Only if you can predict the future. lets start out with pricing, Basic membership, $115 per month…read moreper child $70 per yr per child to stay as a member. learnt that its $60 to cancel early which wasnt on the pricing guide up front you learn that later after you join. you have to pay whether your attend class or not. Other dojo offer $5-$10 per class. $45 per testing per child for a 15 min test which is verbal test and also wasnt stated on the pricing guide up front ( title at the top of the paper says Basic Pricing Options 2024)and the answers dont have to be completely correct ( and owner continuously states the belts dont matter) a $10 belt and a piece of paper of completion again which is $45 per child. so lets say that your child gets 3 belts in 3 months that $135 for 3 belts per child. On the back of the paper it states family plan pricing for 2 immediate family members, i had 2 siblings and the family plan rates werent honored for my family. So each time your child want to earn a new belt color ($10 belt Amazon price) and a piece of paper its $45. Now remember you are in a yr long contract no matter what. So if you out of the blue had no control out of your hands situation a family health emergency and needed the last penny to save your childs life youre still in that contract. Or if your house burnt down that you would have never predicted that would ever happen they will still want that early cancellation fee or if you had a unforeseen financial crisis this company wants their cancellation fee if you had to cancel early. What if you lose your job and never would have in a million years think that would have happened, guess what you still owe for a cancellation fee if you cancel early. Or if youre sick you still have to pay for a class you didn't attend. Lets face it in today's economy you never know what will happen. So a membership isnt always going to be the best option especially if it doesn't offer anything exra that will benefit you. so in the end if you cancel early before your yr is up it will cost you around $300 to get out of the membership for 2 kids. I wanted to be supportive of a veterans business, dont just take that in consideration. This dojo has no reason to require a membership fee, he has maybe 3 pieces of equipment. A full body punching bag. A maybe 6'x8' tumble map and a looks like a tumble gymnastics triangle. There are no showers a very small bathroom. No sanua for after the lessson. The facility is small compared to other dojos. There is nothing extra to benefit you to need a membership. Lets say you go to the YMCA for a membership, thibk about this all the equipment they have to offer. They have a pool, they have showers, they have actual changing rooms for both genders. A membership fee should offer you extra benefits bc your paying extra besides the monthly payment. Heck if you have a membership at Barnes & Noble's they send you coupons. There are other dojos that dont require you to have a membership or a cancellation fee or even a testing fee that wont nickel and dime you to death. other dojos you can pay by class and are more affordable in the long run and you never have to stress or worry about that early cancellation fee. lets face it in todays economy you cant predict what will happen. heck you cant even predict what will happen tomorrow. this isnt the only dojo out there that has yrs of experience dont let anyone manipulate you in telling you there isnt. please make sure you explore all options before making a decision on this dojo. remember do whats best for you and your family. Just wanting to look out for other families. Wish you all the best of luck families. 2 Samurai Institute LLC (Owner) 5 months ago We are deeply saddened by this. One of our staff will contact you next week to discuss this matter and see if we can meet your expectations. We would love the opportunity to make you feel differently, but you failed to give your real name so we don't know who your are. Says much about you, MH. As for you accusation's, allow me to clarify for you. First, your pricing of our programs is incorrect from the monthly fee to the membership fee. Your exaggeration of this is just wrong. Testing in my....I had to cut it off due to space. This is the type of response you get from this man and this "business". He literally attacked this man's character because he had initials listed instead of a full name. Why would you list a full name because Pete is petty. What this reviewer said is true. I had the same experience with him. Pete closed his dojo for 3-4 months and then wanted to start charging me again when he reopened and blamed me for not coming to his school when he started back. Like I was supposed to wait for him to reopen and not go anywhere else. When I asked for my money back I was told if I didn't stop asking he was going to hire a lawyer and get his entire canceling fee plus any lawyer fees. Totally unprofessional and not worth your time.

SCAM ARTIST! He wanted to charge us for a whole month that we didn't attend and cancelled the month…read morebefore. Wanted to bully us and tell us he would take us to court if we didn't pay. HORRIBLE BUSINESS OWNER!

It's a great place for those who think they can achieve their better self. Expand their bodies and…read moreminds into something they would other believe impossible. The instructors are patient and understanding to your needs. You give your best then you accomplish what only a few dream of becoming, being the best.

MVCK is an excellent Dojo for the entire family. My wife,myself and my four kids attend class here…read more Master Armstrong is a very talented teacher and wonderful with kids. He instucts his students in a fun, respectful manner that teaches them to discipline there body and mind while learning useful self defense techniques as well as competitive sport karate instruction. There is also a great core of Black Belts that assist during class making sure the students are always getting one on one attention during class. Whether you're a beginner looking for a great teacher or an experienced martial artist looking for a new dojo to train at Mountain View Karate Centers is the place to come.

We love Hickory Academy of Martial Arts! The instructors are great. They hold the kids to a high…read morestandard. They have a great family plan where all your kids can join, no matter how many kids you have. The building is very clean and I was told they mop every night, which is good when you have a bunch of people running around with bare feet! My kids have been enjoying the classes a lot and are excited to go every week. The one improvement I would like to see would be holding people to an even higher standard for earning their belts. There are some people there who have a black belt who don't seem ready to be a black belt. I know it would probably upset people if they failed their belt tests multiple times, but to me, a black belt isn't a black belt if some of the people who have it are not very skilled. However, I do wonder if some of the black belts there may have earned their belts at a different (not as good) dojo and then transfered here. I could see that being a possibility. All in all, love them!

This martial arts school is very disorganized! There are way too many children in a class to even…read morelearn any karate skills. My child went for a short time and we decided it wasn't a good fit. They throw your child in a group of advanced students. The ages range from 6 and 17 years old. I don't think a child should be training with teenagers. My child had no clue what they were doing and didn't know the rules and what things meant. The bald instructor seems to me to be a little hot headed. He got really upset when someone's little children walked on the dojo mat with shoes on. I think if you want the parents to watch their children practice, then you better have an area where those with little children can be entertained or place a wall up where they can't get onto the mats. This Martial Arts Academy is a joke! No structure whatsoever! I wouldn't pay them a dime to ever go back! Plus, if you like hearing moms talk about God knows what and other talking loudly on the phone, then this might be your place! Don't waste your money driving to this place. Do your research if you don't know a thing yourself about karate. They don't care if your child is a beginner. All they care about is the money they will bring in and it's not worth it. Oversized class full of students equals not learning a thing!

I go here it is a fun place Mr Winkler makes things so much easier I love this place please come.read more

the management of the YMCA downtown Hickory is alarmingly poor at organization, communication,…read moreconsistency and customer relations. The 'new' gym is hideous. in contacting the management,, the person couldn't have cared less, she was condescending, flippant, she didn't listen to what I was saying and she was dismissive. it was clear her missive was to get me off the phone. The staff is put in a terrible spot. they aren't being communicated with from management. people are wandering around lost in the facility because of the lack or non existence of staffing. Rooms aren't available when you talk to one person but another person says they can unlock it. they are RUINING the experience of going to the gym. They are of course charging full price for a lot less than 100% availability of what we had prior. She uses the phrase ''sorry you feel this way" clearly its NOT a feeling, its cognitive thought, something they do Not understand at the Hickory Foundation YMCA. id be embarrassed to tell anyone I was management at this place. No-one cares, its apathy to the Nth degree and it starts At The Very Top who refuse to interact with membership because well, they just do not want to hear it.

I must admit... I've been pleasantly surprised by this YMCA. I've been to other Y's (Atlanta,…read moreCharlotte, Greensboro) and Hickory can hold its own. There are so many activities and different programs to help anyone get into/stay in shape without getting bored. There are no joining fees or contracts, just monthly dues. Very affordable, around $40 a month for a single person and $65 for a whole family. There is both an indoor and outdoor pool where they offer water aerobic classes, private lessons, and lifeguard training. A wide range of group exercise classes are offered such as Zumba, Martial Arts, Step, Spin, and Yoga to name a few. Swati is an amazing Yoga instructor; highly recommend her Yoga Reflection class. The gym is pretty standard with free weights, machines, treadmills, etc. Personal trainers are available for those who want one-on-one motivation and coaching. Also, can't forget about the basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer fields and the new climbing tower! I have only been up the tower once...on the easiest side... with 8 year olds zooming up the wall beside me ...but still it was inspiring to make it to the top! Summertime is super busy with campers all over the place but the camp counselors do a good job of keeping them in check. Last but not least, the staff is sooooo friendly and helpful! Especially Thelma, who greets nearly every member by name and goes out of her way to help the elderly members.