Cost

Cost will vary from location to location depending on the expenses of that locality. Expect to pay a fair price for services. It often takes years of training to learn the arts and even more to develop the skills to teach it. A good school costs money to run and maintain. In the arts you are either growing or dying as far as your personal skill level is concerned, therefore even masters continue to train. These continual training sessions can be very expense for instructors as travel is commonly required.

Costs for lessons can vary from $40.00 to $2,000 per month. The main point is to get your money’s worth. Be aware of long term contracts. You should be able to pay month to month in some form. Being forced to sign contracts is really a strong indication students leave that school after a short time of study. Contracts are often designed to keep you, or at least your money, at the school when normally you would have left.

At times people try to save money by taking a community class of some form. More times than not the instructors are poorly trained, students have a poor experience or even a dangerous one, and leave thinking the martial arts are not for them rather than realizing they just had a bad experience. This is a loss for everyone. For you the student, who could have had so much, and for the martial arts community who could have had an honestly interested student. Again, you get what you pay for. You may not need the most expensive program but be cautious of paying too little.

Free Lessons

One does not enter a restaurant expecting a free meal to "see whether you like it or not." Don’t expect a professional school to blindly give out free lessons. On the other hand you should expect to try a class without long term commitments. Be aware of reduced trial classes with hidden fees elsewhere. The idea of something for nothing is false. Good schools are not built on false principles and neither are successful people. If you enter a school expecting to get something for nothing they will likely expect the same from you. Costs should be explained up front openly and honestly. Do not take lessons from a place you cannot trust.

Instructors

There are two different skills needed to teach the arts: you need to be good at the arts and you need to be able to teach those skills. In a sense, a system is only as good as the instructor’s ability to teach it - to develop those skills within you. Some instructors run martial arts studios as shrines to themselves. Having pride in yourself is important but an inflated ego is a sign of a weak personality.

Sport

Martial arts as a sport has become popular in North America. There are still many Masters in the arts who feel real martial arts can never be practiced as a sport without learning many bad habits. Anytime you have rules in a martial art contest it has become a sport. Many people do enjoy competing. The two main areas of competition would be forms, where you perform by yourself receiving points toward a perfect performance, and sparring where you fight against another receiving points for strikes. Some tournaments allow contact in their sparring matches, some do not. There are many tournaments available. A well run tournament can be a very fun filled and learning experience for all skill levels. The bottom line: tournaments are run to produce income for the promoters – which is fine as long as you the student gain as well. If you are interested in the sport applications of the arts, make sure your future choice of schools can help you. Be aware, also, that there often is a large difference between ‘street’ skill and sport skills within the arts.

Self Defense

Martial arts did not become famous until it was discovered the Shaolin Monks could not be easily defeated in combat. In fact, at one time, to be a highly recognized fighter one would claim they could beat a Shaolin Monk. Many styles will claim they teach self defense but be aware this is often used just as a sales tool. Certain styles or types of martial arts are more oriented towards self defense than others. Plus, certain styles will be better suited for your body type and/or circumstances than others. In our society many people think of self defense in terms of guns, knives, pepper sprays and lawyers. All of which could be as useful to you as a hospital would be if you were dying from a heart attack in some lonely alley. The most powerful weapon you have is your mind. Your ability to use it is your best self defense tool. From there the next best tool is your body which you always have with you and is needed to utilize any other tool or weapon. The sharper the mind and the better skilled the body the better any other tools or weapons will be. Too many people gain a false sense of security by just obtaining some weapon be it a gun, knife, club, spray or their friend the lawyer they can threaten law suites with. In a real life threatening situation most of these people will never have the skills to ever reach their weapon let alone the skills required to use it effectively. In a good self defense program it is important to be aware of the tools used by your society to safe guard your welfare. But an honest understanding and ability of how they are use is also important.

Life

Avoid rather than check
Check rather than hurt,
hurt rather than maim,
maim rather than kill.
For all Life is precious,
and none can be replaced.

Self Development

The reason most people study the martial arts is simply to improve themselves. Individuals may use terms like self defense, physical fitness, relaxation, a new challenge, stress release, fun, philosophy, mental awareness, but the bottom line is to improve and maintain an increased quality of life. A good school should be able to maintain your interest(s) while helping you towards your personal goals.

Who Studies the Arts

Businessmen/women to increase their competitive edge, stress release and focus; Professional athletes: cross training improves their balance, coordination, focus; police to improve their street skills; youth to improve concentration, for fun, etc.. Individuals from all walks of life and natural ability levels study.

If exercise and fitness is fun and rewarding people will continue to do it. If exercise is work, just something you "should do", it is likely to be discontinued.

Time

Ideally it is nice to see students 2 or 3 times per week for formal lessons. Some people can only make it in once a week others come every day. Find a schedule that works for you and one you can maintain. Flexibility is important both in the school and in yourself. A good quality martial arts program will actually increase your personal productivity thereby giving you more time to use elsewhere.

Safety

The martial arts is a physical activity and as such, tired muscles and stiffness do occur. A good school will pride itself on a high safety record. If you are involved in a contact type martial art then the odd bruise and light strain can also occur. You should not have to be hurt nor hurt others to learn the arts. Many, so called, non-contact sports such as basketball and soccer have a higher injury record than a good martial arts program. Your personal welfare both physically and mentally should be of the upmost concern of your school. Beginning classes should be designed to strengthened your body and properly increase your flexibility, greatly decreasing any injuries both at the martial arts school and in your everyday activities.

Rank

Rank has been used in society for varied purposes. The military has their own. Corporations have their own. The martial arts have their own. Martial arts ranking systems have varied throughout time and locality. Sashes and belts being the most common with different shapes and colors representing different levels of achievement. The best rank was one’s real skill and respect others had for the individual. At one time women could not hold rank — but at the same time there were women men dared not fight. At first there were only white belts, then, through use, the white slowly became darker until it was black since by tradition one never washed their belt. After even more use the belt would begin to wear out, fray and turn white. This was referred to as one returning to their state of innocence. Today we use different colors of belts or sashes representing your progression towards black. Black being a recognized high level of proficiency. Each color represents a different rank (level of achievement). After black there are also different levels of achievement. Some systems use different colors on the belt to represent these levels, others do not. Some use titles such as, instructor, chief instructor, head instructor, master instructor or professor. The proper attitude to have about rank is not to compare your rank to other students. Rank is meant to show how you have improved since starting the martial arts, according to your potential. No two people will ever be exactly the same. Use others to motivate and encourage you, but each rank will be something only you can achieve.

The higher the rank one achieves, the more humble the individual should be. In western culture humility is often viewed as a weakness but the opposite is really true. Remember, as you increase in rank, so do your responsibilities. You have the opportunity to set the right example for all those that follow after you.

Uniforms

In most cases the uniform worn reflects the type of art being studied. In Judo, for example, the uniform is a heavy weave since clothing is grabbed and pulled on a lot. Traditional, so called, karate gis or uniforms, are worn due to their comfort and durability in many of the arts. Karate is a term usually referring to martial arts from Japan. But what we now call karate gis were and are very common in the arts of China as well. Wearing a uniform allows you to change "hats" thus increasing the effectiveness of your training. White and black uniforms are still the most common colors with "show" uniforms sometimes used for tournaments, demonstrations, etc..

The Qihe'

The qihe', or shout commonly witnessed in many of the arts, serves two purposes: it startles the opponent, creating a split second of fear and confusion, and it provides the required exhalation of breath releasing Chi — energy. Everyone’s kiai will sound different as it is really just a sudden release of air. The idea is to focus the air, the energy. The sound itself is unimportant. It is the result you are interested in.

Similar behavior may be observed in watching a large cat, such as a lion or tiger. The great cat will roar as it leaps.

Overview of Styles

Generally martial arts can be characterized into ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ styles. ‘Hard’ referring to a force meets force mentality, for example, an opponents force is met directly by your own. ‘Soft’ referring to redirecting energy rather than meeting it "head on". The term hard can also refer to the use of the external physical body while the term soft being internal use or inner awareness.

Generally, in North America, karate is known more for it’s hard styles while Kung Fu is known more for it’s soft styles. This again is a generalized statement. A brief reference to the common styles of martial arts follows:

Aikido: "way of harmony", an unarmed method of self-defense founded in Tokyo in 1942 by Morihel Uyeshiba. A soft style using circular motions are used to gain control of the attacker’s momentum. Very effective against individuals who over commit their body weight attacking you first. Aikido uses few kicks. Students will be thrown to the ground a lot during practice sessions. More than 30 different sects exist today.

Arnis / Kali / Escrimas: a Philippine fighting art best known for it’s use of double sticks about 2 to 3 feet long, but also uses bladed weapons and empty hands.

Dim Mok: "touching of nerve points", a style of Chinese kung-fu based on the science of striking pressure points on the body to shut down specific areas of the body, also known as delayed death touch.

Hapkido: "way of coordinated power", Korean martial art characterized by kicking without retraction.

Jeet Kune Do: "way of the intercepting fist", A collection of basic mental and physical concepts, observations of combat maneuvers, and philosophies of attitude gathered and developed by the late Bruce Lee. Few high kicks are used. Most people who are successful in Jeet Kune Do have a body type very similar to Bruce Lee's.

Judo: "gentle way", a Japanese sport with Olympic recognition. Jujitsu, was its forerunner. Judo uses throws with different points being awarded for each type of throw. Judo in its present form was founded by Jigoro Kano in 1882 who gave the sport its name, and claimed to have been 11th dan. Students learn to throw and to be thrown to the ground during practice sessions.

Jujitsu / jiu-jitsu: "art of gentleness", Jujitsu techniques include methods of striking, kicking, kneeing, throwing, choking, and in particular, joint locking. Good for individuals who like to be in close contact with others and have a need to control people, such as police, rescue personnel, etc.

Karate: "empty hand", an unarmed method of combat in which all parts of the anatomy are used to punch, strike, kick, or block. Karate originated in Okinawa, and was directly influenced by earlier Chinese martial arts. Karate is known for its hard style – meaning a force meets force philosophy. Karate, although translates to mean Chinese hands, has become known more for it’s linear movements. The number of karate sects is about one hundred.

Kendo: "way of the sword", The modern art and sport of Japanese fencing. The kendoka (student) wear a complete set of kendo armor in which covers the body for protection from the bamboo practice sword (shinai). Kendo was developed from kenjutsu (art of the sword).

Kenpo/Kempo: "fist method", An art popular in North America originally from China’s Shaolin system but with heavy Japanese influence. Most have both straight and circular movements.

Kick-Boxing / Muay Thai: This is a sport usually lasting for five rounds of three minutes duration held inside a rope-enclosed ring. The object is to render your opponent unconscious using only leg and arm strikes. Fights are often brutal and bloody with contestants frequently injured. There is a growing interest among Westerners to train in aerobic kicking workouts they sometimes call kick boxing but this is much different than the sport.

Kung-Fu: A Chinese unarmed and armed martial art. Also known as gwo shu and wushu. The most common styles are the Southern: techniques of strength and power, Northern: soft and open movements, and Animal styles: which can be specialized to one or a few animals or can be a full five animal system. Each animal would represent a different style of art: hard, soft, high, low, kicks, hand strikes, grappling, etc.

Ninja: A Japanese warrior hired as spies, assassins and terrorists in Feudal Japan. One was born a ninja and died one. Since secrecy was imperative, ninja, as an individual, did not achieve renown. Unarmed techniques, weapons, chemicals, etc. were all used to promote a ninja’s mission success.

Sumo/Sumai: A basic Japanese form of grappling where the opponent is forced out of a circle.

Tae Kwon Do: A Korean unarmed fighting style organized in 1955 by Choi Hong Hi. Tae Kwon Do specializes in kicks and has become more known as a sport. It is a hard style – a force meets force philosophy.

Tai Chi Chuan/Tai Chi/Taijiquan: an internal system of Kung Fu, characterized by its continuous, circular, balanced and rhythmic movements. Tai Chi is the most widely practiced form of Martial Art in the world today due to it’s many health benefits. Chen style of Tai Chi is the original form for generations being limited to family members only. From Chen style specialized sub styles came: Wu, Yang, Yin, Peking, etc.

Tang Soo Do: A Korean art similar to Tae Kwon Do.

Wing Chun/Wing Tsun/Ving Tsun: A form of Kung Fu which centers around strong linear punches. Named after a Shaolin nun who developed it. It was the style Bruce Lee formally trained in.