Before joining any club it’s important to make sure that it’s right for you. First you should check that the Coach is a legitimate Black Belt and that they are registered with a governing organisation (don’t take their word for it, check for yourself), if you are sending your child make sure they have a valid DBS check and they are insured. Also look at the existing members skill level and find out if they attend open external competitions. If the club is not able to provide the relevant documentation or they don’t have a structure in place for competitions and belt progression….. Or if they expect you to achieve Black Belt status in a short timeframe we strongly recommend that you look elsewhere to train. Some clubs make it much easier to achieve a Black Belt but that does not mean that its members have the same skill level as other clubs. Unfortunately many students that transfer to our club either don’t have registered belts or the skill level to match their grade.