I understand contracts. But you can only take one ...

I understand contracts. But you can only take one class before deciding if a year long contract is worth it. And after the first class, of course it is.

The instructors teach the same thing every week.

The staff/instructors do not look at you or say hi when you walk in. They must expect the customer to say hi first.

If you're a girl and you go to a morning level 1 class and not one of the crowded classes, expect to be by yourself working with guys who will definitely treat you like a girl.

Everything feels fake, except for the striking portion of the class. For example, let's loosely choke someone and act like the grab and throw with our arms is really going to get our attacker's/rapist's/murderer's hands from around our neck. You may put up a fight for a couple of minutes maybe, but that's it.

Good luck. Try a real martial art like jiu jitsu or muay thai at a gym where it feels like family and the instructors care more than just their paychecks.