What exactly are the traits of a legitimate Dojang, dojo etc?

Good personality

Advancement optional

People can - and do - fail their tests

Instructor is well-rounded in body of knowledge - including other styles, sports treatment, personal training, etc

Instructor is approachable - means you can ask questions

Does not pressure with sales-tactics

Students are friendly and helpful to each other

Respect is two ways

Is subject competent

Of course - not possessing the negative qualities also helps: like no long-term contracts; no kiddie black belts; no flashy uniform; no trophies all over the place; doesn't trash-talk other schools, styles, or ex-students and ex-instructors.

Having all of these qualities is a holy grail - even the best places may fall short on a few - or even many - of these qualities. It is up to you to decide what's important to you.

The bottom line is if you feel you are getting ripped off or pressured to join, then the place is no good. Maybe there is something to be said for being blissfully unaware, and you may end up with a poor instructor. In time, you'll figure it out and can move once you know how to critique. I have seen a few (good) places lose students, just because of personality. And I've seen good students thrive in textbook McDojangs. These are the exceptions, not the rule. But it can happen. Just always question what you are taught (privately and politely!!) and if you continually don't get a satisfactory answer, you are not training with a good instructor.

This is the best advice I can offer to someone who isn't qualified to know. It's the same rule of thumb you use when looking for a doctor: Since you are not a doctor, and you don't know how to tell, then the next best you can do is use common sense.

- Standards.

More often than not schools classified as McDojos have painfully low standards in both grading and teaching.

- Respect.

Unless a student had a damn good reason for not showing proper respect to someone they were not welcome in the training hall. That includes other styles.

- Honesty.

Every style, school and student has strengths and weaknesses, I personally find it hard to take someone seriously when they can't admit their own weaknesses, or worse attempt to prevent their students from trying to strengthen those weaknesses in another school.

- BRUISES!!!

If your classmates aren't gracing you with them on a regular basis it's time to find some classmates who can.

1. They hold your attention and loyalty with quality of instruction, respect, and safety. That's why contracts are a bad sign, it's like they don't believe their students would stick around willingly.

2. They have objective standards for promotion. Without this, you have to worry that they are desperately pandering to students to keep them involved.

3. They include as a strong element of their training the use of their techniques in actual self-defense. That should be the standard by which techniques are judged. Sport and competitions are imperfect reflections of actual fighting.