So, recently I was asked my opinion on finding a new Martial arts school from a coworker. This man used to practice as a child and then again as a teen in a MMA gym. As a person of experience I wanted to provide accurate advice so I had to ask what he was looking for out of his new training experience as an adult. His answer surprised me.
He wants to find a more traditional school than he's attended in the past, more centered around the merging of the mental and physical rather than the typical "meathead MMA gym" experience he been a part of in years past. He was thinking of finding a kung fu school, because what he'd been reading on the subject showed that kung fu (real kung fu, not wushu) offered what he's looking for. That said, he told me the schools offered in his area seemed a little gimmicky (at least based on their web pages) and he wanted to know the way to pick a good school over a bad one. On top of that he has a very limited selection of schools near where he resides.
I told him there's no really good way to pick a school without trying them out and seeing what they offer. Most schools offer a trail class or some kind of free intro package that you can participate in without committing to anything. I also told him to be open minded about the "McDojo" chain schools in his area, since his selection is so limited, because just because a school is part of a chain (like a Villari's or Kicks Taekwondo) doesn't mean it's bad. You have to see what they are offering. If you can earn a black belt in a year or 2 and basically buy your way up to black belt then you might want to consider training somewhere else because the focus is on money, not the student. You need to see what the focus of the school is. The teachers really make or break the experience. For example: I do know of a Villari's in my area that happens to be quite good, because the teacher that bought into the franchise makes it a good place. The tests are incredibly demanding and while they are teaching Villari's system, she adds in a lot of personal touches to curriculum from her past martial arts experiences.
I also told him that a school can be what you make of it. I trained at a great Taekwondo school for years, and then stopped for a few years to go back to college. I went back to the same place after I'd completed my time in college and found the focus had shifted from students to money. I still trained there for 2 year and got a lot out of the classes because I took the time to practice and see what I could find out on my own as well as what I was being taught in class. I ended up moving and finding a new school which I am currently attending and love and is focused on the students, but I got almost as much out of those other classes because I made something out of it.
For those thinking of beginning a martial arts journey of their own: Ask yourself what you want to get out of your training, and shop around for a school that has what aligns with your goals. Remember to put your all into your training so that you get as much out of it as possible. Meeting your goals and giving it 100% is what's going to leave you feeling fulfilled at the end of the day, and in the great scheme of things, that's what matters.
He wants to find a more traditional school than he's attended in the past, more centered around the merging of the mental and physical rather than the typical "meathead MMA gym" experience he been a part of in years past. He was thinking of finding a kung fu school, because what he'd been reading on the subject showed that kung fu (real kung fu, not wushu) offered what he's looking for. That said, he told me the schools offered in his area seemed a little gimmicky (at least based on their web pages) and he wanted to know the way to pick a good school over a bad one. On top of that he has a very limited selection of schools near where he resides.
I told him there's no really good way to pick a school without trying them out and seeing what they offer. Most schools offer a trail class or some kind of free intro package that you can participate in without committing to anything. I also told him to be open minded about the "McDojo" chain schools in his area, since his selection is so limited, because just because a school is part of a chain (like a Villari's or Kicks Taekwondo) doesn't mean it's bad. You have to see what they are offering. If you can earn a black belt in a year or 2 and basically buy your way up to black belt then you might want to consider training somewhere else because the focus is on money, not the student. You need to see what the focus of the school is. The teachers really make or break the experience. For example: I do know of a Villari's in my area that happens to be quite good, because the teacher that bought into the franchise makes it a good place. The tests are incredibly demanding and while they are teaching Villari's system, she adds in a lot of personal touches to curriculum from her past martial arts experiences.
I also told him that a school can be what you make of it. I trained at a great Taekwondo school for years, and then stopped for a few years to go back to college. I went back to the same place after I'd completed my time in college and found the focus had shifted from students to money. I still trained there for 2 year and got a lot out of the classes because I took the time to practice and see what I could find out on my own as well as what I was being taught in class. I ended up moving and finding a new school which I am currently attending and love and is focused on the students, but I got almost as much out of those other classes because I made something out of it.
For those thinking of beginning a martial arts journey of their own: Ask yourself what you want to get out of your training, and shop around for a school that has what aligns with your goals. Remember to put your all into your training so that you get as much out of it as possible. Meeting your goals and giving it 100% is what's going to leave you feeling fulfilled at the end of the day, and in the great scheme of things, that's what matters.
