Our 4 year old started doing martial arts at Stillwater and we really love this center…read more He is in the 4-6 year old class. We are happy with the instructor, program, structure and flexibility with scheduling. Mr Mashburn not only focuses on Karate but he also teaches them discipline, values and good behavior. Highly recommend to parents who are looking to start martial arts for your kids. We tried other martial arts classes in the neighborhood before finding this gem. Definitely unique and better than others in the area.

Still Water is outside our range of travel, but my children trained with Mr. Mashburn at his…read moreprevious studio. He's an amazing instructor, focused on excellence in everything he does and completely committed to his students. He is exactly the kind of role model and positive influence you want in your children's lives!

My 5 yr old grandson recently attended a free class at the Cary Academy. The first class and first…read moreimpression was great, then came a trial period of 4 weeks to be certain. Now he is a full member and he is looking forward to being part of a great family. Thank you Grand Master Lee and Master Ken, you are an awesome team, and thank you for letting this Grandma be a part of your family too!

Lee's martial arts is such a great place my child loves it. we started almost a year ago and he was…read moreso quite and afraid of doing things. They have really helped him to open up and face challenges without hesitation. Thank you so much to Grand Master Lee, Master Ken and everyone else who has helped him in his journey! This place feels more like a family! We are looking forward to many more years to come!!!

My 6 y/o son takes Tae Kwon Do classes here and it's a wonderful program for young kids. Master…read moreJeong is great with the kids and teaches them discipline but does a lot of fun things with them to keep them involved and engaged. I'd highly recommend this place for active kids who need an outlet for their pent up energy.

I truly cannot say enough good things about this place. I enrolled my six year old boy in classes…read morehoping that he would gain confidence and strength. He gained that and so much more. The Masters are absolutely amazing. They are true teachers and not babysitters. They are tough yet caring. They give each individual child the attention they need. Not only do they teach the traditional Taekwondo routines, they also teach real life scenario defense moves. The price is very reasonable and the class days and times should be able to match most busy schedules. I highly recommend Dragon k for anyone, child or adult, looking to enhance their skills, increase discipline and strength, agility, and of course, self-defense.

This place will overcharge you and charge you for months that your child wasn't even there. And…read morethen they'll say that they never received an email or a call from you so that they don't have to reimburse you the money that they charged you for your child not even being there. They don't open until 4pm so for parents that work during those hours can't speak to a live person so they have a VM but they will say you never left a VM. Do not go here!!! There are plenty of other school to select from that won't do that you. I'm a single mother I can't afford for any company to take $95 for a month that my son and I where already in another state for services that my son wasn't even on the state for.

Great place to learn very important skills while having fun. The instructor is wonderful with…read moreworking with all ages. Great energy and sense of humor.

I loved it. My child has learned so much, and I always see her smiling. She says it's the best…read morething to do in a bad situation.

All 3 of my children are enrolled and we have gotten so much out of the program! Mr. Drescher is an…read moreoutstanding instructor. He is so great with the kids, he is talented beyond his craft. He makes learning fun but also takes the role of imparting martial arts skills seriously. He is very dedicated to the studio and his students and they learn so much more than martial arts moves. They reinforce respect and self discipline, the importance of keeping commitments, using your voice, and being responsible. They are incredibly inclusive and welcoming. They really build the kids up by helping develop belief in their own abilities. Every instructor is really great in their own ways (especially ms. Shah and Ms. Oie) and we couldn't be happier with our experience. We plan to continue to participate for a long time. I'm grateful to NK South Elgin and we feel like valued members of their team. What we've gained has been priceless. I highly recommend this studio! It's the best!

This a review for the Morton Grove location…read more Our 4 year old son had an absolute fantastic time with sensei Patel in the 4-7 year old beginner class. He looked forward to each class, and was always eager to tell us what he did in class. Sensei Patel did a fantastic job of balancing the class for all ages, not sidelining anyone, and instilling an eagerness in the students to learn more. Occasionally sensei Patel had to reign in, and redirect the energy a bit, however in a class geared towards rambunctious younger learners that is to be expected. For the following session we had him progress to a beginner/continuer 4-7 year old class. We wanted to keep him at the same or somewhat higher level of expectation as in sensei Patel's class. He was by far the youngest student in the class, and the older students were obviously much further down the road with their karate skills. The class ended up catering more towards the older students (6 and 7 year olds). What is needed to engage and motivate a 4-5 year old and a 6-7 year old student is quite different. Also, there are limits to what can be reasonably expected from a 4 year old student. With that said, the instructor was very skilled in martial arts, and for older students I can see him being suitable.

Our boys have been training with ISKC since they were four years old. Almost 6 years later and one…read moreof them with a Sho Dan, we are still going strong! This place is more than a karate dojo to us, it is our extended family. We are very thankful that we found ISKC through our park district. From the excellent programs (for both young and old), to the top notch Senseis, nothing is short of the best. This organization is teaching my boys not only great karate (both competition and real life application), but also teaches them to be healthy, disciplined and confident about themselves. All these skills are directly helping them succeed in their school life as well and making them into well rounded individuals. My boys have also made great friends through this club that they will keep for a very long while! If you are looking for a karate club, par excellence, ISKC is definitely Chicagoland's top karate club! Highly recommended!

I started training here a year ago after moving to the Chicago area from out of state. I was in the…read moreprocess of training for my black belt, which I was going to test for with my previous club. After losing a few months practice due to the move, Master Nakane got me back up to the level I needed to be for my black belt in a few short months. After earning my black belt, I continued to study with Master Nakane, and I'm glad I did. My class is small and is all adults, which has allowed me to learn a LOT in a short amount of time. (Although I think there is a children's class before the adult class.) The atmosphere of the class is a nice mixture of traditional martial arts formality and fun. Besides the class in Downers Grove, Master Nakane teaches a biweekly class in Evanston as well as a class at Northwestern. If you've ever thought about studying Tae Kwon Do, this is the place!

Amazing instructors! We have been going here for over a year. Now that we moved farther away, we…read moredrive past two other academies just to go here since the instructors are so good with kids.

It is a great honor to train under the guidance and patience (and occasional good-natured laughter)…read moreof Grandmaster Tae, the Masters and Assistant Masters at W Kim Tae Kwon Do in Lake Zurich, the Black Belts with whom we train, and my fellow students. I did not join W Kim TKD in LZ as a member in search of "a workout", though through my first eight weeks of training I've certainly discovered and felt muscles I did not know I had. To train with any instructor at W Kim TKD LZ is to feel at some point being truly "pushed", in ways I'd imagine nearly anyone seeking "a workout" would desire. I write this even having trained for and completed five marathons. I am new in my journey toward studying any martial art, currently a High White Belt in Tae Kwon Do. New as I am, even in my upper-40's, and for as much as I stumble along the way, I have no desire to stop training. I chose to pursue study of Tae Kwon Do out of the desire to inspire my 8 year-old son to finish what he started in his own training. About a year ago, when, as a Green Belt in his training, my son grew resistant to the increasing challenges presented to him, I chose to commit to my son that I would personally join him in his training en route to earning a Black Belt.. once he had advanced past Green Belt himself. True to the spirit of this school, my son persevered, and eventually earned his Purple Belt in a Belt Promotion that put his skills and training to the test. And so began our journey together. It is through the spirit of focus, concentration, and tenacity dwelling at the heart of all that happens in every lesson within the school at W Kim TKD Lake Zurich that my son and I have each found a unique but potent way to connect with each other, in participating individually in an experience that undeniably moves each of us beyond our perceived limits. We train in separate rooms, but we know the other is working hard, each in our own pursuit of becoming a better person. The mutual feeling of success after each lesson for each of us is undeniable, and makes for some very enjoyable conversation and celebration together on the ride home.. and for many hours to follow. More importantly, though, the shared experiences we have together at this school have deepened our mutual connection as father and son. These are truly priceless memories that are being formed. If all that I just wrote here still leaves anyone unconvinced, you can freely get a sense of what to expect at W Kim TKD in Lake Zurich simply by looking through the windows of its main training studio, toward its southernmost walls. Take in the Student Creed, the Tenets and Oaths of Taekwondo, and the Children Home Rules. Then, decide for yourself whether what you see written there would be of value to you and/or your children. I know that for me, and for what is plainly viewable as a true, vibrant community amongst the students and teachers, what I saw on that wall was worth pursuing. As both a father and as a midage adult working to improve upon my own internal resolve, I do not regret doing so. I am certain many other students would say the same. - Steve

I have been a student of the Kims at their Palatine locations for about 25 years. My wife and two…read morekids also went for a while. Although I admit, I have not gone for a while. On a shopping trip to Trader Joe's in Lake Zurich, I had forgotten they opened a second location in the same strip mall. So, at around noon on a Saturday, I dropped in. Hoping to run into Master Tae Hyung Kim, I learned he had already left for the day. But, I met the lead instructor and observed for a while. I remember when they had one location in downtown Palatine that was great, but very "lived in". This new location is really nice. It's well lit, the gym is large, the instructors have microphones they wear so they can easily be heard. And, since many of their students are kids, they have a great seating area where parents can watch the classes. I'm really sorry that I missed Tae, but I did leave my number for him. For a couple of years I've said I would go back again. I need to get back in shape. One day, I will be back.