What martial arts instruction is available?

When you find the right martial arts school, see if there is a readily available schedule of classes at the school you're visiting. The best martial arts instruction separates students to improve the martial arts learning environment.

Find out how the classes separated; are they separated by:

-student age?

-rank or belt level?

-subject matter (examples: forms,sparring,weapons,etc.)?

-any combination of the above?

Is there enough martial arts instruction offered at the times you are able to attend?

Many martial arts schools will change their class schedules to accommodate the changes in the number of beginner, intermediate, and advanced students. Consider that your martial arts instruction schedule may change as you advance. Also check to see if the adults and children train together. Many adult students may not appreciate training with children and the different maturity levels could prove distracting to both. Some martial arts schools will offer the opportunity for the entire family to train together.

Age Specific Martial Arts Instruction

All research shows that a child's development has specific characteristics at distinct ages. Age specific martial arts training programs allows students to grow at a pace comfortable for them and maximize their martial arts learning. A child at twelve years old learns differently than a child does at age seven. Older children will often grow bored and disinterested with the slower learning speed of the younger children. Conversely, a younger student will often become frustrated by the quicker pace of learning by older students. Age specific martial arts instruction programs provide a better martial arts learning experience for both students. This is also a reason that siblings with a distinct age difference may be in different classes. Martial arts schools may limit class size by belt, age, or class topic to provide the appropriate learning environment.

What is Good Martial Arts Instruction?

Many martial arts schools utilize a belt or rank system to show the level of skill an individual has achieved. A good martial arts school will have a defined curriculum with clearly distinct skills required for advancement to each belt or rank. Depending upon the martial art style, a well-formed martial arts instruction program will have many of the following elements:

-self defense

-offensive martial arts skills

-defensive martial arts skills

-sparring skills

-Forms, Hyung, Kata, or Poomse

-optional weapons

-fitness and conditioning

-focus and concentration

-social and leadership skills

-balance and flexibility

-martial arts history and philosophy

In addition to displaying skill level, a ranking system also offers students great short term goals during their training. Make sure to find out what to look for when selecting the best martial arts instruction for you!