My experience with Beyond Karate, particularly with its owner, Malica, has been nothing short of…read moredisappointing and concerning. Initially, my son attended her very first Summer camps in 2023, which seemed promising with qualified staff and a safe environment. However, things took a turn when Malica attempted to charge me and other parents extra fees, despite the camp being fully funded by the Regional Center. This unethical behavior was not isolated, as multiple parents reported similar experiences to the Regional Center. She attempted to charge me an additional $700 on top of the $1000 a week she had received from the Regional Center who had already fully funded the camp. Many of us reported her to the Regional Center and she's under investigation for this and other misconduct.
Despite my reservations after that Summer, I enrolled my son in her karate school, hoping for a better experience. He had made a few friends in camp that had continued on in her karate class and he was excited to foster these new friendships. Despite my better judgement, I let him continue, spurred by knowing how difficult it is for our kids to make friendships. However, I was disheartened by the exorbitant pricing structure, charging $150 for just one weekly group class--far more than what "typical" karate schools charges for multiple sessions a week. Moreover, her over emphasis on charging for belt testing over genuine skill development left much to be desired, suggesting a profit-driven agenda rather than a sincere commitment to students' growth. As special needs parents, we are accustomed to these inflated, sub-par services as par for the course, which still doesn't make it fair.
Her subsequent 2024 Summer camp was held in questionable public spaces, lacked sufficient staff, and featured disorganized activities. Opting for public parks instead of a secure indoor space raised safety concerns, compounded by her failure to secure necessary permits, leading to chaotic situations and unnecessary drama. Some of her park choices were questionable, many overrun with drug and homeless activities, leaving me feeling more than a little uneasy. Additionally, her last-minute request for parents to sign an additional waiver, relinquishing all her liability, further reflected her unprofessionalism and disregard for parental trust. Although all the parents had previously signed a waiver when we initially enrolled our kids in the camp, Mallica randomly emailed out an additional last-minute waiver, just a few hours before camp started one day, requiring parents to sign away their rights, giving up all her responsibility of injury to our child, should something happen to them in her care. This was suspicious at best, and as you can see from a previous review, Malica, along with her understaffed camp counselors, lost a child at the beach, who was found by the police shirtless and without identification before Malica ever realized he was missing.
The tipping point came when Malica continued to charge my son for karate classes despite my explicit ample pre-notification that we would be out of town due to a family emergency--my young sister's tragic hospice care. Malica's callous response, refusing to pause his membership during such a trying time, epitomized her lack of empathy and prioritization of financial gain.
In addition to these grievances, I've observed numerous other red flags in Malica's conduct, too many to list here, indicating a profit-centric approach that compromises the well-being of the children under her care. Don't be fooled. While she may project a facade of enthusiasm and sincerity, my personal experience, along with those of many others, suggests otherwise. As a parent, and special needs advocate, I feel compelled to warn others about Malica and Beyond Karate, urging them to exercise caution and consider alternative options.
