JK Martial Arts & Learning Center

I started my son off with the trial class of 4 weeks which I paid for and I was told that we could try it out and decide to join the class. 3 weeks in to the class we were already billed for the next month with full price of $154. I didn’t know this until I happened to check my credit card statement 2 weeks after and at that point we had already discontinued. Apparently, they had the credit card number written down and we were being billed automatically. I called to inquire about it and master Kim answered the phone and refused to refund the money even I asked nicely and explained it. He said I should have given him a month notice but he’s the one who signed my son up and told us to “try and decide”. Never told me about automated billing before. Anyways, I’ve just filed a dispute with my credit card company. With regards to the class, it’s very disorganized. On the first day, my son didn’t even know what to do as no one approached to teach him, he was put along with other students with various ranks and he was just following what others were doing. There’s no proper way to track the progress or anything. No communication at all with student or parent and that’s why we decided to discontinue after the trial period. I thought Taekwondo also teaches about discipline and honesty but there’s no honesty in the way this business is being run. 😕

A Taekwondo facility isn't just a place to learn kicking skills and forms only. Kids can learn much more than that, something like self-confidence, self-esteem, how to respect other people and instructors and so on. JK martial art is a very good place for kids to practice and enjoy Taekwondo skills in a very friendly manner and learn beyond that. In addition, JK martial art is the Taekwondo facility certified by Kukkiwon (also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters), which is the official taekwondo governing organization established by the South Korean government. I'd like to thank Master Kim and all the other instructors for teaching my son for a very long time. He keeps all his belts and certificates very proudly.

I am a parent of a student at JK Taekwondo, and am replying to the review by Todd R., who appears to have visited the school once and formed an incorrect impression of it. I feel that calling the school a belt factory is a huge insult to my child's efforts and the efforts of the other students in the school. My son has been attending 4 classes a week for the last year and a half and has worked very hard to achieve each of his belts. JK Taekwondo is no belt factory, as I have seen numerous students NOT get their belts because they did not perform up to standards. There is a rigorous scoring system used at each belt test and there are usually 3 judges present, all black belts, who score the students. Yes, there are very young kids who have red/black belts, but some of them start in a special program at the age of 3. Mozart also started that young and was composing well-regarded music by the age of 5. I'm not saying that a red/black belt student is some kind of child prodigy, but especially if the program is specifically geared for children, it is possible for students to progress to higher levels by the age of 7 through hard work. As with any child-centered activity, sometimes there will be disorganization, but this is not the norm at JK Taekwondo. Master Kim was trained in Taekwondo in S. Korea and adheres to those standards for behavior. In fact, my child had to learn very quickly how to stay still, focus, pay attention, and show respect to his master because that discipline was demanded from day one. As for Master Kim taking weekends off, he actually spends a number of hours each Saturday volunteering his skills and knowledge in a Christian Taekwondo program for autistic children, which has been shown through research to have a very positive impact. So Master Kim is not "taking weekends off," in fact the opposite. He is donating his time to others who need his talents, and does not try to capitalize on his efforts. Todd R. also didn't bother to get the facts correct on the fees charged. I pay $109 a month for 2 regular classes, 1 black belt club class, and 1 special class per week. I did pay $99 one-time for black belt club equipment, which is Olympic sparring gear (helmet, torso protector, forearm and shin guards, teeth guard, athletic cup, and duffle bag). That's just what the equipment costs. Black belt club is completely optional and many students are not in it and are not pressured to be. As for the size of the facility, I don't know what is "standard," but I have taken martial arts at two other facilities before, and JK Taekwondo is the same size as the other two facilities. The last point I want to make is that I have seen such tremendous positive changes in my child from the time at JK Taekwondo, and Master Kim and his wife have become like family to us. They care SO much about their students and their families. They even helped us with a behavior problem my child was having by meeting with us on their own time. I had to write this review because I could not stand to see the business of such caring people reviewed negatively by someone who doesn't have the facts straight. It's unfortunate that someone who visited the school one time can post such an erroneous, ill-informed and negative review for everyone to see. I hope my factual review will help others seeking a great martial arts academy make an informed decision.