Martial arts schools have the unique ability to provide self-defense training, character development programs for kids, and a family-like atmosphere for anyone in their communities. For someone looking for these benefits and wanting to get themselves or children involved, there are a few things to look for when searching for a school to try out. At a glance, most schools might look similar, but when you know what to look for, it’s easy to see the difference between schools.
The most important factor to look for in a martial arts school is the instructor and instruction. Not only do they need to teach great martial arts, they need to spend time every class talking to the students about the characteristics they need to be successful in school and life outside of class. The instructor should make each and every class about the students’ overall growth, and not use the time to show off their skills in the martial arts. Every class should challenge the students physically and mentally, and the students should leave the class with new information.
One extremely important aspect to look for in regards to the instruction is how well the students are disciplined and following instructions. A well-trained instructor should create a culture that is fun and exciting, but also full of respect and discipline. In a disciplined school, the students will spend time in straight lines, moving around the room, and in front of kicking pads. Through all of the motion, the instructor should maintain control, and all of the students should be responding to what the instructor says. If the school seems to be run by the students, then the instruction will not be what the parent is looking for.
Next, you should look for the involvement of the parents. It is crucial that what the instructor is saying and doing is valuable enough that even the parents are watching and nodding along. If the content is repetitive or boring, the parents will likely be on their phone, but if the content is engaging, the parents will be watching, laughing, and just as involved as the students. Every person who walks into the martial arts school should be impacted before they leave.
Another very important standard all schools need to meet is the overall cleanliness of school. The first thing people notice, no matter the business, is what the place smells and looks like. No person is going to want to train in a dojo that smells of dirty feet and gym clothes, and no student is going to want to leave their martial arts class with dirty feet. There’s also a sanitary aspect schools should be held to. Their pads and mitts need to be cleaned, bathrooms need to be kept, mats and floors need to be mopped, and their windows shouldn’t be covered in fingerprints. If you find a school that is maintaining all of these and more, there is a direct correlation to how well the instructors and staff will care for the students.
Other determining factors are the appearance of the staff and their overall attitude. Every person you see working in the school should be clean, groomed, and full of positive energy. They should welcome you when you enter the building, and you should know that they have your best interest in mind. You want the instructor to be wearing a nice, sharp looking uniform, and he/she should emulate everything the students want to gain by being there. By looking for these qualities, you’ll know if the staff at the school are excited about what they do and if they will take care of you.
Finding the right martial arts school will be the determining factor of whether or not a person commits to martial arts. Most of the time, someone will only try one school out and judge them all based on that one experience, so it is crucial for that first experience to be amazing. If you are a parent looking for martial arts, do some research first and find a school in your area that meets all of the above criteria. If you want to make that search much simpler, check out any Premier Martial Arts school in your area and you’ll find schools that are clean, have impactful and exciting classes, staff that will take care of you, and provides the perfect first experience your child needs.
Premier Martial Arts instructs both disciplines of Karate and Tae Kwon Do. This way students of Premier Martial Art schools all over the United States from Kingstown Rhode Island to Knoxville Tennessee, from Havelock North Carolina to West Linn Oregon, can get the best of both of these great styles of martial arts for kids.
