Review
My son started at SKA Steve Alleynes Karate Scool when he was about three at the oldest. At first it was cute, watching them run around. Then they moved up to the next class. After a while all my son's friends moved up to the next class. About 5 years old or so. Later the babysitter told me I needed to get him out of the class. My mom told me I needed to get him out. Finally one day when I wasn't at work I went to watch him. He was at least 5 years old and was in a class with two and three year old who couldn't stand up, were rolling on the mats. And there is my son waiting to learn. I had been asking for months-about 6 months- to move him up. The answer was always, "soon. Soon." Finally when I told him my son was so bored and didn't want to go to karate anymore I wrote an email stating that I was thinking about pulling him. Suddenly, "it was a mistake" and "we'll move him on Monday". So he's in the next class but now all his friends are in the next class. Again I had to ask, "is he not progressing? Is he not good?" (Why waste the money if he's not learning?). Meanwhile all this time Steve had been telling me how great he was. He moves up and doesn't get invited to belt test. My son is sad, thinks he's not good enough. Second belt test he's he's not invited. Email again. Is he not doing good? Oh, "it was an oversight. Of course he can belt test." I really wanted a teacher who paid attention to my son. Too many "oversights." Too many disappointments for my son. Teach him. Help him. Don't just leave him behind. The class is too big. When I could watch my son, all he did was wait for his turn. Very little help. It's all about money here. All of a sudden he needed more classes. I signed him up. No progress that I saw. Still couldn't protect himself. Still couldn't spar. Still couldn't do his katas well enough. He was being kept behind for absolutely no reason. I had been thinking for years to pull him out.
- [ ] The final straw was one night when a woman wouldn't let me out of the parking lot. Said no three times. Scared both of our kids so bad they hid behind my car. I was severely physically assaulted. Concussion so bad I had to go to the ER. Out of work for days. Got my tailbone, neck, and head slammed into the pavement. This was a karate mom. Someone bought them back on. One of the karate teachers walked over to my son and said, "Mommy will be ok", then left. Did not come out. Did not call 911. You think they care for your children? It's a family? Well please read my story carefully. I emailed Steven. He offered to take my son out of the classes she was in. Why? Is that the kind of mom you want in your karate family? One that greatly hurts and injures a fellow mom. Stevens answer? "Maybe we'll put a parking flyer up." Thanks, Steven. I'm sure that will repair my damage. I told him she could decide to arrest me and my son would go to ACS. Absolutely no response. A lot of care and concern for his students. I have to pay for ER bills. Pay for needed glasses that she stomped on twice and kicked twice. Since this school seems to not give, excuse me, but a damn about my or I, I decided to pull him. The answer would have been to take a violent, crazy woman out of the school, to help someone laying on the pavement. With all the "oversights" over my son for the years, a total contraction and uncaring response to a mom of a sutdent who is so injured she has to go to the ER and file a police report, I've pulled my son. We'll be looking for a school that teaches that violence is not ok, that we help those in need, that we pay attention and care for our students. That we wish the best for our karate families. I haven't felt that way, I haven't felt that I've been spoken to or treated to honestly. We have picked another school. One that is smaller and seems to care about the students. And I know that if anything happened to me where my son was terrified I was going to die, someone would be out instead of staying aside and starting his class. I need a class with morals. read more