Martial Arts should be taken as long term activities rather than short term if you are to reap the best benefits from martial arts. Due to the time and money you will put into a training in the Martial Arts it is wise to research several schools; rather than, simply walk into the closest martial arts studio and sign up. Though it may seem like one Martilal Arti is the same as another this not true, and not all schools or studios are alike either. Therefore, it is important to really think about what your OWN NEEDS are with respect to martial arts training.
What is your goal for learning Martial Arts?
Traditional martial arts schools teach techniques and forms specific to a traditional style. These schools follow the ways that the original founders of each martial art style developed and they have continued with minimal variance over the years. While other studios like to borrow techniques from a variety of martial art disciplines and integrate a mix into their training. Some schools are non-traditional and adopt a more open free style system which incorporates traditional martial art techniques with gymnastics and open choreography of forms. There are many clubs that do both traditional and open styles. Each school and instructor will claim that their martial art style and method of teaching is superior to others. The reality is this depends on the reason you want to take Martial Arts. Some styles are more effective at teaching certain aspects. Jui-Jitsu is superior to the other styles in regards to ground fighting, but Kenpo is more effective in overall self-defense. Tae Kwon Do has supreme dominance in the kicking arena. So one style better than the other? Not really, but one style may be more suited to you than another. You may want to take two styles, Kenpo for striking and self-defense and Jui-Jistu for if you get taken to the ground. Choose your styles based on what meets your requirements, and the ones you in which you will most likely succeed.
Tournement oriented schools are very much into competition with active encouragement of students to participate in tournaments. In fact, some schools even make this a requirement in order to advance through the different levels. Other schools have been known to restrict competition only within a particular circuit. For example, many tae know do clubs only participate in tournaments that are strictly Olympic style tae kwon do and never go to events that are open to all martial arts styles. There are schools in the complete opposite end where they do not believe in competition at all and pretty well keep to themselves without any interaction with other martial arts clubs. Many Chinese kung fu clubs do not compete and some styles of martial arts such as aikido do not offer any competitive outlet. Many martial arts schools choose to have a relaxed position towards competition where they leave it up to individual students to choose whether they want to participate in tournaments or not. Some schools have special competition teams where additional training is available for those students who wish to compete. So as a prospective student, you should consider what involvement you would like in competition if any. If you know that you never want to compete, you should not get locked into a school that requires tournament competition. If you have a desire for competition, don’t join a studio that shuns competition.
Some martial arts schools teach in community centers, school gyms, church basements, or Online. Some have bare bones studios with outdated equipment. Some schools have the latest martial arts and fitness equipment with sparkling clean change rooms and facilities. All of these will factor into the membership fee of each school. You have to determine what you are willing to pay for and the type of environment where you will feel comfortable training. Many schools require annual contracts; while, some are on a month to month basis. Some schools include private lessons in the monthly charge, and others require additional payment for private lessons. There could be initiation fees. There could also be testing or grading fees for advancement. All of these extra costs will add up. Ask what happens if you have to freeze your membership due to extended illness or injury. If one doesn’t really know whether martial arts is an activity for them in the long run, the option of taking short term contracts or no contract training may be a viable alternative to making a full commitment to a dedicated martial arts club until you are sure you have found the right one.
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