Frequently Asked Questions

 

1.     Why would I attend your school instead of “ABC Karate”?

You will develop a higher level of skill at Typhoon Philippine School than at most commercial martial arts schools. We are confident in making this statement despite the fact that we are a traditional school with a smaller budget than most Karate schools. This is because with fewer classmates, you will receive more personalized attention and have more one-on-one teacher to student time. In addition to the advantages of having a smaller teacher-student ratio, the Typhoon mission is to produce the highest quality martial arts student possible; compared to the large numbers of new memberships many schools strive for.

 

2.     What is the difference between “Commercial” schools and “Traditional” schools?

The corporate culture of many so-called “Commercial” schools is similar to many health clubs and dance schools. By saying this, we mean that many schools put most of their energy into recruiting new students and committing them to long-term contracts. Once a member joins, their progress depends on his own drive and attendance, and little is done to nurture these students through the ranks. By contrast, “Traditional” schools focus more on teaching classes, like an after-school piano lesson. Tuition may be high or low, but the instructor schedules only a few students at a time, and a majority of the instructor’s time is spent training the student like a craftsman trains his apprentice. With a little investigation and comparison, one can easily see the difference between the skill level of a student from a traditional school, versus the student from the commercial school.

 

3.     With all this talk about fighting and weapons, I’m afraid that my child is not going to like the training at your school.

Do not be intimidated by the philosophy of the Southeast Asian martial arts. While the art was created to be used by soldiers and warriors, our children’s program has been redesigned to avoid injuries and creating little bullies. We teach weapons much like a fencing class that teaches sword fighting; our children learn these skills as a sport and form of self-defense, and will learn when is the appropriate time to use the art. For empty-handed martial arts, we do not teach children how to injure other children—even for self-defense. Instead, we teach children verbal and non-verbal self-defense, and subduing and defensive technique rather than attacking methods. Finally, for your child’s own protection, we give them the skills and physical ability to handle children of any size. Children do not learn to fight; however, they do learn to fight back.

 

 

4.     I don’t want to sign any contracts!

Typhoon Philippine School does not use contracts. It is understandable why many parents do not want to commit a 10 year old to a year-long agreement. You may pay for your memberships in three-month courses or enroll in a six-month course. We use the short course to get our students (even a 10-year old) to commit to learn an entire skill level of techniques. We do not want children to develop the habit of quitting what they pursue, so with the achievement of a single level of the martial arts (which takes approximately three months to learn) they will learn to finish and achieve goals. For parents of children who are determined and committed to achieving the Black Belt, we offer a considerable discount for prepaid 12-month memberships.