What should I look for in a karate class?

I%26#039;m looking for a serious karate studio, not one that%26#039;s for casual students just looking to stay in shape or for little kids that want to have fun. The problem is, I don%26#039;t know anything about karate classes, so I have no idea what to look for and what to avoid.|||My best advice to to call around and find ones that will let you attend 1 class (or moe) for free and that will let you observe a higher ranking class. I also suggest that if they ave competitions in the area, that you attend one. You should also check out the reputation of their parent organization.





Avoid schools that:


require you to sign a long term contract


make a promise that you will reach black belt in a certain amount of time.


That are not a part of a national or world organizations that certifies their black belts.|||Ask if they spar full-contact or no/light-contact. Full-contact schools are generally serious: no-contact schools generally aren%26#039;t. There are exceptions in either direction, but not many.


Kyokushin Karate and any style derived from it, World Oyama Karate, Ashihara Karate, Enshin Karate, Seid艒 juku, Shid艒kan, Karatedo Shurenkan, Seidokaikan, Kansuiryu, and Byakuren are all full-contact styles. Using Google Maps to search for any of those in your area would probably be a good place to start.|||I run one of those %26quot;serious%26quot; dojo. We have students of all ages but our adult classes are very traditional, hard, sweaty and require a committment for you. Now that being said...there are many great dojo out there but finding on is very hard to do. Here is a list of things you should remember to help you with joining a good and authentic Karate dojo.





1. Be respectful when you meet the Sensei. A good dojo does not have to accept you as a student...learning the art is a priveledge not something you pay for.





2. Watch the first couple of classes. Most good dojo do not let you %26quot;try%26quot; a free class anymore because that is a waste of their time. They are there to train the ones who want to learn and not waste time with window shoppers but they should welcome you to watch the classes a couple of times.





3. Make sure they offer 6 month or 12 month memberships. If you cannot commit for this length of time then you are a waste of their time. Good dojo want good students...not come and go wanna bees.





4. Verify the Sensei titles, certifications and claims. This is easy to do if they are verifiable and real. Ask for a letter of recommendation from their own Sensei or the head of their association.





5. Talk to the students and parents of the students. They will tell you their non-black belt opinion of the dojo which is important.





6. Watch for discipline. A good dojo is very disciplined with the Sensei in charge...kids running around, dragging their belts or horseplay is never tolerated.





7. If their entire focus is money walk out the door. I teach full time and make a living from what I do but I do not charge high rates or high belt exam fees. If the Sensei has honor and integrity within the community it will show in their dojo and their students.





8. Understand that Karate is not a hobby. It is not just something to do. It takes a serious dedication to become proficient at it and that will not happen in a few months.





All this being said if you are still looking for a real Karate dojo to join post your location on here and I will see what is available in your area. Good luck.





Edit - nice to see some uninformed person gave me a thumbs down. It is a shame that people out there speak little of what they do not know...those of us who know realize the truth.|||nwohioguy took the words right out of my mouth. I wasn%26#039;t even going to comment after reading his excellent answer, but for the dumb thumbs down thing. Every real martial artist on this forum gets a ton of those. The sad part is the fact that there are people on here from whom we may learn if we open our minds and learn, but many (kids I hope) have their cups way too full. J|||It depends on what you want....do you want to gain self-confidence, displine, etc... I would join karate *anything but tai kwon do*





If you want to train to become a fighter, or someone that can at least defend themselves in real-world situations...take MMA|||nwohioguy for the most part nailed it.





I would add look at the higher ranks techniques are the crisp and striking their targets or are they just thrown out there.





watch the teacher. is he/she explaining why a technique is wrong or better if you do it a certain way.|||Look for a place that trains hard. Look for a place that spars a lot, but uses a lot of good equipment. Make sure that you don%26#039;t end up in one of these studios where the instructors are simply abusing the students. I have seen studios where young boys were being knocked out by grown men. That isn%26#039;t training; it is child abuse.





Short answer: Sparring a lot with good equipment and no training knockouts.