When you choose a karate school, you need to make sure it’s the right fit for your needs and for the goals you have as a student or parent of a student.
Whatcha Whatcha Whatcha Want?
There are hundreds of martial arts schools around these days. And while you might think they are all the same, they most certainly are not. The outsides might say similar things, but the insides are where you begin to see the differences. From some which are more hardcore than others, how those classes are run will tell you more about whether a school is for you than any book or website. (Well, except this one. This one is classy.)
What you want to do is to go into a karate school WITHOUT an appointment. Just walk in and observe a few classes. This will help you to see what you or your child is getting yourself into. You might be excited or you might be terrified, depends on the school. Now, if you don’t know what kind of fighting you want to do, you will need to talk to the instructor a bit. Don’t worry, they’re not going to hit you. Well, not until you sign up and pay the membership fees.
Finding the Right Fit
It might take you some time to find the right martial arts school – and this is okay. You want to spend some time looking at various schools until you are completely satisfied with where you are. Take the schools up on their offers for free classes and their offers for free lessons. You will be able then to see whether things are a good fit for you (or your kid) or if you need to keep looking. A good school will encourage you to try out more than one training program, since they want you to get into martial arts, even if you don’t end up going to their program.
Warning Signs You’re in the Wrong Place
If there is blood on the floor or people just don’t look like they’re trying all that hard in class, you are probably at the wrong martial arts school. You need to make sure that you are going to a place which not only has students who seem interested, but also martial arts students who are learning, not just battling it out in sparring sessions. If you notice that the Sensei or Sempai just isn’t interested in how the students are progressing, that might also be a turn off. You want to go to a school where the teachers are engaged as well – and where they are ready to teach more to those who are willing to learn.
Sometimes, a karate school can change in the middle of a program, which can throw you off. But sometimes that’s just what you need. In any case, if you’re ever not happy with your karate program, and you’ve tried your best to like it, it might be time for a new school.