Martial Arts Dojos? see details please?

Question

My nephew wants to get started in martial arts and my sister wants me to help them find a dojo to get started. I'm not very familiar with this so I was hoping someone could give me some tips for spotting a reputable place to learn and some obvious signs of a place that might be a McDojo that just hands out belts willy nilly.

Answer 1

Jeremy has some good points although some good, legetimate schools do use contracts as well as a few other things to keep students involved and in touch with martial arts.  The biggest thing is to sit and watch several classes.  You should see clear evidence of increased ability, agility, speed, power, and technique between intermediate and advance students.  If you see brown belts doing things not much better than a green belt and only a little better than a orange belt I would skip that school and program.  Advance students should be executing things cleanly, with good efficency, speed and power-not muddling through something.

Martial arts were not originally intended to be for children or to be "fun" so to speak.  They have become an activity for the entire family now though as well as an excellent way for instilling discipline, increasing self-confidence and self-esteem, and a persons atheletic abilty, especially for young people.  Look for a school that does this as well as maintains a high standard for grading and promotions and goes that extra mile to make their students the best that they can be and only tests them every four monthes and only if they are ready to be promoted and you have found your school.  It will be clearly evident in the way the students carry themselves and excute things while on deck and there will be a distinct difference between an orange belt and a green belt and a brown belt will be someone that you will look at and might say to yourself, "Wow!  I want my nephew to be that good."   When you find that you have found a school worth considering.

Answer 2

I will give you some tips for spotting a McDojo off the top of my head.  McDojos typically:

* Have a bunch of kids under 13 with black belts

* Make you sign long-term contracts

* Have crazy expensive options such as a "black belt club"

* Charge huge fees for belt tests

* Have assistants primarily teaching classes

* And last but not least, lack quality training (you will have to sit in on a class for that; you can determine this yourself).

I suggest doing a quick Google search on the topic, you will find some interesting information.  Also, Google the name of the schools you are considering and see if anyone has written a review about them.

Answer 3

Quite honestly there are already many answers on here, very good answers on the subject. It would probably take you a week at minimum to go through them.

Disregard what style is the best, but realize that what your sister wants for her child out of it will have some factor in what style that he should take.

More important than anything else is good instruction and realistic training. If you want feel free to E-mail me and I will give you a more thourough list, and if you can find some schools in your area send me the links and I will do my best to check them out for you.

Answer 4

What difference do the belts make?

If your nephew can fight, then he can fight. Belts just give them something to feel happy about.

I say the belt thing is a non issue, but if your nephew is actually learning some good stuff, thats the substance.

Answer 5

Very few people can give you a straight, legitimate answer to this question (that question being, which martial art).

The answer is, if your nephew is a good student....intelligent, dedicated, respectful, good hearted and has what it takes to truly devote the energy, time and will necessary to study martial arts, then what you want for him is Aikido.  Aikido is the most powerful martial art and the one that gives the most benefits, that the average person likely has access to.

Answer 6

A couple of things that are important parts to look at in the process of choosing a school:

(a) The environment where you'll learn and train

(b) The people that will be your partners

(c) The instructor

(d) The logistics of the school

(a) The environment where you will learn and train

Don't get impressed by the size of the place - just be sure that you feel "ok" in there.

Also don't necessarily be impressed by huge number of trophies. They may indicate a very successful competitive school (if that is an aspect you are interested in) or they could be all show. Check carefully.

If you are not allowed to watch any classes, you may not want to invest your time and money. Without seeing a class you will not be able to get a good feel for the school.

Ask questions - don't worry about looking stupid or asking the "wrong" question. They are going to be teaching and training you- you want to get any concerns or considerations you have out before you commit to anything.

If you feel bullied or threatened in any manner, look somewhere else.

(b) The people that will be your partners

Go, watch some classes (without participating), then ask to participate- see if the behavior of the students changes by the fact that there is a new person in their class.

What follows is a quick and dirty check list, to which you can add your own points, based on what you consider important. Remember: these questions and suggestions are just guidelines, not hard and fast rules. There will always be exceptions. But if you look in these domains you will have a solid ground to choose from.

How good are the students?

This is more of a measure of the quality of the students as students than their skill at martial arts. See if you can picture yourself with these people. Are they attentive, respectful, interested in being there? Those are all good signs...

Is there a mix of upper and lower ranks?

This is not always obvious in the styles without belt rankings, etc. It is generally a good sign if advanced, intermediate and beginning students are practicing together. Check the approach the higher ranked students take to you- their help will probably be very important in your advancement in the Art you choose.

Some schools have classes separated by rank though. Ask.

Is there a mix in the type of people in the class?

Although this doesn't necessarily mean anything if it is not present, it is a good sign if there is a mixture of males and females, older and younger people in the class. It is a pointer to the efficiency of the Art if it can teach a wide variety of people together.

Do they move the way you would like to?

This will give you some sense of what you can achieve. Look to the senior students and see if they move the way you want to move.

Do they help one another?

In a small class this may not apply, but in larger classes it is a good sign if the senior students support and assist the junior students. This kind of personal attention will aid you greatly in your training.

Do the senior students seem fit and relaxed?

This will give you a sense of the atmosphere of the school. If the senior students are uptight, nervous, unfit, out of shape, or unhappy, it may be a sign to move on. However, do not be put off by a single occurrence, i.e. because on THAT day the senior student was in a poor mood. It should at least prompt you to look carefully though...

How common are injuries?

As most martial arts involve vigorous physical activity and contact, injuries will occasionally occur. However, if injuries are common and/or serious, there is likely a problem in how training is supervised, and you will probably want to look elsewhere. It will be difficult to tell what the frequency/severity of injuries in the class is in one or two visits. Ask the instructor.

(c) The Instructor

You'll need some basic trust in the individual, as a beginning.

The instructor is the person who is going to be guiding your development as a martial artist. You need to feel comfortable with him or her, and feel secure in receiving instruction from them. If you have some unease or personality conflict with the instructor(s) you might want to look elsewhere.

Do the students get personalized attention?

This will be a good judge of how valuable your time will be. If there is a good amount of instructor to student attention there will be more value for you.

Does the instructor differentiate between forms and function?

Another good indication is to find out if the instructor(s) differentiates between form and function. In other words do they do it "because it looks good" or "because it works." This may not apply if you are looking for a martial art as a performance art or as an exercise (though then you want to look at the efficacy of their exercises...)

Does the instructor(s) differentiate between tournament and self-defense?

As above, your reaction to this question's answer will depend on what your goals are. However, there is general agreement that tournament training and self-defense training, while highly related, are different. If the instructor does not differentiate the two - that may be a danger sign!

Violence in the class

If you see an instructor hitting students, or a senior student hitting students, be very clear that it was appropriate before you consider that school. Though be aware - if you are unfamiliar with the art, medium or full contact sparring may seem overly violent to you. Violence as discipline is to be avoided.

Are adjustments made for students of differing body types and limitations?

Another good sign is if the instructor adjusts the training of his or her student's physical realities: telling a slow person to work contact, a fast person to work ranges, a heavy person to work leverage, a light person to work speed, or, conversely, concentrating on their weak areas to compensate.

(d) The logistics of the School

Money

This is an important element to be clear about. You don't want to commit to a school if you can't afford it. It is impossible to address what a reasonable price would be here, because the benefits offered, the local economy, the quality of instruction, and the amount of instructor time are all variables in the equation. The best way to determine if a school is being reasonable is to compare what they offer for their prices.

Find out if there are extra charges for going up in rank, find out if there are organizational dues, tournament fees, mat fees, etc.

But do not be upset when a Martial Arts instructor charges money- they need to eat and have a place to stay. In our culture money is the way that happens. We do not feed and house wise old men, and unfortunately the costs of a school, equipment, and insurance are frighteningly high.

Location

If you are intending to spend a lot of time at the school you want it to be accessible, and convenient enough for you to get their after work, on weekends, etc.

Classes

Another thing you want to be clear on is when you can go to the school and when classes are. Some schools are open almost all the time and have lots of classes. In some schools you can only come when an official class is being held. An open school is usually better for obvious reasons- convenience, practice time, access to mats, etc.

Commitments and Promises

This is an important thing to know about any school you will be joining. Be very clear on what they will expect of you and what you expect of them. Some teachers want to teach only people who are willing to commit to them and their style, some are willing to introduce you to their style and let you dabble, some will teach you as long as you show up. None of these are intrinsically better or worse, but you want to know where they are coming from so you and they are not surprised.

Find out if you are required to attend classes, find out about being late, find out what the policy is on school rules of behavior and etiquette. Find out how you are supposed to interact with the teacher and other students. There are many styles for all these things so make sure you find out. The easiest way is to ask these questions.

There may be other questions you want to look at and specific questions you have about an instructor, school, organization, or style you are looking at. Know the questions you want answered and you will find the perfect school for you!

Answer 7

You need to discuss the reasoning behind starting a martial art. Is it discipline, achievement, fitness, self-defense...

Being a particular martial art does not exempt a dojo from McDojo status, and sites that love to toss around the McDojo monicker like Bullshido have become so negative as to be completely useless.

So let's discuss what sorts of things to watch out for. Does the dojo say things like, "What kind of timeframe are you looking at to meet your goals?" This is their way of saying, "How long do we have you for?" If the storefront is dedicated to martial arts (that is, the place is a "professional" dojo), it's almost more likely that it's a McDojo, since there's a great amount of pressure to make money to keep the place afloat, and the easiest way is to sell belts along with your yearly contract.

Does the place offer a black belt within the terms of your contract? What kinds of words is the guy using -- if he's talking about the results he can promise within a timeframe, it's insincere. If he's talking about ways your nephew can improve himself, and drives the point home that it's about his hard work, it's a slightly better sign.

What are your contract terms? Ideally, you don't want a contract, but this is rare unless it's through a teacher in a place that doesn't solely do martial arts. I practice in a gymnastics academy and pay month to month with a small insurance fee ($20) each year and no commitment. When I was with the USSD, I was liable for the remainder of my contract if I quit. Find out about testing fees and retesting fees.

Now, on the subject of belts and testing, there are a couple of things you should know. The belt ranking system was something designed as a ranking system by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, and the colored belts are generally regarded as being the idea of Mikonosuke Kawaishi as an encouragement for westerners when he was teaching in europe in 1935. The black belt -- that prized possession of the martial artist that rumor has perpetuated into some indicator of lethality -- is really only an indication of basic proficiency in the art. If we understand martial arts to be way up a mountain, the black belt indicates you're ready to start. You've just made it to the base. So when someone earns it, how long it takes... It's not that big a deal. Rank does not a martial artist make. Further, testing isn't always how rank is awarded. Many instructors simply watch until they see you demonstrate proficiency in the same criteria you're required to know, and, when you demonstrate that proficiency, tap you on the shoulder and congratulate you quietly. There are benefits to both methods -- testing puts you under pressure while watching makes sure you're continually working hard and not -only- trying when you're tested.

The best explanation of rank, and something you should explain to your nephew as well, is that it's not an indication of what you know, but what's expected of you now. Any good sensei should tell you this or something similar.

Answer 8

Some good advice so far. I'd recommend that you also check out this article on the matter.

http://www.bullshido.com/articles/findin...

It'll familiarize you with some of the worst scams and some common dishonesty that you may encounter.

It also has some links to similar articles from slightly different perspectives. Those are also worth reading.

Answer 9

This should cover it

Instead of focusing on sparring, the class is mostly divided into practicing kata/forms, one-steps, board breaks, etc..

The school or instructor promotes the idea that his school and/or style is the ultimate best in the world, or that cross training in another form of martial arts is 100% unnecessary.

If the school or instructor forbids entering tournaments, or if tournaments are restricted to specific styles or associations.

If the idea of take-downs or wrestling is never addressed, or if "anti-grappling" techniques are taught.

If the test for belt advancement consists mostly or entirely of memorization and making your form & one-steps look pretty

If board breaking has a heavy emphasis, or is taught to be an indicating to how well you would fight, or is used as a supplement to full contact fighting.  [What is wrong with this?]

If the school has too many belts, or made up belts (such as camouflage belts)

If the school insists on long contracts and or uses collection agencies for late or missed payments.

If there are expensive clubs that you must join in order to learn or participate in various clinics or seminars, such as the "black belt club", or "masters club"

If the school owns an actual franchise, such as "Karate for Kids" or "Tiny Tigers"

If the school uses a pitch book to get you to join or to convince you to sign your kids up

If the self-defense techniques that are taught aren't at full speed or contact, or if the school is insistent only on one way of doing it

If the equipment (gear/uniforms/weapons) costs too much and/or is only ordered through the organization

If testing and monthly fees are excessive, for any reason

If the instructor is a master, 6th or 7th degree under 40 8th or 9th degree ubder 55.

If the instructor's credentials seem sketchy or are non-existent.

If the instructor proclaims to be a master of many arts, and is also extremely young.

If the school advertises that the grandmaster of the style regularly teaches there

If the school has many students, such as over 100, or if there are many black belts

If once reaching black belt students are encouraged to go start their own school or consider teaching

If ground-fighting is offered, it's exclusive to club members (which usually have a high fee) and/or not allowed until a high rank

The instructor rarely works out with the students and has his assistants do most or all of the teaching

If they teach weapons like the sai and nunchaku as a form of self-defense

If they are a Chinese martial art and use karate belts

If they glorify or try to imitate the Samurai or ninja.

Answer 10

Some really good answers already.

I recommend the book Martial Arts for Dummies. It is a great non biased overview of what to look for in a good school.