How to Choose a Martial Arts School, What Matters? Part I

When looking for a martial arts school there a several things to consider:

· Is the location important to you?
· How much are you willing to pay for training?
· Are you looking for a competitive art or a more traditional art?

I am going to speak based both upon personal experience and on observation of many martial arts schools.

My experience as a teacher has been that location does and does not matter. I have opened schools in low-traffic areas and in high-traffic locations.

In the high-traffic areas there is the advantage (from the teacher's standpoint) of a lot of people seeing you and stopping by to watch a class. This, in turn leads to a higher rate of join-ups and a lot of enthusiasm among the students.

From the student's point of view, there is the excitement of having a lot of other students to train with and other students at the same beginning level. There is often a great sense of camaraderie among students at the same level.

Additionally, if the area is spacious and well-lit with ample parking and is located near other businesses, there is a great advantage to the school if the cost is reasonable.

For the teacher, the ideal situation is to own your own building and rent space to other businesses. This can offset the costs that would normally go for rent and might even offset most of the costs of being in business including taxes. That's a real plus for a martial arts school.

Students like the convenience of parking near the school, as well as feeling safe as they enter and leave classes.

A few possible disadvantages of such a prime location may be an increased cost of tuition fees. Since a martial arts school is not generally operated as a charity, basics such as rent and utilities must be covered. Additionally, the instructor(s) must be compensated for their time.

Even if the school you choose is a "non-profit" rent, utilities and salaries must still be paid in most cases. Someone always has to pay whether it's the student or the teacher.

In a lower-traffic area there are both advantages such as:

· Lower start-up costs
· Possibly lower tuition

There may also be disadvantages:

· Parking availability (there may be more there may be less)
· May not be as well-lit
· Possible security concerns outside of the school

In Part 2 of this article I will show that, while location is an important consideration, there are other factors that might make either choice (high-traffic area vs low-traffic area) the right choice.

For more information about career opportunities in the martial arts, download my free e-book "9 Tips On How To Open Your Own Martial Arts School By A Teacher Who Has Been There, Done That" http://www.mashihan.com/acma_sq.htm. David Parks-Kennedy is a career martial artist (for more than 30 years with teacher ranking in Aikido) now living his dream in Mexico.

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