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Some
frequently asked questions about martial arts...
What style
should I choose?
What kind of facility should I look for?
How much do martial arts lessons cost?
Do I have to sign a contract?
How often should I go to class?
How long are classes?
How risky is martial arts?
What can I expect to learn?
How early should I start my child in the martial
arts?
Is it my child's decision to train?
What should I do if my child wants to skip a lesson?
What if the instructor wants me to pay in advance
for lessons?
What are testing fees?
What belt rank should my instructor be?
Should I find a "champion" instructor?
What is the National Black Belt Club?
What kind of physical training does the martial
arts teach?
What is better training, the modern or the traditional
method?
What
style should I choose?
The only style that really
matters is the teaching style of the instructor. Yes, styles vary
and you may prefer one style over another, but style should be a
secondary consideration. The first priority is finding an instructor
that you feel comfortable with and who can motivate you to come
to class twice a week.
All styles have their strengths and weaknesses. While it would be
nice to say that your body type or flexibility should match up with
a certain style, it's more important to match up with the right
instructor and school. back to top
What
kind of facility should I look for?
Here it's important to
trust your first impressions. The modern martial arts school is
clean, well lit and spacious, and has good family atmosphere. The
mirrors are polished, the floor is clean and the dressing room is
in good order. On the wall you might see photographs of recent school
events and outings, and there should definitely be an area for parents
or family to sit and watch the classes.
Beware of any school that
doesn't allow you to watch the class. Particularity, if you are
a parent looking for a school for your kids, you should have real
concerns about one that doesn't allow you to watch the instructor
work with your child. An instructor might say that they don't want
the child to be distracted by the parents, but the truth usually
is that the instructor doesn't want to be accountable to the parent.
WhirlWin has a warm, comfortable lobby for parents
to relax in while they watch the kids enjoying their class.
Consider a professional martial arts instructor as your teammate.
We both want to instill a strong sense of self-pride and confidence
in your child. back to top
How
much do martial arts lessons cost?
Tuition
for our programs ranges from $10 - $16 per class, depending upon
program and plan selected.
Should
you or your child
qualify for admittance, and you wish to continue, we have no long
term contracts like other schools. As long as you are enjoying our
classes and benefiting from them, then you will be happy to continue.
And since we've been teaching in Northlake since 1988, it's clear
that our program keeps students of all ages involved and excited.
With
a large variance in the instructors, facility, and atmosphere of
one school to the next, you probably already know you shouldn't
shop for a martial arts school based upon price. Quality of instruction
and experience also play a large role in the cost of your martial
arts investment. At WhirlWin, we are proud
to offer a variety of programs that every family can budget
while providing you with highest level of quality instruction. back
to top
Do
I have to sign a contract?
This depends on the school
and your situation. Many schools do not require any contract or
agreement. However, signing a contract for lessons is not always
a bad idea. One advantage to signing a contract is that you are
locking in the tuition at the current rate and can avoid increases.
The key is to not sign for more than you're confident you can follow
through on. However, if you know you want to earn a black belt,
it makes perfect sense to lock in the lowest tuition possible for
that time period.
Since earning a black
belt should take three to four years, you may consider locking in
the tuition rates if the school you’re interested in offers
that option.
Many schools use the agreement only as a way to clearly spell out
the arrangements for the relationship between the student and the
school.
After our trial course,
WhirlWin requests that you inform the school 30, 60,
or 90 days in advance (depends on the program you chose) when you
are not able to continue training. Beware of a school that requires
a 1-3 year commitment after only a few trial lessons. Positive results
do take more than a few weeks; so you should expect most good schools
to ask for some level of dedication from their students.
It's perfectly reasonable
for a school to employ a tuition billing company to process your
payments. Martial artists prefer to invest their time improving
classes and student service, so it's a good idea for them to hire
the processing and posting of payments to an expert. WhirlWin
employs 'Member Solutions' to process our tuition.
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How
often should I go to class?
For the first few months,
resist the urge to go more than two times a week. Most professional
schools will restrict your attendance in these early stages to twice
a week while you evaluate your training. Then, after you’ve
trained for a few months, they may make more classes available for
you as part of a special program such as the National Black Belt
Club.
This is a good method for both the student and the instructor. The
student is prevented from overdoing it at first and helps him to
avoid injuries and burnout from an over-enthused start. Then, as
the student gets in better shape and understands the training, the
instructor can better determine if the student should be given the
opportunity for additional training. This is usually a privilege
reserved for students who have made the commitment to earning a
black belt.
Since a new student couldn't be expected to understand what it takes
to earn a black belt, the early restrictions on attendance serve
to help the student discover the real power of the martial arts
and to evaluate its potential benefits before setting a goal of
black belt. back to top
How
long are classes?
This usually will depend
on the age of the class. For most classes targeting 4-6 year-olds,
the class should run 30-45 minutes at the most. For classes targeting
8-12 year-olds, 45 minutes is usually about right with a one hour
class for the brown and black-belt children. Adult classes are 50
minutes.
Schools that are still running two-hour classes tend to burn their
students out very quickly. In today's world, it's very difficult
to devote more than an hour to an activity for any length of time;
and studies on attention spans have shown that 30-60 minutes is
about the max for most people depending on their age. back
to top
How
risky is martial arts?
Past insurance ratings
ranked golf over martial arts in the number of injury claims! That
doesn't mean you're not going to get sore or occasionally bruised,
it just means that serious injuries are not very common in the martial
arts in most schools.
Most schools are very
safe and go to extreme lengths to insure the safety of its classes.
Some schools are rougher and can have a military-like atmosphere
where only the strong survive. These schools can be recognized by
an almost exclusively adult male student body and a gym-like atmosphere.
Any school you attend should have age-specific classes and utilize
all possible safety equipment when sparring. The striking pads should
be new and in good shape, and the instructors should belong to an
organizations like MATA (Martial Arts Teachers Association) or NAPMA
(National Association of Professional Martial Artists) to insure
they are receiving ongoing information in the latest methods of
teaching. WhirlWin belongs to both of these organizations
as well as MAIA (Martial Arts Industry Association).
While claims against schools are very rare because the training
is very safe, many schools are not insured, which is a mistake.
Make sure your school is insured and the instructors are attending
seminars and workshops on teaching. back
to top
What
can I expect to learn?
This is an exciting question.
Contrary to the media's image of a tough drill sergeant-like martial
arts instructor, today’s professional is well schooled in
positive motivation, modern training methods, and character development.
Students of all ages and athletic ability are now able to train
in the martial arts without the fear of injury and humiliation associated
with the so-called "serious" schools of the past. This
has come as a pleasant surprise to many students who feared that
martial arts would be an "only the strong survive" experience.
Physically, you'll learn
fundamentals (blocks, strikes, kicks, pressure points, joint-locks),
self-defense techniques (specific ways out of specific attacks),
katas (pre-planned multi-movement routines for speed, power, and
timing), personal safety strategies, and (optionally) how to spar.
Plus—health and exercise knowledge; motivational techniques;
and how to use martial art philosophy for total self-mastery.
back
to top
How
early should I start my child in the martial arts?
While the martial arts
are an enjoyable and very worthwhile activity for children, it should
be recognized that progress will take consistent class attendance,
some practice and support from the family (kids can't drive themselves
to class).
How early to start a child really depends on the individual child
and their level of interest and maturity. Many professional schools
have age specific classes and curriculum programs for children as
young as four, five or six years old. These programs are very popular
and can be a great way for a child to learn concentration, self-control
and start to develop more coordination.
Programs for children of this age usually are less demanding than
mainstream martial arts programs and bypass much of the serious
self-defense training in favor of more age appropriate and fun activities.
back to top
Is
it my child's decision to train?
Only up to a point. The parent
should always be the real decision maker. Let me explain...
As
you know, children will resist what is good for them: Healthy food,
exercise if they're overweight, following rules, studying for school
and so on.
Kids
naturally follow the path of least resistance, so going to karate
when a skilled and experienced teacher will not let them 'get away
with it' will sometimes cause them to say, "Oh, I don't want to
go, I don't like it." Right, and they wouldn't go to school either.
Of course they do have fun once their here, they just don't like
being corrected when: Their focus is weak; they're not living up
to their potential; or they're not in harmony with the class.
However,
training at WhirlWin is not based purely
on your child having fun and learning cool stuff. We think that
Life Skills are even more important: focus, respect, teamwork, social
skills, commitment, perseverance, and goal setting. These benefits
are vitally needed in today's youth (adults too?). Martial Art training
is a powerful 'teammate' in helping you teach your child these important
lessons. Keep them training because you know it's good
for them, not because your child thinks its fun.
We
closely monitor students behavior. 'catch' them when their
good, as well as out of line. We immediately reward and highlight
good actions and immediately point out and discourage bad actions
- we're totally consistent on what we expect from our students.
For some kids, this discipline is as good as gold! They really benefit
from positive role models teaching them self-control and concentration.
Plus, they need to 'generalize' their good behavior here at WhirlWin
in the home and in school in order to advance in
rank. We send a 'notice to promote paper' that must be signed by
parent and/or teacher before advancement. This helps us check that
they are doing what they need to do, and gives the parent some leverage
in shaping their child's development.
Stay
the course. Keep your child in an environment of success, optimism,
and discipline. back to top
What
should I do if... my child wants to skip a lesson?
When
children suggest skipping a class, parents often worry if the child
is losing interest. In most cases, your child isn't telling you
that they don't enjoy class (they're always enthusiastic after taking
a class) but rather that they would prefer to seek immediate
enjoyment. Children are often focused on the present and are
not able to project their thinking into the future and weigh the
potential for future rewards. (For example, if you offered a child
a dollar now or five dollars next week, most children would ask
for the dollar and receive immediate gratification.)
Parents
often ask children to make choices that are difficult and create
conflict. When parents say: "They have a great time once they're
here, but it's sometimes a battle getting them out of the house,"
there is a conflict with the reinforcing value of two rewards.
Upon investigation, it turns out that kids that complain were doing
one of their favorite activities like riding their bike, playing
with friends, video games, or watching a favorite TV show when the
parents asked them to leave for karate. While the kids liked karate
class, having to stop another favorite activity made going to class
seem like a punishment.
What to Do:
Simply change the schedule! On karate days make homework, a household
chore, or some other less fun activity occur right before
karate class. Since karate is much more reinforcing to the
kids than cleaning their rooms, going to karate turns into a reward.
So use this technique to help your child benefit from training.
As
your children mature, they will be better able to understand delayed
gratification and its benefits. Rewards such as improved confidence,
self-esteem, increased attention span, self defense skills, and
better school grades are the result of consistent actions from children,
parents, and instructors. Children often experience plateaus in
their training and periods of time they do not feel motivated to
train. When parents and instructors work together, these feelings
often pass and lead to attaining higher goals. All roads aren't
smooth, but with parents in the driver's seat, children can fulfill
their commitment to martial arts training and martial arts can fulfill
its quest to reward students with all its benefits. back
to top
What
if the instructor wants me to pay in advance for lessons?
There is a big difference
between being offered the option to pay for, say a year in advance
for a discount, and being told that advance payments are the only
option. If a school insists that you must pay for many months in
advance, do not enroll. This is a school, usually, that has a very
high drop-out rate and they know you may not stick around for long
so they are going to try getting as much money as possible from
you before you leave. WhirlWin does not engage in
such practices. back to top
What
are testing fees?
Most schools will charge a fee from $25 and up to cover the extra
time, your new belt, and usually an attractive diploma. Testing
is almost like a seminar because you’ll receive extra skills,
unique knowledge, and valuable experience from the testing process.
However, be careful if a school charges $50-$60 a test and then
has you test every two months. Be sure to ask. Most belt
advancements should take 4-6 months per belt.
The test fee that virtually
all schools do charge for is a black belt test. A black belt test
is a much more involved exam and often has a number of expenses
tied to it for the school. For that reason you can expect to pay
$150 - $300 for a black belt exam. This money offsets the additional
preparation the school has to make in order to promote someone to
black belt and is a fair charge. back
to top
What
belt rank should my instructor be?
In most styles of martial
arts, there are ten degrees of black belt. A new black belt earns
a first degree and then it works up from there to tenth. The problem
is that with the lack of standardization in the arts, what defines
a fifth degree black belt or a seventh degree black belt varies
so drastically, that the rank doesn't really convey a meaning to
the general public.
There is a saying by Joe
Lewis, one of the legends of American martial arts. Lewis, when
asked what degree black belt he was, would answer, "There are
two types of black belts. Good ones and bad ones. I'm one of the
good ones." The point of the statement is that beyond earning
a black belt, rank has little if anything to do with quality of
instruction.
This is a critical point to understand. Just because someone has
received a high rank within an art doesn't make them a good teacher.
Indeed, sometimes the opposite is true. Some black belts are more
focused on their own achievements instead of helping the student
achieve.
It's very hard to say what rank beyond black belt a professional
martial artist should be. Clearly, a school owner or chief instructor
should be a black belt or the equivalent depending on the art. Also,
if your goal is to earn a black belt, then you have to have an instructor
that is at least a second or third degree, so that they can promote
you to first-degree black belt. A first-degree black belt cannot
promote someone to first degree black belt. In most systems, you
have to be one or two degrees higher to promote someone. For instance,
an instructor would have to be a third degree or fourth degree to
promote a student to second-degree black belt.
Beyond that, the rank of the instructor will actually mean very
little to your classroom experience or the quality of your classes.
In fact, when choosing a school, you should probably avoid schools
that use their ads to tell you all about the ranks the instructor
has. What he has accomplished is not as important as what he can
do for you, so don't be mislead by claims of grand master or 10th
degree black belt. That's not as important as finding an instructor
who cares about his students and makes that his focus instead of
seeking all the attention himself. back
to top
Should
I find a "champion" instructor?
Looking at the phone-book
ads, it's almost impossible not to find a champion. It seems harder
to find an instructor that doesn't claim to be a champion of some
sort. Like rank, tournament titles mean very little if anything
to your experience. Just because someone has won an event, doesn't
mean they can teach you or your child.
In fact, the hard-core
competitor often has a difficult time toning the training down for
the novice or for kids. For instance, John McEnroe is a great tennis
champion, but I don't know if I would want him as my child's tennis
coach. That's not to say titles are a bad thing. It's just not an
important aspect to look for or be concerned with. Since just about
everyone in the phone book is a champion of some sort, simply ignore
the claims and focus on what they can do for you.
back to top
What
is the National Black Belt Club?
The National Black Belt
Club (NBBC) is a very special program within a school that is designed
to aid and recognize the students who have set a goal of earning
a black belt. There is a difference between the NBBC and a money-oriented
black-belt course.
Many schools work too hard to sell a student on a three-year black
belt course as soon as they get started. This is unfair both to
the student and to the school. A student should train in the school
for a while to fully understand the commitment necessary to earn
a black belt. Only then, after a full evaluation, should a student
be offered the opportunity for advance training.
This is often an offer to join the NBBC. The NBBC best represents
what a good school stands for, which is earning a black belt. Students
in the NBBC are given special classes and training opportunities
in order to help them reach their goal of black belt. The NBBC works
as a screening process so instructors can reserve advance training
for students who are seeking that level. This process helps the
instructor in designing their curriculum, clinics and lesson plans.
The NBBC is an evaluation process whereby students spend a few months
in the classroom learning about the martial arts and its benefits.
The instructors also spend those first few months evaluating the
student to determine if they have the necessary attitude and aptitude
to earn a black belt. Students who decide to set a goal of black
belt can qualify for advance training in the NBBC.
The commitment to black belt should be very prestigious and given
tremendous reverence within the school ranks. Of course, we know
that you should not be able to buy a black belt. I'm saying a student
should not be able to even buy the commitment on behalf of the school
to train them to black belt. It must be earned.
How does the National Black Belt Club work? The student enrolls
in a trial program to see if he can qualify for advanced training
in the NBBC. After three months, a series of evaluations should
begin with short surveys about progress and goals. Once the student
joins the NBBC, he can qualify for additional classes, seminars,
special uniforms, and patches. In addition, special social events
for NBBC members are a great way to reinforce the commitment to
black belt by creating an opportunity for students to socialize
and bond together.
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What
kind of physical training does the martial arts teach?
In terms of the physical
aspects, there are two primary areas of physical training in the
martial arts. First is the traditional arts and techniques of the
style taught at the school. This is known as the "Do"
or "The Way." These techniques and forms are not made
up by the school, but are passed down from instructor to student
through the years. Students honor the art by adhering to its traditional
principles.
Traditional training is the most difficult to understand and to
execute. However, the process of traditional training develops outstanding
discipline, self-control and coordination. The other aspect to physical
training is a more modern, practical science of self-defense. Here
the focus is less on adhering to an ancient art than practicing
what works and discarding what may not work as much.
There is tremendous scientific data that comes to us at a phenomenal
rate these days, which continually improves our understanding of
how the human body works. And with the understanding of how the
body works comes a better philosophy and, hopefully, better practices
about how to condition the body so that you're not hurting it. This
is the basis of the modern method of martial arts training. back
to top
What
is better training, the modern or the traditional method?
Modern training is much
more adaptable to an individual's needs since the training can serve
the student rather than the student serving a particular style.
While this may sound more appealing, many of these schools are more
gym-like than school-like. With the lack of traditional ideals,
there can be a lack of decorum within the school. While this is
certainly not always the case, respect, courtesy and discipline
are important elements of the martial arts experience.
Most professional schools like WhirlWin have a very
effective mix of the traditional arts and modern applications. The
school's exams and lesson plans will be balanced between the traditional
forms and basics and the more modern self-defense and fighting applications.
The atmosphere is warm and family oriented with a strong sense of
courtesy and respect throughout the student body.
So, you can look forward to learning the foundational techniques
of a traditional style, the practical applications of the modern
strategies, and the personal development skills of self-discipline
that work as ‘the glue’ that holds it all together and
makes a good Black Belt. back to
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