| The 10 key questions to ask before you join any | | | | 4. What would you do if my child is hurt or injured |
| martial arts school are: | | | | in class? |
| 1. How long have you been in business? | | | | You want to know how the teachers will react in |
| This by itself is no be-all, end-all answer, but | | | | an emergency to help your child if you are not at |
| asking it will help you know if this is a | | | | the school. Accidents happen in martial arts |
| "fly-by-night-operation." Generally, the longer the | | | | classes and you want to be sure they are |
| school has been open the more likely you are to | | | | equipped and ready to deal with them. Do they |
| know they offer a good service. A school that | | | | have your contact information? If they have to |
| just opened definitely must prove itself, its | | | | take your child to the hospital, when will they |
| instructor and its ability to provide you with a | | | | contact you? |
| top-quality training experience. | | | | 5. Are you and your staff CPR and First Aid |
| 2. What are your certifications to teach? | | | | Certified? |
| Everyone who trains in martial arts should have | | | | Answering yes to this question shows they taken |
| some sort of certification. You should be able to | | | | the time to keep your family safe. You now |
| examine them to see if they are "weekend | | | | know that they can administer proper, immediate |
| certifications" or something more substantial. If all | | | | medical care until your child sees a doctor. |
| you see are short-course certifications, the | | | | 6. Have you, or your staff, ever molested or |
| teacher most likely is not very skilled in the topic, | | | | abused a child? |
| having only a weekend to learn it. Think about it | | | | Everyone will say no, but you want to see how |
| this way, he's only one weekend course more | | | | they respond. If anything feels disingenuous, leave. |
| along than you are. Unscrupulous teachers use | | | | 7. Have you or staff ever been accused of |
| weekend and short-course certifications to mask | | | | molesting or abusing a child? |
| their lack of knowledge in a particular area, say | | | | This is important to ask because this could be a |
| gun disarming, that they never learned in their | | | | sign of neglect or just someone who wasn't |
| own school when they began training. | | | | convicted. You deserve to know the story before |
| 3. What qualifies you to teach? | | | | you put your child into this person's hands. |
| Is this just a belt or has the teacher undergone | | | | 8. What are your testing fees, all the way |
| some sort of program to learn how to teach? If | | | | through black belt? |
| the only answer you receive is, "I'm a Black Belt" | | | | This is a way to see if there are hidden, |
| you might want to try another school. You want | | | | inflationary fees that blackmail you into paying |
| to know what specific training they have to teach | | | | them hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to |
| not just how skilled they are in the martial arts. | | | | finally receive the belt your child has worked |
| Martial Arts ability is a different skill than being a | | | | years to achieve. |
| knowledgeable teacher, and knowing how to | | | | 9. Can I stay and watch class if I want? |
| teach children is yet a third skill. Don't conflate | | | | You have a right to see what they are teaching |
| them. | | | | doing with your child. If you can't watch class or |
| The teacher should be able to provide you with | | | | listen to what they are saying to your child, leave. |
| some kind of information on his "Teaching | | | | You should never be cut off from seeing your |
| Education," how he learned to teach and become | | | | child. |
| a good teacher. My wife is a Ph.D. in Education and | | | | 10. What do you do for Continuing Education for |
| she can tell you that good teachers are made, | | | | you and your staff? |
| not born. You want to know what this person has | | | | Every professional must keep his skills up to date. |
| done to learn how to be a better teacher. | | | | If the school's head instructor is not continuing to |
| The next few questions revolve around your | | | | educate himself as to how best to teacher |
| child's safety in his martial arts class. | | | | children this is a bad sign. |