Trying to find new school is frustrating

[Tarot]

Even though I'm taking some trial classes at a new school, I still want to check out as many schools in my area as possible. This is where my frustration lies. Most of the schools say that they want people to make appointments to see the school, talk with the owner, and ask questions (I got this info via their websites). However I have been emailing and calling to set up appointments and getting no where. None of the schools have returned my calls or my emails. How am I to set up an appointment if I can't get a hold of anyone?

Should I just show up at the schools and hope I can speak with someone? Should I keep calling? I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall. When you all were looking for schools what did you do?

 

[Flying Crane]

Just show up. If you are polite they should at least allow you to watch a class so you can see what it is like. Probably there will be someone who can talk to you after class.

 

[terryl965]

Just show up they will make time for you. the want your money you are the consumer remember.
Also let them know about the website and phone cals and see what kind of response they give you.
Terry

 

[Kacey]

Just show up. If you are polite they should at least allow you to watch a class so you can see what it is like. Probably there will be someone who can talk to you after class.

This is a good point - any reasonable class will have someone (instructor or senior student) who will be able to talk to you unless there is a special event going on. And if they don't... well, that will tell you something about the class that you need to know as well. If they won't talk to drop-in potential students, then you probably don't want to join that class.

 

[jdinca]

Where are you located? There's probably members in your area that can steer you to some good schools.

 

[Tarot]

Thanks guys! I feel so lucky that I can come here and get guidance. I put in another call to a school today and spoke to someone! I have an appointment with them tomorrow evening. Whee!

jdinca, I live in Ohio just North of Columbus. I'm hoping to find something within 15/20 minutes of my house.

The website issue seems to be common for my area so far. For example, the current school where I'm taking some trial classes, nothing on the website seems to be current info. The schedule on the site doesn't match the schedule the Master gave me when I visited. I used the email address provided and never got a response. One night I asked a BB about two classes that are on the schedule to get some info about them(to see if I could/should take them) and she told me she didn't know anything about them. That struck me as a little odd but again since I'm new to the scene maybe it isn't so odd.

 

[stephen]

...the want your money you are the consumer remember...

Avoid any school with this attitude.

 

[Andrew Green]

Avoid any school with this attitude.

Impossible, all full-time schools have this attitude. They have to, it's what keeps them running classes. If they don't, they will be closing the doors in a few months because they can't pay the bills.

Martial arts schools are businesses, don't kid yourself into thinking they are something sacred and beyond that. For the owner, this is his/her job. This is how he feeds himself and his family, this is how he pays his mortgage. He wants your money, it's what he lives off of.

 

[ajs1976]

Assuming the schedule is right one the website, try to call between classes. Someone should be there and hopefully can take a minute to talk.

If you can't get a hold of someone, just go to the school and sit and watch a class. If no one stops to talk to you or if you don't like what you see, move on to the next school.

 

[stephen]

Impossible, all full-time schools have this attitude. They have to, it's what keeps them running classes. If they don't, they will be closing the doors in a few months because they can't pay the bills.

Martial arts schools are businesses, don't kid yourself into thinking they are something sacred and beyond that. For the owner, this is his/her job. This is how he feeds himself and his family, this is how he pays his mortgage. He wants your money, it's what he lives off of.

You said it, not me....

I agree totally, and I stand behind my last comments. Draw whatever conclusions you may.

 

[arnisador]

I live in Ohio just North of Columbus. I'm hoping to find something within 15/20 minutes of my house.

I think Mao teaches in that area, if Modern Arnis might interest you:
http://www.modernarnisofohio.com/

I have just shown up at schools where an appt. is expected. You risk having this be perceived as rude, but can often plead ignorance. I find that appointments are much more common now; I suspect that NAPMA or the like has been suggesting them. It annoys me, as I prefer to just show up and watch a class rather than get a sales pitch without the class there.

 

[jdinca]

You said it, not me....

I agree totally, and I stand behind my last comments. Draw whatever conclusions you may.

So your opinion is that any school that wants to make money should be avoided? Does that mean that all schools should be "second jobs" and open only a few hours a day, or a few days a week? Or be run out of somebody's garage?

None of those scenarios are bad, or wrong but they are not the only way to provide quality instruction. I would say that a full time school needs student income to stay full time but if they don't provide a quality product, then they will be gone in a matter of time.

Different strokes for different folks. There is no one method to provide instruction. What should matter is the quality of that instruction, not whether the school is also a successful money making business.

 

[FearlessFreep]

I think what was lost in all that was simply the idea that to the teacher you are someone they want at your school (as an abstraction, maybe when tey get to know someone they may have different feelings : ) You can phrase it as 'teacher/student' or 'seller/buyer' or 'businessman/customer' but the bottom line is that most people who teach will be welcoming to people who want to come and as such will work to accomdate those seeking their services. I thought it was an apt if wry way of phrasing it to make a point, but the point was that if you make a forward effort to seek out what they are offering, the will be very welcoming. Terry just used consumeristic phrasing to drive the point home, and to some the phrasing is probably applicable, but the point behind the phrasing is applicable to most,, even if the verbage is not

 

[Tarot]

Well my meeting tonight with another school didn't go so well. The Master didn't seem to like my long list of questions that I had. The school also offered the "guaranteed (insert color here) belt in X months" type of contract, which I have learned from this site is a big red flag.

The school also doesn't do much in the way of practicing kicking on targets/pads. He said that maybe 30% of the time they actually use a target. Practicing landing those kicks is important to me, so I want to know how often using targets (pads, bags, etc.) is done in class. The Master kept making faces when I asked questions on that topic, like it was an odd thing to want to know. He said they only kick actual targest about 30% of the time. Does that seem really low to anyone else?

The one thing that really struck me as odd, I had an appointment with the Master and according to the class schedule, it was at the same time the adult class started for the evening. I spoke with him for about 1/2 an hour. The adult class waited the entire time. There were some BB in class and some students who had "assistant instructor" on their jackets. Shouldn't one of them have started class? Or shouldn't the Master have excused himself to tell someone to start class? They missed a whole 1/2 hour of class and the class is only 50 minutes long! I felt really bad when I left because I was responsible for them not starting class on time.

I'm starting to get a little discouraged because I haven't come across any school that seems to have everything I want.

 

[bluemtn]

First of all, don't worry too much about popping in without an appointment. I've done it a couple of times when looking. Like it was stated earlier play dumb, and if need be say you've tried contacting them several times. They aren't going to chase you out the door for no appointment. Also, what classes are you looking for? Kicking bags- is it that they kick a lot during class, but not so much on bags? If it's the case, then that's a concern. The classes I've seen in my search, the head instructor did allow the BB or assistant instructor (i.e. brown belt) lead the class while they attended to guests; however, I can't honestly say that it is that way everywhere. Anyone- is it that way?

 

[Tarot]

Also, what classes are you looking for? Kicking bags- is it that they kick a lot during class, but not so much on bags? If it's the case, then that's a concern.

I only had a little bit of TKD. I'm not looking for a specific discipline (although mixing Hapkido with something appeals to me). Kicking bags, your statement is exactly what I mean. It seems more schools focus on air kicking than having the student actually kick something. To me this just doesn't seem OK. How can one know what a kick feels like or stregthen their legs if they never kick something?

 

[stephen]

So your opinion is that any school that wants to make money should be avoided? Does that mean that all schools should be "second jobs" and open only a few hours a day, or a few days a week? Or be run out of somebody's garage?

Yes.

None of those scenarios are bad, or wrong but they are not the only way to provide quality instruction.

Maybe, maybe not. I allow for the possibility, but I think it unlikely.

I would say that a full time school needs student income to stay full time but if they don't provide a quality product, then they will be gone in a matter of time.

This is where I disagree. I think that they will go out of buisness if they do not provide what the students WANT, which is not necessarly a "quality product", or at least not a "quality martial arts product" maybe it's a "quality make people feel good product".

Different strokes for different folks. There is no one method to provide instruction.

Totally agree.

What should matter is the quality of that instruction, not whether the school is also a successful money making business.

True. I totally agree. However, I've found that the quality and the attitude is HIGHLY correlated.

 

[jdinca]

Sorry you feel that way, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Although it is harder to maintain quality in a larger school that is a business, I don't find the two mutually exclusive.

 

[bluemtn]

I only had a little bit of TKD. I'm not looking for a specific discipline (although mixing Hapkido with something appeals to me). Kicking bags, your statement is exactly what I mean. It seems more schools focus on air kicking than having the student actually kick something. To me this just doesn't seem OK. How can one know what a kick feels like or stregthen their legs if they never kick something?

Agreed. Take a look into what is available in your area, do some research (and ask those around here in MT) about things that interest you. There are a number of resources on the net as well. If you don't always want to participate, observe a class. If you like it, then talk to the instructor about an introductory lesson. Sometimes you can get a feel for what you want by watching. I wish you luck, and feel free to ask more questions.

 

[bluemtn]

And keep us posted!