 57Strat
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Joined: Apr 2005  TX, USA
 Posts: 18348 Feedback: 100% (38) |
Posted: 5/21/2012 3:23:07 PM
THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT |
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Posted: 5/21/2012 3:52:35 PM
[Last Edit: 5/21/2012 4:00:51 PM by WSA]
I am a former professional fighter (MMA/Muay Thai) and gym owner.
First off the first thing you need to address is Safety: This is multi-faceted. Is the facility clean? Is there a posted cleaning schedule/procedure? Are there showers (or are you close by) and sanitzer available? Is the equipment maintained? Trust me the last thing you want to do is come home and give your loved ones staph, MRSA, emaptigo or ringworm. (just ask my wife...lol) Second is customer service: I assume you want to go train for self defense, fitness and fun and not start a competitive fighting career (I could be wrong) make sure they now that and a not just going to throw you to the wolves like a piece of meat. In my gym I made it very clear that I was training people for a 'Sport/Game" not teaching you how to be a bully or hurt people. The ability defend yourself was a by product of training. By this I mean, I can show you how to punch, kick, knee, elbow, choke etc...but if you don't practice/train it wont matter....sound familiar shooting enthusiasts?...lol Last part of customer service is make sure that they treat everyone the same...from up and coming pro's to the 8yr old kids, everyone is treated with respect. The instructor should have control over all classes....lastly if they let you spar the first day...walk out....contact drills are one thing, sparring is another. What state are you in? I can probably refer you or at least give you an opinion Doug oops forgot...as far as styles go...MMA is hugely popular now. Mauy Thai/Boxing are usually the basis for the striking aspect with MT using more weapons obviously and a heavy clinch aspect. The grappling is wrestling/jujitsu based. If you prefer just to stand up Muay Thai or Boxing are the way to go. If you prefer grappling Brazillian Jujitsu is pretty much the standard (make sure they clean the mats!). As far as the more traditional martial arts like tae kwon do, wing chun etc...realize they are usually more interested in form, symetry, balance (spiritual and physical) than "sport" oriented styles. |
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Posted: 5/22/2012 8:00:16 PM
[Last Edit: 5/22/2012 8:22:11 PM by BB868]
So what are these " 4 or 5 schools near by " style wise, cause you can't compare them 'apples to apples', it's more like apples to tuna fish sandwich.
what are you interested in, and maybe why. there can be a lot more to it then being a 'bad ass' I'm a Red-Black Belt in TKD and an assiant Instructor and Love it myself, but my needs/wants/expections I'm sure differ from yours. read through this thread for other input on getting started when 'older' http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_113/1309405_Martial_Arts.html |
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Posted: 6/12/2012 2:11:38 AM
[Last Edit: 6/12/2012 2:12:39 AM by usp45c]
I am taking mostly tai chi chuan now. (I'm 55) The place I go to does Tai chi separate (2 x week plus sat am), and the other is a mix of TKD, Wing Chun, arnis, jui jitsu, I just go for 2hrs on sat)
Now, most people think that tai chi is a "feel good, new age exercise" I love it when some one new comes in and asks about tai chi. I am usually practicing and he will point out things like: See that move? that is meant to dislocate the shoulder, that move is to break the arm, that move is a back fist to the kidney etc. Study Tai Chi Chuan: $80 per month Listen to the Master tell what moves are intended to do: Free Watch a liberals expression change to utter shock when they find out what Tai Chi chuan was actually developed for: PRICELESS!!!!! The last 2 couples that came in about Tai Chi, never came back after the first class. Tai chi does have many health benefits though. It is a "internal" style. You can wiki internal and external styles and see what maybe fit your goals. I would be wary if a school requires a contract. If the school you really want to go to has a contract, take it home and read it thoroughly. If its a year long contract, and you don't like it after a month, you are legally obligated to pay the year, even if you don't go. If its a 3 month contract and you don't like it after a month, then you are only out 2 months . I would be wary of any school that claims you will learn "secret techniques" after you are a black belt. There are no "secrets" .If they have to offer "secrets", they are just stringing you along to keep you paying. Ask what all you will need to buy. Ask if there are testing fees, and how much they are. Ask the timeline for belt progression, if you can get your black belt in just a couple of years, you are at a Mcdojo. Ask to watch at least 1 class. Talk to students, if the sensi hovers around and answers the questions, it would seem to me that they are hiding something. here is a page about McDojos This is urban dictionary definition: McDojos are schools that are run and owned for the purpose of making money. Typically you are able to get a black belt in less than 2-3 years, and you are usually guranteed success on the black belt test. These schools charge outrageous amounts of money, have extensive contracts, and are sometimes cult like. WSA had some good info to. |
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57Strat
Member
Team Member
Joined: Apr 2005 TX, USA
Posts: 18456 Feedback: 100% (38) Link To This Post |
Posted: 6/12/2012 1:59:51 PM
[Last Edit: 6/12/2012 2:01:51 PM by 57Strat]
Originally Posted By WSA:
I am a former professional fighter (MMA/Muay Thai) and gym owner. First off the first thing you need to address is Safety: This is multi-faceted. Is the facility clean? Is there a posted cleaning schedule/procedure? Are there showers (or are you close by) and sanitzer available? Is the equipment maintained? Trust me the last thing you want to do is come home and give your loved ones staph, MRSA, emaptigo or ringworm. (just ask my wife...lol) Second is customer service: I assume you want to go train for self defense, fitness and fun and not start a competitive fighting career (I could be wrong) make sure they now that and a not just going to throw you to the wolves like a piece of meat. In my gym I made it very clear that I was training people for a 'Sport/Game" not teaching you how to be a bully or hurt people. The ability defend yourself was a by product of training. By this I mean, I can show you how to punch, kick, knee, elbow, choke etc...but if you don't practice/train it wont matter....sound familiar shooting enthusiasts?...lol Last part of customer service is make sure that they treat everyone the same...from up and coming pro's to the 8yr old kids, everyone is treated with respect. The instructor should have control over all classes....lastly if they let you spar the first day...walk out....contact drills are one thing, sparring is another. What state are you in? I can probably refer you or at least give you an opinion Doug oops forgot...as far as styles go...MMA is hugely popular now. Mauy Thai/Boxing are usually the basis for the striking aspect with MT using more weapons obviously and a heavy clinch aspect. The grappling is wrestling/jujitsu based. If you prefer just to stand up Muay Thai or Boxing are the way to go. If you prefer grappling Brazillian Jujitsu is pretty much the standard (make sure they clean the mats!). As far as the more traditional martial arts like tae kwon do, wing chun etc...realize they are usually more interested in form, symetry, balance (spiritual and physical) than "sport" oriented styles. Thanks for the excellent tips. How prevalent is staph, MRSA, emaptigo or ringworm in a gym or martial arts school? I'm just looking to get in better mental and physical shape and have some fun while I learn a very worthwhile skill that could save my life one day. I don't care about becoming a black belt or competing. |
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Posted: 6/19/2012 7:25:30 PM
Originally Posted By 57Strat:
Thanks for the excellent tips. How prevalent is staph, MRSA, emaptigo or ringworm in a gym or martial arts school? I'm just looking to get in better mental and physical shape and have some fun while I learn a very worthwhile skill that could save my life one day. I don't care about becoming a black belt or competing. I just turned 49 last month. I have a black belt in karate that I earned in the early 80s. At the time I also cross trained in judo, aikido, kempo and other MAs. Now I train BJJ, which I recommend highly, but it is very physical. I have a blue belt one stripe. Staph and such are common in the grappling arts, which frankly, are the most important. Like Pat Smith said in (IIRC) UFC 7, "if you can't fight on the ground you can't fight!". I recommend BJJ. Judo, Sambo or wrestling if you don't have BJJ nearby. |
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Posted: 7/13/2012 5:05:48 PM
I will be 50 in two months. I hold a 4th degree black belt in Shorin Ryu karate. I started karate at 38. If I were choosing a new martial arts school, I would consider a number of factors:
1) Contracts - I would not sign any contract. Martial arts are not for everyone. You might hate it! Signing a simple assumption of risk agreement is fine, but anything that obligates you to pay for a certain number of months is just asking for trouble. 2) How clean is the place? In our style, I have never heard of staff or MERSA being transmitted. But in karate, you are not typically rolling around on mats. Nevertheless, the dojo should be clean and well maintained. If you end up liking the art, you will spend a lot of time there, and who wants to train in a dump. 3) Check out how long the instructor has been at it. My Sensei has been teaching over 30 years in the same town and most of the time at the same place. He is way more than well established. 4) Does the dojo belong to a national or international association? My style is Shorin-Ryu and we belong to the Shorinkan association. It is an international association. With that said, if there is a local guy that is great, but independent, being a member of an big association is nice, but it is not a deal breaker. 5) Does the system fit your body type and fitness level? At almost 50, I am way too old to be throwing high kicks that are called for in some of the Korean arts, and I can't take the pounding of judo or the strain on my joints of jiu jitsu, but I can keep going with karate until I croak. (There is a reason that so many karate grand masters are real old,  the system lends itself to continuing on way past your physical prime.)
6) Check out the main instructor. Does he or she teach most of the classes? Is he or she humble? (You do not want some drill instructor wannabe!) Does the instructor treat everyone with courtesy? 7) Watch a class. Is it well organized. Are the students enjoying it? Does it look fun to you? If it doesn't look fun, move on. I attained my rank in karate solely because I enjoy the workouts. Our dojo is fun, our Sensei is a great guy and a good friend. I like the challenge. I like my fellow students. If I did not like it, I would have quit the first month, so will you. 8) Stay away from any class that bad mouths other schools or styles. In our system we will not tolerate that kind of misbehavior. There are a ton of awesome martial arts out there, my style is the best for me, but it might be the worst for you. So I would not dream of criticizing another person's style or sensei, that is rude and ignorant. Anyway, good luck. If you find the right place to train martial arts is an awesome lifestyle. |
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Posted: 7/17/2012 8:53:44 AM
First, as others above me have already said, decide what type of training you would like and identify your goals (self defense, fitness, want to win a few trophies, etc)
Almost all schools offer 1 free class, and almost all will allow you to simply watch a class before you even participate in that free class. Stay away from any school that has required contracts. Some will have that as an option, but will also allow month to month payments. |
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Posted: 7/29/2012 5:50:22 PM
+1 to everything WSA said
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