masters

Pre-Masters Courses – Should You Take One?

There are so few Pre-Masters courses on the market that students may well wonder what they are. Pre-Masters courses are designed to prepare students for study abroad at the master’s-degree level. they combine instruction in both subject matter and study and self-expression skills that foreign students often need to be competitive when they arrive at universities in the UK, Australia, the US and other foreign countries.

The fact that you have been or will be accepted for a tertiary program at a foreign university is one indication of the fact that you have already received a good education and have excelled in your chosen field of study. So, it’s helpful to think of Pre-Masters courses as something other than catch-up, or remedial, learning. Instead, think of them as get-ahead courses, which allow you to enter a new learning situation with all the skills necessary to perform well in a new learning environment.

While university education is basically the same throughout the world, universities in English-speaking countries often stress ways of thinking, learning and, especially, writing that are different enough from those in your country that you could lose time you can hardly afford to lose adapting to new ways of performing academically.

One of the biggest challenges for many students arriving at foreign universities is learning how to think independently and creatively. in many countries throughout the world, university education is geared toward the mastering of the content in a particular study field. often it is taught by rote; that is, professors impart the essential information and expect students to learn it thoroughly as taught and then to prove that they know it by essentially repeating it back to the professor in exams.

While there is considerable value in mastering a field of study in this way, it can foster a kind of thinking that makes it difficult for students to respond when, at universities abroad, they are asked to give their own ideas on a subject and then provide evidence for the validity of those ideas. like mathematics and languages, new ways of thinking can be learned, but they usually must be studied, demonstrated – and practiced – before they become a real, functioning part of a student’s set of academic skills.

A large proportion of foreign students going abroad to earn master’s degrees are pursuing fields other than those in which they did their bachelor’s degrees. Many of those fields may require kinds of research you have never had to do in the past, or may ask you to perform such research in a different way. So, learning appropriate research methodologies is also vital to achieving success. this is certainly true for the business fields that most foreign students pursue, even in such seemingly non-scientific ones as marketing and management. Don’t be unpleasantly surprised.

Similarly, new study skills themselves often have to be learned and practiced. Most universities abroad tend to move through complex subject matter quickly – and most foreign students plan to do an entire master’s degree in a single year, if only for economic reasons. These two factors together can create considerable time pressure for many foreign students. The best tactic for coping with an accelerated pace of learning is the development of study skills that allow you to keep up.

Just to put it in perspective, keeping up is often difficult for English-speaking natives of the country whose university you plan to attend. For many foreign students, learning effective time-management skills can be as important as learning the language in which you will be studying.

Furthermore, in most of the fields foreign students go to international universities to study, there is a strong emphasis on students’ making formal presentations of their own research in classroom or other even more public settings. For many foreign students, this is a completely unfamiliar and, at first, terrifying thing to consider. a Pre-Masters course can teach you the presentation skills, from the verbal presentation of your ideas to the operation of electronic, computer and other high-tech equipment you may need to make visual presentation of your research findings.

Consider this list of courses, in addition to the ones mentioned above:

- Academic mathematics

- Business English (fundamental concepts and vocabulary)

- Advanced academic writing

- Human resources management

- Finance and accounting

If any of them looks unfamiliar to you, or even makes you question whether you’re ready to take them on in a new, fast-paced academic environment, a Pre-Masters course is probably a good idea for you.

Mahan taking relaxed approach to Masters

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

AUGUSTA — Perhaps winning the Masters will be the tonic to make people forget about Hunter Mahan’s performance in the Ryder Cup.

Starting at par, Mahan shot 4 under in Saturday’s third round and trails the leader by five strokes.

It was another good round in what has been an amazing season for Mahan. He’s the only player on the PGA Tour this year with two wins, including a victory at last week’s Shell Houston Open. He could become the first person since Phil Mickelson to win the Masters a week after winning a PGA Tour event.

Taking from his Ryder Cup experience, he doesn’t seem to be putting too much pressure on himself, which may be the key to his results.

“I don’t want a bad round to determine my happiness,” he said.” I don’t want a bad chip to ruin my day.”

He laughed at the chip remark, a reference to a chunked shot he hit in the deciding match of the 2010 Ryder Cup. Mahan was 2-down to Graeme McDowell standing at no. 17 at Celtic Manor with the U.S. and Europe teams tied. Mahan’s tee shot to the par 3 landed short of the green. He chunked his chip, missed a long par putt and conceded the hole and the match to the European squad.

He was inconsolable afterward.

Though he says he still gets killed on Twitter about it and has no idea how to make people forget the flubbed shot, he seems to have let the pain go and learned a lesson.

“that might have helped me because then I started saying, ‘you know what? I’m not going to let someone else determine my success,’” he said. “‘I’ll determine my success after a round, after a tournament and then I can move on from there.’”

There has been a lot of success since.

He responded to his match-play loss to McDowell by destroying Jason Day, 5 and 3, in last year’s Presidents Cup and finished 4-1 to help the U.S. team defeat the International team. He also had two second-place finishes as part of nine top-10s last year and won more than $3.5 million.

He followed that by beating Rory McIlroy in the Match Play Championship finals earlier this year, the first of his two victories. He won the Shell Houston Open last week and is the top U.S. player in the Official World Golf Ranking at no. 4.

He said he’s walking a fine line between focus and fun. He is preparing as much as he can and continually trying to think of ways he can improve because he said if you aren’t getting better, you are getting worse.

But he’s not obsessing when things, such as the Ryder Cup, don’t go his way.

He said he will wake up Sunday morning excited that he has given himself a chance to win his first major, though he’s trying to remember that it is just a golf tournament, and golf won’t determine his happiness.

“if you want it to much it might be too hard to reach,” he said.

Boost Your Salary With a Master’s Degree in Education

What do I need to know when considering a degree in Masters in Education?

A Master’s in Education is the obvious choice for someone with a bachelor’s degree looking into furthering their teaching career and increasing their job satisfaction. Receiving this degree also offers amplified salary rates, gratifying job prospects and the prospect of career expansion. There are also many specific areas teachers can direct their focus toward such as teaching, adult education, curriculum and instruction, and many other fields.

Earning your Master’s in Education online is a great way to continue in employment while expanding your education. The degree program usually take two years on average to complete but that is dependent on your own schedule. The huge advantage of a distance education master’s degree is the flexibility and convenience that are offered to you. you can work and study part-time or full time; it is your choice. There are a myriad of online schools available so you can find the best program suited to your needs career goals.

While earning your Master’s in Education, you can expect to receive comprehensive research methodology, significant discussions on readings and applied practical classroom learning. Differing from a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s goes well beyond basic skills and covers extensive reading material and classroom management skills for a more thorough understanding of the program and students.

Study and discussions look at the history and theory of curriculum. This will make it possible for you, as a teacher, to fully comprehend the learning concepts and teaching modules of your grade field. Also, you will learn much about early childhood education theory and classroom management skills. A Master’s in Education also analyzes the principles of supervision, diversity aspects of the classroom and the range of trends and teaching techniques.

The skills obtained from undertaking the master’s level program will provide you with a greater understanding of your craft. you will be able to relate effectively to your students, receive their respect and manage the classroom with ease. Furthermore, you will greatly develop their level of learning and comprehension. with a Master degree in Education, you will have an all-encompassing view of every aspect of teaching which can only benefit both you and your students.

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a teacher with a master’s degree can make an average $200 per week more than a teacher with only a bachelor’s degree. This adds up to over $10,000 per year, boosting a starting teacher’s salary from $31,000 to $48,000 per year.

Having a Master’s in Education means that teachers can continue their careers as elementary, middle or high school teachers if they wish but at a higher level of pay, and they also gain the extra qualifications to further their careers if they choose. those with an M.Ed can progress to educating students at post-secondary colleges or universities. There are also lots of opportunities in administration positions for qualified teachers with an M.Ed, including assistant principal, principal and other supervisory positions.

Post-secondary teachers will benefit from flexible schedules, intellectually stimulating environments and rewarding financial remuneration. The Administration roles gained by completing a a master’s degree are also on the rise, and there is the potential to make over $140,000 per year as an education administrator with a Master’s in Education.

A Master’s of Education is not only beneficial to you, but it will also be of great advantage to your students. The more skills and experience you attain, the better prospects students will have to learn and understand the subject matter.

The Department of Education is working towards hiring highly qualified teachers. According to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the United States intend to undergo statewide Higher Teacher Quality (HTQ) improvement programs intended to enlist and retain highly qualified teachers and principals. Attaining a Master’s in Education is the best thing you can do to ensure that you earn the highly qualified teacher status and benefit from the incentives which are offered. These incentives include higher salaries, competitive career assignment and additional job security.

A Master’s in Education is a logical and attainable next-step to a stimulating, financially rewarding and gratifying career.

The Masters – journalreview.com: Church

The annual tradition is occurring again this weekend. no, I am not speaking about the annual man-made religious holiday season that so many churches are now “passionately” observing. when we open the New Testament, its readily discovered that Christians in the 1st century did not invent, nor participate, in an annual celebration surrounding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Christians came together (assembled) among the local churches each 1st day of the week to memorialize the death of Jesus on the cross, following the pattern established in Acts 20:7.

So, what annual tradition is note worthy this weekend? If you are a golf enthusiast … it is The Masters — the most highly anticipated professional golf tournament on earth. The golf course in Augusta Georgia is one of the most pampered pieces of real estate in the country and even if you don’t like golf, the views are simply gorgeous. The greatest golfers in the world are at the 2012 Masters and the competition promises to be one of the best in recent years. I am confident that many people around Crawfordsville will be watching the telecast this weekend and are pulling for their favorite “MASTER” golfer to win that coveted “green jacket.”

That got me thinking … Americans have a tendency to get behind a personal favorite in practically every sporting event. maybe your favorite is someone like Jeff Gordon in auto racing, Lebron James in basketball or Peyton Manning in football. Some fans are so loyal to their “master” athlete, they’ll wear their personalized sporting apparel, go to their games and even paint their face to show their love for their “master” sports hero. someone once stated that sports is simply a relaxing escape from the reality of life. much of what people do concerning sports is innocent, fun and harmless, but some take sports and their “master” sport stars way over the line, overlooking what is really important in life.

Friends, there is only ONE MASTER — Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Yes, the word MASTER is the correct expression in understanding Jesus of Nazareth. After His resurrection from the dead, He told His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority is given to me in heaven and earth. go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus is THE MASTER of humanity and insists that every person become His follower (Christian) through the process of baptism. Then, all of His followers are to serve him as THE MASTER with the instructions He set forth in the New Testament scriptures. Most believers today fall far short of implementing this authoritative decree by THE MASTER of heaven and earth, falling prey to the comfortable man-made theological dictates pronounced by the false religious teachers which permeate the denominational landscape.

Isn’t it time to make Jesus … your MASTER? consider what Jesus said in Luke 6:46, “But why do you call me, ’Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say?” If Jesus is THE MASTER of your life, you’ll reverently listen and then, submit yourself freely to His authoritative message found only in the New Testament.

The Southside Church of Christ speaks about eternal topics like this. Why not visit us this weekend? Our Sunday service times are: Bible classes for all ages at 9 a.m., Sunday morning assembly at 10:30 a.m., an afternoon assembly at 5 p.m. and our Wednesday night Bible classes at 7 p.m.

Ken Sills preaches for the Southside Church of Christ.

Masters Tee Times And Pairings 2012: Players To Watch On Saturday

The second round of play at the 2012 Masters in Augusta took place on Friday, and there were plenty more surprises, not least of which was Fred Couples taking a share of the tournament lead in his 28th Masters appearance. As the golfers head into Saturday, Couples and Jason Dufner will be atop the leaderboard as the field narrows following Friday’s cut.

More Masters: Fred Couples In Contention

The three favorites heading into the tournament are all having different experiences thus far. Rory McIlroy had a decent first round but a much better second round and he sits just one stroke off the pace at 4-under. Phil Mickelson had a poor opening round on Thursday, and struggled at times on Friday, but has recovered enough to have a cumulative score of 2-under. Tiger Woods, after a solid start, has had a harder and harder time finding his target and will head into Saturday at 3-over.

Here are your notable tee times for Saturday. all times are Eastern.

10:45 a.m.: Charl Schwartzel, Tiger Woods1:15 p.m.: Sean O’Hair, Jonathan Byrd1:35 p.m.: Peter Hanson, Aaron Baddeley1:45 p.m.: Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson1:55 p.m.: Ben Crane, Charles Howell III2:15 p.m.: Bubba Watson, Paul Lawrie2:25 p.m.: Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy2:35 p.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood2:45 p.m.: Jason Dufner, Fred Couples

You can view the live Masters leaderboard here.

For more on the 2012 Masters, check out SB Nation’s golf page and this StoryStream.

5-at-10: Live Masters Day 2 (mailbag edition)

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Happy good Friday everyone. It’s Friday, that means mailbag — questions and answers, and if they happen to be interesting, well, don’t go getting spoiled or anything.

Let’s get to it.

From CelticVol (Side note: this was an excellent question and we broke it down in two parts, so this there.)

Is there a better week out the year than this week? we got spring football practice going on, the championship game on Monday night, baseball’s opening day on Thursday, and the Masters this weekend. Park me in front of my HDTV with a bag of Sun Chips and a big cup of coffee and I’m set. 

I’d like to know your opinion on the Braves shortstop position. On Monday, the Braves named Tyler Pastornicky the starter. are you confident that he can get the job done?   

From CelticVol again (Side note: Yes, we normally limit the questions to one per customer, but this needed its own part.)

I also have a bracket question for you. the winner of our office pool picked Kentucky to win the championship. in 5 years, If/When Kentucky has to vacate this championship, does that mean our office pool winner has to return the money?

This is such an outstanding point, especially considering my son’s sheet finished fourth here at the TFP pool. And since it was for entertainment purposes only, let’s say the top-three spots collected various amounts of entertainment.

Well, each of the three entries that finished above his sheet had Kentucky winning it all. He had Kansas winning it all.

So when they vacate, what becomes of his legitimate claim of his due entertainment? And let’s say it’s five or six years down the road, who’s going to pay the added entertainment interest on the principle entertainment?  

Someone get Kramer’s attorney Jackie Chiles on the horn, we think we may need to litigate.

How do you watch a golf tournament? having only been to one in my life (and that a small one), I’m always curious how different people handle it. Do you go and camp out on the 18th green? Or at the tee box on your favorite hole? Or do you follow a group around? Or do you just wander aimlessly, hoping to find the magic — or maybe you follow the magic and the roars? I think I would follow the first group out, maybe hang back with the second, third or fourth group if they were a group I really wanted to follow, and watch them play every hole, and then hang out at the 18 green and watch everyone come in. Then you see every player and every hole at some point during the day. That’s not what I did the day I went though. I more or less wandered aimlessly and then tried to follow the cheers. What’s the Shabazz-at-10′s strategy?

Great question. there is no wrong answer, especially here.

The answer is pretty simple: Yes. all of it.

It’s a little different when you’re trying to cover a golf tournament, especially this one and super-especially on Sunday.

When we’re at a tournament as a fan, we like to do pretty much what you described. Follow one of the first couple of groups for the first few holes. Hang back at say No. 4 and get a new group and move forward accordingly, changing groups every few holes. that said, following Tiger through a round anywhere is like feeding in a huge litter — it’s everyone for themselves and you take what scraps you can get — mixed with some serious offensive rebounding — size matters and you need position and to box out. (Following Tiger here is like trying to tag along with Springsteen as he strolls through New Jersey — get a good look early because the crowd is going to grow at each stop, and those ahead of you already have position.)

Now when this Sunday afternoon comes rolling around, most of the media folk will be in the press building — which is state-of-the-art here — because if you are on the course Sunday afternoon you are going to miss something important. Think about last year — through 63 holes Rory was the story, and if you were following along on his magical misery tour, you would have missed Charl Schwartzel making birdie on the final four holes to win.

Thanks for the question and good luck in the contest.

What was the favorite sport of the 1st Century, in the Roman empire? What with Holy Week reminding many of those days. got any ideas? (No Lions versus Tigers in the arena jokes.)

Loved this question from the comments earlier this week and wanted to give it some proper space.

Doing a little research (yes, we did a little, but don’t go get spoiled on it), we found the expected answers of Gladiators in the arena and the founding and basic events — running, throwing, jumping, etc. — of the modern-day Olympic Games.

But, we also found that the Roman masses loved chariot racing. Loved it. It was in a lot of ways NASCAR-like. there was a featured venue — Circus Maximus — that seated almost 200,000. (Don’t know if it was near a beach and spring-break destination for younger Romans like Daytona or not, but it sounds pretty boss.)

The Romans were very loyal to the teams — there were four main teams, Red, White, Blue and Green. Think Ford, Chevy, Dodge and Toyota. Not only did they want their teams to succeed, but they wanted their rivals to fail, too. (Sound familiar Johnny NASCAR Fan?)

The Roman elite was less-than-thrilled of course, but Emperor Nero loved chariot racing and even competed. And rumor has it this sky-rocketed Nero’s popularity and that he was quite an accomplished racer. His Son, Emperor Dale Nero Jr., however was just as popular even if he didn’t win a lot of races. OK, we made that last part up, but still, great question and it leads us to…

Thanks for all the contests. I like to win stuff. you mentioned some additions to the Masters contest, what’s up?

Quick question: Which happens first: Tiger winning a major or Dale Jr. winning a race?

Thanks and try not to talk so much.

scole023, That’s great advice. first, we’ll add the late entries later today. we got a little busy Thursday.

Great question. Our first thought was Tiger because he’s Tiger, but then there are only four majors a year. And Dale Jr. gets the chance almost weekly.

So if Tiger does not get it done this weekend, he’ll have to wait two months before another chance.

We’ll take Dale Jr., but we’re not super confident about it. What say you gang? (And we tried to draw that answer out as long as possible just to show scole023 he’s not the boss of us, so there.)

Programming note: Feel free to chime in and we’ll be back throughout the day with our Masters updates. plus, if our schedule allows we’ll be on with Chris Goforth at 1370 AM around 2 p.m. today and swing by SportTalk 102.3 FM around 4:15 and again at 6:15 this afternoon.

2012 Masters: TV Coverage, How To Watch Online And More

The second round of the 2012 Masters golf tournament is currently underway, and if you’re a Houston area golf fan ready to see University of Houston alum and former tournament champion Fred Couples try to climb the leaderboard. Well, you’re going to need to wait until at least 10:45 p.m. ET, because that’s when Masters.com begins its online coverage at Amen Corner.

At about that time, the early-morning tee times will have completed front-9 play and will be making the turn to the back. First-round leader, Lee Westwood (5-under par), should be done with his first four or five holes, while Couples should be thru two. Tiger Woods doesn’t tee off until 1:45 p.m., about an hour before ESPN begins its live coverage on television.

Here’s a rundown of the online coverage and when ESPN will begin its broadcast (all times Eastern): 10:45 p.m.: Amen Corner live coverage at Masters.com.11:45 p.m.: Holes no. 15 and 16 live coverage at Masters.com.12:00 p.m.: Coverage of featured groups 1 and 2 begins at Masters.com.3:00 p.m.: ESPN’s live coverage begins.

To see each golfer’s first round scores, be sure to check out SI’s leaderboard.

For more coverage on the 2012 Masters, be sure to check out SB Nation’s golf hub, as well as Waggle Room, SB Nation’s golf blog.

Soft Greens at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — the mysteries that make Augusta National hard for the uninitiated golfer to solve are less puzzling when the greens are spongy from rain, as they were in this week’s practice rounds.

“As soft as the golf course is, you can fire at a lot of the pins,” Phil Mickelson, a three-time champion, said. “The greens are soft. I don’t want to say they are slow, but it’s just not the same Augusta. It’s wet around the greens, and there’s no fear of the course. You’ve got to attack it this week. unless something changes, and I know they have SubAir and hopefully they will be able to use it, but unless they change it, it’s going to be a birdie-fest.”

SubAir is an aeration and moisture removal system. Fred Ridley, Augusta National’s chairman of the competition committee, said: “Clearly the golf course will not be as firm and fast as it would otherwise be. we are very confident that we will have comparable tournament-speed greens with our SubAir system. Admittedly we won’t have the firmness, but we think that we have looked at a setup that takes all of that into consideration, as we always do with weather considerations.”

There are 18 past champions and 15 first-time participants in this year’s field. Mickelson said that if the conditions remained the same, the veterans would not have much of an advantage over the newcomers.

“I think that if it plays like this, that there won’t be the big mistakes made by any of the young players. I think that it will be a crowded leader board,” he said.

“If there’s some firmness that comes out, and the green speeds get a little bit quicker and get a little bit firmer, I think we will see some of the young players make some mistakes that will cost them the tournament and the experienced players who position the ball properly and vary their risk/reward shot-making, I think they will have an easier time staying on top of the leader board.”

Masters 2012: Billy Payne Refuses To Discuss Augusta National’s Membership Policy

Want to know if or when Augusta National will admit women to its membership rolls? Club chair Billy Payne says it’s none of your business.

Apr 4, 2012 – As we suggested earlier in this space, Augusta National chair Billy Payne declined during a Wednesday press conference to comment about his club’s refusal to admit women members.

Citing the oft-repeated policy of the male-only golf club not to let anyone in on its behind-the-scenes machinations, Payne resisted again and again the opportunity to address the controversy that long-time Masters sponsor IBM sparked anew when it named a woman, Virginia Rometty, as its new president and chief executive.

“As has been the case, whenever that question is asked, all issues of membership are now and have been historically subject to private deliberations of the members,” Payne told reporters during his annual pre-Masters press conference. “that statement remains accurate and that remains my statement.”

Despite repeated prodding from members of the media, Payne refused to yield, providing only his seemingly spur-of-the-moment rationale for holding his ground.

“I guess two reasons: One, we don’t talk about our private deliberations,” he said. “Number two, we especially don’t talk about them when a named candidate is part of the question.”

Payne did not indicate who the “named candidate” was, but Rometty’s ascension earlier this year to the top position at IBM renewed the public debate about Augusta’s practice of banning women from membership. The issue had been relatively dormant since Martha Burk failed a decade ago to convince corporate sponsors — including IBM — to cut ties with the exclusionary club.

At the time, then-chair Hootie Johnson chose to let the event’s sponsors off the hook by broadcasting the Masters without commercials. Wednesday, reporters tried, unsuccessfully, to get Payne to provide just a glimpse into the reasoning behind Augusta’s women-need-not-apply code.

Appealing to the personal (how do you explain to your granddaughters that they can’t join your club?) and professional (girls would be more apt to play golf if they knew they could someday join Augusta) had no impact on Magnolia Lane’s guardian at the gates.

Not to worry, though, because, despite its antediluvian concepts about women, ANGC is inching its way toward the 21st century.

“we have made dramatic changes again this year,” Payne said about Augusta’s website. “It’s a delicate balance [between providing a “beautiful” online presence and being informative], and I think we are getting pretty close.”

As for any advancement toward admitting women to the inner sanctum of Butler Cabin? not so much.

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Martial Arts Vs Self-Defense: Beware of Fake Masters

Before you settle on a traditional martial arts instructor, especially if you’re looking for effective street self-defense, you need to be sure that what you will learn is combat effective and that the instructor is qualified, experienced, and skilled enough to teach. But how can you tell the difference between legitimate instructors and fake masters?

Consider the following scenario: stepping into a prospective school, you’re met by an imposing-looking guy wearing a Karate suit. a shiny satin black belt is tied around his waist, embroidered with impressive looking Japanese characters. There are certificates mounted on the wall behind him; one of them shows that Bob Smith is a 10th Dan black belt in a suitably asian-sounding martial art that you’ve never heard of; another claims that Bob Smith is the Grandmaster Founder of Smith-Ryu do Karate – and, yes, you’re talking to. Grandmaster Bob himself

Wow, you must be in the presence of a REAL master, right?

Sure, the above scenario is outlandish, but believe it or not, there are fake masters out there who are happy to teach bogus martial arts that might get you killed, and they have many ways to fool prospective victims into handing over their hard-earned money to them.

Here are a few things that you should bear in mind before you sign up for instruction with any master:

• 1) Lineage. If you’ve never heard of the martial art that the instructor claims to teach, ask about it. many fake masters invent their own styles of martial arts. these scam artists often appoint themselves grandmasters or self-award themselves high ranks. they may even hold legitimate-looking (but still fake) certificates in real martial art styles, awarded by some dubious organization that has been set up to exchange rank for money, so be sure to check out who awarded the instructor’s claimed rank/s. a legitimate martial art should have a clear lineage as a matter of historical record. At the very least, an instructor should be able to tell you a little about the history of his art and about his or her own teacher. And no, proof-less stories about being trained by unknown mystery masters won’t cut it.
• 2) Experience. There are many reasons to study a martial art; some people are interested in the history of classical martial arts, some appreciate martial arts as performance arts, some are looking for a means of overall self-improvement, and some look for real world self-defense training. If self-defense training is your priority, you need to ensure that your instructor has tested what he teaches. many fake masters know something about martial arts theory, often cobbled together from conflicting sources in books or from the internet, but know almost nothing about practical application. often, the best teachers have worked in the military, law-enforcement, or other careers that require proficiency in the use of practical self-defense techniques.
• 3) Testimony. can you talk to the instructor’s students? can you choose which of them you talk to? can you talk to them without the instructor being present? a legitimate instructor should have no problem with you talking to his students. a teacher with few students is not necessarily a bad teacher, but one who tries to prevent you getting honest feedback should probably not be trusted.
• 4) Skill. Observe a demonstration class. sometimes, when all else fails, you need to trust your eyes. all claims and proof aside, does the instructor look like he REALLY knows his stuff? can he clearly convey theory? can he accurately demonstrate techniques? can he motivate his students? Not only should you look for an instructor who is a skilled martial arts practitioner, your potential instructor should have solid communication and teaching skills, too Fake masters are often all too obviously bogus when you observe their actual work.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

But do you REALLY want to waste your money – and maybe even your life if things go wrong on the street – by studying with a fake master who cannot or will not prove his lineage, ability, or his honesty to you?