Find out how to discover good self defense training
You need to consider a lot of different things when looking for self defense training. For example, make sure you at least have an idea of the kind of self defense training you are looking for. Do you want a style that focuses on grappling? Are you looking for a standup style? Or maybe both? Most of the best systems have a mix of both, but one category will still dominate over the other so be sure you know what type of training you are after first. For those of you who have previous experience with martial arts or self defense, try to stick with a style you feel comfortable with. Test out a little grappling and a little standup to see which you like better if you have no experience or self defense training. This very important step should not be overlooked. Deciding first which type you want will help you later on down the road because it eliminates a lot of potential bad matches for your self defense training.
Next, you need to look some things up. First look up the style and learn a bit about it. Does it have a reputation for being a good solid program, or do most people think it is poor for self defense. You need to know these things. Then learn try to learn a little bit about the instructor. Look for a review or personal testimonial of the instructor from a person who has experience with that instructor. Not all instructors teaching really good systems are really good instructors. Finally, make sure the instructor is a match for your personality. Many people tend to overlook this. For example, you need to be sure you can handle it if the instructor you find is over the top and screams and yells a lot. If you have a difficult time with that type of training, then despite everything else being perfect, you would very likely have a hard time with your self defense training.
