Choosing a School

I had a conversation with Vittorio and he told me of all the schools popping up on the South Shore around him in Taunton and it got me thinking about the factors that go into choosing a school.

It used to be that there were only a few schools around Massachusetts and you probably went to the one closest to you. (We used to have guys drive 2+ hours from NH and RI just to train and they were doing this like 2x-3x per week, that's dedication). Geographic proximity really isn't the number one factor anymore with so many schools to choose from. Our network alone has 8 schools in it in 4 different states.

So what factors go into choosing a school?

Atmosphere, Community, Tradition, Facilities, Proximity - were some that I thought of. I am not sure what the number one is. It is probably different for everyone.

Atmosphere - What is it like there? Are they speaking your language - literally - English? and figuratively - do you get along with instructors? Are they sensitive to your goals? Are they teaching in a way that works with your learning style?

Community - Is the school active in building a community within and outside? Is it a place you look forward to going to? Is it a positive place?

Facilities - Are they clean? Do they have enough mat space? Does their schedule fit yours and are there options?

Tradition - What is the history of the school? Is it readily available or sketchy? Are the instructors legitimate? Can you trace their lineage? Do they bring good people to help teach? Are they constantly refining their methods? Is there collaboration with their tradition?

Proximity - Is the school close to where you live? Can you use public transportation to get there? Do the class times allow you to get there and train?

Now the answers (and maybe a little sales pitch too or, if you are already a member, it will give you ammunition to get your friends and family to join).

Atmosphere - We are constantly collaborating and trying to refine our teaching so everyone is learning at their maximum potential. We have a career educator on staff with a Master of Education working to help the instructors teach at their highest level. All of our classes are taught in English with Portuguese bilingual instructors also on staff. We work to teach to everyone's goals whether it be the hobbyist using the gym to get in shape or the competitor looking to compete at the Mundial and the spectrum of students in between.

Community - We work to know everyone at the school and get to know them personally. Our school is a positive place from when you set foot in the door to when you leave. Many of our students are very close friends and hang out with each other outside of class and engage in other activities besides jiu jitsu (I didn't know there was such a thing, certainly no other conversations exist besides those pertaining jiu jitsu, go figure).

Facilities - Clean. Everyday. We work everyday to bring you the cleanest facility possible. (Just last week I was up on the ladder, scrubbing the walls with a bleach solution - that was fun) We keep a cleaning log and would be happy to show it you if you like. We use the best sanitizer available to clean the mats - Kenclean. It protects against all known pathogens that can be transmitted in all of the sports that we do. We work to make sure our students are clean with instruction on how to keep their uniforms clean, their nails and skin safe and their overall bodies' healthy.

Tradition - Did you know that Gracie Barra is the winning-est school in all of Brazil? Well it is and you are part of that tradition. We trace our lineage from Roberto Maia to Carlos Gracie Jr. to Carlos Gracie Sr. (co-founder of modern Gracie Jiu Jitsu with Helio Gracie)to Gastao Gracie to "Count Koma" Maeda to Jigoro Kano himself. That's fewer steps than from Phil to Kevin Bacon. We always have visitors teaching seminars and classes who are top level coaches and athletes. Did you know Roger Gracie spent a month with us when he was a brown belt before he started tearing it up? Roberto Tussa Alencar has been a regular visitor and we look to welcome Flavio Almeida in May. Take a look at their competition records. Impressive. We are the longest running school in Boston. We are almost to our 13th year and have more diversity of rank and number on the mat at any given time. More blackbelts per class means more chances to get your questions answered.

Proximity - We have morning, noon and night classes. We are open 7 days a week. I think we can accomodate almost every schedule. Hopefully there is a school in our network that is close to you. If there isn't, there probably will be one soon.

12 points

These are the 12 points that Chuck Norris says guide his life

1. I will develop myself to the maximum of my potential in all ways.
2. I will forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements.
3. I will always be in a positive frame of mind and convey this feeling to every person that I meet.
4. I will continually work at developing love, happiness and loyalty in my family and acknowledge that no other success can compensate for failure in the home.
5. I will look for the good in all people and make them feel worthwhile.
6. If I have nothing good to say about a person, then I will say nothing.
7. I will give so much time to the improvement of myself that I will have no time to criticize others.
8. I will always be as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
9. I will maintain respect for those in authority and demonstrate this respect at all times.
10. I will maintain an attitude of open-mindedness toward another person's viewpoint, while still holding fast to that which I know to be true and honest.
11. I will always remain loyal to God, my country, my family and my friends.
12. I will remain highly goal-oriented throughout my life because that positive attitude helps my family, my country and myself.

Another one for you older guys and girls feeling your age - "Old age and deception will overcome youth and skill every time." (Bill "Superfoot" Wallace) I know he is a karate guy but I read an interesting article about Paulho Filho training with Rickson and he described his experience similar to this quote.