| If you want the best martial arts school for you | | | | certificate to offer, so it is still best to ask the |
| and/or your child, you need to know your goals. | | | | instructor who or where they learned their skill |
| Once you know what you want and what you | | | | from. Although beware of other so-called black |
| need, all you have to do is do your research and | | | | belts that just name drops like "The master who |
| set out to do them. Here are the different | | | | taught me learned his martial arts skills from this |
| "phases" or "steps" in choosing the right martial | | | | 12th degree black belt master who lived in the |
| arts school for you. | | | | secret caves and mountain of an unknown island." |
| Goals | | | | Experience |
| Do you want to learn martial arts for sport | | | | For me experience is more important than black |
| competition? self-defense? to lose weight? be | | | | belt certificates and one way to tell is by medals |
| active? or just to take up a hobby? Knowing why | | | | and trophies. Although some medals and trophies |
| you want to learn martial arts is the most | | | | can be forged, you can't really replace experience. |
| important aspect in searching for a martial arts | | | | Knowing the head instructor's experience is a |
| school or club. Every martial arts school or club is | | | | must if you want quality training in martial arts. |
| different, they too have their own goals to set on | | | | The best teachers are those that already |
| their students. | | | | experienced real-life situations and used the |
| Martial art style | | | | techniques they are teaching, because believe it |
| Once you have your goals set, the next step is | | | | or not, some techniques look good and sensible |
| choosing the right martial arts style. In this phase, | | | | when taught but when it is time to use them, it |
| you have to know yourself and know what you | | | | doesn't work as expected; be it in real life or in |
| can do and also know things that you would not | | | | contact sports. |
| do. If you're uncomfortable with using weapons, | | | | Programs |
| then you would need to steer clear of martial arts | | | | Last but not the least, what's this martial art |
| schools that are weapon-based (i.e. Kali/Escrima | | | | school has to offer. This goes in line with your |
| Arnis, Kendo). If your more inclined to hitting | | | | goals, is their program geared toward |
| people, then you would steer to martial arts | | | | self-defense, sport or fitness? You do not want |
| schools that teaches striking techniques (i.e. | | | | to learn how to fight competitively if your goal is |
| Karate, Boxing, Taekwondo) or else look for | | | | for self-defense, although some skills you will learn |
| martial arts schools that teach grappling (i.e. Judo, | | | | can also help in the streets, you will develop a |
| Jiu Jitsu, Aikido), which has minimal striking | | | | habit of thinking that there will be a referee to |
| techniques and focus more with grappling the | | | | stop the fight when you want to get out of the |
| opponent. | | | | situation. What about programs for kids? If you |
| Credentials | | | | want your kid to learn martial arts, ask what kind |
| Credentials cannot be really be compared to | | | | of programs they offer kids. The program to look |
| University diplomas like that of medical | | | | for should be fun and entertaining for the kids, |
| practitioners or lawyers. Although some schools | | | | you do not want your kids to lose their interest in |
| do hang them proudly on their walls as if this is | | | | learning martial arts right? |
| the gauge of their skills. These pieces of paper do | | | | You'd think that the price should be taken into |
| help in knowing who taught the main instructor of | | | | consideration, however if you can find the perfect |
| that martial arts schools. However, remember | | | | school that fits you the price shouldn't matter. |
| that not every martial art has a teaching | | | | |