Congratulations!! But finding a good school is not as easy as it looks. There are a lot of pretenders out there, and if you want to be sure you're getting quality training, these simple steps will insure that you don't get scammed.

1.You have to ask yourself what you are looking for. What do you want to learn? Do you want to train to do stunts or be in movies? Do you really want to get in some great shape? Do you want to learn or improve your fighting capabilities or become a professional fighter? These are all questions you should ask yourself before looking for a school. Think about everything you want to learn from a school and write it down in a notebook so you don't forget.

2. Make a list of questions: After you have made a list of things you want your soon to be Martial Arts school to be able to effectively teach you, then you need to formulate a list of questions to ask each school. For example, if I want to learn how to fight on the street a question you might ask is, "Do you offer fighting or sparring training?" or, "Is it full-contact?" This will help you to narrow down your options once you begin contacting schools.

3.Hit the phones: Now grasshopper, it's time to hit the phones. The best places to start are the yellow pages and the internet. Call every school that looks like it might be in your area that you feel you may be interested in. Make sure that you ask them the questions on your list. If they answer "no" to any of your questions, it's time to move on.

Additional questions to ask:

- Do you teach the class: Ask if the master of the school teaches the class. If they do, this is a good sign, but don't count them out if the students teach. Just ask this next question.

- How many years have the instructor and master trained in martial arts: If the instructors teaching the class have trained for more than 5 years and they are still studying with the master, it may still be worthwhile to check out the school if they have answered the rest of your questions to your liking.

Things to watch out for: A lot of schools word things in a way that may fool you. Don't fall into these traps

- Our style is too deadly to use in an efficient sparring session: 9.9999 times out of 10, this is BS. If you cannot effectively practice a style in an unpredictable setting, there's a good chance it's not going to work for you in a tight situation.

- You cannot visit our super secret school without first paying a fee: hmm... sounds like you have something to hide, a scam or cult perhaps? Who knows. Don't get caught up in the hype.

- You don't need to be in shape to be a good fighter: Again, 9.9999 times out of 10 this is pure BS. Visit a school like this at your own risk.

4. Visit the schools: Once you have spoken with the schools and found the ones that answer all of your questions to your liking. It is now time to visit the school. Remember not to get caught up in the hype. Anyone can claim to be a mega martial arts expert. All they have to do is go to office max and get a certificate made up. Take a few pictures in a cool gee, make up some fantastic tale about your lineage, and buy a really high level black belt of some online store. Very few are the real deal, and even some of those guys have got caught up in the money making game. Don't be impressed by big schools, tons of students, and cool outfits. Right now, you're only purpose is to ask more questions, observe a class, and look out for red flags.

Red flags to watch out for:

- Out of shape students: If there are tons of students that are out of shape and fat, and they are wearing high level belts. I can almost guarantee you the school is NO GOOD.

- The teacher lets the students do their own thing: If there is no instructor actively working with the students. I can almost guarantee you the school is no good.

- Teachers that do not want to answer your questions: At a good school, you should be able to ask any question you want related to martial arts and get it answered. Remember to be respectful, but make sure to ask every question that pops into your head. If the instructor is not trying to listen to you or answers in a round about BS way. Don't waste your time.

- Forcing you into a contract: If they want you to sign a contract on your first visit. DO NOT DO IT!! This may be the biggest red flag. Things come up in our life, and a school that usually does this is after your money. If they have a month by month option, even if it is more expensive. I recommend doing this for at least a month, and do not pay for anyhing before a trial run. Places like this want to "hard sell" you and force you into a contract. If they do, you will be forced to pay, or get sued. Don't do that to yourself.

- Extremely high costs: Does the school charge $300 a month and you cannot afford this. Move to the next school. There are plenty of very good beginner schools that do not charge and arm and a leg.

5. Ask to do a trial run: By now, you have probably looked past all the flashy scammy lights, bad students, and fake instructors. You have probably narrowed it down to 2-3 schools. Now it's time for the final test, take the school for trial run to see if it is right for you. Many very good schools will recommend that you try out the school for a couple of weeks to a month to see if it is the right fit. Usually, this trial period is free or cost a few dollars. If they don't offer it, request it. Most good teachers are more concerned with having good students than they are with money. By taking you on as a student, their reputation is on the line. These are usually more "old school" instructors. Once you get in the trial run, do it. Once you complete the trial, all you simply have to do is pick which one is best for you. Here are some additional "red flags" to watch out for.

Red flags:

- Class is very short with very low impact work out: Again, if you are looking for a good school, you want to go for around and hour and a half to two hours. An hour can be okay if it is highly targeted, and/ or high impact.

- Students cannot fight: If you are trying to learn to fight and you can beat all of the students in the class, what are you there for? What can a school like that honestly teach you about fighting? Get out of there. The same can be said if you are looking to learn flashy moves only (note: please understand 9 times out of 10 flashy moves will get you beat up on the street.) If the high level students cannot do backflips or butterfly kicks and that's what you are there to learn. What can the school teach you? Get out of there.

After this, you have, hopefully found 1 school. If you have followed my steps correctly, there is a very good chance that the school will be able to show you a thing or two about martial arts. Now all you have to do is stick to it. Good luck!