Saw some guys promoting a notorious McDojo at a shopping centre today. This is the same McDojo that I trained at a few years ago desperately looking for something positive to say about it but after months of training I found nothing. Interestingly enough I noticed that none of their advertising material featured the words "Self Defence." Although their website still does.

My advice to anyone looking to do a martial art is to honestly be skeptical and assume that every school you're looking at is a rubbish school. In other words, apply onus probandi (Burden of Proof). If someone claims that their martial actually works as a fighting form do not believe them unless they can prove it. I know that this sounds incredibly pessimistic, but the problem is that there are so many rubbish schools out there, and I myself am sick and tired of giving schools the benefit of the doubt only to be disappointed over and over again, that it's actually safer to assume that a system doesn't work unless they can prove to you that it does.

And even after you begin training, continue to be curious, inquisitive and ask loads of questions. Be nitpicky! If you see a technique being shown or demonstrated to you, question it! Only continue to train at the school so long as they can continue convincing you that their techniques actually work. That's what I've been doing, and while I'm quite happy training at my current school it is because the instructor continues to satisfy my skeptical curiosity.

And I don't mean being skeptical or questioning in a nasty, aggressive or disrespectful way -- you should be able to question what's being taught. And if the instructor doesn't foster a class environment where you feel comfortable asking questions then that's a warning sign. Either what their teaching isn't very good (hence they don't want to allow anyone to question them), or they're just not good teachers! Because every teacher knows that fostering curiosity and inquisitiveness is crucial to good teaching practice. Avoid those "shut up and just do as your told and copy me" style 'teachers.' It astounds me how incompetent so many martial arts instructors are. Imagine if any other sports coach or classroom teacher taught with such reckless abandon for basic learning.