Picking a fighting styles school can be quite a challenging task. There are so many considerations, and asking friends can only get you a mishmash of different responses. Many people are loyal to his or her very own school, or should be, and of course will recommend it to anybody who’ll listen. So, at the risk of repeating what’s been said many times before, let us begin: Determine what type you wish to study, and if undecided, visit a number of schools. Most schools will offer a free school or two, so take full advantage of those offers and see what catches your attention. Keep in mind the differences between schools and types, and even between schools teaching the same model. Understand that some schools really aren’t teaching what they promote. What are you after in a martial art? There are so many possibilities: Fitness, versus self-defense, versus control, versus breaking boredom: Are you looking for the control of a traditional martial art, or the real-life application of a combat kind of fighting? Maybe your purpose is to take part in competitions and fighting styles exhibits. Site, area, location: If classes are three times a week, then traveling 50 miles each way would probably not be the ideal situation for you. Of course, if you check out the BJJ Naples locations you will see that gyms are over Southwest Florida – the same goes for other locations across the country! Find out if the school you’re enthusiastic about is affiliated with a larger organization and is approved. I can’t tell you how many ninjitsu schools I have seen which have no formal affiliations whatsoever. Anybody could call themselves and open a school a ninja! Examine the school’s recovery rate. Should they have a large amount of students rotating through, there might be a problem. Of course, all schools will have some kind of return rate to some degree or another. A large amount of folks are testing the waters. Some individuals are determined to take a martial art, but once started, decide to quit. Some schools train in cooperation with local colleges and universities, just what exactly seems to be a significant recovery charge is basically the end of the school term.