Questions to ask

[Arekusu]

If I was checking out a style or two that I might be unfamiliar with, and I had an opportunity to have a discussion with the Vo Su, or sensei of the dojo about the style, what would be a good set of questions to ask as to reveal what the style teaches and the principals and credentials the dojo might hold.

I'd like to ask these questions in a very proffesional manner as to be taken very seriously. I want to sound like I know what I'm talking about, as to not get scammed. So if anyone could maybe list a good series of important questions that should be asked please do to, thank you.

[Aegis]

What do you teach a beginner in the short run?

What do you teach in the long run?

Do you spar?

Do you practise situational defences?

Weapons defences?

Multiple attacker defences?

Grading charges - reasonable or excessive?

Lesson charges - same.

Do you have contracts?


As for quallifications, ask him which orginisation he belongs to and check them out.

[stump]

You'll most likely be told exactly what you want to hear nomatter what question you ask.

Sit in on a few classes if possible but don't let yourself be trapped into a contract. Then you can work out most of the answers for yourself as to whether it's an art you want to study. Check out what senior students are doing aswell as what you are doing yourself. If they spend all their time doing kata you can bet it's not a self defence orientated place.

Think of it that this guy is a salesman and like any salesman this guy needs your money. Work from that perspective you won't get scammed. And if your gut tells you it's not right then it probably isn't :)

[Chazz]

Just ask him straight out. Whatever is on your mind... ask it.

[YODA]

ROFLMAO - that's the bst typo I've read in a long time...

"Whatever is on your ming... ask it."

Bwaaahahahaaaaaa

[Chazz]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR i cant type for SpIT sometimes

[Cain]

Ask questions which don't have a simple answer like 'yes' or 'no' ;)

Make him babble at his utmost ;)

First listen to what the instructor says about his school then ask questions like what how where instead of questions like do you are there will there etc ;)

|Cain|

[Thomas]

Aegis gave you some good questions to begin with. I would also ask "Can I come in and train (or observe) a few lessons before committing?"

Some of the other posters gave some good warnings about verbal answers you might get or about possible scams... all I can add is try to get to know the school, students, and instructors a bit before deciding to stay for the long term. You can get a good idea from watching how the class is run, what students talk about during breaks and in the changing room, and by the relationship between the instructor and students.

[MandrilBorracho]

well. i really don't want to hijack the thread, but, contracts? I mean, do you have to sign contracts? i don't want to be rude or insulting, but if you have to sign a contract, then it's a good sign to get the h*** out of the school; when it gets that commercial, you really can't trust the training; i mean, i'm not that experienced, but IMHO, if the teacher is more interested in the money than in the honor of teaching, then he is not really someone to learn from...

[Andrew Green]

Depends on what you want to get out of your training. You need to decide that first, then tell us, then you might get better answers ;)

[Aegis]

I've never signed a contract for martial arts, and never intend to while I can avoid it. I get periods of time when I can't make all the training I'd like to, and that would still cost me with a contract. In addition, signing a contract binds you to that club for a certain period of time, and if you want to move on, you still pay for the training you no longer attend... Just doesn't work for me.

[The Damned]

For me it would depend on the arts themselves. How much i already know about them. Sitting in as an observer imho is the best way. If you are already experienced in martial arts you should be able to see almost immediately the pros and cons of what you are about to undertake physically just by watching. Then maybe get a couple of classes in, so you can start to understand the philosophy of the classes. By all means ask questions, also ask other students. you should find nearly all are willing to impart useful information. I've never trained in an art where the students are so selfish as they wouldn't help out a beginner.

[ap Oweyn]

I'd like to ask these questions in a very proffesional manner as to be taken very seriously. I want to sound like I know what I'm talking about, as to not get scammed. So if anyone could maybe list a good series of important questions that should be asked please do to, thank you.

Here's something you might want to bear in mind: I'd advise AGAINST trying to sound like you know what you're talking about unless, indeed, you DO know what you're talking about. You might be better off leading with your common sense instead.

I visited a kung fu school once. A guy came in and the manager sat him down at the nearby desk. The guy had obviously done a bit of research. He made (to my mind) the mistake of saying as much. He'd been reading up on the Shaolin animal styles, he said. And so the sifu started rattling off all the animals they practiced. And, because this guy had heard of them in his reading, he was hooked.

If he'd led with his common sense instead, the conversation might have been more helpful. The sifu wouldn't have hooked him merely by name dropping. He would've been compelled to explain those things in some depth. Giving the guy more opportunity to gauge whether he was being handed a bill of goods.

In the absence of specialized information, we generally have to just decide whether something makes sense to us. But if we do have some information, I think we probably go along more readily with someone who plugs into that same body of information. Maybe it's a feeling of connectedness. Maybe this guy felt like the sifu respected his initiative and wasn't talking down to him. I don't know. But I think if you don't know A LOT about the subject, act as if you don't know much at all. Make the sifu do the work. It'll give you more of a feel for what kind of school it is. If he expects you to be satisfied with vagaries and name dropping, you know all you need to know.

Just my take.


Stuart

[Aegis]

Wow, this one was dead for over a year before being resurrected ;)

[ap Oweyn]

Wow, this one was dead for over a year before being resurrected ;)

Huh. Wish I'd paid attention to that.

[Aegis]

To be fair it wasn't actually you who resurrected it.. I guess if you see that there's a new post in a thread you assume it's a fairly up-to-date thread. Unfortunately not in this case.

It DOES have some of my original forum posts in it though :)

[ap Oweyn]

To be fair it wasn't actually you who resurrected it.. I guess if you see that there's a new post in a thread you assume it's a fairly up-to-date thread. Unfortunately not in this case.

It DOES have some of my original forum posts in it though :)

Aegis: A Retrospective :)

True enough. Besides, if the advice is good, it'll hopefully be relevant to the next guy and not just to the guy who asked the question months ago.


Stuart