Where would you look for a martial arts school

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by tel, Jun 29, 2006.

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where would you look for a martial arts instructor

  1. Martial art Magazine

    7 vote(s)
    16.3%
  2. Yellow pages

    20 vote(s)
    46.5%
  3. local ads

    11 vote(s)
    25.6%
  4. forums

    12 vote(s)
    27.9%
  5. leaflet through door

    3 vote(s)
    7.0%
  6. local community booklet through door

    3 vote(s)
    7.0%
  7. leisure centre

    5 vote(s)
    11.6%
  8. local shop

    5 vote(s)
    11.6%
  9. google

    24 vote(s)
    55.8%
  10. other, please specify

    11 vote(s)
    25.6%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. tel

    tel absorb what is useful for

    where would you look for a martial arts school?
    you can pick more than one option.
     
  2. Kishu

    Kishu New Member

    Word of mouth
     
  3. Dai Yoshida

    Dai Yoshida New Member

    In a dark alley where the prospective instructor wearing a filthy trench coat beckons you from behind the dumpster. :D
     
  4. tkdkyle

    tkdkyle New Member

    I would most likely look in the yellow pages. That's how I found the one I go to now.
     
  5. shootodog

    shootodog restless native

    i've been lucky enough to study in schools and systems that were closed to the public. mostly by recommendations, other times by accident.
     
  6. Tom@Foresight

    Tom@Foresight Valued Member

    When looking for martial arts instruction i mainly use word of mouth. All the previous lessons that i have been to have come reccommended by mates!

    I have however been to courses advertised in magazines and on the net!

    TOM
     
  7. Davey Bones

    Davey Bones New Member

    I had just dropped out of a month of Tang Soo Do, and saw an ad in the Sunday paper in January of 2004. It was for a Kung Fu class, and my then lover had said that it probably wouldn't be a good idea for me to join as I was having some medication issues. We broke up later that year, and after he mopved out and I floundered for a bit, I remembered that ad. Called the school, and haven't looked back for the last two years. :)
     
  8. Lily

    Lily Valued Member

    Found the entrance to my school in a quiet cul-de-sac and made my mind up on the spot to join. Loving it!

    Otherwise yellowpages, word of mouth, talking to the instructors/observing, trying out different classes.
     
  9. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    I wouldn't rule anything out at this point. Thinking about the methods by which I've found schools so far, it goes something like this:

    1) Commercial taekwondo school--Just saw the signs out front. It was in the neighborhood.
    2) Commercial arnis/taekwondo school--One of my classmates at the other taekwondo school studied arnis with this teacher, who then opened a commercial school. I joined. (I think that counts as word of mouth.)
    3) College martial arts club--That one probably doesn't count, since I was a co-founder.
    4) Commercial kickboxing/karate school--Drove by it one day. Again, sign out front.
    5) Backyard JKD club(s)--I saw a flyer at a Dan Inosanto seminar and tracked the teachers down. They were about 45 minutes from my home and tucked away in the back corner of the community college gym. Wouldn't have found them without the flyer.
    6) Fencing class--Offered through the local recreation center. Or leisure center I think you called it in the survey. Found it through the catalog of classes mailed out to everyone in the city.
    7) University arnis club--Found this one searching the university's website, looking specifically for martial arts clubs.
    8) Classes at the gym--I was at the gym. Walked by the class. Went in. (Ended up teaching.)

    and though I haven't actually practiced here more than once or twice, I hope to train with Khun Kao's muay thai class soon. I was introduced to him by a mutual friend and sold on the class by the trial class I did.

    Curiously, I've never found a class by the phone book, yellow pages, etc. Or by the internet (unless you count finding the university arnis club on their website) for that matter.

    I think my preferred method would be word of mouth, whether that "mouth" be a personal friend or a recommendation from someone on a forum. After that, of course, comes personal experience, which will always be king.


    Stuart
     
  10. tekki

    tekki Valued Member

    School #1 - JKA Shotokan club at my university: Was thinking about taking up a martial art. Saw the posters on campus and went to the first class of the semester. I had never done any martial art before, but I told myself I'd at least try the semester. I even told myself I wasn't going to bother to buy a gi until the second semester. I got a gi 3 weeks later and by the time I was done with "School #1" I was almost a black belt and was president of the club.

    School #2. - Independent commercial school that taught a mix of Shotokan and Goju Ryu: Dojo was located in a mall that I frequented whenever I was in the area, so I was somewhat familiar with what they did by watching through the window. When I moved to the area, I tried to find pure Shotokan but to no avail. On to Plan B which was to find something else to which I could make a relatively smooth transition. As most of the schools were Kempo in the area, I thought this would ultimately mean moving to TKD. Then I remembered seeing the classes at "School #2." I then took a drive over to the mall and introduced myself to the head instructor of "School #2" and asked him what it was that he taught, and explained my situation. he invited me to take a trial class, which I didn't do until a month later. But when I finally got in, I decided to join the day after the trial class.

    School #3 - Commercial JKA Shotokan school: Pretty simple. I knew who had a JKA dojo in Brooklyn and I had trained with him at camps while a member of "School #1" About a week or two after moving here, I just looked up where the dojo was located, took my gi there, introduced myself, signed the waiver, paid the first month's dues, changed into my gi and took class that night.
     
  11. Pocari Neko

    Pocari Neko Learner Ninja

    Word of mouth, and local shops. I was lucky and found a good one on my first attempt. Had a few referrals but I liked the one I joined so I didn't look elsewhere.

    If someone was thinking of starting/looking to join a MA school, depending on what they are like, I might recommend my school to them, or point them to try something else.

    There is a large Korean community in London, UK; so finding a TKD school is not that hard. Finding a good one is the difficult part.
     
  12. Rhea

    Rhea Laser tag = NOT MA... Supporter

    i put other as I would probably use several. I found my class through the leisure centre, and by reputation/word of mouth. i look in magazines to see what is about, but haven't found a school directly by that method.
     
  13. Wheezy

    Wheezy New Member

    I would just ask round the school who does what Martial Art or ask a friend.. Then search the yellowpages/google about their dojo/dojang..

    So yeah Word of Mouth then Google/Yellowpages etc..
     
  14. karate princess

    karate princess Savvy??

    i'd look at a leisure centre because that seems to be where most classes take place, failing that i'd just ask a martial arts mate
     
  15. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    Now that I think about it, I've found both of my kung fu schools by way of flyers.
     
  16. Kwajman

    Kwajman Penguin in paradise....

    Word of mouth....
     
  17. shaolin_hendrix

    shaolin_hendrix Hooray for Zoidberg!

    I recommend that before you choose a school you look for people's criticisms of the school and/or organization, find out how the school trains, and learn what the style is like and what the school's interpretation of the style is like. If a free class or short-term membership is available, take it.
     
  18. Crimson_Stone

    Crimson_Stone Stay Puft

    P.A.L. - Police Atheletic League. (sometimes its Police Athletic Association).

    They'll usually pretty helpful and can reccomend the locations their officers train at for both competitive and non-competitive MAs.
     

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