Traditional instructors in China and Japan usually have primary occupations other than teaching martial arts. They can then teach their art in a pure way without having to resort to a commercial approach to running their school. These instructors can then pick and choose who they will and won't teach their art to based on traditional criteria. Economic necessities do not dictate that they must accept everyone who applies for instruction. Prospective students who do not show the qualities of respect, sincerity, patience, humility and beginner's mind are simply not accepted.

     In the United States, most martial arts schools do not have the luxury of being able to turn prospective students away so most instructors are forced to put up with rude and disrespectful people who adopt a "customer" type of attitude when inquiring about lessons. You will find that this approach is not welcomed at a traditional training hall. Inquiries that do not meet the traditional instructor's criteria will simply not be acknowledged. I am sure that many ignorant inquirers to traditional training halls have been left wondering, "How come that school didn't return my call?"

     If you are seeking acceptance into a traditional training hall, it is up to you to convince the instructor that you are worthy of learning his art. If you approach it like a job interview, you might have a chance of being accepted. If you approach it like you were trying to buy a car, you will most likely not be successful.

     One of the worst mistakes a person can make is asking a traditional instructor for the cost of lessons before you have first convinced him that you would be a worthy addition to his school. This concept can cause confusion for many people because the majority of martial arts schools in the United States are not traditional schools and see their lessons as a commodity to be bought and sold. These non-traditional schools actually encourage prospective students to act like customers by using marketing gimmicks, contracts and hard sell approaches in order to achieve their goal of maximizing the number of customers in their school.

     A traditional martial art is not a commodity and cannot be just purchased by anyone for money. Inquiring prematurely about cost is akin to accusing the traditional instructor of prostituting his art. It is considered extremely offensive. Although traditional instructors will certainly charge tuition, this tuition just affords you the opportunity to be allowed in the training hall. You actually earn the progressive levels of a traditional art through loyalty and dedication to your instructor, selfless service to your school and time and effort spent practicing your art.

     Traditional instructors are looking for quality long term students who have the physical, mental and emotional capacity to both learn the art and then be able to give something back to the art so it will continue to survive and flourish. As such, traditional instructors are much more concerned with the quality rather than the quantity of students that they have.

     It takes a large amount of time, energy and effort on the part of a traditional instructor to properly take a new student and make him a competent martial artist. If you remember this when you are applying for membership in a traditional training hall and act accordingly, you will be able to greatly increase your chances of being accepted as a student.