Don’t Join A Martial Art School Before Reading This!
With the popularity of martial arts sky-rocketing you owe it to yourself to do a little research before paying your hard earned money to learn some self defense moves. What do you need to know?
It is crucial to determine why you are studying a martial art so you can choose the most appropriate school for your specific needs. Most schools focus on sport-combat which can allow you to spar at full speed and compete in tournaments. Others, usually much harder to find, focus exclusively on real-life street combat and effective techniques against multiple attackers and weapons. So ask yourself if you want to get fit and compete or be able to protect yourself in a life and death?
It is imperative that you search for a school where the students’ safety and well-being is the primary concern. There are many schools where bruises, chipped teeth, pulled tendons, torn muscles, and broken bones are commonplace. Some schools even take pride in injuries as a way to condition your body to take pain and toughen you up. In reality, that really only helps to age your body and increase the likelihood of developing arthritis and other degenerative health problems.
It is crucial to study with a martial art teacher who is not only skilled in martial arts, but who is also secure with his or her own self. Some teachers will deliberately injure you if the teacher cannot counter a physical technique or a challenging question. In other schools you are not allowed to ask the teacher questions at all. You are just forced to do as they are told.
You will gain a much deeper understanding of martial arts when the school teaches you how to apply your martial art to your everyday life. That becomes an invaluable investment in your personal growth. Instead of just learning to punch and kick the air your martial mind-set can help you can solve problems more effectively, become better at negotiating, become more creative, and greatly increase your professional analytical abilities.
It is important to find a school where the classes are fun. There’s nothing harder than trying to motivate yourself to attend a boring class after an exhausting day at work. If the classes are fun it will keep you motivated and you are more likely not to drop out. In short, you will learn a ton more.
Ideally, you locate a martial art school where creativity and sensitivity is emphasized. Many schools focus on memorizing thousands of pre-arranged techniques. You can gain a much higher level of understanding if you learn how to see and spot principles of martial science instead of merely memorizing movements. That will enable you to develop the creativity and sensitivity to invent your own techniques if you are ever attacked in an unfamiliar way.
Sensei David Weinberg is a 3rd Degree Black Belt and Instructor of Freedman’s Method Ketsugo Jujutsu, a Reiki Master, a Certified Personal Trainer, and an Integrative Flexibility Specialist. To learn more about Freedman’s Method, visit the official jujitsu site site or the official jujutsu blog.