Just Starting Out - Looking for Advice on Finding the Right Instructor

[Tadow]

Hello,

I am thinking of starting martial arts training of some type, and I know that finding the right instructor/place to train is one of the most important things that I need to do. The problem is, I have no idea what to look for when rating an instructor or training facility.

Some background:

I have lifted BB style for about 10 years, since high school. I am 27 years old and have always trained natural (to clarify - I mean no juice). I'm 6 foot 220, about 15% BF. I've never "officialy" trained, although I have grappled with some guys that were trained in BJJ and always did well (although I suspect it's just because I was in better shape/stronger than they were). One point of concern is that I had an ACL reconstruction from a basketball injury a few years ago - will this be a problem?

Striking would be a weakpoint for me. I'd like to train in an art that will teach striking skills as well as ground/grappling techniques. From the research that I have done, Krav Maga sounds interesting although I'm not sure what type of ground skills they teach.

Any advice on what art to train in and how to find a quality instructor would be much appreciated.

 

[Djimbe]

what is your current location (postal/ZIPcode) , and now far from there can you commute for lessons ?

 

[Tadow]

Thousand Oaks, CA 91361

about 30 miles sounds right given the traffic out here.

 

[Djimbe]

You have the Privelage of being near some of the greatest MA talent in the world .Im putting everyone you can get to in about an Hour because youre NOT perfectly Central to LA , but youre close enough to being so that the best ppl are all go9ng to have their classes more Centrally in the City . Im putting them in order of Instructor Reccomendation And I would SERIOUSLY suggest that you get to one of the first 4 ppl on the list . They are doing things unparralelled anywhere else in the world , and are literally the difference between you being a WORLD CLASS Martial Artist , and anything else .

Shen Wu Academy of Martial Arts
7411 Garden Grove Blvd. Suite F
Garden Grove CA.
92841
(714) 890-0605


Master Su Dong Chen
8908 Bentel Ave.
Rosemead, CA
Wed. 8pm - 10pm
Sun 1pm - 3pm
http://www.essenceofevolution.com/
http://www.evolutionary-systems.com/html_docs/m_su.html

Master Marvin Quon
[email protected]
Garvey Ranch Park
Monterey Park,
Sat-Sun 7:30am - 11:00am

West Los Angeles:
Instructor Matthew Irvin
[email protected]
Class schedule/location TBA



Gong Zhong Xiang :
Master Gong Zhong Xiang teaches Imperial Palace Baguaquan, Xingyiquan and Yang style Taijiquan every saturday & sunday at 10 am in a park located in Monterey Park, California. He is also available for weekday private lessons.
Contact Shun Quan to arrange an meeting with Master Gong. We are not a so-called "closed door" school, but Master Gong likes to meet each student personally before training him.
email: [email protected]
phone: 818.470.2703

Jason Tsou
Class Schedule
Fridays:
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturdays:
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Monterey Highlands School
400 Casuda Canyon Dr.
Monterey Park, CA 91754
http://chikungintl.com/chikungintl.com/htmls/calendar.html

Wang Shi Qing
5202 N. Rosemead Blvd.
Temple City, CA 91776
(626) 291-5328
[email protected]
I.I.M.A.A.
Sun Tai Chi
Wu/Hao Tai Chi
Yang Tai Chi
Shan Xi Hsing I
Yin Fu Pa Kua
Chi Kung

Hawkins Cheung's Wing Chun and Tai Chi Chuan Academy
8687 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034
Tel: (310) 838.5133
Contact: Hawkins Cheung
http://www.hawkinscheung.com/

Chu's Wing Chun Kuen
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Robert Chu
http://www.chusaulei.com/

James Wu
24156 Kathy Ave.
El Toro, CA 92630
(714) 583-1096
Pa Kua Chang

 

[Yarg!]

if youre in california, youre at the mecca of martial arts schools. theres the rickson gracie jiu jitsu school down the road.. royce gracie school, gracie academy, and a plethora of grappling schools. im sure they also teach vale tudo (meaning anything goes, aka mixed martial arts, aka striking and ground game). i think vale tudo can you make a very, very well rounded fighter, and im sure djimbe listed some great schools above, so if youre into CMA, you got some great options there. whatever you do, just make sure you dont end up with a mc dojo or another run of the mill karate class. if you want to focus on striking, as stated, vale tudo would be great, muay thai, burmese martial arts (if you actually find a school), lots of chinese stuff, a good japanese school. steer clear of akido, hapkido, japanese jiu jitsu, strictly brazilian jiu jitsu, tae kwan do. b/c those arts have little or no striking in them or underdeveloped striking.

 

[Kane Fan]

any MMA school should be pretty good for you

 

[Djimbe]

Yarg :

The first guy that I listed has a BJJ Black Belt under Cleber "Clebinho" Luciano Costa . Whom in turn got HIS BB from Royler Gracie . Hes also a certified Instructor of more than one Striking system , but thats not why I listed him first .

I listed him because DESPITE his skill level he ONLY chargesd $100/moth last time I checked , and he holds classes SIX days a week . Hes not Political in ANY way , and hes a GREAT Communicator of Fighting Principles to his students . The guy is aalso pretty well Rounded .

Please dont presume that everyone that Put up as an Instructor will have the same Background I mean , the headman at teh second Group of schools is a 3rd/4th dan in Judo I think , he held SOME dan Ranking in some form of Karate , and he even held a school in Japan for QUITE some time before coming to the states .

 

[Yarg!]

Yarg :

The first guy that I listed has a BJJ Black Belt under Cleber "Clebinho" Luciano Costa . Whom in turn got HIS BB from Royler Gracie . Hes also a certified Instructor of more than one Striking system , but thats not why I listed him first .

I listed him because DESPITE his skill level he ONLY chargesd $100/moth last time I checked , and he holds classes SIX days a week . Hes not Political in ANY way , and hes a GREAT Communicator of Fighting Principles to his students . The guy is aalso pretty well Rounded .

Please dont presume that everyone that Put up as an Instructor will have the same Background I mean , the headman at teh second Group of schools is a 3rd/4th dan in Judo I think , he held SOME dan Ranking in some form of Karate , and he even held a school in Japan for QUITE some time before coming to the states .

sry man, meant no disrespect. i thought you just listed a bunch of CMA schools- and theres nothing wrong witht hat, CMA and its affiliates are very good arts- i have nothing, but respect for them. i just assumed that it was strictly a kung fu school because they had asian sounding names, and asian instructors, and usually such schools/instructors teach kung fu , and since youre a huge fan of it i thought you only listed CMA schools. but its cool if they are not, more well rounded learning for the student in the end, right?

 

[Judo Tom]

take judo its fun and you can compete which will motivate you to get good fast

 

[Tadow]

Wow djimbe that is some awesome info. Thanks for putting that together.

I'm not sure about some of those locations during the work week, because that can be a serious drive out here during rush hour. But I'll definitely check them out.

Now it's time for me to get my ass beat down.