How to Choose the Right Martial Arts School

When it comes to choosing a martial arts school, many people simply call the studio that’s closest to their house, or has the slickest ad, or shows up at the top of a Google search. However, in the martial arts business, not all schools are created equal.We suggest you do careful research before enrolling in a martial arts program. Seeing what the school has to offer before enrolling gives you, the parent or potential student, a better understanding of the commitment, and will help you choose the school that is the best fit for you and your family.Below are some key steps, questions to ask, and tips to remember when choosing a martial arts school:1. Research on the internet. A school’s web site is a great place to start your investigation. In our current, web-based culture, businesses that are serious about delivering a quality product will have a web site. The quality of this web site says a lot about the studio. A professionally-run studio will have a well-designed web site that can easily be found by an internet search and that contains up-to-date information. In addition, read martial arts articles, news stories, testimonials, and learn as much as you can about the local studios. (Be careful of on-line reviews, though–they’re often written by the schools themselves!)2. Make an appointment. A well-run studio should offer a free introductory private lesson. Take it and get to know the school and the instructors. Observe a beginner class in session. Can you see yourself on the mat with the students?3. Overall positive attitude of the instructor and the students. Do the instructors and students seem enthusiastic? Are they courteous and respectful? This can serve as an accurate indicator of a school’s culture. Positive attitude goes both ways–you should see it from both the instructors and the students at all times.4. Does the class have structure and self control? A class should include a proper warm up and cool down. The instructor should be well-prepared, and the training should have specific goals that are communicated to the students. Students should be focused on the training instead of horsing around or being disruptive.5. Studio Location. You should take into account how close the school is to your home prior to enrolling into a martial arts program. If it is a 15-minute drive, that is a half-hour of your time over and above time spent on the mat. That kind of time can add up over several months. On the other hand, closer isn’t always better. The studio that’s closest to your home is not your best choice if it’s a bad fit in every other way.6. Equipment/Facility. Studios vary in the type of equipment and amenities they offer. Does the school appear clean? Is the training floor properly padded? Are the students required to wear safety gear?7. Class Sizes and Schedule. Many new martial arts students prefer to be part of a larger class, rather than a small class; however, the benefits of a smaller class should not be overlooked. You will also want to ask when classes are offered and how long they are, and if you have a choice as to the specific class times you can attend.8. Quality of Instruction. Are the instructors certified? What rank do they hold? How long have they been training in martial arts, and are they actively training at present? Who is their senior instructor, and how often do they train with him/her? Are they certified by a national martial arts organization?9. Class Ages/Groups. At what age can you or your child start martial arts training? Are the classes separated by age and/or belt level?10. Ranking. How often do students test for rank? What are the requirements? Is the rank nationally recognized? Can I transfer out of the area to a studio with the same martial arts style and curriculum?11. Price of Instruction. Tuition prices vary widely between schools. However, don’t rely on price as your main point of comparison. The quality of instruction can vary as widely as the price. The old saying, “You get what you pay for,” is especially true for martial arts training. Some schools appear to be cheaper, but will hit you with hidden charges later. A legitimate martial arts school will tell you the entire cost of training up front prior to your signing on the dotted line. The school’s staff should be receptive to your questions about cost, answer them clearly, and not promise you anything they can’t (or won’t) put in writing.© 2010 Spotsylvania Martial Arts

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Payday Loans Help Purchase Gas In California

Need an online payday loan to purchase gas? You may if you live in California. The prices have jumped up an average of close to one dollar per gallon in less than two weeks leaving many in the workforce struggling just to get to work.Refinery and pipeline problems have put a squeeze on the fuel supply which created record high prices at the pump. Areas which are highly affected by unemployment are being hit with the highest prices. How can I get a payday loan when I have no job and cannot afford fuel to get there? Many areas in Southern California are shelling out close to $5.00 per gallon.Californians may catch a break if the Governor’s request for early release of the winter’s blend of gas is approved. The winter blend is a gas which evaporates more readily into the environment during hot weather. The summer blend is less harmful to the environment. Usually, the winter blend does not hit the market until the end of October, but even if it does get released early, it will take several days for price relief to hit their tanks.Is filling your gas tank an unexpected cost which would justify taking out an online payday loan? It could be for many. Knowing that the high gas prices will be around for a bit and the commute to work stay the same, it just may take a low cost payday loan to get by till prices begin to drop.How do you handle a quick unexpected demand on your income? Do you have a savings account? How about a credit card with an open balance which could take the hit of filling your gas tank at almost $5 per gallon? Would you use an online payday loan in order to fill your tank up this week? What other options are there for people who live paycheck to paycheck?It is a good thing that California is a state which allows low cost loans. There are certain regulations which lenders will have to follow, but the availability of quick cash when your budget cannot handle the overload is a good option to have. Think about if California was one of the states which banned all payday loans, how would someone with no other credit options find the cash to fill the tank and pay the normal bills? It would be disastrous financially as people go without paying their bills in order to get to work.Let’s hope there will be quick relief at the pumps. Those in a panic for money may learn to start a savings for situations just like this. When you have no personal resource, depend on a responsible lender who will offer lower fees. It is good to know your lender prior to landing at the gas tank, so a quick application is all it takes. If you have never used a payday loan online or do not know anyone who did, you will not want to comparative shop for one who uses best practices.

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UK Employment Law – The Risks You Face As an Employer

If you run a business then it is more than likely that you are well aware of many of the pitfalls and possible legal problems you could run into during the course of everyday work. Simply by reading the papers you can discover a whole world of potential legal hazards that as an employer you need to guard against.Health and safety regulations, for instance, are numerous to the point where it would take hours upon hours of reading through them to simply be able to say that you have kept up to date with all the changes that have taken place over the past year. And then, of course, there is the problem of making sure you understand all of them.A particularly good example that highlights how employment law is regularly updated and changed would be to show just how many new laws are introduced each year from the UK and Europe as it is rather high. The average number from the past few years works out at around 125 new employment laws.Furthermore, there have been more new employment laws passed in the past four years than there were in the twenty years that passed before it. This goes to show just how rapidly the world of employment law is moving at the moment.So what is the answer to this for small and large businesses alike? Well, the most sensible solution is to seek professional advice from reputable employment advisors, especially when the current economic climate is taken into consideration, which gives small businesses particularly much less time to spend poring over the latest employment laws.It is not simply a case of the volume of employment laws being passed either. There is, as one would expect when you consider that these are legal requirements, a degree of complexity attached to employment law that only professionals can easily and quickly distil from legal jargon into simple rules to abide by in the workplace.In addition to the complexity of employment law, there are also increasing numbers of employees taking their employers to court. Over 100,000 employees took their employers to court last year alone.There is, of course, the crucial element of money to consider as well. Tribunal cases have been rising by around 15% per year, for example. Additionally, over one third of all employment disputes involve dismissal cases and the compensation award limit is currently more than £60,000, which is no small amount.Discrimination cases, however, can be much more costly to a business from a monetary point of view. Awards for successful discrimination claims (which can involve sex, race, age, disability, sexual orientation or religious intolerance legislation) are unlimited.Examples clearly show this area of employment law in particular as hugely important for businesses to be aware of. Recently, religious discrimination cases have seen a 340% rise, and the average award for a race discrimination case is £19,114. In one specific sex discrimination case a total of £179,026 was awarded to the claimant.Clearly, the cost of being unaware or ignorant of employment law is huge. One of the most shocking statistics is that 98% of employers who win their case are unable to recover legal fees. In the current economic climate, it can seen that, ultimately, just one case could cost a small business more than a few thousand pounds; it could cause the collapse of the business. With this in mind, it is surely best to seek professional legal advice in order to guard against the possibility of it happening to you.

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