Choosing The Right Martial Arts School For Your Child 

By Sifu Cathal Walsh

Dear Parent,

Thank you for requesting this report.  By doing so it tells me that you want to make the best decision for your child.  I hope that this overview helps you to accomplish just that.  By the way, my name is Sifu Cathal Walsh (Sifu means Teacher) and I am the founder of SHAKU Family Martial Arts.  In addition to over twenty years experience in the martial arts I am also a former school teacher and principal.  I’ve been around children, education and martial arts pretty well my whole life so what I am about to share with you comes from years of practical experience.

The first thing you need to know is that martial arts are neither good nor bad.  No one style or system is somehow better than another.  I know many fantastic Karate, Kung-Fu, Jiu-Jitsu, etc…) schools that do a great job educating children and adults about health and fitness, self-defense and character development.  Unfortunately I also know of many schools (teaching the same “styles”) that do a huge disservice to their students.

Choosing to enroll your child in martial arts can end up being quite confusing.  All the ads seem to say the same thing…we build confidence, we teach discipline, respect and so on.  How do you know what’s real and what’s pretend?  And more importantly, which school in your area will help your child become more confident, focused and disciplined?

To begin with, please understand that not all schools are the same.  For many years, martial arts have enjoyed a general reputation of developing self-esteem, confidence, focus, discipline etc…) but just because someone hangs a martial arts sign on their door does not necessarily mean that these ideals are being honored.  Schools generally fall into five categories.  As you read through each one, think about your child’s personality and goals in addition to what you want for your child from a martial arts program.  What follows are oversimplified generalizations; many schools will have elements of more than one category but will have a noticeable “leaning” to one type…Trust your instincts!  

---

Category 1 – The Traditional Club

These clubs are everywhere!  They operate out of church basements, school gyms, recreation centres and scout halls.  Typically, traditional clubs have a small student base and are fairly informal despite the “traditional” title.  For the instructor, teaching is a hobby.  Don’t expect well organized curriculum, flexible scheduling options, and developmentally appropriate lessons.  This is purely recreational.  Traditional clubs close down as often as they open.  This can be a letdown for a child that is starting to progress.  I used to run a traditional club when I worked as a full-time school principal.  I became frustrated by not being able to provide my students the level of commitment necessary to help them achieve their goals.  The more successful traditional clubs usually transition into professionally run schools (Category 5)

ADVANTAGES: Low cost  

DISADVANTAGES: Lack of organization, informal, prone to closure

---

Category 2 – The Fight Club

Some schools are focused purely on the physical fighting side of martial arts.  These schools will likely do very little to improve your child’s respect, focus and discipline but they may teach your child some “pretty cool” ways to dislocate a shoulder!  I’m not sure about you but this is not exactly what I want for my nine year old son!  When entering this kind of club pay attention to your instincts.  The instructors will likely focus their conversations about how “effective” their “system” is.  The facility will often be run down and a lack of cleanliness and organization will be evident.  Ask yourself, “What lessons will these people be able to teach my child?" After all, they will be your child’s role models.   The cleanliness issue may seem minor but this is a very real concern as sweat, skin and even blood can present serious health hazards for your child.  At all our SHAKU Family Martial Arts Schools, our facilities are thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom EVERY DAY.  It might sound a little obsessive but a clean facility is part of teaching discipline and promoting good health. Fight clubs are usually intended for the twenty-something audience.  Some may use a “kids program” to subsidize their passion for fighting.  As a result, their focus may not be entirely on what’s best for your child.  I do not recommend these types of places for children to learn martial arts.

ADVANTAGES: Your child may become the next cage fighting champion

DISADVANTAGES: See advantages!  Potentially harmful physically and emotionally

---

Category 3 – The Competition Club

Some children (and adults) love to compete in everything they do.  It is not surprising then that some martial arts clubs make this their focus.  These clubs tend to spend a disproportionate amount of time on tournament preparation; particularly with respect to forms or Katas (patterns of rehearsed movements) and sparring (sport fighting).  The environment in these schools can become highly competitive.  The focus is usually about preparing for the next tournament or competition.  The emphasis is on winning medals or awards.  This external focus can overshadow the many internal benefits of the martial arts.  If you ever saw the movie, The Karate Kid, the antagonist (Johnny) trained in a stereotypical competition school.  The only thing that mattered was being better than the opponent. Most competition schools (I hope) don’t take it to this extent but the complaint I’ve heard time and again from many ex-competition school parents is that only the “elite competitors” get attention from instructors.  At our SHAKU Schools we recognize the value that competition has to develop a student’s physical and mental skills but also recognize it as only one component of a much broader set of physical and mental goals.

ADVANTAGES: Strong tournament component

DISADVANTAGES: Singular focused program, not suitable for all types of learners

---

Category 4 – The Belt Factory

Sometimes referred to as “McDojos,” there has seen a rise of so called "belt factories"  in recent years. These are schools whom operate with low or no standards, particularly when it comes to the awarding of Black Belts   They may look like a professional school but there are some tell tale warning signs.  They usually operate more like daycare centers than a school (If you see a 6 year old wearing a black belt you might want to ask them about their examination requirements).  Trust your instincts.  Belt factories are also notorious for fees, fees and more fees!  It is normal to pay a registration fee and monthly tuition just about anywhere but belt factories will charge you for a multitude of other fees.  These include:  weekly or monthly progress or “stripe test fees”, belt promotion fees, special equipment fees, mandatory seminar fees, private lesson fees, quarterly review fees, activity fees, special event fees, demo team fees, annual renewal fees, insurance fees, intra-mural fees, birthday party fees, tournament entrance fees, etc…).  These schools have also been known to close unexpectedly.  Good schools will have been around and will have a known reputation.  Our SHAKU schools on Vancouver Island and in Kingston have served their respective communities for over a decade, teaching thousands of students. 

ADVANTAGES: Your kids will enjoy the entertaining “gym like” classes

DISADVANTAGES: Lack of substance and integrity, prone to over and repetitive charging

---

Category 5 – The Professional School

Well run, professional martial arts school owners have made a decision to devote their lives to providing the very best martial arts experience for their students.  As a result, they don’t teach martial arts as a hobby or as something part-time just for fun (even if they may have started out that way).  They are often very passionate, driven and accomplished martial arts practitioners and teachers.  There are many distinctions that you will recognize when you first explore a professional school as an option for your child compared to the other clubs mentioned in this report.  From the way you are first greeted; to the quality of instruction; to the organization of the curriculum and subsequent assessment and promotion of students.  Professional martial arts schools will offer clean facilities, flexible scheduling and consistent communication on your child’s progress.  Most importantly your child will likely achieve the goals that you have set for them!  Furthermore, the staff and instructors will all be properly trained, have necessary first aid qualifications, and criminal record checks conducted.  Many professional schools, such as our SHAKU Family Martial Arts schools focus on developing success skills for school, work and life in the areas of physical health and mental discipline.  Respectful and courteous behaviour are taught and modeled.  Don’t expect these schools to let you drop-in and “start working out.”  Professional schools will likely have an orientation meeting and introductory class that will be scheduled by appointment.  So expect to phone ahead.  

ADVANTAGES: Deliver on what they promise, life-changing, goal oriented

DISADVANTAGES: Unsuitable for "drop-in" or recreational only purposes

So to review, remember there are no good or bad martial arts styles for your child; only clubs and schools offering different experiences.  Try to find a school that best aligns itself with your goals and the needs of your child.  If you need more information, please feel free to contact the SHAKU school nearest you for more information.

Sifu Cathal Walsh is a former school teacher and principal. He is also a former Education Standards Coordinator for the BC Ministry of Education. He conducts workshops for parents and educators on topics of school safety and bullying prevention. He is the founder of SHAKU Family Martial Arts, with locations in Ladysmith, BC and Kingston, ON. Got A Question? You can contact Sifu Cathal at 1-888-742-5810 or by email at SifuCathal@SHAKU.ca. 

---

All our SHAKU™ schools are proud to offer a 30-Day no-risk  trial to enable students, parents and instructors sufficient time to evaluate the suitability of our programs.  If you would like to explore this option for you or your child, just FILL OUT THIS FORM and an instructor will call you to schedule a school orientation meeting.  Please mention that you found us on the web and you will receive a complimentary uniform at no charge!