Choosing the right school or gym for you to train at is essential to having a positive and successful martial arts or combat sports experience. The right school or sensei will set you off on a path of lifelong learning, health and enjoyment, so it’s important to do your homework and find the school that is best for you and your specific goals.
Martial arts, combat sports and self-defense training are more popular than ever and the number and variety of schools, especially in larger cities, is seemingly limitless. Schools range from your family-friendly neighborhood dojo, to gritty MMA and boxing gyms where world-class fighters train before their next big fight.
To make sure you choose the right martial arts school for you, Puncher put together a list of key things to look for when you evaluate a school. These tips apply to all martial arts, from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Karate, to Taekwondo, Kung Fu, boxing, fitness boxing, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Judo, mixed martial arts, kids martial arts and self-defense classes.
Happy punching!
Puncher’s Guide to Choosing a Martial Arts or Combat Sports School
Lead Instructor, Sensei, Coach or Master
Get to know the school’s owner or lead instructor. They are the person who sets the tone for everyone training and teaching at the school. Ask whom they trained under and where they learned. If they are part of a larger organization like Gracie Jiu Jitsu then you should feel confident that they have achieved a certain level of expertise before being allowed to use the Gracie name. Ask him or her if they teach the white belt classes and if not ask to meet who does. You’ll want to feel a connection with the person who will be your teacher for this first stage in your martial arts journey.
The Students
When you visit a school for the first time, talk to the students and find out their martial arts goals. So much of your daily success depends on the quality of your training partners. You want to find a gym where the other students’ interests are aligned with yours and you can train on the same level and intensity.
Convenience
Learning and excelling in a martial art takes years of regular practice. Finding a school or studio near your home, on your way to and from work, close to your school or in a convenient location will be a lifesaver when you’re trying to motivate yourself to get that third class in for the week. Don’t set yourself up for failure and choose a school that will take an hour for you to get to.
Class Size
Big classes can be fun, have lots of energy and expose you to a wide range of people with different experience levels. The downside is you don’t tend to get the level of hands on instruction that you would in a smaller class. If you are someone who needs one-on-one training, find a school with smaller classes. Also make sure to find out if the school mixes students with different belts, or if they have classes for each rank. It can be intimidating to walk into a room full of black belts for your first lesson; similarly, if you’re a seasoned athlete, getting stuck with a bunch of white belts can be a bummer because you’re not getting the level of competition you need to truly hone your skills.
Adult karate class practicing katas
Full Schedule of Classes
Many larger schools and gyms have classes starting at 6 am and continuing hourly until 8 or 9 pm. This gives you the opportunity to find a class that works for your schedule. Advancing in martial arts takes an immense amount of training and finding a school that allows you to sneak in a class after work or early Saturday morning can be a game changer for getting your training in.
Additional Training
Lots of studios offer fitness classes to round out your training and build strength and flexibility. Mixing yoga, CrossFit, fitness boxing or other inter-disciplinary martial arts classes is becoming very common. If you are looking to train and compete in mixed martial arts find a school that offers classes in all of the essential combat sports like boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu and Kempo Karate.
Membership
Most schools require that you become a member and make a commitment, with minimum terms of one to six months. Before you become a member, make sure they offer a complementary week of training or at the very least one free class so you can check it out, meet some instructors and potential classmates, and decide for yourself if it’s the right school for you before signing on the dotted line.
Competition
Competition can play a big role in your martial arts journey even if you don’t intend on competing. The more a school’s students compete with fighters from outside the home dojo the more the level of talent inside the school raises up. How a school’s students fare in competition can also be an indicator of a school or sensei’s competency and how hard they push their students. If you are looking to train at a school that pushes you to be the best, look for a school with a winning track record. Also, going to competitions and cheering on your classmates is a blast and a very inspirational part of training.
Two people compete in the 2012 Karate World Championships
Self-Defense
If your focus is on self-defense, then you’ll want to check out schools that specialize in this. Many martial arts schools have dedicated self-defense classes for women and anti-bullying classes for youth and teens. Certain martial arts like Krav Maga were created specifically for self-defense and are great options for learning how to protect yourself.
Fun
The most important thing is to find a school where people have fun. Training in martial arts and combat sports is intense and physically exhausting but it should also be a ton of fun. Make sure you’re at a place that has a sense of community and camaraderie and where people are trying to bring each other up and have a good time while doing it. Martial arts schools are great places to make life-long friends. When you sweat and bleed on people you tend to form long-lasting relationships.
Keep in mind is that signing up for martial arts training doesn’t require a life-long commitment to a school or instructor. If after a few months or classes you’re not feeling it, don’t be afraid to try somewhere new. It’s very common to have different teachers or sensei at various points in one’s martial arts training. Everyone has their own curriculum and style and the most important thing is finding a school and instructor that works for you so you continue to stay motivated, train hard and have fun.
If any of you Punchers have other things people should look for in a good match share it with the Puncher community by leaving a comment.
To learn more about the history and practice of martial arts check out the other articles in the Puncher “What is” series on Judo, Boxing, Karate, Taekwondo, Sambo, Muay Thai, MMA and more.
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