First let me congratulate you on deciding to explore the world of martial arts. You are about to embark on a journey that will take you farther then you would have expected, as it helps to improve your inner self and your outward appearance. It will teach you confidence, discipline and respect for yourself and others.
This article I will touch on "finding the right school" and "asking the right questions" when choosing a school. When you first enter a martial arts school, look around and notice the looks on the spectators faces, notice the excitement of the class and just get an overall feel for the place as you enter. It is important for whoever is taking classes to meet the instructor(s). It is also very important to find out what classes the Master Instructor teaches, If he/she does not teach every class, is he/she on the floor to manage the assistant instructors? If you have a good vibe from your first encounter, then you want to start to ask questions. How much does this cost, AND how many times per week does that price include? Do you have testing fees? Most schools will have testing fees, BUT how much are the testing fees? Are the testing fees set up where they gradually get more expensive as you progress in belts? If so, why? Testing fees at my school, up to black belt, are $25. How often will my kids test, and will they move automatically, or will they at least have to pass with the minimum requirement. Some schools will promote a student only to get the testing fee, and this same school is usually the school that has testing fees that are sky high and weren't going to tell you about that until it was time to test, and you have already signed a contract. Before you sign a contract, require the school to tell you ALL fees to be expected. DEFINATELY SHOP!