US Taekwondo Center - Monument

My Family and I started taking Tae Kwondo classes about months ago at US Tae Kwondo Center It has been incredible and fun!! Normally they do not accept students under 4, but they made an exception for our son who was He has made so much progress in just a few months He loves Tae Kwondo and all the staff and instructors
I have lost pounds and have had a great time doing it I am more fit than I have been in years, I feel great, and those are just side benefits
It has been a great family activity and I would recommend that parents participate with their children because it is amazing how close it brings you together and its an awesome feeling watching your kids progress and grow within the program
*** *** and his staff are positive role models and work to help their students build confidence, a sense of accomplishment, respect, self discipline and community
We are also learning self defense in our classes on how to keep our family safe in all situatio

Be forewarned*** US Taekwondo Center in Monument is little more than a belt factory designed to maximize the dollars extracted from each student, regardless of the student's progress in their various programsAs another reviewer stated, and I'm sure many parents and their children have experienced, *** has trained his staff in the ways of deplorable sales tacticsThe most egregious of which is the "Black Belt Club" pitch, where parents are pressured to sign a ridiculously onerous and unnecessary contract in the presence of their childrenIn essence, you either sign a year $6,000+ commitment, or your child is made to feel like you don't believe in themIt puts parents and their children in an awful position and is a disgraceful sales tacticAnd once you've signed the contract, the high-pressure sales tactics for donations and purchases beyond the $/ month commitment are never endingYour child will be constantly made to feel as though they aren't committed to *** and the Center if they don't pay upIn short, *** and his staff have figured out how to turn the otherwise noble values of respect and subservience, rightfully integrated into most martial arts programs, into a psychological money making toolAnd as a parent of a student in attending the Center, all I kept asking myself was, "Why?" Why does *** employ these dubious sales tactics when there are so many reputable martial arts businesses that don'tWhy does he need to extract so much money from each student? Why the need for so much profit? Again, be forewarnedDo your homeworkAsk questionsAnd whatever you do, don't let *** and his staff bully you in front of your kids

My experience is profoundly different from the complainant'sMy family has been studying Taekwondo at US Taekwondo Center in Monument under Master *** for several months, and I can't say enough about how wonderful it is and the positive changes it has made for us
I am and use Taekwondo to fight off Lupus problems - my core is stronger, circulation is improved, and stamina is greatly increasedMy 20yo and 16yo both have experienced a phenomenal rise in self esteem and life assurance, which is due mostly to the incredible atmosphere of participating in this dojangMuch respect is required of each student, but the beauty is that an equal, if not greater, amount of respect is returned to us by Master *** and each of the seniors we encounterIt is incredibly validating
Each student gets attention from the Master as well as from other instructors and mentorsFor several months we also had the very nice experience of instruction from a world-renowned visiting Korean master
This is not a belt factoryOf course, it is a business, and this is not a cheap sportLike any other sport that offers competition opportunities in addition to daily training (e.g., swimming and gymnastics), there are times when entry fees crop up if you are going to participate in those eventsI do not know what additional purchases and donations the complainant refers to, unless he means the invitation to provide lunches for the visiting masterThere are more than enough people wanting to do such things so that those who do not wish to don't need to
But I am very happy with the return for the cost of the black belt clubYou get a high quality of instruction, a great number of "classes" offered weekly for many different levels, and the open use of the dojang for personal practice and help of any staff or instructors who are around outside of class time, days/wk from at least 10am to or 9pm, and even on some holidaysI frequently take advantage of this
The complainant asks why Master *** charges more than other places and that there are a lot of schools to choose fromThe answer is easy for me to see: I have found only schools to choose from in Monument (I do not want to drive down into Colorado Springs on a daily basis)The other three places are quite nice for what they aim to offer, I am sure, but I prefer Taekwondo over Karate, and the other Taekwondo schools offer only a total of or classes per week for you with a greatly reduced choice of adult-only, children-only, or all-age classesAlso, they have no open dojo policy for personal practice all day long that I know ofMaster ***'s dojang further offers a networking of other high-quality masters and locations that you can attend down in the Springs - convenient for those who work there, I'm sureYou get a lot of bang for your buck
And rather than only maximizing the dollar, each additional family member receives an increasing discount if they joinYou can choose to join on an open-ended monthly plan, or if you have the ability and desire to commit to a program plan (which is what the complainant referred to), you can take advantage of a substantial discount, which guarantees your accomplishment of that plan's level regardless of how many years you take to get there
If you are a dedicated student who practices a lot and who contributes to the dojang in ways such as helping track times at black belt physical fitness tests and participating in shiday (getting the facilities spot-cleaned for belt test day), etc., you can find yourself invited to step into the next level program much earlier than expectedThe money you had paid into that first program is rolled into the following level for youSo, hard workers will save even more money over time if they want to continue advancing in Taekwondo studies
These practices are not those of a belt factory or money-squeezer
Also, I don't know much about it, but I know that there is a consideration for people who truly cannot afford the ratesSo if financial hardship is the issue, be honest about finding out if you can qualify for that considerationIf it is a matter of difficulty in choosing how to spend the money you have, that's an entirely personal decision
The three of us in our family who started together have had such a good time at the dojang, which has a very strong feeling of family and belonging, much like that in a nice church congregation, that my husband and 22yo have also recently joinedI have always been impressed with the ability of the masters and staff to relate with students of all ages (to 86), and am particularly impressed with their dedication to and interactions with young children
If you are looking for a place to learn a martial art, to instill the concept of deep respect for every person around you, to reinforce a strong work ethic in the sport, at home, and at school (for children), than you could not find a better atmosphere to train under than the one at USTC, Monument, which is led by a Master who is extremely dedicated to his dojang, the students, and the outer community
I am not an employee of US Taekwondo Center (which the complainant incorrectly called "USA Taekwondo")I am only an appreciative consumer of its offerings and hate to see a terrific dojang spoken of unfairly(Although I do not have young children to evenly compare sales tactics to his experience.)