A Parent's Guide to Martial Arts:

Part Two: Choosing the Right School

How do I choose a school?

Commitment: Look for a trial membership or free classes, to see if your child enjoys the class before signing any contracts. Some schools require long contracts or encourage you to join a "black belt club", guaranteeing a black belt in a certain period of time for a large financial commitment. We can offer a free trial, or your child can sign up through the city of London's recreation department for a 6-week trial at a very low rate. After this, students can pay for memberships in terms of one-month, three-month and six-months.

Class Sizes: Take a look at the ratio of black belt instructors to coloured belts in the class. If there are more than about 15 students for every instructor, consider looking for a club that can provide your child more individual attention. At World Seikido we aim for small class sizes and typically have several black belts and a master instructor in every class.

Location and Times: Check that the location and times are convenient for you. Our students are welcome to attend any Seikido school, and have classes running nearly every day of the week. Check our school schedules and maps for more information.

Progression: Most martial arts have various ranking belt colours, and it should take several months to promote a student from each rank forward. There should be skill requirements and minimum times between ranks. We aim to test students every three months or so, and students are not tested until the master instructor sees they are ready.

Instructors: Instructors should be adults and should all be black belts, preferably at least a second-degree black belt in their style. In Seikido. In Seikido, the principle instructors are Masters with at least a 4th degree black belt.

Students: Look at how students behave inside and outside the classroom. If they treat the instructor with respect, show discipline and behave well inside and outside the school once they have progressed through a few ranks, chances are they are receiving good instruction.