HIIIYAAA!!! Martial Arts anyone?

[Trek420]

Just back from a 2 hour class. boy am I sore, tired, hungry .... small class, just 4 of us students and all beginners. Well I'm not a beginner but it's a different dojo so things are new to me. Another gal the sensei said it was her 3rd claass. WTF she's this good on the 3rd class? I find out she did jiu jitsu before.

One of the students expressed concerned our teacher would be bored with 4 beginners till he said "I'd rather do basics every day for years with you and gain a rock solid foundation than rush ahead to do advanced techniques badly"

Zen, if you can't find a class near you or a neighbor who's trained do what basics you can do as well as you can. Find one move, do it as well as you can.

But everyone needs "mat time", or lawn time or yard time or whatever.

Gotta train with others, gotta find a teacher even if it's once year to see and have your technique seen. I hope you find a dojo (I'm sure it's not called that but just the jargon I know).

[sgtiger]

polly4711 - There's already a lot of great advice on finding an instructor that meets your personal style and needs, that I can't really think of anything to add ATMO.

In regarding fees, they can vary greatly for martial arts classes. It depends on the instructor and where it's taught. I've seen some that let you pay per class and offer a punch card for X amount of classes for a reduced rate off the per class fee. That can be a good option if you don't think you'll be able to attend classes on a regular basis.

Some places have an intro price that let's you take a handful of classes at a reduced rate for a short period of time to see if it's something you'd like to do. Then they'll charge a regular monthly fee that usually covers unlimited classes for the month. Usually these places offer a reduced rate if you commit to X amount of time - it could be 6 mos., 9mos., 1yr., 2yrs ( I never understood how people can know where they'll be in 2 yrs.) - similar to gym or health club memberships. That could be a great option if you love the classes and can attend at least 2-3 days a week. They might even offer special classes for members who hold a contract. Some even offer lifetime memberships for $$$$$. That practice is illegal in most states and I'd advise you to stay away from those establishments. Those types of companies get around the law by charging a low, so-called yearly maintenance fee and use pushy sales tactics to sell their products and services. They can usually be recognized by the fact that they don't openly disclose their rates. You have to make a special appointment to get a "personal" health evaluation, like they want to check your chi, before they will discuss prices. I'd report them to local authorities that handle consumer fraud and organizations that advocate for consumer protection.

There are martial arts co-ops similar to some yoga studios. It's a group of instructors who are independent from each other but teach at the same locale to cut down on their overhead. They may or may not teach the same discipline. Usually you sign up with a particular instructor at a set day(s)/time(s) of a week for whatever is that instructor's rate. Some co-ops may let you trade a time slot if there is a conflict that arises but to do so on a regular basis is frowned upon.

Don't overlook your local community education programs, community recreation programs ,community colleges, hospital health education classes and the Y. These are usually the most affordable options, but be aware that some of the instructors may not be masters and they may not have the accreditation necessary to give you a certificate/belt in that discipline. Those classes tend to be more for people who want to take the classes for fitness. However, the classes can be a great introduction to the style of martial art that's taught while you look for an instructor that's right for you. Of course, that is not true for all the instructors that teach at these establishments. Some of them may be accredited masters that hold day time jobs and want to share their love of the discipline during their free time to those who may not otherwise afford classes at a regular gym (just using it as a generic term - most disciplines have a special name for it because it's not only a place to work out but a special place of educational and spiritual growth where you're supposed to leave all your hostilities, baggage at the entrance). Or some of the instructors can actually be instructors/owners of their own gym that teach at these institutions as part of their community outreach programs. If that is the case, as an adult, you may be able to work your way up to the first colored belt; but you'll probably have to continue any advanced classes at their gym (though they may offer advanced classes for children).

None of the above establishments charge a fee to just sit in and watch a class, or at least, shouldn't. Some might even let you follow along for free your first visit or offer an open-to-visitors session. Sometimes not all classes are open out of respect to the members. It's really annoying when you're trying to focus or meditate in class and have visitors talk among themselves or interrupt while class is in session. Please wait 'til the class is over to make comments or ask questions. If you stick around for the end of the class, you may even be able to get feedback from the members themselves.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you study one style of a particular martial art and earn a colored belt in that style, it won't automatically qualify you for that same level in another style. For example, the two main internationally recognized TaeKwonDo organizations are the World TaeKwonDo Federation (WTF) and the International TaeKwonDo Federation (ITF). If you should happen to move, it won't be too hard to find an instructor that is certified by these organizations. So, say if your previous instructor is a recognized WTF master and you move to Spain you'll be able to find another WTF master in that country who will recognize your belt level and achievement certificate from the WTF. However if you take classes from one of the smaller organizations - International TaeKwonDo Alliance(ITA) for example - and move to an area that doesn't have any of their accredited instructors, you're out of luck. You'll have to start over from square one, so do your research. It can be confusing with the names being so similar. Sometimes it's due to having a high level master disagreeing with the main organization and creating their own splinter group. Sometimes, I think, it's done on purpose by companies who are in it mainly for the $$$ and want to get people signed up who may have confused their company's name with an internationally recognized organization.

Whew! I didn't think it take so long when I started this post.

~sg