In their origins, all martial arts came from the need to know how to defend oneself. However, as these arts moved into the arenas of competition, many of them became much more focused on how to win when playing by an agreed set of rules. This represents the fundamental difference between a sport martial art and a practical martial.

There is certainly nothing wrong with a sport martial art. Many sport martial artists are far superior athletes to many practical martial artists. They often can demonstrate amazing and beautiful techniques. And sport martial artists can also defend themselves better than they would have been able to with no training.

However, the question that you need to ask is what you’re looking for. Do you want to know how to defend yourself effectively, or are you focused on the athletics?

In any event, beware of a school that teaches a sport martial art, but sells themselves as a practical martial art. They are purveyors of false confidence in self defense.

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You should also consider how the martial arts programs are taught. The practice of martial arts is largely about the development of self-esteem so you want to find a martial arts program where the instructors emphasize the effort as well as the result.

Self-esteem comes from having real successes in doing something you care about. For many children and adults, martial arts can be an important activity that helps build self-esteem, but only if the martial arts instructors acknowledge, recognize and reward the efforts of the martial arts student, as well as their accomplishments and successes. At the same time, if the school makes progress too easy to obtain, promotion too easy to achieve, then these things won’t come with a true sense of accomplishment.

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Curriculum can range wildly between different schools. Some schools have set and structured curriculum, while others are based on personal progress and time spent in the art. What kind of curriculum is going to be best for you?

Also, some schools include attending competitions as part of the curriculum, while others make it optional or even discourage it altogether. Is competition something that you want to participate in?

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Schools by their very nature will hold and teach certain values to their students. From the original Karate Kid movie, the teacher at the Cobra Kai dojo taught his students “strike first, strike hard, no mercy”. This was, naturally, an extreme example done for the purposes of the movie, but it is still important to consider what values are being taught in a school that you are considering.

Does the school have a “creed” and does this creed agree with your personal values?

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While watching a class, observe the interaction between students and instructors very carefully. The atmosphere should be respectful, but the students should be having fun as well. Evaluate if the students seem happy and motivated.

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The school should be welcoming and comfortable for both students and parents. Is the facility clean? Is there a large matted area where students can train? Is there a viewing area for parents?

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As already noted, there are many, many different styles from all over the world. In some ways, different arts are more alike than different, for the very fact that every art has to work within the limits of the capabilities of the human body. However, different styles often take different approaches.

When looking at the style being taught at a martial art school, consider whether the approach taken, which combines many of the above elements, is suited to you. Is the motion rigid or fluid? Is it static or dance-like? Does it use soft or hard techniques? Or both? Is the art aggressive or passive?

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