When it comes to choosing a martial arts school, here’s a key distinction. Is the school a style-based school, or is the school a student-based school?
What Style is Best for Children?
The Difference Between a Style-Centered Traditional and a Modern Student-Centered School
While all martial arts provide mental benefits, learning traditional martial arts is a slow, laborious process because so much time is spent on ancient and outdated skills.
A style-centered school indoctrinates a student into the rituals and skills of the traditional style, no matter how impractical. That includes imaginary fight scenes called kata which is the center-piece of a traditional school.
Kata are complex and have no basis in reality, however, style-centered schools STILL require kata to advance in rank.
If the students don’t perform kata correctly, they will FAIL their belt exams. Because of kata, it typically takes 3 to 5 years to earn a black belt. That’s way too long.
Not only are these impractical skills, but they are much harder to learn.
That makes learning traditional martial arts a difficult, extended, and frustrating process.
Instructors will promise that you will “Understand this in a few years…” Try explaining that to a child being bullied now.
In contrast, a student-centric program teaches only the most modern, up-to-date skills that build confidence fast because they are easy to learn.
So instead of repeating the past, Unity Martial Arts takes the best of all the styles to fit the student in the present with a style-centered program that only teaches skills that students can Master Faster!