10 Questions to Ask a Martial Arts School (and 5 Red Flags)

Choosing a martial arts school is harder than it looks, because almost every website says the same things. Discipline. Confidence. Respect.

These are the questions that actually separate schools — drawn from what child-safety guidance and experienced instructors consistently recommend asking.

The ten questions

Can I watch a class before enrolling? The answer should be an immediate yes. Observation is the single best way to judge a school.

Who will actually teach my child's regular classes? Not who owns the school or appears on the website. The person in the room, most weeks.

What are that instructor's credentials, and where can I verify them? False credentials are a recurring problem in martial arts. A real lineage can be named and checked.

What is the student-to-instructor ratio? Smaller ratios mean more individual correction, which matters most for younger children.

Are instructors background-checked and trained in CPR and concussion response? Reputable schools answer this without hesitation.

Do you require a contract, and how long is it? Ask what happens if you move, get injured, or simply stop.

What does it cost in total? Tuition, registration, uniform, and testing fees. We covered the typical ranges and hidden fees here.

How do you handle a child who is struggling or misbehaving? The answer tells you more about the school's culture than any brochure.

What happens at a belt test, and who sets the standard? If every student passes every time, the belt means nothing.

Is there a path beyond recreational training? Even if your child never competes, a school with a real competitive pathway has real standards.

Five red flags

• Long contracts demanded before a trial class. If they will not let you try first, ask why.
• Closed doors or papered-over windows. Restricting parent observation, or allowing it only on designated days, is a serious warning sign.
• Guaranteed black belts, or belts on a schedule. A rank that arrives regardless of ability measures nothing.
• Vague credentials. "Trained under many masters" is not a lineage. A real one has names, places and dates.
• Constant upselling. If every conversation turns into a new package, the business model is not instruction.

How KIMOO answers these

We will not pretend to be neutral here, but we will answer the hard ones directly.

• Who teaches? Grand Master Jong Yeon Hwang, personally. He began training in 1971 at the Korea Hapkido Headquarters Dojang — the birthplace of the art — and holds 8th Dan certification from the Korea Traditional Hapkido Association.
• Verifiable? Gold at the 2005 Wushu World Cup in Milan. President's Volunteer Service Award at the White House, 2023. District 2 Business of the Year, City of Santa Clara, 2019. U.S. Army honours with the 728th Military Police Battalion.
• Can you watch? Yes. Come and observe a class, or take a free one.
• Contract before trying? No. Your first class is free, with no commitment and no equipment needed. New students receive a free uniform and white belt.

Come and ask us in person

Bring this list. Ask every question on it, here and at every other school you are considering. A good school will welcome it.

Call (408) 243-1001 to arrange a free class.

Train where the standard is real

Great training is about who corrects you and how closely they watch. At KIMOO you are corrected personally by an 8th Dan Grand Master, not by a rotating roster of part-time assistants.

Visit us: 2181 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050