I recieved this article as part of a newsletter.
Read it and comment on it (if you choose).
========================
WHAT ART/SCHOOL?
THE FOLLOWING IS FROM JUDO INFO:
* Which Martial Art should I study? That's a question that only you
can answer, maybe with a little help of your physician (in
determining whether you should practice martial arts at all). While
some people advocate that "my style fits any individual", it is very
debatable if any single individual would adapt to
any style. It
depends heavily on your objectives, but remember, these may change
with time. Many people who begin martial arts training strictly to
learn self-defense become quite interested in other aspects as their
training progresses. (a) What are you looking for? For instance, if
you are looking for "on the street" self-defense training
Taiji or Kendo might not be your first choice. Some choices: Jujutsu,
Hapkido, some Gongfus, Karate, Ken(m)po, Baguazhang, Tang Soo Do,
Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Ninjutsu, Kali/Escrima/Arnis, Silat, or
Xingyiquan. If you are looking for meditation and philosophy Western
Boxing is probably a poor choice as well. Some choices: most
Gongfus, Aikido, Taiji, Kendo, Kenjutsu, or Iaido. If you are
looking for a sport and competition, Shaolin Long Fist would
probably be a bad choice. Some choices: Fencing, some
Karates/Gongfus, Judo, Boxing, Kendo, Tae Kwon Do, Savate, or
Shuaijiao. If you are looking for intense body conditioning and
muscle development, Aikido is probably not the style for you. Some
choices: some Okinawan Karates, Judo, some Gongfus, Muay Thai, Tae
Kwon Do, Capoeira. Now these are general guides - in truth any art
can be taught in a manner which promotes any of these things - Taiji
masters have competed, some Aikido schools have rigorous workouts
associated with the class, etc. The way to find out is to look at
three things, only one of which is directly linked to the style. - -
The basics of the style (what does it teach, what is it used for) - -
The skill and the teaching style of the teacher - -The purpose and
the logistics of the school. See Section (5) "How do I choose a
school" for the answers to the last two questions. Also remember
that more "complete" arts (ones with more techniques)
naturally require longer periods of time for a practitioner to achieve a given level of proficiency. This is neither good nor bad; there are good
points on both sides of the debate. This is simply another facet to
account for in your decision. (b) Advice of many experienced Martial
Artists here on NetLand coincide in the point of "go, read, look
around, ask---then decide". As above the teacher and the school
have as much to do with what you will learn as the style. Check out the
styles in your area. Go see some classes of the different styles and
see what interests you and what you think you would stick with. (c)
Many people change from one style to another. While this is a common
practice, accepted as a means of development, it is known that the
first style is normally the one that leaves the base, the more
profound "marks". Try to choose a style that suits your
needs and at
the same time offers you a kind of "challenge" to go on
learning.
=====================================================================
5) How do I choose a School? This question is integrally linked
with Question 4 "Which Martial Art should I study?". A
couple of
things that are important parts to look at in the process of
choosing a school: -The environment where you'll learn and train -
The peoplem that will be your partners -The instructor -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. [From Kirk Lawson:] There are several options for those short
on cash who still want to learn a martial art. First, many school's
will work with a student who truly wants to learn but is tight on
cash. Talk to the head instructor. Frequently a deal can be struck
that involves cleaning the school or some such. Second is the option
to find what I call "Garage Schools." These are instructors
that
teach out of their garages and basements. They almost always have
a "day" job and teach simply for the love of the art at a
vastly
reduced price; Sometimes $20 a month or less. Sometimes these Garage
Schools teach through your local Park and Rec. program at similar
cost savings. Third, for High school and college students, check
with your Student Association or similar body. Schools and
universities frequently have Martial Arts Clubs opperating through
the school. You can usually join these clubs at no or minimal cost
if you are a student. Sometimes these clubs are open to non-students
as well. Further, some progressive universities offer a Martial Arts
class for credit as part of the physical fitness curriculum.
Naturally, there are sacrifices in each approach. To cut a deal with
an instructor, you may have to eat humble pie by admitting that
you're in a tight spot right now. It's something that many are loath
to do. Finding a Garage School has it's own challenges as well. They
usually don't advertise and so you only hear about them by word of
mouth. You have to expend some effort looking for them to find them.
Sometimes they are upper rank black belts in another school that
they themselves travel some distance to train in. The advantage of a
Garage School is that the instructor is interested in passing on the
art, not making money, and the classes tend to be rather small.
Thus, you typically get a very high level of instruction. Finding a
Park and Rec. program is a bit easier, but you still have to contact
the Park and Rec. program or admin. to find out. You can usually do
this by contacting your local Civic Center or, for people entering a
new area, check the contents of your Welcome Wagon basket. With both
Garage Schools and Park and Rec. schools, you typically have a more
limited selection and may not be able to find exactly the school you
want. In the university and school programs, as with the Garage
Schools, your selection is frequently more limited. -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!
