FMAT: Some thoughts on searching for training

[Clark Kent]

Some thoughts on searching for training
By scubamatt - Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:14:27 GMT
Originally Posted at: FMATalk
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Over the weekend, I've been doing some thinking about how people in general look for instruction in the martial arts, and the way they differ in their priorities. The whole chain of thought stemmed from a discussion with my instructor, about ideas on how to improve our (local) webpage.

My thinking is that a webpage is probably one of the best investments for a school/instructor, in terms of economy. For a little time, and possibly very little money, it has the potential to reach thousands of prospective students. As advertising goes, its probably got the best longevity for your investment. (I work in a graphic arts company, so I see all manner of different advertising types in a week.) Webpages are also relatively low maintenance, ranging from static (post it and forget it) to dynamic (hosting active forums, posting local events, etc).

The problem with webpages is also their greatest advantage - you can do darn near anything with them, if you have the time and skill. If you don't have a lot of time, or a lot of skill (and don't want to spend a lot of money hiring someone else to do it) then you have to plan carefully. You want to answer the most important questions that a potential student has, saving both you and the student a lot of time and energy.

OK, so what exactly does a prospective student want to know, and why?

Thinking back to my own recent search, and how I prioritized things, I came up with these things that I considered important (I'll prioritize them in a minute):

Availability - what kinds of martial art were available in my area?
Economy - what would it cost me to train, in dollars and in time?
Convenience - how far, and how often, would I have to travel to train?
Suitability- does the martial art seem to suit me, physically and mentally?
Instructor - does the instructor seem qualified to teach the art, and does he have the ability to communicate well with me?
Credibility - is it an art with a history or reputation? Does anyone I know practice it?

My search started for a martial art that taught stick and knife fighting, but the criteria I used for my search was those 6 things in the list. Those were the things I was concerned with, more than anything else. For me the highest priority was economy - I do not make a lot of money after taxes/child support/cost of living. No matter how great the style, the instructor, or the convenience, if it costs so much that my family goes hungry or I end up homeless, its not economical for me.

If you look at my list of 6 things, you'll see that they are related, and can really be boiled down to three things: Credibility, Economy, and Suitability.

• The art has to have credibility, so does the instructor. I don't want to learn to be a Power Ranger, I want to learn a martial art.
• The art has to be suitable to me (If it requires lots of high jumping kicks, and I have bad knees, its not suitable for me. If it requires me to live like an ascetic monk, its not suitable.)
• The art has to be affordable to me (in money, travel and time)

So when I visited websites, those were the questions I personally wanted answers to, and those are the answers I would want to be able to provide to a prospective student, if I were creating a website.

My question to you students (not you instructors, lol!) is this:

When you set out to find a martial art, and an instructor, what were the questions you needed answered before you made the decision to train in that style with that instructor/school?


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