Scheduling conflicts

[BeANumberOneMan]

Hi folks,

I'm a life-long fan of martial arts. I'd like to get back into karate... I'd say a 15 year break has been long enough.

But I've been looking into classes and schools, and I see that every karate class seems to be from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The closest dojo to me is an hour and a half away... each way. That means that by the time I shower, eat and collapse asleep, I probably wouldn't get to bed by midnight. I have to get up early for work, so that's a no-go.

What are my options? Do all martial arts places have their classes at night? Are the only quoteunquote martial arts places that do morning classes yoga and cardio kickboxing?

Is my only option private lessons? And if so, what's the going rate? If it helps, the style I would be taking is Shito-Ryu Itosu-Kai.

[tenshinka]

Hmmm...Usually places have different schedules than that, often starting around 6 pm.

Have you checked your local YMCA, rec centers, etc. Sometime the BEST places are not in the yellow pages, and dont do much advertising...You could have something that suits you right under your nose....

Private lesson costs always vary, I have paid $75+ dollars an hour in the past...But they can be MUCH lower also...Just depends.

best wishes,

--josh

p.s. what area are you looking for a school/instructor in??

[BeANumberOneMan]

The karate club at the local YMCA is the most unfriendly group of martial artists I've ever met.

$75? That's pretty steep...

I just called up that dojo tonight, and spoke to the head sensei there. He kept evading my question about the cost of private lessons, and told me to come in and see a class first. It seemed pretty cagey to me.

[tenshinka]

The karate club at the local YMCA is the most unfriendly group of martial artists I've ever met.

$75? That's pretty steep...

I just called up that dojo tonight, and spoke to the head sensei there. He kept evading my question about the cost of private lessons, and told me to come in and see a class first. It seemed pretty cagey to me.

Yeah, it was...

Sounds like a typical commercial school tactic...They want you there to see what they do, so they can try to hook you at the school, versus over the line (which is a good sales tactic in any field actually, I used to do the same thing in Car sales....Talking to someone over the phone, or via email is different then having them IN the vehicle, driving it [trying it out in regards to MA] and falling in love with it, so you can make the sale)...

Keep and open mind, remember, even old dusty books can make good reads...It may be the case at the YMCA that they just lack people skills, or are not concerned with the sale...When you get in their group, things may or may not be different...Dont be afraid to try things out (but avoid contracts lol)

happy hunting!!

--josh

[tallgeese]

Keep looking around, someone probibly has some programs that have some flexability to them. 7-9 is popular however. I know some places have 3rd shift programs for morning hours so 3rd shifters can go regularly.

Also, you might keep an eye out at the y there and look for guys training on their own. Nearby colleges might also have clubs with non-traditional hours. If nothing else, programs like these are filled with guys who will work out at odd times.

This gives you the benifit of training one on one with little to no cash outlay.

[bushido_man96]

Finding time to train is one of the hard things, especially when you have other committments, like work. Driving an hour and a half would also suck because of the gas prices.

There may be some other low-key clubs nearby that don't advertise, and work out in an armory or something that you haven't heard about. Keep checking around.

I also would not discount the Y right away either. The people may take a while to warm up to you, but in the end, are you going to make friends, or are you going in to train? Keep your goals in mind, and do what you can to achieve them.

Welcome to the Forums!

[DWx]

Have you tried looking for weekend classes? Sometimes places train during the morning on Saturdays & Sundays.

The karate club at the local YMCA is the most unfriendly group of martial artists I've ever met.

$75? That's pretty steep...

I just called up that dojo tonight, and spoke to the head sensei there. He kept evading my question about the cost of private lessons, and told me to come in and see a class first. It seemed pretty cagey to me.

Could just be that he thinks joining a class is better for you than one-to-one tuition. Or that he doesn't offer regular private lessons. Might be worth going along just to see in any case because he may just be a bad salesman.

[Tiger1962]

I completely understand your predicament. You say the closest one to your home is 1.5 hours away - what about near where you work? Any places there?

If that's not an option either, I would also suggest the local " Y " - I do think most of them offer classes in martial arts. At least that would be a step in the right direction of getting back into it. Good luck.

[tori]

I do know some schools have Saturday classes. The downside to that is it is many times mixed ages. However, I loved having the morning class on Saturday. It was a great way to start the day.

We did try having a 3rd shift class twice a week. We didn't have a huge interest in our area and it ended up costing more to have the school open that 2 hours than it was worth.