We've been attending Super Kicks for about three weeks, and have been incredibly impressed with Master Alley and the other trainers. After our first visit we got a handwritten card mailed to us from Ms. Hernandez thanking us for the visit. After our son's first class, we got a handwritten card delivered from Master Alley, thanking us for having our son in. Every time we come in, Master Alley greets my son and I by name, regardless of how busy it is.
Every class has had about 20 - 25 people in it, with three instructors. Master Alley always leads the class, and two others in the leadership group will demonstrate, and walk around reviewing and making improvements to the students' form. The instructors are very hands on, and even when the class size seems large, it never seems crowded on the floor.
Every class includes all ages within the a 3 color range of belts (i.e., white to yellow, green to brown, black). People are ordered by height, so that the younger kids work with each-other, and adults work with each-other, making it easy to have people of similar skills and abilities work together. Most classes some of the parents sitting on the side are asked to hold pads for the classmates to hit. I like having the ability to interact with the class, but I know not everyone may feel the same.
Master Alley strongly encourages family values and responsibility in addition to self defence and karate form. Every month is a focus, where January was responsibility and March is nutrition and health. Our son has almost overnight begun looking at the foods he eats, and it regularly asking if it's healthy. Younger students also get a monthly chore sheet that parents fill out. At the end of the month, if the kids have done at least 7 of the chores each day, they get a star to add to their uniform. Over time they also get medals and a trophy, which our son is eagerly anticipating.
While the school is excellent, there are some areas they could improve. While the floor has space for class, there isn't enough room for the chairs where parents are waiting. There are three rows of padded folding chairs, but they are so close together it's incredibly tight to slide between, and anyone between you and an open seat will have to walk out of the row to make room. I don't know how this could be alleviated though based on the space they have available.
The sign-up and pricing process is now very simple and straightforward. This wasn't previously the case, as my original review covered, but they read the reviews and updated the pricing to be a very clear $150 or $175 per month, depending on whether you register for 3 or 6 months, and no sign-up fee. They're now one of the most affordable karate places in Ashburn that I know of, especially with their deal where, after the second person in your family registers, the rest of the family is included in that price. So, for $250 per month you can have 2 or 5 people from your family attend classes.
Our son loves coming to class, and wishes he could attend more than twice a week. He is very energetic during the class, during the basic exercises, and while practicing forms. As soon as we get home, and every day until the next class, he's excited to exercise and practice his Karate forms. While we're still in our first 3 months, I fully plan to extend our membership and stay for the next few years.
Update: The original review mentioned some issues with their pricing and "selling" process. They've completely addressed this, and let me know what the new process is. I'm very happy with the resolution. read more