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Belt factories is a term used by martial artists to describe a school where image or profit is of a higher importance than standards.
When looking for a school, if any criteria matches add the number of points on the right. The more points accumulated, the more likely the school is a belt factory. Your goal is to find a school that has 0 points.
If points total between 5 and 10 - probably
a pretty good school.
If points total between 15 and 20 - decent school, just discuss your concerns
with head instructor.
If point total between 25 and 30 - keep looking, you can probably find a
better school.
If your points total more than 35 - look
for another school. This school is a complete waste of your time and
money.
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IF THE SCHOOL YOU ARE LOOKING TO JOIN HAS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: |
POINTS ======= |
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Students get promoted every 2-3 months automatically (and if they are not ready - get a "makeup" test 1 month later) |
15 points |
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Has dan level black belts under the age of 18 OR kids that hold 2nd, 3rd degree black belts |
15 points |
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Requires you sign a 1 to 3 year contract / does not offer short term contracts |
10 points |
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Has 20 or more students in their "after school program" or "summer camp" |
10 points |
| Has 50 or more students in their "after school program" or "summer camp" | 20 points |
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There are consistently more than 20 students with 1 instructor per class |
10 points |
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Offers "Black Belt Club" and guarantees a black belt within a certain time frame |
10 points |
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Has less than 10% of their student body consisting of adults |
5 points |
| All students pass test - no possibility of failing the test. | 5 points |
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Instructor claims to belong to an organization that cannot be traced to a well known legitimate organization. |
5 points |
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Instructor younger than other instructors that hold similar rank |
5 points |
| Instructor holds high level rankings (master/grandmaster) in a large variety of styles or arts. | 5 points |
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Is located in a high traffic area (next to a grocery store, shopping mall, etc) |
5 points |
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Has testing fees that escalate with rank (white belt $25, yellow belt $30, green belt $50, etc) |
5 points |
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Is open every day, but you can only attend 2 classes per week. |
5 points |