What Kind of Questions To Ask

[sunchaser]

Hello Again,

 

Sorry for all the questions.

 

If I'm trying to pick a school / style and I have a chance to speak with an instructor what are the types of questoins and the correct way of asking them if I'm looking for training in a hard external style that is physically rigorous and competitive with a lot ofcontact and practical applications.

 

Thanks

 

Jill

[G95champ]

1. Ask who he trained under. A good teacher will be able to give you the names of not only his teachers but his teachers teacher.

 

2. Ask how long? What style/styles has he studied? Why does he think that style is good or bad or both? Most MA will devend their given style till death but you can do the reserach of what he says checks out. (I mean if its a TKD school and he talkd about grappeling for 2 hrs something is wrong)

 

3. Talk to some of the students of differant ranks and get their take on the class? How long have they been in it etc.

 

4. Always find out who does most of the teaching. A lot of schools turn the teaching over to brown belts or young black belts in the beginner classes. This is not a bad thing but you want to be taught by the Main teachers some.

 

5. Other than those questions just you basic how much, what time, what to bring, when can I start, etc....

[delta1]

You talked about " training in a hard external style that is physically rigorous and competitive with a lot ofcontact and practical applications."

 

I'd advise looking at styles that are ballanced, that have both hard and soft. Hard and soft moves develope different muscle groups, as well as adding a whole lot more practical options to your defense or offense. Soft is actually more dynamic as well, but the combination is awesome. And if you really want to get in shape, and are seriouse about practical self defense, look for a school that also teaches grappling.

 

#1: question: 'Do you spar?'

 

#2: 'Do you sometimes spar with contact?'

 

#3: If they grapple, do they spar with the option to go to the ground.

 

Ask if they seperate the childrens class from the adults (ref your other post). They should.

 

If classes are large, do they have enough assistant instructors.

 

Ask him to demonstrate some of his self defense techniques on you. Ask yourself, would this work? Would it work under force on a resisting opponent! Would he be willing to demonstrate it that way? A good one to do this with is a rear bear hug, arms pinned. I've seen a lot of really bogus approaches to this attack. Don't grab him 'dojo style'. Slam him, pin the arms, and either drive him into something, pick him up, or turn him on his head. Much of the time you can politely sympathize with his excuses and look elsewhere. (Edit: note that under force from an unpredictavle opponent, he may not do the technique exactly as it was shown to you in the ideal phase. This is ok- in fact it is a really good thing as this is the type of spontaneity and flexability you want to train towards. Techniques are not just rote responses to a particular attack, they are training tools.)

 

That brings up the next question, do they drill their self defenses up to street force (starting with a by the numbers aproach on a compliant opponent at first, but then working up the level of force and resistance as you get better).

 

Watch some classes, most will let you step in and try out a couple. See how the students move. Is there a marked difference in the junior and senior students? Do they look like robots, or do they flow from one move to the next.

 

Another thing to look for is respect. They don't necessarily have to do it like the military, but there should be a general atmosphere of respect that goes both ways and at all levels.

 

The really good instructors will interview you as well, and admission to their school is not an automatic pay and come play proposition. Those are rare, but if you come across one I'd give them seriouse consideration. This is not to say anything negative about those that don't take this approach. Remember that they are running a business and have to pay the bills, and may not have the luxury of turning away students except in extreme cases. And there are variations on this theme, such as having extra sessions for the really dedicated students.

 

If you could let us know what is available in your area there are probably some practicioners in those arts here that could give you some specifics to look for in those specific styles. There are a lot of good styles and schools out there, but there are a lot of bogus ones too. At least you have the good sense to ask around. Good luck!

[CheekyMusician]

As people have mentioned, ask the basics eg.

 

-What price is tuition, ask if extra payment will be required for belt tests/insurance or anything like that.

 

-Ask about the instruction, and who will be teaching you, how many classes will be available per week etc.

 

Other than the basics, ask about things that interest you eg. self defence, competitions.

 

-If you're interested in competitions, ask if the club participates in many, and ask when you'd be allowed to participate in one.

 

-If you're interested in self-defence ask if the style is practical for self-defence, and ask how long it would take you to learn enough skills to be able to defend yourself competently.

 

-Remember to ask if you can watch a class before you join or pay any money. They should be more than willing to let you, and should be more than willing to answer your questions.

 

They shouldn't become impatient with your questions. After all, if they love the martial arts enough to teach them, they should be more than willing to talk about them to you, even if it is questions they've answered a million times before for other people. Any martial arts class I've went to has had instructors more than willing to answer my questions.

 

Good luck!

[LordBucket]

Just a quick point that I recommend to EVERYONE who is considered joining a new studio:

 

They'll invite you to watch a class. The class they invite you to watch will be the beginner class, because that's the class you'll be starting in. That's great, but you need to know more than that.

 

Watch a BLACK BELT class...so you know what to expect if you decide to stcik with the studio. If you watch they're black belts and think 'wow, they look clueless' then you should probably pass on that studio.

 

Bucket Man

 

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