Starting Martial Arts--How to find the right studio?

[bisous]

I'm coming to the conclusion that martial arts might be just the right spot for my boys two oldest boys. They aren't into team sports but need conditioning and could use some fun practice at coordination. Additionally, for my older boy, the self-restraint of martial arts would be really, really good for him.

I don't know a thing about finding a martial arts studio and would love to have some BTDT. There are at least two studios in my city that are very old/established and have Grand Masters at the helm but maybe a smaller spot would be better?

I imagine that depending on the child and the aim of the child, it would depend on the better studio? I also imagine that the actual instructor and personality of the instructor would be important.

What questions should I ask? WWYD?

Any BTDT would be REALLY appreciated!

Thank you!

[Jen841]

We went to a studio a friend recommended, and 2 years later and 2 years of summer camp my FIRST grader is 2 belts away from being a black belt.

Karate was recommended by our family therapist, and it has been PRICELESS for him. The therapist missed out b/c due to the self control of the karate he did not need her anymore : )

We went to a recommended studio. Things that people told me that sold me:
Various ages per class (if you have 2 kids I would want them both in class at the same time to simplify things for you)
Do they charge for testing/belts? (ours does not)
How often are you expected to attend a week? (they 'prefer' 2X a week)
Times/Days of classes (do they work for your schedule)
What form do they teach? (I have a friend with a smaller child and her husband only wants hit to do jit-it-su (sp?) I think we do Kempo, but I could be wrong!)
Fees Structure (we pay a monthly fee, we signed up for a year so we get a discounted rate)
How often can they attend? (ours have 1-3 classes per day, and my son can go every day if he/we want to)
If you sign up for a year can you 'free' the membership (since he is in camp there we 'freeze' our membership over the summer and don't pay the monthly fee since he is in classes dailly)
You get a multi child discount
There are monitors so we can see what is doing on in the Dojo which I enjoy
The waiting area at our Dojo is very nice and calming for me, and they have wireless
Length of class (45 minutes is perfect for my son's attention and endurance)
Ciriculum - we alternate weekly themes - Self Defense, Weapons,...

The Gi was free when we joined. As he has grown via levels and size we have bought Gi pieces.

Ours has a summer camp, after care program and programs on days that school is closed. In addition once a month they have a parents night out for $15 that you can drop off the kids. It is very FAMILY oriented. We have even down a birthday party there.

We love our place, I hope you find a good place. You will know soon if it is a good fit for you.

[ahisma]

Word of mouth, IMO.

I looked all over for a studio in my town and couldn't find one that seemed like a good fit. DH posted on FB asking for recommendations (he has more friends in the area than I do since he grew up here) - we found one 3 blocks away that is a GREAT fit. They don't advertise and rely mainly on word of mouth.

[happymomma]

I would totally go by recommendation. Originally I just signed my son for a Karate place nearby. I should have known that it wasn't that good but DS seemed to enjoy it. They were the epitome of what not to do. I called it the gymboree of karate. They made us sign up for 9 months and then had to give a 3 month notice. They weren't teaching properly and they advanced everyone at the same time. So eventually we left and went to this place that was recommended by a friend of mine. It was night and day. This place is the epitome of what martial arts entail. The master teaches them more than just how to do taekwondo. He also discusses with the kids the philosophy and how to be a better person, to always strive for their best and to pay attention. They don't charge for belt ceremonies and they only move up those that are ready. So DS started with some people but he has advanced much faster. We started at white belt. But he is tuff. My DS is quite scared of getting in trouble with him. The other nice thing is that when we want to cancel, we just need to let them know. The commute to the place sucks because I have to drive into the city but it is so worth it.

I would just visit a few places and get the feel of it. I felt right away that this place was what I wanted to put DS in.

[smiles33]

There's great advice here and I wanted to add our experience. Some of this is pasted from my Yelp review of DD's kajukenbo studio. DH did the research by visiting 4 or 5 local martial arts studios, observing classes, talking to teachers, and talking to friends whose kids are in martial arts.

He explained that he chose the one we ended up at because it isn't as commercial as other martial arts studios where they have huge classes to make more money. There are only 5 or 6 kids in my daughter's original 4-5 year olds' class so she gets plenty of personal attention and the teacher calls her by name. She's now in the 6-9 year old class and there are 15-20 (with at least 3 teachers).

My husband also said the focus on family values, respect, and discipline at this studio would be a great foundation for our daughter, almost more important than the confidence she would gain in being able to defend herself physically. I was hesitant, as I thought my girly, princess-dress wearing daughter would never want to take the class but she LOVES it.

I've observed a year's worth of her classes now and really appreciate the mix of benefits here:

1) discipline in terms of listening respectfully to the teacher and learning control over one's own body (many little kids have trouble with this but you can see improvement in just 4 or 5 classes)

2) exercise and coordination (I was a clumsy kid and would have loved to have a class like this to get more coordinated)

3) teamwork focus and not one of competition (the kids high-five one another)

4) just plain fun! My 5 year old often asks why she only has class once/week and would love to go more often!

[Simon]

Having trained in martial arts myself, as an adult, I have been looking into schools for Ds1, but I will be super picky.

My focus:
1. No sparring among beginners
2. Focus on technique and discipline, not belts/testing
3. Small classes, appropriate age grouping
4. No contracts, parents able to visit/observe first
5. Good emotional safety (kids should feel safe at all times)

Red flags:
1. Signing a contract
2. Fees for belt testing
3. Pre-scheduled test dates for all kids
4. High student teacher ratio
5. Kids teaching kids

I think MA can be fabulous, but it is important to be at a school where the emphasis is on learning the art not on progressing through the ranks. There are many "black belt mills" out there where you can, essentially, buy your kids way to their black belt. You want a school that only sets up testing or allows testing for a child when s/he is ready as an individual.

ETA: I refuse to let Ds1 train where they also have combative MMA or UFC style training for adults. I don't want him to see it or be anywhere near that kind of fighting. I don't mind if there is also weapons training as a part of the style. have had pretty good luck vetting by Web site so far.

You do want a place with a Grand Master or rather someone with serious training. IME, the "best" senior instructors are black belts (or close to) in at least 2 different martial arts styles. A black belt is the best training partner for a beginner because they know best how to modify their level of contact and control their actions to protect the novice. This is one reason its important to have a low student/instructor ratio and to avoid places where kids are serving as instructors for one another.

[belovedgandp]

Definitely ask around and visit several to get a feel.

We are exactly two years into TKD for our family. DH and then 6 1/2 YO started two years ago and now my 5 YO is one year into their "cub" program for 4 and 5 year olds.

It has been fantastic for our whole family.

DH did the investigating as he wanted to participate also. Things that turned him off some other local places included:

- tight class schedules, 45 min class scheduled every 45 min isn't realistic
- almost condescending with the "yes sir" - yes it is part of martial arts, but the kids are 6 and new
- emphasis on fast rank testings

Our school has grown a lot in the past two years. Classes are bigger, but they divide them up well for the adult instructors to work with smaller groups within. I can get whiny about the time and money, but that's when I'm grumpy. Overall it has been fantastic and I can see us continuing for many more years.

[bisous]

Thank you! This is SO helpful--both what to look for and what to look out for! I've hired a babysitter to check some places out on Friday. :)

[mypa]

These are some great replies. For those that don't mind, how much do you pay per month? The schools we have looked around here seem to average $129/mo.

[Nyfeara]

We are about to start at the end of the month (free class then start in Sept) at a place recommended by a friend. They have no contract and no testing fees, etc. It is 2x/wk, 30 min each night for 5-6 yo at $99/month. DS1 is very excited about it.

ETA: We're in the Philly suburbs.

[lfp2n]

Definitely consider judo it is a great martial art- it is more of a sport, it is focussed more on grappling/wrestling than striking and fighting using weapons. It takes years to get belts, my DD is about to go for her first belt after 2 years, a belt a year is fairly 'fast track'. Its great for discipline, whole body strength and conditioning, balance etc.
Our dojo is $75 a month with 4 lessons on a week if you want, they encourage you to try and attend 2 per week but sometimes we only make 1. The class is a mixed age group kids class but DH also attends and does some activities warm up with everyone and fighting with the other dads. He loves it and sometimes stays on for the adults class.