| 1 |
Do I have to sign any type of contracts? |
No, you do not. Classes are paid in installments and you
are able to
come and go at your leisure. |
| 2 |
How many days do I get to practice? |
Our courses are designed to train 3 or 4 days week. |
| 3 |
Do I have to pay for belt promotions? |
No, promotions to next level belts are earned and
therefore cannot
be bought; however, there is a cost for your new
belt, Goshin Ryu
Certificate, Federation certificates, wooden boards
and instructors witnessing
tests. |
| 4 |
What is the recommended age for training? |
The recommended age for beginning training is from 5 to
6 years
Old, depending on the individuals. |
| 5 |
Do you have many instructors? |
No, we don't believe in that, we have one chief
instructor with over
25 years of experience and a assistant, however
the assistant is
never on the floor alone. |
| 6 |
What style should I choose? |
The only style that really matters is the teaching
style of the instructor. Yes,
styles vary and you may prefer one
style over another, but style should be a
secondary consideration.
The first priority is finding an instructor that you feel
comfortable with and who can motivate you to come to class every week.
All
styles have their strengths and weaknesses. While it would be
nice to say that
your body type or flexibility should match up with
a certain style, it's more
important to match up with the right
instructor and school. |
| 7 |
How long must I practice Shotokan before I can defend myself? |
There is no good answer to this question. It depends on
many factors: the physical and mental ability of the student, the
situations, the people involved, and more. However, this is certain: the
more you learn Shotokan, the better chance you have of being able to
defend yourself. |
| 8 |
Is there an age limit in Shotokan? |
No. A child as young as five can learn Shotokan. A
person as old as seventy can also learn Shotokan under proper
instruction. Realistic goals are set based on the needs and ability of
each student. |
| 9 |
How can I recognize a good instructor from a bad one? |
A good instructor is someone who: " loves to teach and
help others " is sincere, considerate, mature, confident " has
understanding and patience " can motivate the students " has a good
attitude and good techniques " cares and is protective of her or his
students Observing classes is a good way to judge whether or not a school
will be a good learning environment for you. Watch how a class is
conducted; see if the students and instructors treat each other with
respect and care; observe the safety measures employed to keep the
students safe in their training. Listen to your intuitive feelings about
the group and the instructors, and try a few classes on a trial basis. |
| 10 |
Will I be required to fight in tournaments in order to advance? |
No. Even though members of our style participate in
tournaments from time to time and do extremely well, Participation
allows us to learn from and expose ourselves to other styles. Shotokan
is a strong style because of its multi-faceted aspects. However, the
tournaments give us a testing ground on which to evaluate our
techniques. Tournaments also provide opportunities to make friends and
share in the martial arts experience. You cannot grow if you isolate
yourself. Tournament participation is completely voluntary.
Learning to win over yourself, not others, is the ultimate goal. A win
over others is only temporary. When you win over yourself, you become
your own master and the rewards are permanent. |