So how do I pick a martial art and a dojo?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve been thinking for a while about taking some kind of martial art. I’d like to get out and meet some people, get more fit, do something different. I’m not going to be any good at it - I’m bred to be ornamental, we joke. I have no natural grace. I enjoy our ballroom dance lessons, but they’re private and even though I suck I’m still better than my boyfriend, I think. (He doesn’t read the Dope. I think.)

My cousin used to do aikido, and I know she really enjoyed it. I thought maybe the people taking aikido and the people teaching it might be less, well, you know, than maybe other arts where you do a lot of beating people up. Maybe I have a misconception of the sorts of people I might meet at a martial arts class, but I really don’t want to meet those guys who are always telling me about their tae kwan do or jujitsu or whatever they take - they’re usually real assholes. (I assume the non-assholes don’t use it as a conversation starter, right?) I’m not really looking to learn how to beat people up, although being more able to defend myself would be a nice benefit - really I’m looking for fitness, a hobby, that sort of thing. I pay for a gym membership but I don’t go - I thought maybe I’d be more likely to stick with some more organized activity. I don’t mind if it’s difficult, but I don’t want an exercise in frustration - it has to be something I’m at least technically capable of. And I don’t want to be the only woman in the grownup classes.

So, once I pick an art, how do I pick a school? My choices seem to be rather limited here (Columbia, SC - I’d be willing to go to Lexington or Irmo or somewhere, no further than Blythewood.) There’s an aikido place in Lexington with a website, I noticed. What should I be looking for? How do you know if some place is any good? They all say they’re certified by somebody or another, how do you know who the right organizations even are? How much should this cost - about what should I expect? I assume I’ll have to buy my own Japanese underwear, are there other costs? Things I should be cautious of? Warning signs?

Any advice would be helpful, but local advice would be cherished indeed. I just want to have a good time, get in better shape, learn something, and meet some nice people who go out for beer after.

2

IMHO you really need to go to the dojos and sit in on a class. Preferably, actually participate in a class (which should be allowed for free). That will help you decide which art you think you’d be most interested in.

If you want to meet new people, you’ll probably want a school that has kids and adults separate. My school has different adult and kid belt tracks, but we all do group lessons together. Most days I’m the only adult there. This works out ok for me because I didn’t go there to meet folks, I went there to just learn something new and get out of the house. I feel that if a school has kids and adults separate, there’ll tend to be more adults.

Regarding fees - they vary a lot. My school is $80/mo for 1 private lesson and 3 group lessons a week. But since I take my private lesson with my friend, we each pay $40/mo. We had to buy our own gi (“Japanese underwear”) but we don’t have to pay for our belts/testing. This is a lot different than my friend’s dojo that was way more expensive and involved yearly contracts and had a completely different testing scheme. But we practiced completely different arts.

You need to call each place you are thinking of going to and get their prices. Ask about uniform fees and testing fees. Ask about contracts. Then visit all of the ones you can afford and sit in for free at least once. You decide from there.

3

Do you mean you’re getting 4 lessons, one private and 3 group, every week for $80 a month, or did I read that wrong? (If so, that’s got to be the best deal in town. My ballroom dance lessons are $95 for 4, although that does include both of us.)

4

Yeah we (my friend and I) get one 30-minute private lesson per week and attend three 45-minute group lessons per week as well (that’s all the group sessions they have right now - in the summer it’s just 2 per week). And I only pay $40 a month.

But like I said, it’s mostly kids. Like, between 4 and 13 years old. It’s not like group class is high-intensity. More like hanging out and going over yellow belt moves a million times while the little ones spin in circles and fall on the floor. I feel like I get my money’s worth, though.

5

Narrow it down to two schools, and then go to each school and tell them “Hey, the guys over at So and So Dojo said they could totally kick your asses!” Watch the ensuing martial arts throwdown and go with the winners. :smiley:

6

Definitely pick a handful and ask to go observe or participate in a class or two at each school. Most schools will let you do this for free before paying any fees and signing up.

All of the following is IMO:

The personality of the instructor is most important. Are they a drill-seargent? Are they zen-hippie meditators? Are they chatty and friendly? Are they stern and aloof? Are they ego-driven, or are they humble? Any of these will mesh differently with your personality and your learning style. Finding the best environment to maximize your learning quality is very important.

Second, take a look at the other students. Are the beginners enthusiastic? Are there smiles? Are the senior students skilled and looked up to? You’ll be one of those seniors in a year or two, is their skill level where you expect or want to be? Do the beginners and seniors interact well and train together (good thing) or is there a rigid rank hierachy and belt-rank-ego (bad thing)?

Finally, look at price, schedule, and contracts…

Never ever sign any committment longer than 3 months. The long contract schools make their money from canceled committments, and are little better than used-car salesmen. A good school that has earned its reputation does not depend upon contractual restraint to keep its students.

Are there rank/belt fees? I think these are a rip-off in most cases. Watch out for schools that nickle and dime you to death with extra hidden fees (t-shirt, belt, rank, consultations, mandatory seminars, travel fees, video/DVD fees, handout copy fees, etc). The best thing you can find is a school with only a set standard monthly fee, and maybe an occasional rank-test fee.

The least important thing in a school, again IMO, is their parent organization or certification (unless you are wanting to join a competitive sport type of MA, in which case parent organization and resources become important). Some of the finest instructors and schools work out of backyards, garages, and YMCA rooms. Don’t think that having some banner, certificate, or trophy in any way correlates to the quality of the school.

7

That’s kind of one thing I’m confused about - I mean, how do you know if they’re any good if you don’t know anything about it? I want to have a good time, but I also want to challenge myself and learn something new. How do I know if they’re good at this, if they teach safely, if I’m going to get hurt by following their instructions?

8

That’s why you should observe the class first and see how the instructors and students interact. It’s also why after observing you should try a class and see how it goes. You will get a general sense of how the class is run that way and will come away with either a good or bad vibe.

Re: Teaching safely:
In general, that is partly what the ranking system is for in most martial arts. Lower ranks are expected NOT use any type of contact until they have developed their fine motor control on their techniques. Higher ranks are expected to start using some LIMITED contact. Againk, these are general rules of thumb in most schools. There are always exceptions, though, and those are the ones you will want to watch out for. Again, observe the class and try it once before committing and you will have a good idea of how “safe” the teaching is for that class.

Hope this helps.

9

So no opinions on which discipline?

10

My usual answer to this is “that’s kind of like telling you what to name your kids.” :smiley:

You say you don’t want to learn how to beat people up so much as get fit, meet people and have a good time. Aikido is a good art in that regard. Aikido as a martial art does tend to be less “you know,” as you put it, then most martial arts. The founder wanted to create a peaceful martial art in which pains are taken not to hurt the attacker any more than necessary, and that really appeals to some people. That might not be the only art that would appeal to you, though; you might enjoy Judo as well, although it tends to be slightly more rough-and-tumble than Aikido. I could elaborate (and will later), but I have to run for a bit.

11

I studied Wing Tsun and loved it, for what it’s worth. I even taught a few women’s classes for a while. It’s a great martial art for women because it focuses on using natural body motion to defend, and very simple but effective attacks. You don’t need bulk but you will get toned and get stronger. It also helps with balance and posture. I enjoyed practicing the forms because it is a kind of dynamic meditation. I’d definitely recommend it.

12

I will, as I usually do, recomend Kuk Sool Won, both for “get in shape” workout and for giving a good grounding in the basics. The website (which can be found via Google) will show if there is a school close to you.

However, pravnik is correct. It’s kind of like buying a car… what is right for each person is different. Kuk Sool might not be right for you. Aikido may not be right for you. you really won’t know until you can go watch a class or two, and even better, try it out.

13

Visit the schools. See if they will give you at least one free lesson so that you can get a feel for their teaching style. Talk to current students and get their opinions.

Do not sign a contract for longer than six months to start with, no matter what kind of a deal they offer. At the end of six months, you will know whether or not you want to stay with them.

14

Well, looking at the Yellow Pages (and I know there’s probably a billion back yard dojos I don’t know about that aren’t there, but since I don’t exactly have beaucoup connections in the martial art world, I don’t know they exist), my options are… slim. Karate, Tae Kwan Do, or Aikido it is.

15

If it were me, of the three you listed I would pick Aikido. It has some great real world applications and is quite fun to do. If I had time, I would take an Aikido class in addition to my Tang Soo Do class that I’m currently in.

16

I’m going tonight, hopefully, to observe at a little bitty Aikido class. Seems to be the same people who do it at the university. Much closer to me than the place with the nice website - the only thing is, the schedule isn’t so hot for me. Tuesday night is game night, I work Thursdays, so I’d have to actually commit to getting out of bed for a 9 AM workout on the Saturdays I don’t work.

17

Schedule and location does factor in; if it’s a pain to get to you’re less likely to enjoy it. In case you don’t like it or can’t do the schedule, can you tell us more about the listing for the karate class? “Karate” is used for a wide range of different arts; Shotokan Karate is different from, say, American Kenpo Karate.

18

Absolutely watch a class (or two, preferably) before even talking seriously with the instructor. If you ask “I’m interested in joining, would it be okay for me to sit and watch a class or two”, the answer should be an enthusiastic yes. Be very wary if not: why don’t they want you watching? (Obviously, there’ll be some exceptions - they might say ‘yes, but not until next Tuesday’ because they’ve got something special/not regular going on. But you get my point.)

Belts/promotion/etc are sort of a mixed thing. Some people are very against them, for respectable reasons. Other people find them motivating. When I was a wee little ninja (training in TKD), I was very ready to quit for some (stupid) reasons. My instructor convinced me to stick at it until the next belt promotion and I did, and then I felt ‘into it’ again and kept going. Same thing happened more or less when I picked up a new art in college: “God, this is so frustrating, but I don’t like quitting things mid-way, so I’ll keep going until the belt promotion in the spring.” Do be wary of exorbitant fees and such (promotion fee, belt fee, ‘instructor needs a new car fee’).

I will, of course, take this moment to pimp Tae Kwon Do as an excellent art for getting fit. Good TKD schools can be hard to find, but they’re out there and well worth it. A good TKD school is not going to be big on the meditative/zen/etc stuff; it’s a very new art that was basically an adapted fitness routine for Korean troops.

Don’t sign up someplace if it’s a drag to get there. If you want to take it seriously, you’ll want to be there at least twice a week, and beginning in an art can be frustrating/disheartening/painful, like any fitness routine. Minimize your potential excuses for blowing it off.

19

Good question. Some of it can be noticed from the demographic of the student body. e.g. are they all 18 year olds doing backflips and tornado kicks? If so, it might not be the best place if you are a first timer 40 year-old.

Look for little things like students wearing splints, fingers taped, ankle or knee wraps…if you see many of these then the school may be a bit reckless and injury prone.

I was with a good responsible school for many years that trained physically very hard (sparring, throws and falls, locks, etc) and only ever saw one injury, which was an accidental one when a student got their foot caught in the crease of a mat and twisted their knee.

On the flip side, I was also with a hard-training school for six months which had a crazy injury rate, students often missing classes to recover from strains and bruises, and I myself suffered through both a dislocated jaw and broken ribs. This was all due to poor training technique and was otherwise preventable with better instructor oversight. Guess which of these two schools was the most benefit to me?

You’d be very surprised at what even an older out-of-shape body is capable of when trained properly and safely. For example, in a Wing Chun class we had a guy in his 50’s taking the class to get back in shape after a heart double-bypass surgery. The instructor put severe limitations on the drills he could do, and he still managed to become very proficient with the art and techniques.

20

Don’t limit yourself to the usual martial arts either. Classes like boxing (killer cardio workout), Systema, Krav Maga, etc. can teach you a fair bit about defending yourself, and all are good for fitness.