Don Whitefield

The 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions And What To Know Before Signing Up At A Martial Arts Gym

1. How Much Does The Training Cost?
2. Why should my Kids train in Martial Arts if they already doing other sports?
3. Why should I train in Martial Arts?
4. Are there people like me in the class?
5. Will I get injured training real Martial Arts?

1. How Much Does The Training Cost?

Thank you for visiting West Coast Martial Arts.

My name is Don Whitefield, and if you are like most people visiting a Martial Arts website, you will have some common questions or you may not even be sure what a good question would be to help you find the Martial Arts school that’s right for you.

In this short video, I will try to help you by coming up with great questions based on my Martial Arts experience so that you can find the school that fits your needs.

The #1 question on your mind probably is: “How much does the training cost?”

There are many Martial Arts schools out there delivering vastly differing services for your money.

So, based on my experience, better questions to ask may be: “Can you teach my child or myself realistic self-defence skills that actually work? Can you help improve my child’s confidence and concentration while teaching a functional Martial Art that will protect them? In short: What do I actually get for my money?

You see, as a Martial Arts enthusiast I respect all Martial Arts, and I think that they all have value. I cannot say the same about some Martial Arts clubs I observed over the years. For example, there are still some traditional Martial Arts schools that pretend to teach you realistic self-defence skills when they are really not.

If you or your child are spending years of training in a school like this with little or no realistic sparring while punching holes in the air, and then one day you or your child get attacked and easily overwhelmed by someone who simply watches the UFC then no matter what your monthly membership is it simply isn’t worth it.

It simply doesn’t serve you to train at a school that pretends to teach deadly Martial Arts with stationary Katas while you believe that you are learning a functional Martial Art. You might think it is hard to figure out the difference between good and bad schools, but it is really easy:

First, ask if the school offers weapons training. Unless you plan to leave the house carrying a long staff or nunchucks, this training has little to do with realistic self-defence.

Secondly, observe the classes and see if the Martial Art training includes regular sparring against a fully resisting opponent. If the opponent simply stands there letting you punch or kick them, you know right away that this is not actual self-defence they are learning.

Let me explain: Let’s say you try to learn how to ride a bike. No matter how many years you spend peddling on a stationary bike, you can only learn how to ride a real bike by actually practicing on one. Yes, you probably will fall off sometimes, but at least you are learning a functional skill.

Martial Arts are no different, and if you are not practicing them regularly against a fully resisting opponent, you are surely not learning how to defend yourself against a fully attacking opponent.

On the other side, Realistic Martial Arts schools can teach you how to defend yourself well, but they lack the programs and structure to do so safely and professionally.

They also allow anyone who pays them to train in their club, attracting drug and steroid users, criminals, and gang members. Getting injured is no fun and may be very expensive when you miss work. It is also very discouraging to you and your child when you are getting beaten up just trying to learn hands-on Martial Arts.

West Coast Martial Arts have well-defined programs with a very firm structure, and safety is our highest priority. We are screening all our new members to prevent the wrong people from joining. With us, you train in a safe and friendly environment. Also, we offer eight realistic Martial Arts programs, so when you ask us:” What do I get for my money?” we can tell you exactly.

We are offering 22 memberships to fit most budgets while charging, in many cases, less than those schools that do not even teach you realistic Martial Arts or those that are sparring way too hard.

So, I hope that you can tell now the difference between the Martial Arts training out there and that this short video will help you spend your money smartly regardless if you choose us or not.

If you want to know more about our programs, please just complete the box to the right to reserve your spot for a free private class.