I’m at a loss, and of course the first thing I thought of was y’all.

(typical blogger, mutters everyone under their breath)

Anyway, enough of that. This is uncharted territory for me, and I don’t even know the right questions to ask.

I’d like to get my son in martial arts.

Why? Well, because I’ve heard very good things about programs. About how they can help kids to focus, and learn about themselves. And learn about respect. It sounds great, and my son would probably eat it up. He’s seven. His brother is four, and chances are if the seven year old starts doing something the four year old will want to, as well.

But I haven’t a clue what to look for. In an instructor, in a program. How much will things cost, how much time commitment is there. Questions to ask before starting. Warning signs that something may not be a good fit.

There are a few places in town, and one says all the right things (sign up today and we give you a free uniform, first two weeks are free) and it sounds great. What if he doesn’t like it? There’s a program at a local fitness center, where if we sign up as members at the center we can enroll in a week-to-week class fairly inexpensively, I think. Still checking all the details.

So I’m appealing to you, dear readers. Do any of you have experience with martial arts? Personally or with your kids. Or siblings. Or parents. I don’t know.

I’m thinking Tae Kwon Do, since that is fairly common in our area, but there is also a place that does traditional long fist (Kung Fu) and they seem pretty neat. But “neat” to me isn’t really the deciding factor, or shouldn’t be.

Help.