HOW TO CHOOSE A MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
7 MAGIC QUESTIONS YOU MUST ASK BEFORE JOINING A MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
Mark Walker is the Chief Instructor of Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts. Everyday he helps Martial Arts School Owners around Australia and New Zealand lift their standards of practice and increase the efficiency of their teaching methods.
He has the following advice for people who are interesting in starting Martial Arts classes and are trying to choose a Martial Arts school.
“Have a look around at the Martial Arts schools in your area. There will probably be a few, and not all of them will be professional full time centres. Here are some questions for you to ask when you call the schools you are considering."
1. Is your school staffed by full time professional Martial Artists, or do your Instructors teach as a hobby?
There are many schools out there whose Instructors are great people, but they are not truly serious about their Martial Arts as a career. You need to decide if this is someone you want to trust your training (and that of your family), if they are not committed themselves.
The Instructors at Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts are career Martial Artists who are employed as Instructors on a full time basis. They are able to devote all their time to teaching and supporting their students.
2. Are your Children’s and Adult’s classes taught separately, or does everyone have to train together?
Professional schools will have suitably structured and separate classes for both adults and children.
At Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts we recognise that even seperating Childrens and Adults classes is not enough. Children at Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts are placed in classes depending on their age and needs. We realise that the way a 4 year old learns and the way 8 year olds learn are widely different. Therefore each of these groups has a seperate class and curriculum.
3. Are your Instructors specifically trained and qualified to teach children’s classes?
Children have special needs, and develop physically at different rates to adults. A professional school will have training courses for all Instructors who are involved in teaching children.
At Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts the Instructors are specifically trained in Instructing the variety of age groups of Zen Dan Kwan. Each Instructor has the "Working With Children Check" completed on them. The Instructors also undergo training from the Professional College of Martial Arts before they begin their Instructing. Each of the Instructors are engaged in ongoing training from this college to enhance their teaching skills.
4. Do you have a way to try the programme at no cost?
This is important. Beware of schools who expect you to pay for your classes before you have had the opportunity to experience a class.
At Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts prosepctive students have the opportunity to participate in a class at no cost and no obligation. They will be encouraged to ask questions as well as experience first hand the Zen Dan Kwan class experience. Only when the prospective student understands the School and the membership will they be invited to become a student.
5. Will I have to compete in tournaments?
Some schools require tournament wins in order to promote. Some schools expect you to compete regardless of your wishes. Sadly, many of these schools place more importance on tournament wins than personal achievement.
At Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts all the students are winners. The only person they ever have to beat is their own personal best or their own personal fears. By concentrating on personal growth and acheivement we encourage a strong sense of Self Esteem and promote respect for other students.
6. Is the Instructor sufficiently qualified to run their own Belt Exams, or do you have to travel to test?
Some schools require you to travel long distances in order to take promotion tests, or will require that you belong to another "parent" or accrediting organization in order to test. These instructors do not usually have sufficient rank or experience to professionally evaluate a student's progress.
Belt Exams at Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts are held every month right here at the Corrimal St Dojang. The Instructor who holds the Belt Exams is our own Chief Instructor. The students know him and he knows them. Students at Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts will never be subjected to testing by strangers.
7. Do you have a record of successfully promoting students to Black Belt?
Ask how many people they have promoted to Black Belt in the last year. This will tell you how professional the Instructors are. Some Instructors take great pride in their high failure rate, believing this shows their high standards.
At Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts our Instructors are trained to help their students to achieve a Black Belt. The Instructors feel it is their responsibility to get students to Black Belt. All students are expected to train hard. If the student does train hard, there are no artificial boundaries to the student progressing and eventually achieving a Black Belt.
This is an important bonus question.
Do you charge testing and memberships fees?
These are the ‘hidden fees and charges’ in most Martial Arts schools. In some schools it can be as much as $199 to move up a rank. At Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts there are no charges for testing. There are also no charges for items such as insurance, membership or registration. It is the job of a professional School to provide insurance and registration to the School. It is not the job of the student to pay extra for this basic requirement of a Martial Arts School.
Another important question to ask is the frequency of payments. There is a growing trend to charge fortnightly payments for Martial Arts classes. Be aware that this is often a tactic to get students to pay a for 13 months worth of training in a 12 month period. This is a most dubious practice! A professional School will have options about paying membership fees. At Zen Dan Kwan School of Martial Arts the students generally pay a monthly membership, although other options are avaliable. When the student enrolls the cost of membership for one year is set out. At no time will the student be asked to pay extra fees or charges for their training.
Carefully conisder the answers you are given to these questions. This will help you decide which schools you should visit and whether you would like to belong to that School on a long term basis.
