LOOKING FOR A KARATE – MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL FOR YOU OR YOUR FAMILY?
Where to start, with all the different
types of schools in your area, how do you know which one is the best
for you. There is the, the good, the bad, and the rip-offs. Would you take
your car to an unqualified mechanic, how about taking your kids to a
public/private/or charter school where the teachers are not certified
to teach your kids. The same should be when looking for a Karate
– Martial arts school for your family,where it could be a matter of life and
death.. Here is some suggestions..
DO YOUR HOME WORK, ASK QUESTIONS, RESEARCH
A reputable Karate – Martial Arts school should have have the following:
Instructors
Martial Arts Style or System
Disclosure of Costs and Fees
Price
General Fit to Your Needs.
Instructors
The most important person is the head instructor, Is he qualified?, Ask theses question.
What rank are they? Asked to see credentials, should be hanging proudly for all to see in there office or some where in the school....Red flag. DO NOT JUST TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT.
Who's their teacher? We are all
students of the arts and should be learning from some one. Especially
if they are of lower rank. 3rd to 8th
degree, should be under the guidance of his ranking teacher. You
should be able to call his/her teacher to see if he/she is qualified to
teach. As a side note 1st & 2nd degrees are considered apprentice instructors and should not be the head instructor of the school.
Example: This statement came off the internet from a person in his 30's and makes no sense. He has been training for over 20 years in various arts and holds black belts and above in over 6 arts Red Flag #1 20 years in various arts. Red Flag #2 Holds black belt and above in over 6 arts
Can you see the problem with this statement? Let me help. 20 years in 6+ arts means that he started training in his early teens and he spent on average 3.3 years in each of these arts, hardly enough time to achieve his next claim, holds black belts and above in over 6 arts. above what? most legitimate martial arts systems use a degree ranking system, IE. 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree, 4th degree and so on to 10th degree. This person claims to teach Kung Fu, Kenpo, Ju Jitsu, MMA. I would ask to see his credentials in each of these arts to verify his clams.You should be able to trace their linage via the Internet. Red flag. IF THERE'S NO TRACEABLE LINEAGE AND NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO WHAT THEY ARE TEACHING KEEP LOOKING.
Assistant Instructors: should be brown
belts to 2nd degree black and should be under the guidance
of the head instructor, 3rd or higher.
Martial Arts Style or System: This is where you must chose whats best for you and or your family. Research the various styles that are out there, again make sure you chose one that has a strong linage that is traceable back to the founders of that system. YOUR RANK SHOULD BE RESPECTED AND ACCEPTED BY OTHERS IN THAT SYSTEM. Anyone that teaches the arts should be able to share there lineage of that art with you and guide you to resources to back up there claims. This can and should be done with the use of the Internet and phone calls. Unfortunately this is where the rip-offs come into play and try to get you in with there charm and personalities and assure you that they are a legit martial art style or system, only to find out later that all your hard work was a waist of time and you where in fact RIPPED-OFF Red flag. DON'T TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT DO YOUR HOMEWORK , AGAIN IF THERE'S NO TRACEABLE LINEAGE AND NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO WHAT THEIR TEACHING KEEP LOOKING.
Disclosure of Costs and Fees: This is where the old saying you get what you pay for does not apply.
In fact there are a lot of high priced schools that are in fact rip-offs, Oh they get you in and charm you with how great they are and how awesome there programs are and justify their cost and programs as being part of the team building and advancement programs. The school may require you to join the Black Belt Program/Club (2 year contract), Master’s Program/Club (3 year contract), or Leadership Program/Club (4 year contract). This can be a gut wrenching decision especially when small children are involved.
The bottom line is that the school should be confident enough in its services and training that it does not have to force the students into a signing a long term contract or black mail the students by withholding rank. In the event that the school would like to offer long term contracts or pre-pays they should do so in a mutually beneficial way by offering discounted tuition incentives so that both parties (Instructor and student) win.
The school should be confident enough to earn your business on a monthly basis and continue to provide you quality service month after month consistently. Additionally, be wary of schools that demand that you buy your equipment from only the school, often at inflated prices.
Price This again is where the old saying you get what you pay for does not apply. Do your home work, call around to the different schools and compare pricing. Most schools will not quote prices over the phone, that's OK, go to the school check it out and get the prices. If they want you to schedule an appointment and take an intro class before they will give you pricing ask them why? Do this only if you have done your home work as recommended and its a legit school and you are interested in joining the school. Most schools offer free trials, I would take advantage of all the schools free offers only after I got the prices first. I know of a school that boast it charges the highest tuition around a claims to be worth It, when if fact they are one of the biggest rip-offs. Red Flag: PAYING MORE DOES NOT MEAN YOUR GETTING MORE.
General Fit to Your Needs. Now that you've done your homework and know who to stay away from. Lastly, you should explore the school for its general fit with your needs and your comfort level with the school. Are the students friendly and helpful to other students? Does the instructor’s style of teaching seem like one you’d be comfortable with? There are many different philosophies that instructors may use in running a school such as a militant style, a competitive style that is focused on tournament competition, Asian philosophical style or a general style that has different aspects of all of these previously mentioned styles. You should look for a school that has a style you’re comfortable with and will enjoy. Be sure to talk to the parents and students and get their experiences as well!
In summery: DO YOUR HOMEWORK....FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES ABOVE AND YOU WILL AVOID BEING RIPPED - OFF Our society is so taking in with perceived value, Its a big school therefore it must be the best, or, it's expensive it must be worth it, they have a fancy web site they must be legit. Some time perception is also deception. This perceived value is exactly what these RIP-OFF schools use to lure you in. PERCEIVED VALUE IS JUST THAT, IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE REAL VALUE.......DO YOUR RESEARCH AND THEN TRAIN HARD!