It’s an oxymoron: wherever children are found in numbers or
where individuals go to learn to protect themselves from predators your will
always find predators. Martial Arts
schools, unfortunately, fall into these categories.
Then how do you know the “style” really is a style or
something some guy made up in his garage?
Some suggestions:
1. Annual contracts –
avoid. These schools are frequently
money over art.
2. Go and observe a
class first before enrolling your child or yourself. If they cannot let you observe without
signing-up because “we cannot reveal our secret instructional techniques passed
down from generation to generation…” Don’t
walk out . . . RUN! If you can’t run,
fly!
3. Get the instructor’s
name and the assistant instructor’s names (if they won’t give them to you see
the advice in para 2. Take the names and
enter them into the sexual predator database.
In Florida it’s located at http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/homepage.do;jsessionid=N3dTdZdLXhFDpGejJi5GLQ__
the Department of Justice National
Database is located at http://www.nsopw.gov/%28X%281%29S%28vmexqb55eh5riu55spviv355%29%29/Core/Conditions.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Sometimes, depending on the state, these
records can be expunged, if so the “Internet Archives Wayback Machine” http://archive.org/web/web.php may be
able to help (if you’re suspicious).
4. Ask about
liability insurance- they should have it.
5. Ask about style
and school affiliation – then verify it on-line. NOTE: many good schools change affiliation so
look at their history as well.
6. Trophies in the
window mean competition not traditional karate.
If the instructor says he was the “World Full Contact Karate Champion”
it would be verifiable on the internet. If it was “secret” competitions, follow
the advice in para 2 above.
7. Talk with current
students – not in class but outside of class.
8. Ask if the
instructors are all CPR certified and if they have a Automated External Cardiac
Defibrillator (AED) on premises. Heart attacks
are actually rather rare in dojos but AEDs improve survival percentages
significantly.
9. Expect minor
injuries. The martial arts ARE a contact
activity.
10. If you ask about promotions
and they can guarantee a promotion time frame refer to the advice in para 2
above.
11. Martial arts
training IS meant to be rigorous, rigorous is NOT the same thing as sadistic.
12. If you are taking
karate to learn self-defense, don’t. Buy a gun instead. To become proficient in self-defense in the
martial arts takes a minimum of 3-5 years of continuous practice. Anyone promising you differently should be
avoided.
13. Any School
instructor who participated in a “Death Match” is off his medication and should
be avoided.
14. Any instructor
who can “kill a man 50 different ways” can also rip you off 100 different ways –
avoid.
15. If there are no
female students, ask why. If the answer
is “Women cannot endure the rigors of our
training” leave (even if you or your child is male)
16. Weapons training
is normal in martial arts schools but not during the first year or so.
17. Students bowing
to the head instructor or a photo the style’s developer is NOT a sign of a cult
or replacement religion. It is simple,
professional Asian courtesy. Chill out.
18. Bottom line: If you feel like the school is not right or
that something is wrong, go to another school .
Trust your instincts!
Cox Hakase
