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09/10/2016: "Ensure you compare the same fruit!"

If you're looking around for somewhere to train, make sure you're comparing the same things. If you were looking at playing a sport, and were trying to compare soccer and volleyball... Well, they're both sports, but they're not anywhere near the same thing.

Google "traditional jujitsu maryland" (without the quotes). You'll find us and a couple other places; pretty much everything else is Brazilian jujitsu, not Japanese. We keep hearing from current and former students - and people who've contacted us out of the blue, who aren't even in the area (or state!) - that it's pretty much impossible to find another school that does what we do.

Whether you're comparing traditional jujitsu schools or not, do the schools you're comparing...
• have a robust schedule?
  * With us, adults currently have the possibility for six all-ranks classes per week, as well as two advanced classes (when they're eligible), and a weapons class. Kids have four classes, and two advanced classes when they're eligible.
• have instructors who have been training in their style for over a quarter of a century?
  * We do.
• make safety a priority?
  * We do, and always have. And we've heard too many stories of people being injured because of improper or lax supervision, whether of how to do a technique properly, or of the students.
• have their own location?
  * We do, which allows us to have our own class schedule, not dependent on anyone else.
• train in only one art?
  * We do.
• train in practical self defense?
  * That is our focus, all the time - and in ongoing classes, not just seminars.
• offer unlimited training for a flat rate?
  * Many schools charge according to the number of times you come per week, and fees for unlimited training are proportionately higher. (Yes, we've checked.)
• offer discounted rates if more than one family member joins?
  * We do.

Go ahead and compare us with school X - of whatever style - but please make sure you're comparing apples to apples, and oranges to oranges. Decide what it is you're really looking for, then compare that. If it's traditional Japanese jujitsu, practical self defense, and numerous opportunities to train with experienced instructors each week, then come see us.

If you're more concerned about e.g. the monetary aspect, make sure you're not comparing disparate things. School X may "charge less" than we do, but would you be getting the same type and quality of training, or are we soccer and they're volleyball? (And frankly, our tuition is still the same as it was 20+ years ago!)

Whether you train with us or elsewhere, find something you like and enjoy it. Just make sure you're comparing the same fruit when you're trying to decide!