White Tiger Martial Arts

Choosing a karate school or club

You should look very carefully when choosing a school or club for yourself or your children. Not all karate schools follow the same style of karate or even offer the style suggested in the name of the organisation. Some schools focus on power training and fighting skills (sport karate), while others lean towards kata (traditional karate training).

To gain a better understanding of the approach and the variation between the different styles of karate being taught, it would be a good idea for you to visit several karate schools in order to:

recognise and relate to a Sensei's style, be it friendly, disciplined or authoritarian
identify a school that instils comfort rather than anxiety and intimidation

No karate school or club should stop you from watching a session, and be wary of those that operate behind closed doors, as there really should be nothing to hide from any potential new student.

Next, make sure that the school or club is registered or affiliated to a recognised martial arts governing body and ask for details. If the school or club is registered or affiliated, they should have no hesitation in providing this information. Unfortunately, there are many schools and clubs operating without any governing body support. It would be worth checking with the governing body that the school or club is indeed under their control, and ask them to confirm to you the insurance protection provided. Training with a governing body registered school or club is also important if you intend to compete in the future.

White Tiger Martial Arts are registered and insured with NAKMAS (National Association of Karate and Martial Arts Schools). For more information on our governing body and details of our insurance cover click here.

Finally, ask for a list of all the costs involved. You should never have to sign a contract or a credit agreement, as if you or your child stops training, the contract will be broken and a debt recovery company will pursue you for the money.

The costs involved to train with White Tiger Martial Arts are detailed here.