Let me address the comments made here: *Poor customer service. Parents and students are quite often confused as to the expectations of the school. Martial Arts International sends out e-mail, post signs and make verbal announcements on the floor. It is up for the parents to check them or listen when they are present during class sessions. The school office staff and instructors are also always available for questions if you have any. All you have to do is ask. *McDojo. Look it up. You will be more informed because of it. Yes, our school has multiple locations just like a growing chain of Mc Donald's! Often imitated, never duplicated! *Expensive contracts required. Not sure on what your definition is of expensive is. Compare to football, dance and other decent activities out there Martial Arts International pricing structure for me is very reasonable, Considering all the valuable things your child learns in the program besides the self-defense aspect of it. If you can't pay for the classes, yes take classes somewhere else. Just like most things in life, you get what you pay for! *The owner is a great instructor with a HUGE ego and you will never see him. (See the photos on the studio wall and you will know what I mean.) His photos are his achievements and he should be very proud of it if that was you. Would you like a photo taken with a celebrity like Chuck Norris? Bruce Lee? Anybody you look top to? And if you would have gotten one, would you try to hide it somewhere or flaunt it to everyone to see? For having such talent, credentials and an international instructor, he is a such a very humble and honest person that do not mind teaching even the per-schooler's program when he's in town and available. *Expensive equipment requirements that can only be purchased through the school.Equipments are all parts of any decent activities. have you tried football or hockey? how about the dance studios? I have looked around before on sparring equipment pricing structures and found out that after all is included with bags and everything, Martial Arts International has a very competitive pricing. And they look great and all the students look the same in uniform! *The anti-bullying program does not seem to apply to one of the main instructors who himself behaves like a bully.Confident instructors are not bullies. They are firm at times and only wants to bring out the best in any students. All the Instructors are friendly and professionals. They care about the students but never take BS from hard-headed students. And if you ever have any problems with any of them, all you have to do is talk to them and sort things out. The problem is when students do not communicate their needs to them. How can they help you, if you did not tell them that you feel like being bullied by one of them? *All of the great instructors have left the business leaving less than fully trained leadership students teaching the classes.All of the Instructors that have left the school left for good reasons such as military deployment, job promotions etc, Leadership team members are there to assist with classes and only with the main Instructors present. This is how followers become leaders of tomorrow. *Do yourself a favor and shop elsewhere for martial arts training. You will be glad that you did! I am a very proud parent at Martial Arts International and have some very children in the program. To the person that wrote this comment - Just because you are no longer part of this school does not mean you have to make such accusations and negative feedback about this "once" family of yours. Remember the things that I am sure they helped you with. All the positive things they always teach us. Please refrain from all the negative thoughts in your mind. If you no longer a member of the school, ask yourself why? Is it because of financial challenges? schedule conflict? someone said something you did not like? I'm sure if you would have come to them, they would have been able to help you. Right now, just move on, move on and let go please and do not drag anybody else with you just because you feel that way. To all the readers of this review - TRY MARTIAL ARTS INTERNATIONAL and see it for yourself! They have not been around this long for nothing. Over 23 years in business is such a long time. I have been helped by the owner several times in some occasions and made me a true believer of what he stands for. I also came from another school and believe me, my kids were there for a long time and did not learn anything positive. This is why I came to Martial Arts International and have been here (west location) since they opened. Try the school and make the decision from there, you will be glad you did! read more

After reading some negative reviews out on the web, i felt compelled to jump to not only Martial Arts International's defense, but also all its students, instructors and also my own. I have been with MAI for four years now and have not once regretted my decision. It started out as a way for me to become more active and it has turned into a lifestyle and a way of life for me. Being a husband, father of 5 kids and a business owner all at 38 years old, I figured there was nothing left to learn in this life of mine. Boy was I wrong!! Wanting to learn more martial arts, I started attending MAI. As my training progressed, I started realizing that not only was I learning techiques that were making me better physically, but most importantly, I was learning to be a better person!! To me, the latter is much more important to society today than how hard and high i can kick, jump or punch. I have devoleped great relationships with my fellow students, my instructors and even parents and spouses of students. My attitude and outlook on life and my abilities to juggle daily responsiblities have greatly improved because of the character development MAI stresses!! The added bonus of this is that Ive also become a decent martial artist. In any business, the owners will deal with unhappy customers, its a given fact. I also deal with my fair share as a business owner. We are out to support our families and to live a life we deserve. I find some of the complaints about the cost at MAI completely unfair!! Yes, the master is also a business owner out to support his family and his life, but he loves what he does and truly cares about all his students and parents and all involved with MAI. Without going into detail, I have been witness to the master inviting back students who have lost the will or vision of the "dream" without worrying about his own monetary gain, just so these students can continue their journey to becoming a blackbelt! These stories sure do not paint a picture of someone who only cares about money now does it?!?! I just recently recieved my blackbelt through MAI, and the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming, and I am more than honored to be one of Master Melegrito's Blackbelts! The school has a rock solid curricumlum in place, and the intructors are top notch! Both the bellevue location and the west omaha location have the very best instructors on staff and they are there everyday passing on the martial art tradition and skills to all the students. These instrutors demand perfection out of each and every one of us but yet do it in a manner that shows their true care for us students and they make it fun!! That is a true trait of a real instructor! As for comments about other schools blackbelts being able to "kick the hell" out of our blackbelts?? What a childish comment, and if it were not for the respect and attitude our school instills into us, I would personally accept that challenge! The true essence of martial arts is instilled in peace, respect, attitude and dedication. These are the skills that can carry someone through a successful life. And these are the traits that Martial Arts International lives by! OUr instructors and master have told us time and time again....you have to be worthy of wearing that blackbelt not only in your martial arts skills, more importantly in how you carry yourself and a person......anyone out there think they have the physical, mental and emotional skills to be one of our Blackbelts? Anyone out there want their best to be brought out? Then come give us a try and see for yourself what MAI is really about....."The best blackbelts are those who know how to walk away from a fight...." read more

*Poor customer service. Parents and students are quite often confused as to the expectations of the school. *McDojo. Look it up. You will be more informed because of it. *Expensive contracts required. *The owner is a great instructor with a HUGE ego and you will never see him. (See the photos on the studio wall and you will know what I mean.) *Expensive equipment requirements that can only be purchased through the school. *The anti-bullying program does not seem to apply to one of the main instructors who himself behaves like a bully. *Most all of the great instructors have left the business leaving less than fully trained leadership students teaching the classes. *Do yourself a favor and shop elsewhere for martial arts training. You will be glad that you did! Edited to add: I think it is extremely obvious when a business either recruits people to write positive reviews or writes positive reviews themselves to try and cover up any accurate negative reviews they receive. It looks fake, false, and misleading. I personally know dozens of current and past customers of the MAI west location who have been or are extremely dissatisfied with the customer-no-good-service they are getting (they don't tend to speak up because they don't want their children to be 'blackballed' or treated unfairly). I personally know a couple of instructors that are so dissatisfied with their experience with the management and ownership that they will never set foot inside a MAI facility again. Whether he realizes it or not, the owner does not treat his PAYING customers with the courtesy or respect that they deserve. It is a SHAME that it has taken this small set of negative reviews to open his eyes even a wee little bit. If he doesn t wake up and smell the coffee and start treating his customers like the PAYING customers they are, there won't be much business or many customers left.... and that is just the way it is. read more

I have been with Martial Arts International for over 10 years. Martial Arts has become more than just a hobby to me, it has become a way of life. The people at MAI, students and staff, have become family to me. They really care about making you feel like a part of their way of life. I have heard so many stories from students about how MAI has helped them in their lives, or helped them through financial hiccups. In today's society, people like to put so much thought into the 'cost' of martial arts, using the term "mcdojo." I have actually researched how much other activities (football, dance, hockey, etc.) would cost to get a child involved in. It's not uncommon to spend $3000-$5000 a year on something like hockey when you include enrollment fees, training gear, tournament fees, travel expenses, etc. The financial investment at Martial Arts International is a lot more affordable and 100 times more beneficial. I would much rather have my children learn how to defend themselves against a bully or an attacker than learn how to knock around a puck. I think sometimes people forget that this is also a business, as well as an art. They do have to pay the bills, rent, and the instructors, which does mean that money has to come in. That's just the truth of the matter. People tend to focus on small aspects, like having to buy equipment through the school or adjusting a belt system, instead of focusing on the long term benefit of learning self-discipline, respect, confidence, and self-defense. I have heard numerous success stories from parents about how their child was getting bullied, even beat up at school, and they were to able to defend and get away from their attacker due to what they learned at MAI! That is priceless. You cannot put a price on a child's life. It is totally worth the investment. You won't regret it! read more

I had four children at this school for about 3.5 years.My oldest was a black belt and an instructor. My next oldest got a 2nd degree black belt who got called in to help fill in for absent instructors on several occasions without compensation. Things started out great, but somewhere along the way it turned sour....about the time a new instructor was brought in from Texas. The character and integrity started dropping to the point that I wouldn't let my younger two children stay in the program even though they were a few short months away from their black belt testing opportunity. When I saw a young black belt come out of a meeting with his mother and the owner saying 'Mom, I never knew he could be so mean to you.', that was it for me, and she was not the only parent that I saw treated that way. Customer service at the time we left was barely existent and certainly no longer a positive experience. Getting communication about class requirements was difficult at best, and long term planning was a joke. (Parents do tend to like more than say, a weeks notice for special events.) For months, my 2nd degree black belt child had no instructor qualified or knowledgeable to teach his curriculum which made going to classes a complete waste of time. I really don't wish to have my child (especially for what I was paying) to try and learn from a video on a tablet computer or an iPod. My family has found a new martial arts home which has been an ABSOLUTELY more positive experience. I would NEVER recommend MAI to anyone wanting to start in martial arts. read more

Martial Arts International has been around in the Bellevue area since 1988! The one in the west school has only been opened for a maybe 3-4 years. Other schools in that area are all closed now (one was on 180th and the other on 156th street). With that in mind, this is telling you that Martial Arts International is growing strong! We are very proud of our Instructors. Our Master Instructor definitely have some of his accomplishments on the wall (pictures of celebrities like Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan etc taken with him) but who would not want to put them up if you have them? He is a very humble, caring and knowledgeable man and was actually featured recently on the Black Belt Magazine s front cover of June 2012 issue. Common now, how many Instructors out there can accomplish those things? Bottom line, for all of you out there that have not gotten your way with our school's policy, please bear in mind the best lesson I have (or you once) learned at Martial Arts International, if you are not going to say anything positive, don't say anything at all! With that being said, yes, if you are a negative person, you do not belong in this school. If you are a positive parent and care about having good role-models for your children, try Martial Arts International. Once you go there and see it for yourself, you will understand and feel the positive energy this school has and the positive affect it can have for you and your children. We're glad to be a part of this family. Martial Arts International and our Instructors are awesome! read more

It takes more then a martial arts school to be a family, but martial arts international is more then a martial arts school. I began my journey in Martial Arts as a freshman in high school but I was one of the many people who start and never make it all the way to black belt. That was until I came to Martial Arts International. Before this school I was not someone who finished anything. Not only did I get my black belt but I went on to get third degree black belt and a blackbelt in Hapkido as well as Phillipino Martial Arts. I became a blackbelt instructor and I served as Senior Instructor for a time until I moved on. I had a family and I let my training lapse. Now in the midst of a very difficult and painful divorce (as if there is another kind?) I am reconnecting and I am making my comeback. It's all because of the support of the MAI family and especially because of Master Julius. He's been there for me through all the years and he is so much more then a friend. He is my teacher and mentor and he is the heart and soul of that school. The reason it feels like a family is because he is a father figure to me and many other students. I say you should give this school a try and make your own decisions. I ,for one, would go nowhere else. This place is my family and my home. read more

This organization becomes more and more shady by the day. Be prepared to sign at least a one year contract. Testing fees are charged at least quarterly, and by the time you reach Orange belt, be prepared to shell out about $300 for sparring equipment that MUST bear the school's logo and be purchased at the school. After the first year is over (sometimes sooner), you will be encouraged (read required) to join the fabulous Black Belt club which incurs a higher tuition rate, a 3-year contract, and more equipment purchases. Their website contains misleading advertising. On the 'Our Staff' page, there are 12 names listed. Of those 12 names, SEVEN of them are NO LONGER active members, or are NO LONGER employed by Martial Arts International. This organization does not care to give good customer service. All the owner wants is YOUR MONEY--NOW. Beyond that, he could care less about the student. Take a look at the photos on the wall when you walk into the studio. All are pictures of the owner with celebrities. What does that tell you? It is all about HIM! Do yourself a favor and shop around first. read more

Martial Arts International has been nothing short of amazing! The school itself is so well structured, respected and maintained. The staff is spectacular and knows every student by name, mirroring the same respectful and courteous behavior that they ask for. They have a way of making the students feel the best they can about themselves and their abilities in and outside of martial arts.The teachers some how teach an entire class at one time yet, are able to give each student the one on one time that may be need, always building them up and encouraging them to be the best they can be. Finding this school and these role models for my daughter has been a blessing. She thrives to be better than the day before at home, at school and at MAI. I know that her attending this school has had a hand in that. After every class she tells me how much she loves the lesson and can't wait to hit her goal at becoming a black belt. I know she will get there with the help and knowledge of Master Melegrito and his brilliant staff! Thank you MAI for the impact you make everyday! read more

Martial Arts International is such a great school to be part of. They take the time to teach you each move and never make you feel silly for being behind or not doing as great as the others. Everyone is treated equally and all of the instructors and staff take the time to know you by your first name. This is such a great family to be part of and I would recommend to any women or young girl out there looking for some defensive moves to protect themselves late at night. I've learned many ways to protect myself if need be. Overall this is just a great place to learn martial arts - I've done Jujitsu and now Philippine Combative and I truly enjoy coming to class and learning something new to help me better myself mentally and physically. read more

This is a great place to come and learn martial arts. The management and staff as well as the teacher take the time out to help you learn the moves and really help you focus on perfecting your form. I know since I've started here I've learned so much and look forward in pursuing my black belt in Philippine Combative. I would recommend this to anyone looking to better themselves physically and mentally as this company and their programs help you and push you to be a better you. They have programs for all ages and they make sure everyone is treated as an equal - no matter what their skill level is. read more

There's really no way to describe an excellent karate school but Martial Arts International is truly an exceptional one for me. My goal when I enrolled was to learn practical self-defense techniques from a legitimate source. I continue to receive that and more! I really like the friendly environment but at the same time the rules are there to keep everything in order. The instructors are the best and very well qualified in what they teach. In my personal opinion, I consider this the best martial arts school in the Bellevue and Omaha Nebraska area! read more

MAI has been an incredibly positive experience for our student. The staff are not only outstanding at their craft, they are excellent teachers and take time with each student. I have watched my children mature, grow and thrive in class, at school and in our home. I know this is due, in part, to the lessons they learn each week in class. I am so glad we found this school!! Here's to many more years together!! read more

They create a positive learning environment and challenge their students to do their very best, which is sometimes greater than students think they can do. However, the instructors go above and beyond to help students achieve. The outcome is a positive self esteem and students reaching heights some never thought they would achieve! read more