8 Insider Strategies For Choosing A Martial Arts School In The Northville, Novi, Plymouth Michigan Area:

This insider information is brought to you by Master Daniel B. Vigil, founder of “Dan Vigil’s Academy of Taekwondo” in Northville Michigan. Credit must also be given to Tom Callos, who provided the framework of this article.

Dear Friend,

First of all, let me say congratulations and thank you for looking into Martial Arts study. It is a way of life with a proud tradition, a fantastic history, and unlimited reward. No matter what martial arts school you end up in Northville, Plymouth, or Novi, I know that you are going to enjoy and benefit from your experience. The owners of the schools in our area are all great people. I truly intend for this page to be a service to you, for I love all martial arts. From the striking of Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Kung fu, to the grappling of Judo, Jiu Jitsu and Aikdo, I have a deep appreciation for the wonderful characteristics of each art.

I, in the last twenty years, have had occasion to be in every sort of Martial Arts school out there. I’ve trained, and even worked in, a full range of organizations from highly commercial schools to very traditional schools, to elite competition-oriented schools, to non-profit groups and clubs of friends getting together in a garage. I’ve worked with American instructors and Asian instructors, seen and studied just about every option out there. I share this not to impress you, but to impress upon you the value of my advice in choosing a Tae Kwon Do, Karate, or any other martial arts school in Northville, Novi and Plymouth Michigan.

1) Establish What Your Needs, Wants, and Goals Are.

The first thing you need to know about choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth is that you must understand your purpose. Finding the right school isn’t about finding the best school in town, it’s about finding the best school for you. Why do you want (or want your children) to learn martial arts? Is it self defense? Self discipline? Confidence? Recreation? Every school has different things to offer different interests, and no school can be all things to all people. Establish what you want to find in a school, know what you want to get out of being there, and then go find it!

2) Don’t choose a style, choose an instructor.

The second thing you need to know about choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth is that the style a school teaches is second to who teaches the classes and how they teach them. A good instructor will make you (or your child) feel good about what you’re doing. He will encourage you to expand your skills and knowledge. A good instructor will take an interest in your goals, and keep you on track when you falter from them. If you are a novice to the martial arts don’t search for a style, search for a good teacher. Find the right teacher and you’ve found the right style. Find the wrong teacher and it won’t matter what style they teach!

3) Rank Matters Less Than You Think!

The third thing you need to know about choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth is, again, that you should have goals in mind and choose the instructor that you think will be best at helping you achieve your goals. Just because a person has a tenth (or any degree) black belt doesn’t mean that they are a good teacher. Van Gogh was a stunning painter – but he could barely hold a conversation, mailed his ear to a hooker, and probably couldn’t teach anyone about art.

4) Don’t be dazzled by accreditation claims.

The fourth thing you need to know about choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth is that being a former Olympian, world champ, or international coach doesn’t necessarily make someone a good teacher for you, or for your five year old. Is an Olympic gold medal one of your goals?

Also, as sad as I am to say it, there are a HUGE number of false claims out there. As a potential student of the martial arts in Novi, Northville and Plymouth the awards and appointments of an instructor (and I have many) should have little to no bearing on your decision. Again, you must know what you want out of training and establish whether or not you think a particular instructor is going to get you there. The only way you are going to know if you mesh well with a teacher is to try some classes with them. Make your decision based on these lessons, not on accreditation claims.

Bonus Hint! Ask Personal Questions.

Here is a bonus hint for choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth – ask lots of questions. This is a great way to get to know your teacher and find out what you have in common. The right questions will reveal their experience, philosophy and general attitude. Here are some examples: How did you get started in the martial arts? Who was your first teacher? What made you decide to be a full time teacher? How has martial arts training affected your life? What drew you to the style that you teach?

5) Big one! You Better Find Out Who Actually Teaches Classes!

The fifth thing you need to know about choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth is that it is entirely possible that not all (or even any) of the classes are going to be taught by the owner or master. I advise you to be very clear in asking this question, and do not take non committal answers. Yes, he has an 8th degree black belt, yes he has coached dozens of champions, yes he’s taught self defense to FBI agents for twenty years – no, he’s not going to be teaching you.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally impossible for the owner to teach every class in a decently sized school. What you need to establish is who is helping him, where did those people come from, how old are they (big one,) what system is in place for training and certifying these teachers – are they even trained specifically as teachers at all? This is very, very important stuff. The truth is that in many schools the classes are taught by unpaid volunteers who have had zero training as an educator. The teachers make the school – you ought to know exactly who is teaching and how they are trained.

6) Make Sure There Is A Curriculum And That Classes Are Taught From Actual Lesson Plans.

The sixth thing you need to know about choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth is that not everyone has a systematic plan for the student’s progress. Alright! I confess! When I started I didn’t have this in place, and wow… what a difference it has made since we implemented it in our school. Being able to produce lesson plans upon request is a good sign that you are in a well organized, very professional learning facility. A sign that good teaching systems may not be in place is that school has a lot of beginners, but very few people reaching black belt. If an established school is very small, consider that a warning sign also. People are leaving for a reason.

7) You Must Consider Attitude, Facility, And Customer Service.

The seventh thing you need to know about choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth is that “just because you are going to learn the ancient art of self defense doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply modern day scrutiny to a potential school.” The facility doesn’t have to be the Grand Shrine of All Martial Art, but it should be neat, clean, and have enough space for students to move about freely. Is the staff friendly and do they have a great attitude? Great attitude is important, because it is the people that make the school what it is. Bad attitude = bad school. Martial arts is about mastering the fundamentals, make sure the martial arts school you choose in Northville, Novi or Plymouth has mastered the fundamentals of customer service.

8) Determining A Fair Membership Agreement

The eighth thing you need to know about choosing a Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or any other martial art school in Novi, Northville and Plymouth is that we school owners have to be business people too. We are responsible for keeping positive cash flow coming in, in order to keep the school suitable for our students to learn in. Just like at Harvard and Yale we have facilities to maintain, teachers to pay, and a budget to balance.

According to Frank Silverman, director of the Martial Arts Industry Association the national average is $125/mo for dues. However, I know there are programs at rec centers and hobbyist schools that are as low as $35/mo. I also have a friend in Colorado who owns 12+ schools and charges $350/mo when you walk in the door, and offers upgraded membership options for as much as $1,000/mo. (No, I’m not joking.)

Shopping martial arts programs in Northville, Novi and Plymouth is a lot like shopping for cars. I can get an old Ford pickup truck for a low price, I could buy a new Explorer for a mid-range price, or I could buy the Ford GT super car for hundreds of thousands. Is it fair for me to tell the dealer that two hundred thousand dollars is too much for a Ford GT because the guy down the street will sell me an old F150 for a couple thousand? No way!

Each school is going to offer different things, and some schools really do offer a more valuable product. For instance my friend in Colorado charging $350 a month has a terrific program for teaching values and goal setting to children. It truly is top notch, and he has literally spent millions getting it to the level it’s at. But what if all you want is for your kid to do a couple months of some physical activity before school starts? Well if recreation is all you’re after then his is not the school for you to go to! However if your kid is struggling in school, suffering with a lack of confidence and direction, and being harassed by bullies – then that $350/mo is a small price to pay to turn things around for your child.

By the way, a school charging two times as much as everyone else better be able to explain exactly how they make good on all the claims your paying them for. My friend with the $350 tuition can tell you step by step how it’s all going to work, and often times the guy with the $70 special doesn’t have any sort of system to explain to you whatsoever. You also need to find out if the tuition is all inclusive. Will they be charging you testing fees, association fees or charging more for private lessons etc.?

Most professional martial arts schools in the Northville, Novi, Plymouth area are going to ask you to sign up for a certain number of lessons or a certain period of time. This is important for the stability of the school, and for the commitment of the student. Don’t feel pressured to sign up on your first visit. Some schools have a great sales pitch, but fail to follow through on promises made. Most schools will have a trial period or guarantee so that you can make sure you are 100% comfortable with your decision before you lock into a contract. It would be a definite warning flag if a school is unwilling to allow you a trial period or work with contract verbiage to make you comfortable. Also beware of schools that ask for large sums of money up front and offer no other alternative.

As I said earlier, I love all martial arts. Whether you end up at my school or at one of the other fantastic martial art schools in Northville, Novi, or Plymouth, I know you are going to love your training. There are many great instructors in our area, and I wish them all the best. If you have any questions about choosing a martial arts school please feel free to contact us – even if you are not anywhere near the Northville, Novi, or Plymouth area. I am truly happy to help.