Master Kim's Tiger Tae Kwon Do was simply the best program for our 5-year-old. We took advantage of…read morethe introductory period, but our son simply refused to participate, viewing from the sidelines. Master Kim and his staff patiently offered words of encouragement without rushing him. Other parents told us not to give up because their children were reluctant at first as well. Parents from surrounding towns drive their children past ordinary Tae Kwon Do classes to Master Kim's amazing class for valid reasons. He blends respect, culture, discipline, confidence and fun perfectly. Before and after class, Master Kim slowly practiced punching and kicking with our son. We had faith in Master Kim, so we signed up for the entire year. Soon after, our son decided to participate in the full class and has looked forward to it. We have seen our son learn new moves with the help of Master Kim's entire staff. We like that our son learns from Master Kim and respectfully follows others, too. Our son went from being shy and timid to confident in announcing himself, counting out numbers and replying to Master Kim's questions. Our son progressed faster in Master Kim's class than in the classroom. The look on our son's face as he earned his first belt was priceless. Master Kim brings out the best in our child and all children because he has perfected his craft, he embodies the ideals of Tae Kwon Do in his life, he cares so much for each child, and he relentlessly makes each one better each day. Master Kim commands their respect because he teaches them to respect one another and themselves.

I have been going to Master Kim's Tiger Tae Kwon Do for over a year. I really like the instructors…read moreand enjoy the class and all the stuff they do. I also really enjoy doing breaking and form.

After trying out Sifu Bender's 2 weeks for $20 deal, I decided to enroll for his classes. The…read moreschool itself is bright and has a large open floor. Being open for over three decades, I was confident that this was not a fly by night place, and was something I could look forward to participating in for a long time. The classes have been 12-15 students at a time, with sufficient instructors (as well as Sifu Al himself) to focus on practicioners of varying levels for a more personal level of training.

I've trained in several martial arts and under several instructors, but with Sifu Al Bender I have…read morestayed around the longest and have learned and achieved the most. The top reasons to choose Al Bender's Academy for instruction in traditional martial arts would be, mainly: (1) authentic and effective instruction in any or all of four styles of Chinese martial arts, Northern Shaolin, Taiji (Yang Family Style), Xingyi, and Bagua, with emphasis on the first two; (2) instruction is conducted in English language, so you won't need to be fluent in Mandarin Chinese to learn; (3) his personable, humorous style (watch out for some killer puns, haha!) helps keep a low student turnaround, a camaraderie with and among his students, and a high number of his students who have been inspired to work long and hard enough to earn black-sash promotions; (4) his teaching strategy offers a balance of both form and proper technique and application for practical self defense. Disclaimer: I've trained under Sifu Al for 13 years, during which I attained 2nd degree black sash. My experience as his student inspired me to write the following lyrical adaptation of Paul Simon's You Can Call Me Al: You're walking down the street You're feeling soft in the middle now Why are you soft in the middle Keeping fitness in your life is so hard You need a Shaolin opportunity You want a shot at full split Don't want to end up on a carton In the trunk of a stolen car Phone Sifu, phone Sifu! (Hmm! Hmm!) Scared in the moonlight Far away (Hmm! Hmm!) waits your well-lit door Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly (Hmm! Hmm!) You want these thugs to leave you be You know (Hmm! Hmm!) you can't do without self-protection anymore You won't need no bodyguard For self defense, I'll show you how I will get you ready Just come on in or call me Call me Sifu Al You're walking down the street You wonder why am I short of endurance Got a short little span of endurance And why do my walks feel so long Where's my life's meaning What if I die here? You need a game plan So far your game plan is None, none (Hmm! Hmm!) It's dark there down the alley. You want (Hmm! Hmm!) strategy, better balance, sir. All alone, alone, (Hmm! Hmm!) There'll be incidents and violence, There'll be (Hmm! Hmm!) hits and allegations.... You won't need no bodyguard For self defense, I'll show you how I will get you ready Just come on in or call me Call me Sifu Al! Call me Sifu Al. (Instrumental) You're walking through the door You've entered a new world Maybe it's an odd world Maybe it's your first time around You're learning the language You're learning the currency You're in a foreign land Yet surrounded by support (Hmm!) Support (Hmm!) Fellows in a training place Starting (hmm! Hmm!) with twenty methods You look around, around (hmm! hmm!) You see yin-and-yangs in the décor Spinning in infinity (hmm! hmm!) You say Amen! And Hallelujah! You won't need no bodyguard For self defense, I'll show you how I will get you ready Just come on in or call me Call me Sifu Al! Call me .... Na na na! Na na na! Na na na! Na na na! Na na na! Na na-na-na na! Na na na! Na na na! (Hmm! Hmm!) (Hmm! Hmm!) (You won't need no bodyguard) (oooh-woooh-woooh-woooh!) (I will get you ready) (oooh-woooh-woooh-woooh!) (You won't need no bodyguard) (oooh-woooh-woooh-woooh!) (I will get you ready) (oooh-woooh-woooh-woooh!)

great instructor to learn self-defense; Great customer service as well :))…read more It's also Very close the train station

First off, I'll say that this is a fantastic school in terms of the quality of teachers and…read moreinstruction. Deep knowledge of the craft and great classes. This review has to do with the administration of the school, which I have had an absolutely horrendous experience with, so much so that I feel the need to write a review to make other people aware of the way they have dealt with me - which is borderline immoral. At the start of this year I postponed my year long martial arts training (billed monthly) by 3 months because I was going to be out of the country. I got a written confirmation email from the school stating that they could honor this request and would not charge me while I was away. A couple weeks before I came back to New York, I had a seizure while still traveling, which also caused a shoulder dislocation while I was unconscious. Needless to say, I cannot practice martial arts for the foreseeable future. I requested to cancel the remainder of my one year training contract for medical reasons. NYMAA said they would not be able to do this without a medical note from a doctor. This is despite them telling me when I signed up initially that the year long training could be cancelled at any time - this is predatory business practice #1 - locking you into getting charged every month for a year, while telling you you can cancel anytime but not planning to honor that. I sent them a letter from my Doctor, clearly saying that after being evaluated I should not be participating in martial arts and should have my remaining months cancelled (they charge $207/month for JKD training). Not only did they refuse to acknowledge the letter because it was missing an official letterhead (something they neglected to mention they needed when first asking for the letter), but they also began asking me for proof of my travel, all of a sudden investigating the past, despite having agreed via email before I left to postpone my payments while I was away. I sent them a new letter with the requested letterhead from my doctor, as well as my travel itinerary, and then they went radio silent, despite repeated follow ups. In that time, I noticed that not only was I charged for the month of May, but there were also three attempted charges for the three months I had been away, trying to be retroactively billed to my card. Absolutely INSANE. I called, and upon speaking to someone in person it was clear that she didn't know that this had happened and was generally unaware of the new charges, but she did say that they still wouldn't accept my new letter, without giving a clear reason why. At this point this feels like a SCAM. I have provided everything asked, and they keep coming up with bullshit reasons why they can't cancel my membership, AND are trying to retroactively charge me for months that they agreed IN WRITING not to charge me for. No one can clearly or cohesively explain to me why any of this is happening. It's a shame that such a great school of martial arts is being run like so unscrupulously. At this point I've gotten my credit card company involved, but the whole situation been a nightmare. Forget about the lack of basic decency on display; treating someone who has medical proof of a seizure like an investigation subject. Sign up for a membership with these guys at your own risk. All I can say is be 100% sure you plan on using your membership and won't need to alter or cancel it for any reason because this company has demonstrated that they have no moral issue with charging your card on file however they see fit. Absolutely pathetic business practices.

Bill Stevens Karate is an excellent place for kids and adults to learn martial arts. My daughter…read moreand son have been coming here for quite some time. I also attend BJJ classes here. This family/community-oriented place teaches martial arts while reinforcing life lessons (ex., confidence, positive attitude, humility, etc.). There are many reasons why my wife and I chose this place. We chose this place primarily because Master Bill Stevens and his staff are great. They keep kids continuously engaged throughout each lesson. Another big plus is that his schedule is flexible, and he offers a wide variety of class times, which makes it easier for my wife and me to schedule lessons, given our busy schedules. Aside from this, I like the location, the app, and the place is clean. He periodically hosts Game Night on Friday, allowing my wife and me to grab dinner without the kids. Lastly, Bill is easy to work with and talk to if something unexpected arises. I recommend you check it out.

Bill the owner and Sensei is an amazing teacher and human being! He is very honest with his…read moreteaching and works with everyone on a personal level. If I could give more than 5 starts, I would. By far, the best Karate school in the area.

Cannot say enough positive things about Tiger Schulmann's! My 3 year old LOVES her class. She…read moredefinitely needed to learn some discipline and patience, and I'm happy to say that we see great improvement in her behavior after only a few weeks. The coaches are fantastic, approachable and kind. The facility is clean and I love the fact that it's near Panera haha.

It's an ok gym. Good workout and good trainers, but a little too expensive.read more

Amazing class! The instructors were so patient and encouraging. This was my first intro but…read moreeveryone made sure I didn't feel intimidated. Julie worked with me a lot and she was incredible! She is a true teacher in every sense- present, patient, observant and encouraging. I walked away already wanting to do another class! I can't recommend this place enough- whether you want to switch up your workout or truly learn and master the craft.

My now 10 and 8 year old children have been coming here for 3 years. We tried other schools, but…read moreNorth Sky is unique because they offered weapons training (staff, sword) from day 1. Teachers are very friendly and teach through encouragement rather than strict discipline.

My son has been a student since January. I have seen him blossom in skill and confidence. Both…read moreinstructors are intentional about creating a loving community among the kids and in response, the kids in the school genuinely cheer each other on toward achieving personal excellence. In addition to strong taekwondo instruction, I have been impressed by how the instructors nurture each child and spur them on to work hard and do their very best. This has been a completely positive experience for our family and I look forward to continuing on for a very long time.

We've had children attending Prime for over four years and through all those classes, we've always…read morehad a positive and uplifting experience. The instructors all truly care for each child and tailor their approach to what the child needs whether that's emotional or technique. I cannot say enough positive things about Prime and highly recommend it to any parent!

What a great school with an awesome staff. They teach patience and discipline in a really fun way…read moreand our 3 year old loves it. There is a ton of physical activity and he leaves the class with a huge smile every time excited for the next time.