A Good School?

Hello

I used to practice Kali but the school closed due to lack of numbers. The last I heard about the instructor is that he is teaching from his house at a much higher price. So..........ever since I have been on the look out for another school in the area and last week I came accross this place;

http://www.martialarts-swindon.co.uk/kali-flipino.html

I enquired by email about the class and fee's etc and they sent me an invitation to come to last nights class to see as they put it "the best in Kali instruction". They didn't furnish me with any information about the teaching and fee structure.

I couldn't make it due to work commitments but this morning I received an email from their "Programm Director" asking if I'd like to reschedule to next week. I asked what syllabus they was using and they didn't really give me a straight answer.

I am getting a feeling that this school a McDojo, contract type set up but I could be wrong. Should I think twice about this school or am i being a little over critical? The title of Programm Director has just got me a little suspicious..

Does anyone know the credentials of this instructor?

 

Well they offer a free trial so why not go along and have a look?

 

Just by scanning the website, I noticed several names that are affiliated with the Inosanto crew out of LA and the Doce Pares (WEKAF) under Danny Guba.. If these names and references are not hype, they are a good group of the FMA. But like was posted earlier, I would go and observe/train in a class to see if it is your cup of Tea

 

Is that schedule accurate? The only Kali class listed is 45 minutes long on a Saturday. That is just about enough time to warm up....

 

Trained under Guru Inosanto apparently!

EDIT: Looks similiar to my timetable, only there is not much KAli :/

 

If you contact Denis Cummins through my FB, he's a Bak Bakkan Illustrissimo teacher.

 

Go with Dennis he knows his stuff.

 

Thanks Sifu Ben. Just a minor correction...it's Bakbakan Kali Ilustrisimo.

If you can't find Denis, then contact me via my website and I'll forward your details to him.

 

Well my suspicions proved correct. They would not discuss fee's until they got me in the door, then it was to be the hard sell and a contract.

To be sure what I could be in for I asked a former student and their prices are ridiculous when you consider their Kali is not even an hour long.

And get this...

They found out that I checked out their fee's and their, ahem, 'programme manager' sent me a snotty email saying that I was no longer welcome!!

I've often heard about schools with selling methods like this but I never thought I would personally come accross one..

 

Well that's just not cool man!

 

No offense to them, but when the only FMA slot in their timetable is for 45 minutes late on a Friday night (8.15pm-9pm), i think it's safe to say that FMA isn't particularly high up on their priorities list. If it's high up on yours, then you will want to find someone who specialises in it.