the Price of Judo Lessons

The price includes one month of training in the gym with thrice-weekly group instruction in a variety of martial arts including aikido, tai kwon do, ju jitsu, judo, karate, and others. There are also special classes for women and kids, with the kids' classes at reduced prices.

Individual instruction is available at extra cost, priced by the hour.

A martial arts uniform is required as standard dress, but not included in membership price. Uniforms are, of course, available for sale.

The school also offers a week's free trial and will loan you a (well laundered) uniform for use during the trial week.

I was somewhat disappointed to learn you can't actually jab your hand into someone's chest, pull out their heart, and show it to them, still beating, before they collapse and die. Turns out there's a whole bunch of rather sturdy bones covering the hear that make it tough to get to.

OK, not really.

I was actually very impressed with the professionalism, patience, and calm demeanor of the instructors. I was expecting a kind of marine drill-sergeant attitude, but none was in evidence. I took the first week of classes and found the instruction enjoyable, if a bit repetitive and focused on forms and tradition.

Look for a busy school with little turnover (i.e. the classes are with more or less the same people, which shows dedication in the students and teachers), class hours that make sense for your schedule, and polite and patient instructors who don't balk at what you probably think are stupid questions.

Things to stay away from are schools whose teachers talk up their art as being the best way to kill/maim/whatever an opponent or nine, schools that won't let you sample a class -- or at least watch a class be instructed -- before you put money down, instructors that talk down to their students and treat them with condescension, or classes that allow (or even encourage) the experienced students to use the novices as punching bags or tackle dummies.

Also watch for schools that focus on competition as opposed to self-defense. I'm not saying there's no overlap, or that one approach is better than the other, just that they necessarily have different goals. One involves scoring points in a sport, the other, well, you get the idea. Be sure you're getting what you want.