2) If most of the students are black belt, or a lot have already reached black belt and left.  If there are a lot of kids that are black belts or soon to be black belts.  Good schools only have a few black belts, at the most, and rarely do kids under 16 earn one, if any.  Most good schools take an average of 5 + years to get earn a black belt. Why? Because it's supposed to show the mastery of the basic art, it's supposed to mean you are damn good and it shouldn't be that easy.   Anything under 3 years should be a red flag. A big flag.

3) You rarely spar, and when you do you use at the most, light contact.  Real schools make you spar often, and while keeping safety in mind they make sure you understand it hurts if you don't block or evade an attack.  They make sure to let you know what works and what doesn't. 

4) In sparring you have numerous rules, such as not being able to hit to the head, no contact, no hits below the belt, no tripping, no catching feet, no hitting to the back, etc.  Most Mc Dojo schools cloud up their sparring with rules (in the name of safety). They do this because if you get hurt then there is a good possibility that you will leave, and because they want your money really bad, they don't want anyone to over exert themselves or get hurt.  Real martial arts schools acknowledge safety, but you have to know if that high kick of yours is too slow and easy to catch.  Most fights involve punches to the face, so if you never spar with attacks aimed at the head you'll never be able to defend yourself from such an attack.  When they forbid the stuff that works in the street, it's a good sign that it isn't realistic.

5) Forms and one steps are the main focus of that art.  Most Mc Dojos focus on the forms way too much.  Why? Because if everyone does these impressive forms and looks good it presents the idea that it's a good school and that the students are good.

6) The school either asks you not to compete ever or sanctions its own tournaments.  The ATA is a good example because they have their own, exclusive tournaments for their members.  They don't want you to go to an open tournament because you'll get your ass kicked and wonder why.  Your school doesn't have to necessary encourage you to compete in open and local tournaments, but if they make a point of discouraging it then you should note a red flag.

7) Most Mc Dojos prefer not to have an audience, except on testings.  They prefer, and in some places even demand the parents to leave "because it makes the child work harder" or if an interested party comes into watch they simple make them participate.

8) Student instructors do most or all of the teaching, while the main instructor is either gone or walking around watching.  If your head instructor isn't willing to join in and demonstrate it should be a red flag.

9) When doing self defense techniques there is only 1 way to do it, regardless of size or age. Real martial arts acknowledge that people are different and thus sometimes require a different technique to work effectively.

10) When doing self-defense techniques it's always done slowly.  Anything can work when done slowly.  If they never let you try it for real then it probably isn't. 

11) You rarely do self defense techniques.  Most Mc Dojo schools rarely do any self-defense moves, some may require two per rank but the majority of them are stupid and ineffective.  When they do practice them they have "fancy" responses.  If it looks too fancy or too good to be true, it probably is.  If they have like 5-10 moves to do after an attack it probably won't work on the street.  Real self defense techniques to defending yourself never look pretty, and rarely consist of more than a few moves.

12.  If you've reached a high rank and have never sparred numerous opponents at once. 

13. Even if you spar with gear frequently, you are supposed to have little contact and abide to numerous rules. 

14. The school never teaches anything grappling, in fact probably bans it altogether.  Grappling and takedowns are frequent in real world fights. You have to know how to defend yourself from them.

15. Your school is huge, there's lots of students.  This may sound odd, but the better schools usually only have a handful of students.  When there are lots of students it shows the instructor is after money, probably promotes too fast, etc.  Smaller schools are better.

16. You can advance a belt in 2 months or less. That's pathetic. If you are going through belts fast then you are at a belt factory, and thus a Mc Dojo. 

17. The higher up ranks really aren't more difficult then the earlier belts. The ATA is a prime example of this.  You memorize a form and a few 1 steps, test and then advance in rank to essentially memorize a new form and 1 steps.  There is really no challenge to each new belt.  At camo belt they add in "test sparring" (no contact, no gear), and then at purple board breaking. Wow. So hard.  If grandmas and wheel chair bound people are easily doing this (and they are in the ATA) then the material isn't hard, and thus isn't worth learning.  These schools are just a different form of ballet.

18. If weapons training means you have to first join an expensive club, and then later pay for the weapons clinic, it should be a red flag.

19. The school has a nasty contract.  Some contracts are ok, and some are nasty. If they have written it up like a sleazy lawyer and makes you either pay to keep your rank if you leave for the summer or such, or is written that essentially you can't leave without paying a heavy price then it is bad.  Not all contracts are bad, but there are some out there that you should ponder why it is written.

20. Your instructor forbids you from attending another school or class.  Cross training is good, and if they forbid it or strongly discourage it then you should question why. 

21. Your instructor refuses to show his credentials for his rank and/or association members and school charter.

22. The association your school is under or is the ATA: American Taekwondo Association.  Or any of its franchise programs including, but not limited to: Karate For Kids, Tiny Tigers...etc

23. If your school brags about being the best ever, or claims to be the best school in the world.

24. If, when sparring, your primary attacks are kicks, spin kicks, or jump kicks.  Mc Dojos love to teach kicks because it looks fancy.

25. If your instructor has less than 5 years of experience in the martial arts.  The only exception to that is BJJ. All others you should demand have at least 5 years, which if I may add, is a small amount compared to what it should be.  10+ years is better.

Is it Mc Dojo material or not?