1. Where to Look
There is often little correlation between the cost and the quality of martial arts training. So look for quality first among the more affordable schools. Here are some excellent resources to aid in your search:
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• Friends that are in martial arts • Bulletin boards at martial arts supply stores • Bulletin boards at Asian supply/grocery stores • Local universities (also check ‘continuing education’ courses) • Community/Civic Center Programs • Neighborhood YMCA/YWCA • Classified ads from newspapers and local free papers • Cultural heritage festivals • Yellow Pages under “Karate” or “Martial Arts” |
You might want to consider schools that are near your home or office. You can usually find a list of many, but certainly not all, schools by looking in the Yellow Pages.
Visit our Local School Directory for more local Schools.
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Remember that there is little that appears in the Yellow Pages to suggest one school over another. Consulting the Yellow Pages for a martial arts school should be considered just the beginning. You should visit several schools several times to make a good comparison. |
If you live in a small town, you might just visit all of them. If you live in a big city, that might not be feasible. If you have a really large number of choices, that’s OK – there’s probably no absolute “best” school, but you should be able to find a very good school (one that suits your needs).