How would I go about checking that out?[/quote]
Red flags If you see one of these beware
Kid black belts: the younger the black belt, the worse the school is.
Belt Factory: If students are promoted quickly, such as reaching a new rank every two months, and/or reaching black belt in less than 3 years. Skill is usually superseded by the ability to pay for testing fees.
Instructor claims to be a high ranking master (such as 9th degree) and is under 50.
Warning signs Like the red flags, they identify McDojos. The difference is that just exhibiting one doesn’t mean that the school is a 100% McDojo with as much confidence and assurance as the above red flags, but it is most likely a McDojo. If the school exhibits a couple of these traits it is a McDojo.
The school or instructor promotes the idea that his school and/or style is the ultimate best in the world, or that cross training in another form of martial arts is 100% unnecessary.
If the school or instructor forbids entering tournaments, or if tournaments are restricted to specific styles or associations.
If the idea of take-downs or wrestling is never addressed, or if “anti-grappling” techniques are taught.
If the test for belt advancement consists mostly or entirely of memorization and making your form & one-steps look pretty
If board breaking has a heavy emphasis, or is taught to be an indicating to how well you would fight, or is used as a supplement to full contact fighting.
If the school has too many belts, or made up belts (such as camouflage belts)
If the school insists on long contracts and or uses collection agencies for late or missed payments.
If there are expensive clubs that you must join in order to learn or participate in various clinics or seminars, such as the “black belt club”, or "masters club"
If the school owns an actual franchise, such as “Karate for Kids” or "Tiny Tigers"
If the school uses a pitch book to get you to join or to convince you to sign your kids up
If the self-defense techniques that are taught aren’t at full speed or contact, or if the school is insistent only on one way of doing it
If the equipment (gear/uniforms/weapons) costs too much and/or is only ordered through the organization
If testing and monthly fees are excessive, for any reason
If the instructor is a master, yet under 40.
If the instructor’s credentials seem sketchy or are non-existent.
If the instructor proclaims to be a master of many arts, and is also extremely young.
If the school advertises that the grandmaster of the style regularly teaches there
If the school has many students, such as over 100, or if there are many black belts
If once reaching black belt students are encouraged to go start their own school or consider teaching
If ground-fighting is offered, it’s exclusive to club members (which usually have a high fee) and/or not allowed until a high rank
The instructor rarely works out with the students and has his assistants do most or all of the teaching
If they teach weapons like the sai and nunchaku as a form of self-defense
If they are a Chinese martial art and use karate belts
If they glorify or try to imitate the Samurai or ninja.
These are fairly standard signs. Ninjustsu traditionally doesn’t have belts. Until recently it only had three grades. Basically student, journeyman and master. The belt system is new, possibly only ten or twenty years old and borrowed from karate. If you are charged a large amount for gradings be wary. Most karate systems go up to 10th Dan, and there are very, very few acknowledged at this rank. Kendo has only ever had one 10th Dan. Judo has only had one 12th dan ever (the highest possible). Ninjutsu is a 15 dan system and there are at least 15 15th dans. One school alone has 4 of them. This by itself is very interesting. Of these, some are less than 50 years of age. As the Hatsumi school has only been taught in the west for the last 28 years, this is a short time to get 14 foreign 15th dans.
