Choosing a martial arts school is very different from choosing any other kind of training because there is actually no single regulatory body for such schools. Anyone can easily acquire a business license and set up a martial arts school in a rented studio. Even the Better Business Bureau does not help much in this regard. That is why you have to be extra cautious in selecting these schools and should not make money or convenience your prime parameters in making the decision.

The following are some things that you have to look into:

The Expertise of the Instructors

Since just about anybody can start a martial arts school, there are several people who just have a fleeting knowledge of the art into the business. You have to make sure that the instructors in these schools are professionals. Depending on whether or not you want to compete, it can be great if you find someone who participates in competitions to train you. These are the people who really know their stuff.

The Camaraderie between the Instructors and the Students

You may not give this a lot of importance at the start, but this is a highly significant factor. You have to get personal attention when you are learning something as sophisticated as martial arts. Most martial arts schools have a viewing area, where you can seek permission to visit. You can watch classes in action from here and see how the trainers are handling the students. You can even get permission to speak with the students while they are still in class.

The Martial Arts Style

If you are a beginner, you may not have a style yet. A good martial arts instructor will suggest what kind of style you might begin with. You can schedule appointments with them so that you can speak about this. As a beginner, be wary of schools that offer to train you in several styles at once.  Focus on a single style until you learn the basics.

The Affiliations

Though there are no overall controlling bodies, there are some worldwide institutions that martial arts schools can be affiliated with. These are specific to particular martial arts styles, such as the World Karate Association and the International Tae Kwon Do Foundation. See if the school you are choosing has such an affiliation. If it has, it could be an excellent choice for you - this will often make it easier to keep your rank should you need to change schools due to a move.

The Fees

There is a world of difference in the fees that these martial arts schools charge. Though your budget is important, do not make that your only consideration. You will find schools that charge $100 a month as well as schools that charge the same amount per hour. The important thing here is that you should be comfortable learning from the school and they must have the necessary expertise.

Recommendations

This is the best way to select a martial arts school. Ask among your friends if they have ever taken any classes. This will give you a good idea. You can also check out online forums – there is an abundance of them – where you can find out the truth about what goes on in particular martial arts schools.

Do not be hasty about your decision. Learning martial arts can be a life-changing affair. Take care and make sure that your decisions are right.

Yet another Donnie Yen movie has made it to my Recommended Movies list (big shock).  This time, it is his 2005 hit SPL: Kill Zone.

This movie gets a 9/10.  I would’ve given it a 10/10, but I’m sick to death of Chinese Cop movies.  The most surprising thing about this movie is not Donnie Yen - I always expect him to be great - but rather Sammo Hung.  Because he is such a big guy, you tend to forget that he is still a great martial artist.  This movie will remind you.  Full marks for the action.  It only loses points on the story.

This is definitely a must-own.

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As I’m sure any regular readers have noticed, each day I post up a martial arts video I find interesting.  I’ve really enjoyed doing this, but it has created a few problems.  1 - I’m starting to scrape the bottom of the video barrel, I only want to post good/interesting stuff up.  2 - The videos are pushing the normal content off the front page too quickly.

So, I’m going to change a few things.  My Video of the Day will no longer be posted every day.  Maybe every week?  I’m not sure yet, we will have to see how things progress.  Also, I am going to take the opportunity to post up more high-quality content and articles, and make sure to let you guys know about the changes to the site.  What am I talking about?  Well, you may or may not have noticed, but the martial arts schools listings are growing tremendously.  New schools are being added every single day.  Not only that, but a lot of articles have been (and are being) added about Martial Arts Styles.  I’ve also been working to expand the Learning Resources, for those of you who want to train on your own time.

Hopefully this will lead to a better Fighting Is Your Friend for everyone.

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The video today is a bit blurry/grainy unfortunately, but it is still a good Hanbo and Tessen demonstration.

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A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu video today. I have the feeling that I’ve posted this one before, and if I have I apologize (but please leave a comment on the forums and let me know).

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Shotokan Karate is, possibly, my favorite style of Karate (either that or Kyokushin…).  In any event, today’s video is a look at some aspects of Shotokan.

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Despite my best efforts to see the the sport abolished, MMA is still alive and kicking.  As such, it falls upon me to ensure that those crazy MMA fans out there get their fix, and so I bring you the results of UFC 92.

Barry beats Evenson with a TKO in Round 1

Blackburn beats Chonan with a unanimous decision

Hamill beats Andy with a TKO in Round 2

Hardonk beats Wessel with a TKO in Round 2

Okami beats Lister with a unanimous decision

Kongo beats Al-Turk with a TKO in Round 1

Jackson beats Silva with a KO in Round 1

Dollaway beats Massenzio with a TKO in Round 1

Mir beats Nogueira with a TKO in Round 2

Evans beats Griffin with a TKO in Round 3

Today’s video is actually a movie trailer.  I know that’s a bit odd, but Donnie Yen just came out with a new movie (not here in the US yet, sadly) about the life of Ip Man.  It looks fantastic, and I eagerly await its arrival.

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Lately a new Chinese Martial Art has been gaining popularity - Sanda (or San Shou).

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I’m in a rush today, so I’ll be lazy and just post up some Martial Arts Bloopers.

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