What are you looking for in a Martial Arts school?

I currently teach and have been studying for over a decade and I know what I want out of my studies but just curious how other people see the arts and what they are looking for out of them. Open to all styles and motivations.

What are you looking for in a Martial Arts school?
The single most important factor is the teacher. Second is the other students. Third is the cost. Fourth is the location...in that order. There are other factors, but those are the deal-breakers for me.





Concerning the teacher: he must be experienced (we're talking at minimum of 10 years in that particular style) and hold at least a 2nd degree BB in a legitimate branch of that style awarded by a legitimate master. He must be dedicated to teaching the art to beginners, because that will be the core of his business. As such, he must be patient, kind %26amp; modest. There's nothing worse that trying to learn from a pompous, arrogant, ill-tempered hothead who's more interested in building up around himself a fan base or mutual admiration society than he is in teaching the basics to common folks.





Second is the other students: are they happy? Do they like being there? Are they respectful of each other? Do they see each other as teammates %26amp; fellows; or as opponents %26amp; rivals?





Third is the cost: self-explanatory





Fourth is location: I don't mind driving...if it's worth it.
Reply:well check out KrackedSkullz.com


it's alot more that just punching and kicking


while your there check out the fun links page


you will see what Martial Arts are all about if ya ask me....


Most My Life On The Streets


40 years thinking I knew something or another


Street Wu Shu


ya know from an Ancient Way
Reply:We want our children to be safe


As a response to young people being victimized by bullies, more and more parents are choosing to enroll their children in martial arts schools. But are these schools really teaching children what they need to understand and resolve conflict peacefully? We want our children to be safe. We want them to be self-confident and capable. We want them to acquire good values, to respect themselves and others, and to act with kindness and integrity in their relationships.


Can the study of martial arts teach these things? Can the notoriously combative practice of martial arts skills create an environment of peace and well-being? Is it possible that such "arts" of aggression can give our children the skills to resolve conflict nonviolently? Can they enhance our children's ability to learn healthy and humane values?


The answer is yes, to each of these questions—but only if the martial arts are taught as a comprehensive system, a total program. Conventional methods being taught today are not living up to this potential. And because of this, they are doing more harm for your children than good in helping them to resolve conflict peacefully. Most martial arts schools today focus mainly on physical self-defense skills, with little or no information presented about how to deal with conflict before it becomes a physical confrontation. It is a lopsided teaching, and our children suffer for it. This is a main concern—the martial arts have to be taught as a whole endeavor, both mentally and physically, if our children are to learn to resolve conflict without violence. For the most part, this is not being done.


Only when students receive instruction in how to prevent and resolve conflict combined with the study of physical self-defense skills do the martial arts become an excellent, and complete, educational tool for young people. Then they learn the skills to avoid being hurt physically and emotionally. The combination of physical and mental skills engages their bodies and minds while making them feel more confident, more self-assured, more focused. It is not a case of "either/or, " but rather that both skills must be intelligently taught and developed.


As a parent, educator, author, and martial artist, I am determined that vitally needed mental skills be taught side-by-side with physical self-defense skills, to create a whole martial arts education. This is the way martial arts were originally taught when they were created centuries ago, and this is how they were meant to be learned. Presented in this way, the martial arts are capable of addressing one of the most important social concerns in the world today—violence. It is true that the martial arts can also improve physical fitness and coordination and provide many other benefits. But, its main intent is to teach people about conflict—what one can do to avoid, resolve, and manage it.


Teach physical skills that will give your child a sense of confidence.


• Teach your child how to intelligently cope with bullying at school.


• Teach positive social values: respect, honesty, humility, and dignity.


• Help your child to get along with others and to treat others with respect.


• Familiarize your child with the "old-fashioned" ethics you learned when you grew up.





This is all I would want from a Martial Arts School.
Reply:What I am looking for is experiance, personality, structure, business ethics and tradiation. If the school has some experianced Seneis and Sifus, also what helps is awards and titles earned. Career outside the dojo (such as police, correctional officers; Special Forces, military in general).





Belts held and the color of the belts do not impress me. There are styles without belt ranking systems. Such as Boxing, Wrestling, Shootfighting among others.





As Business Ethics are concerned. If some guy is a bully, using his skills way out of context and needlessly hurting people, he should be expelled from the school.





(I knew a guy that ran a Dojo, whom has expelled people out of the school for misdomeanor conviction, too many traffic tickets and assaulted/battery. Another guy was expelled because he was a bragging too much, and the Sifu got tired of him. I also seen a few kids few suspended from the school for two months for recieving a "D" on his report card!)





The Senei/Sifu, should also teach respect, honor and discipline to the students.





A question I try to find the answer for myself, are they more concerned in making money, or are they very interested in teaching the art to others?
Reply:Well, first off, I'm looking for a school that teaches a style of kung fu compatible to my previous martial arts experience. Besides that, I'm looking for a more traditional school, one that doesn't place as much emphasis on belts and ranks, and more on actual development of skill in the art. One that allows students to train at their own pace would be nice, especially if it had supplies for various training methods, both modern and ancient. I'd like one that allowed students the option of sparring with or without armor/padding (I prefer without), and one that allowed a more personal relationship with the instructors, and one that tried to teach its students the virtues of the martial arts as well as simply fighting techniques. Long hours would definitely be preferable. I'll edit my answer if I come up with any more.
Reply:Cheap rates, opportunity for advancement in rank, an education into the history of the art and the science of it, and professional training.
Reply:when i was looking for a dojo to train at, i considered a lot of stuff. i wanted a place that was actually going to train me till i learned the stuff, and not just in it for the money. a lot of places i saw just kinda manufactured belts, whether the students earned them or not. The place i'm at now, the instuctor checks up on the students outside of the dojo. Their grades, their attitude, w/ their parents. That is a sign of a good teacher and dojo.

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