How to Choose a Martial Arts School for Children (part 1 of 4)

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to start shopping around for a martial arts school for my four-year old nephew who lives in Indiana.  Throughout the nation, martial arts schools feel like a dime-a-dozen. Almost every few streets in Orange County, California we see a “Karate” or “Tae Kwon-Do” sign.  Though not as populated as Orange County, the suburb of Indianapolis where my nephew lived was surrounded by 5-8 martial arts schools.

I've found that a lot of people judge a martial arts school by the location, the style (Is one style better than another?), their advertising and website (can’t anyone pay for good advertising?), or by price.  While these are all worthy considerations, most potential students and parents that I’ve met have no clue as to how to differentiate a martial arts school for their child. 

Over the next few blog posts, we’ll break down what I consider the 7 key questions/criteria in choosing a martial arts school for your child.

1. What am I looking for my child to gain from his/her martial arts training?
2. Who is the right instructing team for my child?
3. Does style matter?
4. Picking a proper martial arts facility
5. Does the martial arts school of a clear, written curriculum?
6. Is the schedule flexible enough for my child?
7. How does the tuition work? 

1) What am I looking for my child to gain from his/her martial arts training?

 One of the most important keys to choosing a martial arts school is deciding what you are looking to gain from the activity. Are you looking for your child to compete?  Become the next big UFC fighter? Get in shape or stay in shape? Or are you looking for life skills and character development? Focus for better grades? Avoiding bullying situations?  Confidence to pick the right friends?  

Martial arts can help with all of these things, but one of the biggest keys is finding the RIGHT school for you!   Knowing what you’re looking for, and not looking for, will help you eliminate lots of schools on the way to finding the perfect school for you.

Stay tuned! Part 2 will be released on Tuesday.

Director, American Martial Arts Academy (Placentia-Yorba Linda Campus)

www.KarateOC.com 

Facebook   Google +   Yelp