My daughter have been here for couple of years now. She's loving it. Staff is nice and she's definitely gaining confidence and takwondo skills. read more

Kids been going here for so many years already. Both got black belts now. Kids enjoyed them so much and feel so proud of their progress.

chois martial arts is way to overpriced and isn't the best, Most of the staff always seem to focus on one student instead of the rest of the class and ignore others. And it costs $50 just to upgrade belts excuse me? We already pay enough for the fees and now we have to pay more?! The ecosystem also isn't that healthy as there's holes in the walls and leaks everywhere. Staff yells at kids, and one time a staff kicked a kid just because they said something! Not to mention Grandmaster Choi hires only boys to be staff on the mat while he hires only girls to be staff on the office?! Personally I think that's sexist because I've never seen any women teachers which shows that only the women can work in office and only the boys can work in mat? That's just messed up. read more

Choi's Martial Arts is a well organized business that I have and always will be pleased with. I started about 2 years ago and I am currently a striped red belt. Every level gets more and more challenging, whether it's the kicks, forms, one-step sparring, or self defense (I will explain what these are, however, I think they are self-explanatory). The more you focus during classes, the faster you will get to a higher belt level (if you go online, each belt level has expectations). There are two locations (Union City and Fremont) that can suit you if you live around this area. The Masters are highly trained and they teach the students very well. Like I said in my last review, they grade you in a fair way (i.e., if you have shown that you have done the moves successfully and with proper concentration, they would give you a tip). A tip is like a piece of tape that would go on your belt confirming that you have passed and are ready to move on. There are six types of tips: one-step sparring, self-defense, form, half form, pre-test tip (for double striped red belts only), and the push-up tip. One-step sparring is a combination of moves that requires stance, balance, and coordination. You would use one-step sparring when someone is attacking you with a punch (more moves are done after every belt level). One-step sparring is the orange tip. :) Self-defense is a combination of moves that requires focus, strength, and stance. Self-defense is mainly used when someone is grabbing you on the shoulder, elbow, wrist, etc. Self-defense is the green tip (my fav color) :D Form is the hardest and most challenging tip to give (they will mostly give you this tip last). Form is a combination of moves that requires a lot of focus, balance, stance, and sharpness. Form is always used when there are multiple attacks against you. For example, one way to defend a kick is to do a low block and then punch. Form is the blue tip. =] Half form is fairly self-explanatory. They would give you this tip when the Masters know that you know half of your form. This tip is only given to white belts :). Half form is the black tip. The push-up tip is given when all of the other tips have been given (green, orange, and blue for yellow-striped red belts; green, orange, black, and blue for white belts). You must do more push-ups in every belt level. Push-ups is the red tip. The pre-test tip is given for double striped red belts only (go to www.choisma.com for more info on this tip, since I am not at this belt level yet; I will write an update once I have received this belt). The pre-test tip is the white tip. They do have a special group called the Demo Team. They hold auditions once or twice yearly. Demo Team is more challenging than the regular classes, therefore, you must take the time and effort to practice, since this is an extra class. Just like I have stated in my last review, I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who would like to be a black belt. X) read more

Choi's Martial Arts - Martial Arts Near Me - Union City, California

I agree with Oscar about Eric's review sounding a lot like a sales pitch but in all honesty this place does not stink. My daughter is enrolled here and she currently holds a yellow belt. I can see that some kids move to the next level a little before they are ready but I believe it's mainly because the Master feels that they lack Maybe 5 or 10 % of the skills required an they can easily pick that up in the next level, this place only holds one belt test per month and if the kid does not need a whole month of training why not just let them advance and catch up in the next class. :) In my opinion this place does not teach hardcore martial arts but thy teach more than just martial arts, they teach discipline, dedication, self confidence and respect and I for one I'm very glad my daughter is here and she's learned tons and her confidence is at an all time high, she loves getting the tips. Oh yeah the black belts look pretty cool to me. :) read more

Choi's Martial Arts - Martial Arts Near Me - Union City, California

The expierence was fun and made my son into a hard worker and he practiced a lot at home

My son, has been coming here for 2 1/2 years.. he loves, coming here.. plus everyone is really, friendly.. read more

Choi's Martial Arts - Belt test. Everyone did a great job - Martial Arts Near Me - Union City, California

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Ok, I have read other yelper's review(those is a few years back). My friend's daughter went to this Union City Choi's martial arts since Feb, 2016. She refer my daughter(mine is 13 years old ). So my kid (TT) try out the private lesson with Kevin (one instruction), he is very nice. And then TT also try out one wednesday night, real class with Grandmaster(I think). That Wednesday night class is for all belts, some are black , some are red. My kid (TT) is just start learning. Grandmaster teach very good, and class has 8 students. And separate students in to different level and teach them. Instructor also help my kid, since she is "new". Never done before. (compare to other advanced students). I stay and watch, Grandmaster instructor is good. My kid also attend the weekend morning class, which has 11 students, more junior white belt. So it is a good balance to attend from 2 different type of instructors' classes. So far so good. Will see after a few month, how much my kid(TT) advance to which belt color. Will update this yelp review at that time. Oh, one thing, that yearly commitment(payment ) is actually scary for me also. I don't like that. But I do make my commitment for one year. read more

I generally do not like writing bad reviews but I have do write this for the benefit of Others .My son has been with Master Choi's for almost 4 years and he has finally reached Red Belt. As I am writing this review, we have FINALLY decided to quit Master Choi's. We find that this place is all about money making. They make you enter into long term contracts and basically suck every penny out of you. ( I feel like an idiot having wasted 4 years of my son's time and my time taking him to Teakwando classes and not exposing him to any other sports). They do an excellent marketing job by doing demo's at schools, offering free uniforms but DO NOT fall for these. If you complain, Master Choi will pick your child and embarrass him/her in front of other kids/ parents and this is NOT good your child. As you are reading, please take do not make your judgment based on my own review, please take time and read other reviews posted on Yahoo/ Other Internet sites I am hoping you will NOT make the mistake that I made read more

The skinny - great school if you have the money. Master Pak is a wonderful teacher! My kids are in 2 different classes and I can see the progression between the classes. His rhythm is excellent. The kids don't have a moment to be distracted or bored but he doesn't go too fast either. They have ample examples of new moves and lost of opportunities to practice. He ends the class with a little Q&A and ties their values to what happens at home. I've been a public school teacher/trainer/administrator for 20 years and I know good teaching when I see it. He's really good! The studio is immaculate. I have not seen a speck of dust on their wood floors or a drip in the bathroom. I'm a stickler for this kind of thing because it really shows their discipline - which is one of the main reasons we took our kids there. The staff is friendly and knowledgable - no complaints. The only downside is that it's very expensive. We signed up through Union City Rec Dept and thought that we finally found a martial arts school we could afford, but it turns out that it is only an introductory class and we will have to pay regular tuition after the 11 weeks are up. Regular tuition is almost twice as much as other Tae Kwon Do schools in the area. If we had the money, I would keep sending my kids there. read more

Hi everyone, I just want to give a review from the perspective of a student and share my experience. It seems like there aren't any reviews in this manner so this may be nice for parents to see that trying to decide where to enroll their kids. I was a student back in 1999-2001. Back then I was only 11 years old. But looking back I still remember everything that I was taught! It was a wonderful experience and very friendly. I made lots of friends with other students and master Choi. If I could I'd return and finish getting my black belt. Before attending I was receiving terrible grades and was not very discipline in school. I improved a great deal! I have master Choi to thank. While here I joined the demo team and competed 2 years in a row in the junior Olympics and got bronze each time. I had a lot of room for growth and opportunity to develop leadership qualities. I believe that as far as competitions go with Choi's the training is there but it really depends on the students drive to win. I can see now that this is an expensive school and probably has exponentially increased in price. But as a student I do not regret any of it and I know my parents did not either. I improved in many areas that otherwise may have been underdeveloped. If I could I would enroll my kids here. **It should be noted that there are other Tae Kwan Do schools out there that are more affordable.** However, when I left Choi's due to a move I looked into other schools but I decided that nothing was even close to Choi's. So I took Kung Fu instead lol. **So to take away from this: -Your kids will love it and learn valuable skills that they will carry with them forever including self defense! It's Pricey! But worth it especially if master Choi is the one teaching so maybe find his classes. Customer service I hear is an issue but again if you deal with Master Choi or his wife you should be fine. read more

My son loves going to his tae kwando class. Master Park is very good with kids and have alot of patience with them. He always wear a smile on his face. The place is always neat and doesn't smell. The downside is that it is very expensive compare to other center. And also the manager Kevin doesn't have good customer service. He doesn't smile, will not welcome you when you come in. Overall, this place is great for kids to learn. I hope later on they can have a reasonable price. read more

Hello Parents, I would like to share my story so you do not get trap like me!!! I signed up for my two child to his center around 1.5 years back. They said it takes 3 years for your child to reach up to black belt. everything is all set. Kids started going to class. At one point , one of my son started saying he is not finding any interest because they are repeating same stuff over and over again because other child in the group need to practice more. When I emailed master, they replied saying yes they can work with my child but after than no reply on any further followup like how and when... NO RESPONSE from their center. Even if you talk to them in person every time they will come with some excuse!! Grand Master is busy and they will easily buy time 1 week to 10 days to get back to you. ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT: Dent on your Credit Report: Do you know that when you enroll your child, this appears on your credit report as you have taken loan from CHOI and you are paying that in equal installment for 3 Years !!! Yes this is what I came to know when I applied for house loan and to my surprise these guys are not even responding to my emails. When things went out of control, I got email saying please read paragraph so and so of contract and based on it you can not cancel contract. You have to bring your child this is the way we do BUSINESS. I am still fighting with these guys to pull out my child. Will keep you guys posted. read more

My son has been going here for 3 years now. I love how Master Choi and his teachers are really great with the kids. I don't need my son to become a Olympic medalist or anything. But I like the discipline and the focus that they in still in my son. I highly recommend this place and I will send my second son there as well. It's worth it. I can't wait for my sons become black belts. read more

We are glad we chose this martial arts place. Ayanna in the front desk is always courteous and friendly who is easy to approach, grand master Choi's professionalism shines thru when he is able to accommodate us when situation came up. It was very humbling experience that made us realize grand master Choi is "pro" at what he does and we want to recognize him for that. Many Activities and annual competitions boosts my boy's self confidence. Choi's martial arts shows positive energy for our young kids to be come a great individual who will become an assets to our community in the future. My boys will do the same thanks to this positive, priceless experiences they enjoy each class. Thank you. read more

I went here as a student, my experiences was pretty good, all the masters were funny, nice, and always helpful. I learned how to defend myself, I recommend kids go there, actually worth it. It takes about 3 years to be a black belt, sadly I quit bc I had other things to do. I hope this review makes up your mind! read more

I wish I could give a negative star! Like a lot or reviews this place is all about the money. BOOOOO! to the rip off contract. My son like many others felt like he was just being herded to the finish with no real interest in him or issues he was having in class around him. Other places do not make you pay for belt tests and dont require contracts. Stay clear of this money pit. read more

My kids are enrolled for a year, but we signed for a 1-year contract with automatic payment. They have a billing company who handles the payment. It is a money-making business, cannot pull out kids before contract expires. Pulled them out for last month, informed them but received letter from billing company. Master Choi does not respond to emails or to phone calls, so impersonal. After they get our money, was left in the dark, even the office manager is not helpful. The instructors of my kids are also his students who volunteer to teach. Not a nice experience for us. Look for another school, not worth the time and money. read more

After reading everyone's reviews, I am amazed at how differently people experiences are. I honestly love Choi's Martial Arts. My 2 sons have been enrolled there for over a year & love it. They are currently advanced green belts & the joy they get for advancing to the higher levels is well worth the price I pay every month for them. Their confidence is high, they are making a lot of new friends. They are very well disciplined, getting exercise at least 4 days a week & not sitting in front of a tv playing video games all night. The cost is pretty high but when we signed up to be parents, no one said it would be cheap. But the staff & Master Choi are realistic & will work with people if they can't pay for a month or so. It's all confidential & professional. We practice a lot at home & they get better every month. They understand that if they do not get better they won't advance & won't have the joy of moving up with their peers. I'm 35 years old & never accomplished anything as child their age. That will go along way to building their confidence as teens & adults. The only reason I won't give it a perfect score is because Master Choi is needed so much that he can't be there every day. My kids are admittedly way more focused when they know Master Choi is in the building because they love to hear him say they are doing a great job & love it even more to get the Star of The Day. The best part of Choi's to me is the family atmosphere. I notice that the kids who do the best are the kids whose parents take this as seriously as the students. This isn't a day care center. I see so many parents drop their kids off & get upset that their child is falling behind. I also see a lot of parents playing on their phones (Yes I have been guilty of that as well) or playing on Ipads or reading books & don't notice their child acting silly & not keeping focus. Then get upset that their child isn't learning or is doing the moves correctly. The teachers at Choi's are very personable. We've become pretty close with a lot of them & they will even offer to stay after they are off to go over some moves 1 on 1 with the children. I love everything about Choi's Martial arts for my 2 kids & look forward to seeing my sons get their black belts in the next 2 years. I think if people are having bad experiences they are missing the point. I've heard that most martial arts establishments frown upon teaching kids under the age of 7. I love that Master Choi decided not to follow that trend & works well with the kids. He learns the kids names & speaks to all of the parents. I had my own issues & concerns at first but once I spoke to Master Choi & the staff I understood that it was as important for me as a parent to be involved as it was for them to properly teach my kids. Master Choi & his staff are great with the kids they are patient & understand that some kids are going to perform differently than others. So while some kids move faster than others, by the time they get to the higher levels it all balances out. I looked into other kids & no other school that I've seen so far teach the kids so much & also allow the kids to have fun like Master Choi does. I recommend at least checking it out for yourself & understand that you as a parent should really get involved more if you want your children to take it seriously & progress. I am proud of my 7 year old & 5 year old's progress over the last 18 months at Choi's Martial arts. read more

The school is okay. But please don't sign your teenager up for long-term commitment to get a discounted price to save yourself some money. Believe me it cost me more in the end. I signed my teenager up for 2 year contract and after 8 months my son just realized he doesn't like doing Tae Keon Do anymore. Then I was stuck with the bill of paying more than $200 per month for the next year and a half. You cannot cancel this unless you move far away because this is what your signed up for. read more

First let me preface this review with some background information. I have taken various types of martial arts as a kid, and decided to get back into Tae Kwon Do as an adult. I had to start all over again from a white belt, but that was fine with me since i had forgotten the forms i learned as a kid. with that said, i enjoyed my one year at Choi's. I had to move back to LA before i could get to black belt, but i was able to get to blue belt in that time. Just like any school, YOUR RESULTS ARE DEPENDANT ON YOUR INPUT. I was a dedicated student that showed up 4 to 5 times a week. In just 2 months, i dropped over 20lbs, suffered less from my sleep apnea, and had to get a smaller motorcycle helmet. compared to the school i transferred to in LA, Choi's atmosphere and curriculum is much better. If you sign up for the Black Belt program at Choi's you can go as many times as you want during the week (provided there is a class time for your age). Some other schools only let you show up 2 to 3 times a week. The curriculum is broken up into 3 parts: Forms, Self Defense, One Step Sparring. Each week the school focuses on one of these 3 parts. Self Defense is learning by repetition so that the moves become muscle memory and you don't have to think too hard and you can react in the instant you need to use it. When learning the Forms, you learn the movements first, then you can focus on the tiny details. Of course, as an adult, these tiny details can be picked up by the Masters and you will need to correct any tiny mistakes before you can test. At the other school I attended, the curriculum is everything every day. There's no time and not enough repetition to commit it to memory. The office staff are excellent and friendly, and the Masters are knowledgeable and funny. The overall atmosphere of the adult/teen class is very relaxed yet focused. It's easy to make friends with everyone there. The only thing bad is that the school is a little on the expensive side, which is why i have to give it four stars. read more

Just a money-making business. Ridiculous payment system. Only student instructors teach the class, the quality of their class is not as good as other programs we have been to. Totally overpriced. Some of my friends are also unsatisfied with this place and will stop going there after their one year contract. read more

Like Leanne, I wish I can give this place a negative star. Don't be fooled by other reviewers who give this place a lot of stars. That's because they either work here or have some sort of incentives. I'm trying to convince my kids that it's okay to leave this place and go somewhere else to get their blackbelt even though they're so close. I'm so freakin tired of this money pit. They have absolutely no values and regards for service. All they care about is collecting and herding in more herds. So don't be fooled. Save your money and go somewhere else where they actually teach your children something. Oh I forgot the class size...try 23 kids to 1 non English instructor. The other day, it was around 80 kids to 1. Go figure! You email the school and what do you get?...SILENCE!!! Like a fugitive hiding for his life. read more

We have left multiple messages to be called back as we wanted to enroll our child into the program. We went to their Union City location twice and no one was at the desk. There was a clip board asking for contact information to be called back. We provided the information but never got a call back. read more

I have a cousin who tried Choi's Martial Arts and she loved it! My cousin is a bit small for her age and generally has a shy personality but after a few classes here, I definitely saw the difference in her. She seemed more easy going with her peers and among adults, she developed a higher self esteem and had a new confidence in her. I would recommend Choi's because I saw the difference in my cousin and you could feel the energy and excitement of all the students who cmme to class and are ready to learn new skills that they can carry and develop! Besides the majority of the students being children and teenagers, there is also a course for adults! I tried the program for about 2 months and I really loved it! It was definitely a work out and I did feel the difference. Unfortunately, my family and I moved towards the Marin area so we're unable to continue the program. But still, they're pretty awesome! read more

I read the other reviews, and many are not current... so let me up date you. When my daughter first started at Choi's, Master Park was there... All I can say is that he was EXCELLENT!!! Since then I have not seen real consistency. One reviewer said their experience with Kevin was unfriendly... I find that difficult to believe... Choi's customer service is Excellent... Ayana is at the front desk and she is awesome. Master Choi is a dear heart. My daughter before attending Choi's was very quiet, timid and seriously overweight (her pediatrician was very concerned). Her grades were broader line failing... in March it will be her 2nd Year at Choi's... Her grades are now A's & B's, her confidence in every area is absolutely AMAZING, and she is maintaining a good and healthy weight so much that her pediatrician uses her as an example to motivate other children suffering from childhood obesity. Everything I wanted for her as I stated on her initial application. In short, I am pleased. I also should mention she's happy and enjoys attending class.... However... I gave 3 Stars because of teaching inconsistencies. Since Master Park's departure, there are students teaching students... that's fine, but for the tuition plus other fees paid vs. the quality of instruction right now ... I'm just not satisfied. As much as it saddens me to write this less than pleasing review, I honestly hope with my whole heart that it motivates Choi's Martial Arts to RECLAIM the EXCELLENCE they once modeled. read more

My daughter has been taking traditional taekwondo from Choi's Martial Arts in Fremont since the summer of 2009. Before she enrolled in this school, she was a pure academian, focused only on studying, computer research, and science experiments. She was shy and quiet with a distaste for sports since she lacked energy. After attending classes for a little over a year, my daughter now has full confidence in class presentations and can break boards easily with both her hands and feet. They also have classes that teach leadership skills which will greatly benefit any child who want to be successful in life. The instructors in both Fremont and Union City are true professionals and role models for our children. This school is also highly recommended by my sister who is both a senior Yahoo writer and a 3rd-degree black belt from UC-Berkeley's Martial Arts Program who currently contributed to the TV series on the history of martial arts. I also want to thank the instructors and staff for their commitment to helping the Fremont Unified School District, Children's Hospital Oakland, and other local charities with their outstanding fundraising efforts. read more

Great investment!. We just decided to sign our daughter for black bell program last month because she has learned so much from this quality Mater and school & more importantly is she likes Tae Kwan Do. Greeat investment if you investment as early as possible because young kids learn fast. However, it of course depends on the kid & parents support. One of the main things is to bring the kid to school on time & parent is present to observe. read more

My son has been going here for 6 months now and I think its ok. They do tend to overcrowd their classes at times. The student-to-teacher ratio isn't always great, with the result that they don't pay attention to what the kids are doing. That said, some of the Masters here are very talented and do a great job. My son loves it...so we're gonna continue going for now :) read more

If I have reviewed this before the administrative changes, I would have given this a 4-star for customer service, and a 5-star for instruction. Since the changes happened, there has been no email communication with parents re events, holidays, and what not. I am a very busy parent - I go in and out of the dojang, and I appreciated the practice in the past when parents are informed via email about upcoming events, holidays, and belt tests. I've seen numerous instances when I'm one of the parents who bring their kids to the dojang only to find out it's closed for the holidays. The place though has improved a lot with regards to less clutter in the lobby, other than that, customer service has gone waaaay down. I was waiting for it to prop back up after months under new admin, but to my disappointment. I am not sure I want to continue with my kid's enrollment here. I absolutely have grown fond of the grand master, and it will be sad to leave. read more

If your aspiration is to compete in the sports of Taekwondo, I can tell you first hand that this is the wrong place for you. however, if you are just one of the many parents in this place that feels good whenever your kid breaks a board by barely touching it, this is the place for you. read more

This business is definitely over priced and unprofessional in their way of handling their customers. My husband and son have black belts and the years spent in LA at the studio with them do not compare to what we saw and heard about from others here at Choi's. We went and toured both locations, Fremont and U.C. The Fremont location was friendly and helpful. The manager, though a white belt student and new to Martial Arts herself, answered all our questions and was extremely helpful and professional. In Union City we met the owner, Master Choi and he was abrupt and rude to my husband. We know 3 families whose children attend classes in Union City and they have had nothing but discontent and are waiting for their contract to end so that they can go elsewhere. When an owner refuses to return a call or email when a client is unhappy, yet encourages you to lock in to a $6000 + contract, it makes you wonder. There are many good and professional Martial Arts schools in the area....this is NOT one of them! read more