Finding a School

After spending the last two weeks scouring the internet and badgering a host of local friends, I finally found a martial arts school to keep me busy for my summer on the North Shore. Not to be disappointing, but I don’t plan on getting into the details of my new training until I start classes next week. For now, I’m interested in discussing the process of school-searching itself. It was the ease and comfort with which I went about this task which inspired me to write this post, which I believe many martial artists—especially those who travel frequently or are interested in starting martial arts training in the first place—will find helpful. As I explained in my first post, though my lifestyle has required me to travel frequently in the past few years (I’m sure I’m not alone in this respect, especially among my peers in their 20’s and 30’s), I have tried to continue my progress by seeking out opportunities for training wherever I ended up. This has naturally required some flexibility and a great deal of commitment to finding schools in new locales, but has at the same time kept me from losing the skills and mindset developed in past training. In the process, I have become well versed at scouting out training opportunities, weighing options among styles and teachers, and ultimately deciding whether or not a particular school is worth the time and money for hard training; all difficult tasks faced more frequently by martial artists in today’s society, who may be forced to move from place to place due to career related, familial, or other circumstances. Even worse, many would-be martial artists, daunted by the same issues, are discouraged from ever beginning their studies.

In examining my own approach to these problems, I have outlined a sequence of steps which may be helpful to those interested in finding a school.


Step 1: Find out what’s out there

I’m a firm believer that reconnaissance is the most important and fundamental step in the search for a martial arts school (or style). Though this may seem intuitive, I know from experience that many martial artists, rather than looking simply at what might be available in their area, cling doggedly to the idea of training in one particular style or at one type of school and thus miss out on numerous opportunities for high-quality training in the mean time. By stubbornly insisting that they will train in only a given discipline, a martial artist narrows their horizons for progress and, if they are unable to find the “right” school or style, may stagnate their progress in training and experience a gradual atrophy of skills. This “Goldilocks” issue is one I encounter with surprising frequency in the martial arts community, and one with which I contended at the beginning of my journey.

Like a great many other martial artists, I was first drawn in by cinema; in particular the legendarily iconic Bruce Lee. After watching the disappointingly embellished biography “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story”, a few TV specials, and two of Lee’s more famous films, I was utterly hooked on his unique “style”, and was buying every book I could find with his name on it (readers beware, there are ample books bearing his name which feature very little of his original work, or else very little of it in a useful format). Unable to find a Jeet Kune Do school in my area, I rather ambitiously set out to train myself, and spent hours studying video footage, reading books, watching movies, lifting weights, and flailing out punches and kicks whenever I had a spare moment.  Fortunately, I was eventually convinced to seek out professional instruction, and decided to visit a nearby Aikido school, which led me to where I am today.

Had I never decided to “lower my standards” and try something which wasn’t precisely the style I wanted, it is likely my progress in the martial arts would have come to a gradual halt, or at least been somehow crippled by my inability to find instruction. That sort of choosy attitude is the first obstacle which must be overcome in looking for a new school.

Martial arts were by necessity founded on a firm foundation of practical philosophy. On the battlefield, in a life or death situation, the only real concern is what does or does not work. There is no room for personal preference or individual flare, only the realities of physics, human physiology, and psychology. I think the same should apply for modern martial artists; their ultimate concern should not be whether they find a style they like or that suits them best; but only that they are able to train in martial art. If you are too particular about where you train or with whom, you will do very little real training. Being practically focused, the martial arts are concerned with the “essence” of things, being direct and straight to the point. A martial artist should thus be concerned first and foremost only with whether or not he or she is able to train at all, then worry about how to train. With this in mind, I recommend examining first the availability of martial arts nearby before becoming engrossed in what style or association one joins.

As a central point in my beliefs with regards to the martial arts, almost everyone has something to teach, so long as you are ready and willing to learn it. As a teacher of mine once waggishly put it, “There are no bad martial arts, just bad martial artists”. If you can find good training in any art, it will be better than bad training, or even no training, in your preferred style. Everyone has to start somewhere, so find what works and follow through with it; who knows when the opportunity may arise to practice your favorite style? If you are not waiting idly, you will have the skill and perspective to take full advantage when it comes.

I would advise students to peruse all schools within a reasonable commute, keeping in mind that frequent training is necessary for substantial progress, and that long commutes will complicate a hard training schedule.

Step 2: Find out what works for you

Though practicality is paramount, personal preference should ultimately decide which school or style you choose once you have established what will be available. Different arts work well for different types of people, in terms of body type, mental attitude, and philosophical or spiritual perspectives. For example, as a short-limbed, compact person, my body may be best suited for styles whose techniques focus around grappling and close-quarters fighting, which would take advantage of my low center of gravity  and make up for my lack of range. A taller fighter might be more naturally inclined toward the techniques of Tae Kwon Do, Savate, Muay Thai, or other styles emphasizing kicks and long-range fighting. This is not to say that any martial artist should feel that they cannot or should not study a given art due to their body type; I studied Tang Soo Do (a Korean art with an emphasis on kicking similar to Tae Kwon Do) for years and have found its techniques incredibly useful and applicable to my training.

In “Living the Martial Way”, the martial arts guidebook mentioned in my previous post, Forrest Morgan explains that all styles follow a central “doctrine” by which fighting is conceptually approached. In uncovering a style or discipline’s “martial doctrine", an interested student can gain an effective synopsis of the techniques he or she may learn in training. An example of a doctrine might be the idea of “using the longest to hit the closest”, described by Bruce Lee as a central concept in Jeet Kune Do (“The Way of the Intercepting Fist”). As part of this doctrine, the theoretical practitioner of Jeet Kune Do will attack the closest body target on the opponent’s body (ankle, hand, face, etc.) with the longest available weapon (usually the low side kick or lead finger jab), effectively keeping the opponent at a safe range while taking any available opportunity for attack.

Beginners would do best to seek styles whose martial doctrines seem intuitively appealing or natural to them or their body type; this will allow them to pick up on the style quickly and build a solid foundation for future training. More experienced martial artists, however, may wish to look for styles whose doctrines are far removed from those in which they have already trained in order to broaden their horizons (e.g. a wrestler taking up Wing Chun).

Martial arts styles and schools consist of a good deal more than their technical approach to fighting; they also reflect a specific worldview and philosophy which pervades the training. Students should carefully consider what they are looking for in their training when choosing a style to ensure that there will be a good match between their art and their specific needs. For example, competitive fighters will seek out schools teaching arts that are more conducive to fighting in controlled, rule-based and one-on-one environments, for example Brazilian Jiujitsu and various styles of boxing, while those interested primarily in self defense might prefer the more purely pragmatic, no-holds-barred approach of Krav Maga, Systema, or traditional Karate. Students looking more for a good workout and athletic endeavor would be better off with competitive combat sports, while those more interested in spiritual and personal development should look to traditional arts like Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Aikido, etc. Again, those who are just beginning their martial arts should start with whatever they are most comfortable with, while those who have been training for some time should seek to challenge themselves and reach outside their martial “comfort zone” to something unfamiliar.

As Morgan explains (and here I wholeheartedly agree), the best way to learn about a style, from its martial doctrine to its general philosophy, is to read about it and talk to others who have practiced it. Books are widely available on a great variety of popular styles, not to mention countless websites and forums through which one can investigate a style of their choice. I strongly recommend doing at least a little background research (even Wikipedia can be surprisingly helpful) on available styles when given the chance to choose amongst training options.

Step 3: Visit and train!

Returning to a purely practical perspective, the only definitive way to tell if you will enjoy training at a specific school or in a specific art is to go try it out. Most schools welcome newcomers and will allow them (or require them) to watch a class or two before joining, and some offer a free trial class or period in which the student can get the full experience. Even if you have discovered that a specific style is available in your area and it is the perfect fit for your needs, it pays to check out the school before enrolling. Though they are not common, there are some “bad apples” out there, and such schools are best avoided when encountered. I have heard a variety of definitions of what makes a “good” and “bad” school, but in the interest of simplicity, I would advise students to use their gut instinct; meet the instructors, watch or take a class, speak with students outside the gym or training hall, and make a judgment based on what you discover. Bringing a friend along (especially one who has experience in the martial arts) for a second opinion is always a good idea.

You can’t learn to swim without ever getting in the water, and the same goes for martial arts; you’ll need to jump right in to really know what it is like. The most important part of starting a new art (whether it is your first or fourteenth) is to immerse yourself in the experience and take all it has to offer, then, after the fact, make a decision about whether or not it is for you. Finally, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. It may take a few tries, but solid martial arts training is well worth the effort.

Step 4: Finish what you start

Many traditional martial arts (and, truthfully, the majority of combat sports as well) emphasize the development and importance of personal integrity, often referred to as sportsmanship or warrior spirit. Not only is this a highly desirable trait for improving one’s quality of life, it has great practical value for those interested in beginning or continuing their training in the martial arts.

The practical emphasis of martial arts separates them (or should separate them) from empty gratification and the pursuit of superficial rewards. The ultimate reasons for studying martial arts—self defense, personal development, physical and psychological health--are not shallow or empty  goals, but deep and meaningful ones. Martial artists of sincere attitude do not train for a pat on the back, a scored goal, or a quick promotion in rank, but to cultivate themselves as human beings as really make improvements, be they physical, mental, spiritual, skill-based, and so on.

With this in mind, I encourage those exploring martial arts to give each discipline and school they try a fair shot. Martial arts take commitment and determination, and real progress, though it can happen rapidly, is often difficult to perceive from the inside. Even if ranks aren’t being given out rapidly (or at all), and it is hard to perceive one’s own progress, deep changes can occur over time which will profoundly affect one’s practice (not to mention the rest of their life). While what a “fair shot” means will vary from case to case, I would advise students to devote at least two or three months to a discipline if time allows to really experience the training and begin to get some idea of what the journey will be like. If a school offers rankings and testing, I would suggest testing for at least one rank before making the decision that an art is not the right choice. It is a great shame when martial artists will great potential to benefit from their training miss a great opportunity due to petty discouragement early in the process. Thus, avoid this blunder and take the time to really devote yourself to training somewhere for a time before deciding to move on.

From a more traditional perspective, any student training at a martial arts school carries a certain obligation to sincerely pursue their training before deciding to stop. After all, the teacher is taking the time to instruct class; it is only right to allow time to hear what it is they are actually trying to convey before choosing to reject it. This sort of respect and integrity is a highly praised personal trait in the martial arts and will prevent hard feelings and resentment. Thus, it is best to devote some honest time and effort to any art, even if at first you think you don't like it, to allow time to see what develops. If after some time you still feel it isn't for you, you can at least move on confident you made the right choice in leaving.


This sequence outlines my general approach to finding schools, and has served me very well so far. I will be visiting my prospective summer training venue tomorrow night for a trial class and am already beside myself with excitement. As a brief sneak peak into next week's post (to be started after class tomorrow night), the school I will be visiting is Sityodtong North Shore, a Muay Thai/MMA gym in Beverly, Massachusetts.