Green Flags of a Good Tae Kwon Do School

What makes a good Tae Kwon Do school? This is a question I have gotten a lot over the years. There are many different answers to this question. The truth is that what makes a good Tae Kwon Do school depends a lot on what you want. That said, there are some things that can make a good Tae Kwon Do school. Here are a few of the qualities I look for in a good Tae Kwon Do school.

A Healthy Community

Never underestimate the importance of a good community! Of the many schools I’ve been to, the best ones were always the ones that had happy and friendly people in them. The gold medals, fancy equipment, or even the quality of the floors didn’t matter. I learned the most from the instructors and communities that focused on building students up, not putting them down.

What does that mean? That means instructors and students who were supportive and happy around me. This tended to happen in communities that taught respect, kindness, perseverance, patience, and endurance. At these schools, instructors encourage students to express these qualities and associate the qualities with black belt spirit.

Experienced Instructors

A school is only as good as it’s teachers. The best Tae kwon do school, in my experience, has skilled teachers. The best Tae kwon do teachers have years of experience both teaching and learning. This is especially good if the teacher is still doing Tae kwon do training as well. That means they are keeping their knowledge up to date and fresh. It’s also very good to see them with assistants, because that means they’re confident in their knowledge of teaching.

"I learned the most from instructors who focused on building their students up, not putting them down."

Proper Certification

There are many different types of Tae Kwon Do federations and associations (the best are WT/Kukkiwon and ITF, in my opinion). You know a Tae Kwon Do School is especially good if they have certification in a good association. Now, this only really matters if you’re already a black belt, as it means they will likely honor the belt you already have. That said, knowing if they have an association means they’re confident in, have met the qualifications of, and trained under that association. Similar to getting a degree at a nationally recognized university, you know it's good because they were held up to a specific standard.

So there you go! Now you know some of the green flags of a good Tae Kwon Do school (at least in my opinion). Now go forth and enjoy the school you found! Good luck!