Finding a martial arts school is easy - finding a good school is difficult.   There are people who will actually write checks for $2000 up front, yet have not even looked at other schools.  Since most students do not know what to look for and are usually pressured into signing a contract, we have written this to help students find the right school without getting scammed by bad practices.

• Stay away from "Belt Factories"!  These type of schools are a waste of your time and money!  Click here to see criteria for a belt factory.   Any school that promises to make you a black belt or an expert in less than 3 years is a scam! 
  
  

• Most schools focus on one thing - sport, art, or self defense.  What is your objective?  Don't be too concerned with the style if the program meets your needs.  Our kids program is primarily sport and art, but our adult Taekwondo program is a mix of all three, leaning more toward self defense and art rather than sport & tournaments.  Our adult Combat Jujitsu is strictly self defense.
  
  

• Check out the school and the size of the school.  While we have over 2000 square feet of WORKOUT space (and that is hard to find at most schools), there are schools as small as 10 ' x 25', no lobby/viewing area and one bathroom!  Usually these will be the schools in the strip malls next to a grocery store or high traffic area.
  
  

• You may see an entire family at the same belt rank, or all students progressing at the same pace.  This implies all students learn at the same pace.  EVERYONE learns differently!  The reason this is done is to keep the student "happy" and to keep them from quitting.  The problem is - in reality the student learns little.  
  
  

• There must be minimum time AND skill requirements from one belt rank to the next, and each student should be tested on requirements for their previous belts on every test!  
  
  

• Politics have allowed some to test for their next rank and bypass certain parts of their physical test.  EVERY student should physically test for ALL parts of the curriculum - NO EXCEPTIONS!  If there are physical impairments modifications can be made, however one cannot skip sparring for example just because they have "bad knees".  
  
  

• There are "Grandmasters" who date their own students while married or have a reputation for flirting with students.  This goes to the CHARACTER of a person who is trying to teach you how to be a better person through the martial arts.  There are many ways to check them out, but start with the existing students and parents.
  
  
• Make sure ALL classes are taught by ADULT Black Belts!  Color belts and high ranking students should lead the class in warm-up or stretching only!  Some schools boast about "Grandmasters", "World Champions", and "Demonstration Team Members", yet you won't ever see them teaching the classes.
  
  
• Do you want your instructor to be a sex predator or convicted of selling/using drugs?  Amazingly, getting a criminal background check through the state police is not a requirement for martial arts schools!  ALL OUR INSTRUCTORS ARE CERTIFIED AND HAVE A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK BY THE STATE POLICE. 
  
  

• Steer clear of schools that use "character building" and "self esteem building" as their main criteria.  It is usually a mask for not requiring any martial arts skills.  Amazingly, we have so many students that transfer from these schools and have NO martial arts skills or knowledge.  The sad part is that if they ever need to use their martial arts and fail because they are overconfident, they will lose that confidence forever.
  
  

• If a school tells you they are the "#1" or have the "best instructors", keep looking.  You can count on instructors with huge egos if they tell you they are the best.  Those descriptions should be left for YOU to decide.  The amount of students enrollment is not an indication of their ability to train you.  While a school with only 25 students is questionable, a school with 250 students can easily be unethical.
  
  

• If a school guarantees you will get a black belt, then it is EASY and the belt is WORTHLESS.  This is like attending a college that will guarantee a diploma regardless of grades.  Typical signs are schools that promote students automatically every 2-3 months.  A good martial arts school should never emphasize the belts or how quickly one will get to the next rank.
  
  

• Make sure you are ready to commit!  Most people want to learn self defense, get into shape, etc., yet quit after 3-6 months.  Martial arts is a way of life.  
  
  

• Call the school and make sure their program will meet your goals.  Then ask about tuition rates.  If they want you to come in to discuss prices, it WILL be expensive.  Some owners actually take seminars on how to answer the phone and get you to come in - expect the high pressure tactics and expect to be bullied into a 3 year commitment.
  
  

• If you see "black belts" under the age of 10 - leave immediately!  An 8 year old cannot possibly understand the basics of martial arts, the philosophies of martial arts, teach adults or even defend themselves (all basic requirements of the black belt), regardless of how talented or bright that child may be!  Simply ask one of these "black belts" what they would do in a given self defense situation - just listen to their explanation.
  
  

• Do NOT sign a contract for more than 1 year!  Most contracts include an agreement that automatically deducts your monthly payment.  Once you sign, you are totally committed whether you like the school or not.  You will likely hear "we will work something out if you do not like it here".  While you need to commit to your training for many years to be proficient, the school should not force you.  Our school has month to month, 6 month and 1 year agreements and you can pay be check or credit card.
  
  

• Does the school offer convenient class times?  Are you limited to two days a week?  If so, which two days?  To become proficient you need to attend 3 classes per week.  We offer classes Monday through Saturday.  Students can attend as often as they want on any day they wish, so you can change YOUR schedule from week to week if needed.
  
  
• Some schools depend on "After School Martial Arts" and "Summer Camps".  Generally, there is nothing wrong with these programs, however those who depend on it usually have 30-50 kids in the program!  Without this program, the school cannot survive.  In fact, you will rarely even see adults students in these schools.  We offer an after school program but do not depend on it and  limit it to 15 kids.
  
  
• Make no mistake, schools need to make money to stay in business, but there is no reason for gouging.  You will be very surprised at how your tuition may be the least of your expenses!  Examples include: charging more than $150  for sparring gear, more than $50 for color belt tests and over $500 for a black belt.  You may even be told that it comes from Korea, Japan, China or wherever - it rarely (if ever) does!
  
  
• How do the students behave and act in AND out of the school.  The foundation for martial arts training includes respect, discipline, character and mental skills.  You will find an astonishing amount of students that behave badly and disrespectful outside the school.  While this is more common at the lower belt levels, you should not see this behavior with higher belt ranks.  A good way to find out, is to simply watch the higher ranked students as they leave class and are getting ready to leave the school.
  
  
• Many schools combine kids and adults in the same class.  This requires a slower pace of teaching since kids cannot learn at the same pace as adults.  Besides, the adult curriculum should be totally different than the kids curriculum.  Our classes are separated between kids and adults.  While we allow adults to take the kids class, kids are NOT allowed to take the adult classes.
  
  
• If you are looking for a school for your child, will you be able to watch them take class?  Some schools are so small or poorly designed, they don't even have a lobby which allows you to watch.  The excuse you will likely hear is - "they need to concentrate and focus and we rather not have the interruption".  In our view, that is also part of the training - to be able to focus with distractions.  However, parents should never interrupt or assist during class times.