Taking up a new MA style, Emigration to US

[Tarrycat]

Good day, I hope everyone's doing well, considering the pandemic. Haven't been on here since 2017, I think?

I'm looking at emigrating to the US from South Africa. The States I'm looking at are Cali and Florida, since I prefer warmer weather.

I'm considering MMA, but I prefer a more traditional style. It really just depends on the quality of the dojo. I used to do Ninjutsu, but my dojo moved away.

Any recommendations on good schools or facilities? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for your time!

 

[jobo]

Good day, I hope everyone's doing well, considering the pandemic. Haven't been on here since 2017, I think?

I'm looking at emigrating to the US from South Africa. The States I'm looking at are Cali and Florida, since I prefer warmer weather.

I'm considering MMA, but I prefer a more traditional style. It really just depends on the quality of the dojo. I used to do Ninjutsu, but my dojo moved away.

Any recommendations on good schools or facilities? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for your time!

are you picking your location based on the availability of good schools? if not id suggest, finding sonewhere nice to live and then seeing what schools are available, both California and florida are very big, you certainly need to narrow it down to a city for people to make recomendations

 

[Flying Crane]

The US is huge, as are Florida and California. Options can be far different in different areas. Where are you looking at?

 

[Tarrycat]

are you picking your location based on the availability of good schools? if not id suggest, finding sonewhere nice to live and then seeing what schools are available, both California and florida are very big, you certainly need to narrow it down to a city for people to make recomendations

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I'm looking at San Diego, San Jose, and Tampa at the moment. Long time, by the way! . I'm excited to see all the original grandmasters still posting on here!

 

[Tarrycat]

The US is huge, as are Florida and California. Options can be far different in different areas. Where are you looking at?

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Tampa, San Jose, and San Diego.

 

[Flying Crane]

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Tampa, San Jose, and San Diego.

I would say there will be many options in those areas. I lived for a long time in the San Francisco Bay Area, about an hour from San Jose. I moved to the Sacramento area about a year and a half ago, about an hour and a half to the north-east of San Francisco.

If you land in one of those areas, you will have many choices to consider. Check them out, give some a try, and join one that feels right for you. Just don’t get paralyzed with indecision from too many choices. Until you get here it’s difficult to make any recommendations, as you don’t yet know where you will be.

What is inspiring your desire to move here? Do you have employment lined up? Be aware, the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes San Jose, is very expensive. Jobs tend to pay higher than other parts of the country, but housing is far ahead of that. So do some research so you really understand what the financial reality is. It can be quite a shock for people coming from elsewhere. I love San Francisco, but we moved because my wife and I were both in the middle of career change and we realized we just could not afford to live there anymore. Sacramento Area is much less expensive, but also fewer job opportunities than the Bay Area, and is still much more expensive than other parts of the country. Fewer martial arts options here as well, but they do exist.

Unfortunately I’ve spent very little time in San Diego, and I know nothing of Tampa so I can’t give any advice there.

 

[MetalBoar]

Florida and California both have cities with a lot of great martial arts schools. I don't know Tampa at all but, as Flying Crane says, San Jose and the Bay Area in general have a lot of fantastic schools. I know that some parts of Southern California have a lot of great schools too, and I think that's true of San Diego, though it's been so long since I've spent time there that I couldn't be specific. San Diego is also quite expensive and may not have the jobs of the Bay Area, depending on what field you're in.