less, and in |
| then you are going to need a full-time professional | | | | cities where the cost of living in general is a little |
| school. Deciding what you really want is a very | | | | higher, so too will be the case with martial arts |
| important step in choosing the best school for | | | | classes. For those who want the very best for |
| you. | | | | themselves or for their children, expect to pay |
| STEP 2: PICKING THE SCHOOL AND | | | | around $120 a month or more. Just like private |
| INSTRUCTOR THAT BEST MATCHES YOUR | | | | academic institutions and universities exist for a |
| NEEDS | | | | certain group of people who want the best |
| After you have decided what you want from | | | | academic education, in a similar way these higher |
| your training, the next step is to find the right | | | | end martial arts programs are for those who |
| place. There are several factors you should | | | | want the safest and most professional service |
| consider in choosing a school. You will want to | | | | available for their martial arts training. |
| consider things like; finding the right instructor, the | | | | You should also be aware that offering classes |
| cleanliness and distance of the school, the price | | | | with 6 or 12 month agreements is common |
| for classes, finding a suitable style of martial art, | | | | practice in the martial arts industry. In fact, in our |
| and safety considerations. Let's look at each of | | | | experience, schools that have such agreements |
| these factors a little more closely. | | | | are usually better maintained, better run, and of all |
| What is your impression of the instructor? | | | | around better quality than the cheaper "monthby- |
| You should realize that a big factor in choosing the | | | | month" schools. |
| right school is really choosing the right instructor. | | | | What style of martial art should I choose? |
| Here we are talking about the instructor's | | | | This answer here depends on what your goals |
| personality and teaching style. It's tough making | | | | are. If you just want a little light recreation, then |
| an informed judgment about a person in a brief | | | | most tae kwon do schools would be fine. If you |
| meeting, but usually you are going to have to | | | | only want a cardio alternative and don't care at all |
| trust your gut here. Intuition and first impressions, | | | | about self-defense, improving your |
| while not always correct, often turn out to be | | | | self-confidence, and things of this sort, then a |
| true. Be sure to visit the school, meet the | | | | typical "cardiokickboxing" class at your local health |
| instructor and have a look around. | | | | spa might be just the thing for you. If you are |
| How does the instructor greet visitors and how | | | | only interested in preserving an old oriental art |
| do they treat the students? | | | | form, with perhaps a little self-defense as a side |
| A professional school will have a friendly | | | | consideration, then a traditional kung fu, karate, or |
| atmosphere, lots of smiles and be well kept. You'll | | | | tae kwon do school would suit you. |
| feel comfortable with the personnel and the | | | | However, if you are looking to really increase |
| facility. While this may not end up being the | | | | your fitness level or get serious about |
| closest school to your house, when it comes to | | | | self-defense training, here is one word of advice: |
| your safety or the safety and education of your | | | | When it comes to serious conditioning & |
| child, an extra ten-minute drive can make a world | | | | self-defense, martial arts styles are NOT "all the |
| of difference in the outcome. | | | | same". |
| How advanced should the instructor be? Should | | | | This is a controversial question, and there will |
| they have a lot of titles and trophies? | | | | certainly be those who disagree with what we |
| Contrary to popular opinion, finding the best | | | | say here, but we think the style or discipline |
| martial arts champion doesn't mean you have the | | | | taught matters a lot if you want serious training |
| best teacher. Just because an instructor has a lot | | | | that can give you the best in conditioning and |
| of competition wins does not always mean the | | | | self-defense. Perhaps the most famous martial |
| person is a good teacher. Likewise, just because | | | | artist ever, Bruce Lee, recognized the limitations in |
| someone has received a high rank within an art | | | | the more traditional forms of karate, kung fu and |
| doesn't make him or her a good teacher. This is a | | | | tae kwon do. Lee thought many of these arts |
| critical point to understand. One can be a "natural" | | | | held on to outdated, impractical techniques and |
| at martial arts, meaning they just pick it up really | | | | training methods out of a groundless respect |
| quickly. This type of person can go on to be a | | | | towards "tradition", while ignoring the fact that |
| great champion with many medals and trophies, | | | | there might be newer and better ways to do |
| but of course, this is no guarantee at all that they | | | | things. We agree with Bruce Lee's assessment. In |
| will be able to effectively communicate and | | | | our opinion, the more contemporary martial arts |
| translate to others what comes to them quite | | | | like Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, Krav Maga, |
| easily. There are many examples of great | | | | Kickboxing, Grappling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, |
| competitors who are actually poor teachers. | | | | Boxing and Wrestling are a great deal better |
| Clearly, a school owner or chief instructor should | | | | when it comes to conditioning and realistic self |
| be a black belt or the equivalent depending on the | | | | defense. |
| art. Beyond that though, the rank of the | | | | Is martial arts training safe? |
| instructor will actually mean very little to your | | | | Generally speaking it is, yet it can vary depending |
| classroom experience or the quality of your | | | | on the school you choose. Most schools are very |
| classes. What an instructor has accomplished is | | | | safe and go to great lengths to insure the safety |
| not as important as what he or she can do for | | | | of its classes. Other schools are rougher and can |
| you. It's a whole lot more important to find an | | | | have a military-like atmosphere where only the |
| instructor who cares about the students and | | | | strong survive. An almost exclusively adult male |
| makes them the focal point instead of seeking all | | | | student body and "fighters gym-like" atmosphere |
| the attention for himself or herself. Titles and | | | | can help you recognize these schools. You should |
| trophies signify excellence in competition. So titles | | | | know that past insurance ratings rank martial arts |
| and trophies are great, IF that same person is | | | | as safer than golf in the number of injury claims. |
| also a good teacher. So if you can find an | | | | That doesn't mean you're not going to get sore |
| instructor with great credentials, medals, belts, | | | | or occasionally bruised, it just means that serious |
| etc., who ALSO cares about his or her students | | | | injuries are not very common in most martial arts |
| and is able to effectively transmit that information | | | | schools. This can be particularly true for schools |
| over to them - then you have the best of both | | | | belonging to a professional organization which |
| worlds. | | | | emphasizes the importance of safety. |
| Is the school clean? | | | | Finally, while claims against schools are very rare |
| This is an important one. Dirty gyms can transmit | | | | because the training is very safe, many schools |
| staph and a lot of other nasty things that you | | | | are not insured, which is a mistake. Make sure |
| would rather not find out about. Good gyms | | | | your school is insured and the instructors are |
| however are vigilant about sanitizing their | | | | attending seminars and workshops on teaching |
| equipment on a regular basis. Don't be afraid to | | | | safe classes. |