Julio Anta age 54, June 1, 2011
Martial arts schools are everywhere in South Florida! If you live in Doral there are 17 schools within a 5-mile radius of your home and that’s excluding the elementary schools that offer martial arts. There are estimated to be more than six million martial arts practitioners in North America, about 70% of those are children.
There are so many martial arts schools and so little time to look around! How does one choose the right school for you or your child? All martial arts schools are not created equal. Here are three useful tips to help you to pick the right martial arts school.
The Instructor: The instructor must be fit and successful. How can an unfit instructor teach you or your children discipline if he/she isn’t fit? If he has very little students how can he teach you to succeed in life if he is un-successful in his martial arts business? Remember, success attracts success. He/she must be at least a black belt. Yet, a black belt of any level (first degree to tenth), is not a sign that the wearer is a good teacher or that he or she knows how to run a business. In some styles a black belt can be earned in 31/2 years and in others up to 12 years. Be careful if the instructor brags about being a national or world champion. You can find a karate, kung fu or tae kwon do national or world championship every weekend in the USA alone. Let’s say that there was one national and one world champion, just because someone is a good athlete, doesn’t mean they are a good teacher. Does the instructor believes in continual education and is certified in other styles of martial arts, self defense, anti-bullying and child safety? If the instructor tells you that his hands are a deadly weapon and is registered with the FBI ran out of there you are talking to a self centered nut case.
The School: A good martial arts school should teach life skills, fitness, self defense and use safety equipment for sparring. Just like any business, the way the facility looks and its cleanliness says a lot about the attitude and aptitude of the owner. A martial arts school should be clean and organized. It should have fresh paint on the walls and clean mats. It should not smell bad. The restrooms should be clean, organized and odorless. The school should be well equipped with training equipment. If a school doesn’t look professional, chances are it isn’t. If you go to a school that’s been in business for a year or longer and it’s still empty, something’s not right with the school. Most martial arts teachers think their classes are the best classes the same way that most restaurateurs think that their food is the best food. If the school and the parking lot are empty, it’s a sign that the customers have a different opinion.
The Attitude: A bad attitude = a bad school. Are the instructors and students friendly or do the instructors and students have a Cobra Kai of the original Karate Kid attitude. You know a tough guy attitude, a bunch of guys hanging out, horse playing, shirtless and cursing. The martial arts are about respect and discipline. If you get a weird feeling, or don’t feel comfortable there you shouldn’t become a customer of that school. If the attitude of the owner is superb and his or her staff exhibits a similar attitude, then you’ve found the right martial arts school.
If you have any questions feel free to call me at 305 599-3649
Julio Anta
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