Finding a martial arts school is easy - finding a good school is difficult.   There are people who will actually write checks for $2000 and get suckered into a long term contract.  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!  We are very concerned about what kids are being taught at these belt factories.  Yes the student gains confidence, however, it will quickly be lost once they are confronted in the REAL world with an issue that will put that confidence in question.  We have seen the product of these factories come in to our school and cannot deal with the slightest constructive criticism and their confidence is shot down for a long time.  Imagine if they were put in a real self defense situation!  Click here to see criteria for a belt factory.
  

• Steer clear of schools that use "character building" and "life skills" as their main criteria.  It is usually a mask for not requiring physical 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, they will fail because they are overconfident and will lose that confidence forever.
  

• Some schools depend on "After School Martial Arts" and "Summer Camps".  If they have a day care license then you are leaving your child at a DAY CARE not a MARTIAL ARTS school!   The reason they need a license is because they need to spend time with the kids on field trips, snack time and creative activities instead of martial arts.  You will probably pay for day care at martial arts rates.  Those who depend on it usually have 30-40 kids in the program!  Regardless of the number of "instructors" are with them, it is organized chaos at best.  Without this program, the school cannot survive.  In fact, you will rarely even see adults students in these schools.
  

• Any school that promises to make you a black belt or an expert in less than 3 years is a scam and you will be made a sucker for believing it!  If you see kids as "black belts" - leave immediately!  Children 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 and wonder if they would really be able to do it.  Bring any "black belt" child to our school and have them demonstrate effective self defense against any technique we choose and you can train at our school for 6 months FREE.
  

• 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, much less guarantee it.
  

• 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 Tae Kwon Do 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.
  

• 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".  
  

• Find out about the CHARACTER of the head instructor.  This person 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 by privately asking existing students and parents.
  
• Make sure ALL classes are taught by ADULT Black Belts!  Color belts and high ranking students can 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.
  

• If a school tells you they are the "#1" or have the "best instructors", keep looking.  This is a clear sign of huge egos.  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.
  

• 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.
  

• 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.
  
  
• 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.