Yes, there are downsides to training at Legacy 22.

Some schools offer “unlimited” training. We don’t. Why?

1. We have found that most students can train sustainably, without getting burned out, twice per week with no issue. Consistency beats intensity.

2. If we offered “unlimited” classes, it would ruin our carefully guarded student to teacher ratio. Which is essential to ensure we always have one highly trained and well paid instructor to teach properly and give enough individual attention.

We participate in just one tournament per year. But that’s certaintly not the focus of our school. Our aim is to teach virtue and practical self-defense.

The problem with tournaments is that they oftentimes guide schools away from developing students for practical self-defense and martial arts, and towards “sport” martial arts.

Our staff works during their work hours, and does not work during their off hours.

We do not take calls, because they often turn a 30-second email into a 15-minute conversation. We just use a simple portal alongside email that always does the trick. We text for last-minute notices.

If you’re looking to train in just one style, we are not a good fit for you.

We are fundamentally opposed to “styles” of martial arts at our school. Because, in our experience, as soon as a school adopts a style, it confines students into a limited level of martial arts.

There are downsides to our approach, to be clear. But we think that the benefits are well worth the cost. You can learn more about this on our Self-Defense page.

Essentially all of our instructors are full-time, front-line, fully trained, and well paid instructors.

Having Saturday classes would necessarily mean, in the long run, part-time staff that could give a different experience.

And when you hire for talent, it’s very hard to find someone willing to work six days per week, sustainably.

That’s why we avoid Saturdays. It’s inconvenient for some families, but it’s essential to ensure our quality remains sky-high.

This shocks some people, but it is very true: there are some parents who would genuinely prefer their students to just get their next belt, black belt, whatever, no matter what.

We don’t play that nonsense at Legacy 22. Any belt the student gets, must be earned. Our students are graded every single class. If their average performance score is high enough, and their total performance score is high enough, they promote.

If not, they try harder and improve, or linger, or quit. But there are no exceptions.

Fortunately, the grading system scales. Such that the earlier the belt, the easier it is to get. Each belt gets harder and harder.

Some families are transferring from other schools.

To the extent that the child gained genuine skill from their previous skill, that will help them advance in rank faster.

But we do not just hand over a belt of the same color simply because a student earned that color at another school. Why?

1. Their school taught a totally different martial art.

2. Their school likely had an entirely different standard.

But again, if the transferring student is good, they’ll move up quicker than their peers.

If this is very important to you, there are likely schools in the area that will simply honor the rank. That’s not us. Because the skill of the transferring student almost never matches up properly.