Welcome, KrunchyFrogg!
Great to have another Python fan on the board.
Congrats for wanting to get back in to training. In addition to the other good suggestions that were made, you may want to consider this....
* How well do the instructors listen to you, and how do they respond? You have goals you want to achieve from your training. When you share these goals, what is their reaction? Do they simply nod and say yeah we can do that now sign here? Do they tell you HOW they can help you obtain those goals? Do they mention other students that have started from similar starting points and obtained the same goals?
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How professional are the instructors? Do they return phone calls or e-mails? Are they polite? Do they listen? Are you given a hard-sell for the school? Is the school both insured AND bonded? Are all of the instructors trained in First Aid as well as CPR and are their certifications current? If the instructors claim to be a particular rank, are their rank certificates on display where anyone can see them?
* How sound are their business practices? When it comes time to talk about money, are you pressured to sign up? Do they explain everything to you up front or do you uncover hidden charges such as belt test fees or association dues? Do they explain to you how much cash you will need to outlay, or do they wait until you've signed to tell you that you will need to pay $60 for a uniform and $200 for sparring gear?
Visit the school, and watch a class.
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How disciplined are the instructors in their presentation? Are they professional in class, and proper with the students? Do they give their time equally throughout the class or can you clearly identify the "class favorites" that get the bulk of the instructor's attention? Do they speak clearly and understandably? Do they look alert, focused, and on-message? Do they explain the material in detail, r do they speak in vaguaries such as "Ya gotta just do it ya know?"
* How focused is the class? Is class time spent doing martial arts? Or is there class time wasted to socializing. Is the discussion on the mat about martial arts or....not? How many students are jabbering away when they should be training or listening? Is the attention of the class broken at any time? Do you see displays of egos? Bad attitudes? Narcisism?
* Do the instructors teach without embarassing the student? There is a BIG difference between having a student hear "Why don't you do [this] and see if that works better." and "Ya know what I noticed about women? They don't do [that] very well. So they gotta do [this] instead."
* How focused are the individuals? MA students come in many shapes and sizes. Watch the student's faces. Are they focused and intent? Frustrated? Struggling? Stressed? Excited? Calm? Do they do their class work with intent and purpose? When they train with a training partner are they committed?
* How well equipped is the school? Does the school have the equipment needed for class? Does it look safe and in good condition? Do the students look happy to be using it? Is there enough of it? Will you have to buy any equipment of your own? Do they tell you this up front?
It's natural to get really pumped about training after visiting a school for the first time. But don't rush in to a decision. Think about how you feel after visiting. If you have doubts or hesitations, wait before joining, or join on a no-commitment basis.
This is a bit of a brain dump but....I've been looking for a new school of my own for the past couple of months and these are many of the voices, I mean questions that have been in my head.
