The Importance of Competition Tournaments

As we approach American Martial Arts Academy’s Competition Tournament, now is a perfect time to discuss the importance of competition in the martial arts.  

At AMAA, we strongly recommend competition tournaments to all of our students, regardless of level. Every student has the opportunity for success, as they are matched up with students their own age level, and rank level. In addition, we keep all of our competitions in-house, to ensure quality of the event and fairness for the students.  Each student earns a trophy or medal (depending on the tournament) for each event they participate in. Most importantly, every student walks away smiling, sweating, and having learnt something!

But why is competition tournament so important?

• Participating in competition helps accelerate your martial arts training, especially in kata and sparring. It’s estimated that every point sparring competition you participate in will take off 6-8 months of a learning curve in sparring.
• Participating in competition helps increase your training intensity. When you have a singular event that you are training towards (especially at the higher ranks when belt promotion are typically farther apart), your intensity in training will increase. Just as a swimmer preparing for a swim meet, or a runner preparing for a marathon.
• Competition Tournament helps students build confidence.  By going out there and participating, even when being nervous or unsure, you have accomplished more than those who have not tried.  Showing up is half the battle, and in my opinion, the most important part!
• Competition also teaches students how to deal with pressure.  There’s the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”  That is so true with competition!  Even when being nervous, or challenged by other students who may be faster, stronger, etc., by competing and giving it your all, you are improving your skills!   The same pressure you face in competition, is the same pressure you’ll face before a big test, interview, or in a competitive workplace!
• Competition helps a student develop poise and overcome fear of performance.  It is said that most adults fear public speaking and performing in public even over death!   By being outside your comfort zone, this will help students in other non-karate environments as well.

We’ll close with a quote from the founder of Shotokan karate, Gichin Funakoshi:

If you have any questions about competition tournaments, feel free to reach me directly via email (SenseiJoshi@karateoc.com) or at (714) 646-9635.

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

www.KarateOC.com 

Facebook   Google +   Yelp

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

Part 4 of 4:  Tuition, Contracts, and Scheduling

6)     How does the tuition work?

One of the other keys to finding the perfect school for you is the tuition.  Now while the investment you are making is important, the bottom-line figure is again not the most critical piece.  

In general, the rule in all commerce is you get what you pay for. For some items, that is not as critical.  But for most, especially when it comes to our children, it is essential.   However, that’s not to say that there are some excellent schools out there that charge $100/mo
, or some horrendous schools that charge $300/mo.  It is key to do your due diligence, as previously discussed.

A couple key things to be aware of:

- The average tuition nationally ranges anywhere from $150-$200 for a professional martial arts school, per the Martial Arts Industry Association.

- All schools have a contract or agreement of some sort. What matters most, like in any contract, are the terms.  The most important part is the cancellation policy.  My personal belief, and the policy of American Martial Arts Academy, is that every program can be cancelled at anytime with a 30-day notice. Some schools require a 60-90 day notice, which is acceptable as well.  However, we ask that if the challenge is motivation, we have an opportunity to figure out what could be wrong, and an opportunity to find a solution.

- Some schools (including ours) offer payment-in-full options and discounts.  Some schools also offer long-term programs as well (i.e. Black Belt Club, Leadership Programs, Masters Programs).   These can be excellent programs, however it is key that they all
have clear cancellation policies in case of a move, or motivation challenges, etc.  In a future post, we will discuss how to deal with a motivational challenge as a parent. 

7)     Is the schedule flexible enough?

What good is the best martial arts programs, instructors, and facilities if you can’t make it to the classes?  In order to truly gain the benefits of a quality martial arts program, we recommend attending classes at least 2-3 times per week. Once a week is very difficult without additional private lessons as well.

A professional school should have classes available 6 days per week, with lots of beginner classes. If the schedule is lop-sided (more advanced classes than beginner classes), that generally is not a great sign.

Other Key Questions To Ask:

• Is the school a member of the Chamber of Commerce?
• How long has the school been around?
• Has the school been continuously under the same ownership?
• Does the owner live in the area?
• Does the school offer any other activities or events?

We hope this has helped; if you have any questions, feel free to contact me below. 

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

www.KarateOC.com 

Facebook   Google +   Yelp

How to Choose a Martial Arts School for Children (part 3 of 4)

Part 3 of 4:  Style, Facility, and Curriculum

3)     Does Style Matter?

A common question we get asked is what’s the difference between Karate and Taekwondo and <insert style name here>. While there are some fundamental differences between each style, most differences are not seen at the beginner level. An upper block is an upper block, a punch is a punch, and a kick is a kick.  What matters most is the school and the instructors. I have seen some amazing karate schools and some horrendous karate schools.  The same goes for Taekwondo and any other system.  The instructors make or break the system. 

4)     What to look for in a martial arts facility?

The martial arts facility can tell you a lot about the school, and whether it is an appropriate and safe environment for your child to train.  Obviously, there is a difference in training in a gym, a garage, or a professional martial arts studio. Below are a couple key questions to ask yourself as you decide whether you are choosing a professional martial arts studio:

• Is the studio clean?   The floors?  The windows? The mirrors?  How a staff treats its business is often times indicative of how it treats its students and families. 

• Does the studio feel like a family atmosphere?  Is there a place for the parents to watch? I would be extremely concerned if there is no place for parents to watch, or if watching is discouraged.  The studio should feel comfortable.

• How does the studio smell? Personally, a studio that smells like dirty socks, sweat, or an old gym is not a place I’d want to come back to 2-3 times per week.

• Is the studio well-lit?  Are there lights out?  A well-lit studio is not important just for safety reasons, but also it shows you how seriously the ownership takes its business.

• Is the floor safe?  Traditionally you would see lots of wooden or tile floors, but that isn’t necessarily safe for the students.  Carpet or mats is the accepted standard for safety these days.

• Are there lots of pictures of the ‘Master’? Lots of trophies?  Typically this is a sign of ego, which personally, I choose not to be around. 

Bottom line, the safest, most professional studio may not be the closest studio to you.  But with an activity like martial arts, where safety is a MUST, I would much rather drive an extra 10-15 minutes to feel and be comfortable, than settle for the closest school.

5)     Does the school have a clear, written curriculum?

Imagine you were choosing a Kindergarten for your child, and when observing the classroom, you discovered that the teacher had absolutely no lesson plan.  The teacher had no idea what she planned to teach that day, or the day after, or even remembered what they taught last week.  Further imagine that the school had no set requirements for each grade and student. It was just a free-for-all.  I don’t know about you, but I’d walk away from that classroom and school feeling like they had absolutely no clue!

Sadly, a lot of martial arts studios run the exact same way.  A professional martial arts school should be able to show you their lesson plan for the week, the next week, and the week after. In addition, a school should be able to give you a written copy of the requirements and expectations for each age level and belt level.   If not, you are in a similar situation as the above-mentioned Kindergarten!

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

www.KarateOC.com 

Facebook   Google +   Yelp

How to Choose a Martial Arts School for Children (part 2 of 4)

Part 2 of 4

2)     Who is the right instructing team for my child?

A lot of the articles I’ve read talk about finding the “right instructor.” While that carries merit, I would like to take that one step further.  A professional school should have a team of qualified, professional instructors to teach the students to ensure teaching to multiple personality types and keep an appropriate instructor-to-student ratio.

Some key criteria include:

·         Experience and training working with children

Often times martial arts instructors are quick to claim the amount of years training in the martial arts.  But as we know, training in something doesn’t mean you’re good at it.  For example, some of the greatest professional athletes have turned out to be horrendous coaches!  Just because you’ve graduated high school, it doesn’t mean you can teach high school. The same concept applies to martial arts. Just because you have trained for over 20 years in the martial arts doesn’t mean you’re a great teacher.  

The better question is to ask, “What experience and training do you have in working with children?”  At American Martial Arts Academy, all of our instructors go through a 2-3 year “Instructor College” in which they learn how to work with children of all ages, special needs, physical challenges, and much more.  In addition to classroom training, instructors go through hands-on training supervised by one of the Senior Instructor before being allowed to work with the students.   In addition, each instructor is CPR/First-Aid trained and certified.

·         Do degrees matter? What about tournament wins?

Rank does matter to an extent. All Head instructors should be Black Belts at a minimum of Second Degree Black Belt.  The other instructors may vary depending on the school. Each degree is significant to that martial artist’s own training, as it resembles years and years of hard work, but it does mean anything when it comes to that instructor’s ability to work with children.

What matters more than how many stripes are on the Head Instructor’s Black Belt is whether or not the Head Instructor is still learning.  Shihan Wenneberg, my teacher, always taught us that the moment he stops learning is the moment to stop following him and run in the other direction. 

A lot of instructors also advertise their tournament wins and experience.  Again, kudos to those instructors for that significant accomplishment, but when it comes to teaching children, that means very little. Unless your goals (see step 1) are specifically to become a UFC fighter.

·        Who actually teaches the classes?

Often times the person who signs you up may not be teaching the classes. That’s not necessarily the worst thing, but it’s important to be aware of.  You want to make sure that the person actually teaching the classes is as professional and well-trained as the person signing you up.  The message should be consistent throughout the school, no matter who you talk to.

Bottom line, you want an instructor that is going to motivate and inspire your child.  Think back to when you were in school.  Most of us learned best from the teachers we liked and respected the most.  Generally, that isn’t an instructor who’s a drill sergeant all the time, or a jokester all the time, but someone with a personality you and your child can relate to.  Trust your gut!

Stay tuned - Part 3 coming soon!

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

www.KarateOC.com 

Facebook   Google +   Yelp