This four-part article series highlights some of the obvious signs that your martial art gym - "dojo" - or class isn't actually the genuine article.
Welcome to the third installment of this four-part article series on the signs that a Los Angeles martial arts school may be a "McDojo" and may not be providing students with a genuine education. Previously, we discussed the following points:
Sign # 1: There are 10-year olds running around with black belts.
Sign # 2: They offer a "fast-track" to earning a black belt.
Black belt is the highest level of achievement in the martial art forms that offer a belt ranking system. It takes many, many years of determination, dedication and toil to achieve this belt. There is no fast track and children of only 10 are highly unlikely to have the physical strength, dexterity and stamina to compete with a genuine black belt master.
Let's take a look at a few other warning signs...
Sign # 3: Your "master" doesn't look very much like a master
This may fall under the axiom "don't judge a book 
by its cover," but it's worth taking into consideration, especially if have noticed other suspicious signs. What does a true martial arts instructor or master look like? Well, sure, you can hope for an ancient Japanese dude with a beard, but chances are you won't get him. A rule of thumb is this…
by its cover," but it's worth taking into consideration, especially if have noticed other suspicious signs. What does a true martial arts instructor or master look like? Well, sure, you can hope for an ancient Japanese dude with a beard, but chances are you won't get him. A rule of thumb is this…Martial arts expertise comes with experience and with many, many years' worth of dedication. Therefore, an older master or instructor is usually a good thing. USUALLY. They must still be able to pull off the moves themselves. Additionally, they should be exceptionally fit. A fat slob of an instructor is not a good sign; it means they don't practice their craft often enough or even at all. If they did, their vision of their toes wouldn't be obstructed by a great rolling gut.
If you walk into a Los Angeles martial arts school and find your instructor to be in his or her early 20's, you may want to find out more about their credentials and experience. Also ask about what their classes entail. If you're only there to get a great workout, to lose weight and to improve your physical appearance, this is probably no concern of yours. But if you really want to master a form of martial arts, you are going to have to be a little judgmental. If it looks like your instructor couldn't perform in real combat, they may not be able to give you the kind of education you want.
Sign # 4: The classes are pithy with very little focus on actual combat
The martial arts classes that 
are aimed at increasing fitness, while making their students feel like they're actually learning a martial art don't typically include much physical combat. A true martial arts class will have students learning a great variety of moves, maneuvers and combat techniques, which they practice on each other (obviously using mild force.) McDojos tend to specialize in classes with very little physical contact between students and with no grappling or fighting being practiced.
are aimed at increasing fitness, while making their students feel like they're actually learning a martial art don't typically include much physical combat. A true martial arts class will have students learning a great variety of moves, maneuvers and combat techniques, which they practice on each other (obviously using mild force.) McDojos tend to specialize in classes with very little physical contact between students and with no grappling or fighting being practiced.If this is the case, then what do they teach?
Stay Tuned for Part 4!
To find out what McDojos do tend to teach and some other signs your LA martial arts school may be a fraud, stay tuned for the final installment of this four-part article series.
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