On Saturday (Feb 11, 2023), I left my 6 yrs old son for parents night out at Iron Dragon Martial…read moreArt ( from 6-9pm). It was our first time leaving him there without me or his mom. When we picked him up and went home, my son informed me that one of the instructor (male-adult) was not nice to him and ask him to go back in line and lose his turn. When my son refused to do so. The instructor got angry and physically hurt my son which he pinched my son so hard from his side that made my son cry so hard and loudly. My son start screaming for help. Everybody in there heard him. The owner(Luis) told my son to go sit out for not following the rules and for refusing to listen to the instructor. My son told him the instructor hurt him but Mr. Luis said "even if the instructor hurt you, you still going to sit out for behaving this way". I cant believe they have no mercy toward a 6 yrs old child. After that my son was left alone crying at the waiting room and not allowed to join the team for a period of time. I immediately called the place and asked them to talk to Mr. luis (owner) in order to understand the situation. He was the one who answered the phone. He didn't apologized and didn't want to believe me. He said he was not there at that moment. But he told me, I can come tomorrow to review the cameras with him. He told me " We have cameras everywhere". So, I believed him and went the second day but I got informed by the same person (Luis) that all cameras were not working for that night. And because my son said that, he got terminated from this school. I feel so bad we trusted them and left our son with them. I cant believe a grown up man can do that to a child. I am extremely disappointed by the owner and his wife for removing the evidence just to cover up for the instructor which i believe he is a family member. I wish no parent has to go through this. Our children are the most important thing in our life. Please, be extra careful when you leave your children at this place or with anybody else. We can't trust nobody anymore. I do not recommend this place to anybody. They are not trust worthy.

This is a great family martial arts center. Both of our boys, 4 and 6, attend and the teachers are…read morepatient and kind but also disciplined. I would recommend Iron dragon to anyone looking to start their kids in a martial arts program. The seating is a little dated and you have to bring a water bottle to every class but it's totally worth the trouble!

very clean safe and welcoming atmosphere with high level jiu jitsu being taught. Overall great…read moretraining experience. Looking forward to returning soon. Norm

My first class was incredible! The vibe in that academy is AWESOME! Everyone is so friendly and…read morehelpful. There was no ego in that place. It was the perfect learning environment and I couldn't have asked for a better first experience! I found my new home and family after just one class and got signed up. I can't wait to go back!! I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!

I can honestly say that being a member at this martial arts academy has been truly life-changing…read more In less than 1 year I have learned challenging and effective self defense techniques which have given me a confidence and peace of mind I never knew I could have. Starting out knowing nothing about martial arts, I have obtained a great amount of martial arts knowledge in Taekwondo over the past 8 months. Being a member is a great way to increase physical strength, endurance, coordination, and to refine fighting and self defense techniques. The instructors are exceptional in their knowledge, skill, and commitment to teaching martial arts effectively.

Love this place! Mr. Groce and his staff are very committed tot he training they do. They empower…read morekids and adults to be the best that they can be. Great place, great people, great enegery.

Master Bill really takes the time to work with me. Someone who has no experience. Definitely didn't…read morefeel embarrassed like I thought I would. Made me feel comfortable.

More of a daycare than a martial arts academy. Don't expect any real martial arts competence from…read morethis place. At best this is a way to get your child active after school. NOT real martial arts, and an all around laughable program and staff. Classic American McDojo right here.

I enrolled my 7 yr old daughter here in hopes primarily to emulate my experience with a martial…read morearts at the same time of my life. I did 2 years of Judo, and that seemed to help me focus a little more on what mattered. In college, I got back into it with Shotokan style karate for 2.5 years. I do not think the style of martial arts particularly matters much when you start out. What matters is that you follow a set of principles, are able to listen, coordinate yourself amongst your peers, and perhaps get something out of the time in school. I've read all of the previous comments. I agree some of the sentiments, but I can also see counter arguments. This school isn't worth the $160/monthly tuition if you are not participating in each of the three offered classes. Attendance and participation is key. The 30 minute lesson plan is optimal for little kids - and yes, out of the 30 minutes maybe 10-15 minutes is actually focused on what is learning the forms, kicks or "martial arts" material which helps you advance. The rest is broken into formalities, drills, meditation which are also helpful in developing mindfulness, respect and wellness. As your child ranks, concentration increases, and the lesson should also increase to 1 hr long. It will become necessary to attend additional classes to continue to advance, and even private lessons if you are interested in the advanced belts beyond brown - which is at least a 5 year commitment. Unfortunately if you transfer in from another martial arts program, you do not get credit for previous rank, and must start all over, albeit, you should theoretically advance much quicker because for example blocks and knife hands are essentially the same between karate and taekwondo. The differences are subtle. Except of course if Grand Master Seo knows or acknowledges the rank from the former school. I agree with the comment that English is not a primary language so Grand Master and his wife, who own the school, aren't particularly chatty. And if you have a question, it's probably best to address it with one of his pupil-instructors - and if they do not know - they can hunt it down for you. This school is close by which was the primary reason we joined. Apparently one of the pupils made it into the Olympics, but I still do not know who. I felt that the free introductory class was good, but the private lesson showing how your child could break a thin board was a little cheesy, especially because Ms Anna, a black belt, broke a popper for a special sound effect which she tried to hide but the smell of sulphur was present, and the replay of the video showed her throwing the popper chaff on the ground, that left me feeling a bit like, oh boy this place tries to emphasize more "show". This goes back to the fundamentals of the program: are you going to learn the martial art ? Is this program going to help you in a street fight ? Sometimes, perception is the best deterrent. Is your kid going to make a stand of show ? Some may some may not. However, if you need to back it up with reality, then perhaps this school does not provide all the necessary skills immediately. In time yes, but in the immediate future no. This "showmanship" is not necessary, but certainly all about salesmanship. Despite knowing about his sales tactics, I chose to enroll my daughter. I still believe that the exposure to martial arts - the highly structured learning: forms, the kicks, respect, discipline, honoring tenants and others - maybe it will help her to understand how vulnerable we as humans are, and to help protect that some day. I agree that the contracts that you sign here require advanced notice to get out of. If you plan to leave, and want to discontinue, you must plan and communicate with Grand Master and his wife, the date of your departure, as early as possible. They can seem oppressive if you are not a planner. I think if you aren't interested in learning about Eastern philosophy / martial arts and just want self defense mitigation, there are private instructors from military or police who give those sorts of classes. This is not that.

Excellent instructing character building, diligence, dignity and respect. The Grandmaster, Thomas,…read moreis an excellent role model for the youth. Personally, I've learned and still constantly learn new perspectives and rational, logic, critical thinking on life being in his presence. Truly one of a kind human, and I hope everyone can take notes like I have from his ability to lead, and connect people together through different interests and relate to anyone.

bruce lee, christian bale (batman), robert downey jr. (iron man), jackie chan, nicholas cage,…read morecameron diaz . . . and the list goes on. you're probably wondering what those names meant. well, those are some of many celebrities who practice wingchun for those who may not know, maybe this will help.. you remember in the movie iron man, when robert downey jr.'s in his basement practicing martial arts on a wooden dummy with several arms? or what about cw's show, arrow, when oliver queen is practicing on a similar looking dummy? that's wingchun -- which is a practice of self defense using a triangle stance, while having both feet and hands face forward. before you get too impressed, I don't actually practice wingchun.. BUT the bf does. classes are twice a week; every mon & wed from 8pm to 9pm. sometimes the classes may go overtime, depending on the lesson for that evening or if the class started a tad late. the venue is actually called "marietta martial arts". the building holds several types of martial art classes. therefore, if you come in the morning or afternoon, you might see little kids practicing taekwondo or some other fighting style. you start off with nooby level and must go through training and tests before you can advance to the next level. there are NO belts in wingchun. instead, you receive little fabric badges that you can sew onto your shirt. prices range for everyone. there is a trial where you can come and watch OR you can pay to try out the class for a week, I believe? but if you do on plan on taking the class seriously, you sign a "contract" with the payment plan you believe best fits you. the longer you stay, the cheaper it is per month.

From the owner: WingChun is a very direct and practical system of self-defense with no fancy movements and…read moreemphasizes body mechanics, efficiency, and technique. Take a two week trial and meet our WingChun family.

This place is a hidden gem…read more First off all, it really is hidden. If you don't know to look for it, you'll drive right past. Once you turn into the parking lot, the gym is down a hidden stairway on the left. As a member, you have a choice to sign up for boxing, strength & conditioning, Muay Thai, kickboxing, or jiu jitsu classes. The trainers push you hard, in the best way. By and large, they move around the room keeping an eye on everyone...making form corrections and gently encouraging to push yourself further. They are accepting of members of all shapes and sizes, and seem to take in consideration the physical and strength abilities of each individual. There is a great variety of DBs, KBs, BBs, and cardio machines (much bought in the past year) to use on your own and on your own timetable, if you choose. You also have the option to take classes at any of the other five locations, for added variety. The Sandy Springs location has the added bonus of having a dry sauna for post-workout "cooldown". The truth is that I have gym at home with much of the equipment found here, but I will never be able to get the results I get by coming to this gym. Having a trainer (most have been there several years) to push you past your preconceived limits is priceless. Add to that a great group of other participants (all on various journeys of their own) to offer additional encouraging words or fist bumps. I feel that the monthly fee is pricey, but I believe it's still in line with what most other gyms of this type charge. And the fact that they have continued to purchase new equipment (small and large), shows that they are willing to continuously invest in what they have to offer. Ultimately, Team Octopus - Sandy Springs has become a home-away-from-home. I, regularly, look forward to seeing the trainers and my new friends there...and to seeing the physical and mental limits that I'm able to push (or be pushed) past. After some soul-searching, I decided recently that there was no better investment than my physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and purchased a lifetime membership. T.O. may not become as integral part of your life, but it just might. Give it a chance, it might change your life.

Great concept, very unethical business practices. I wish I could have stayed as it seems it would…read morehave been a great way to get in shape and join a community, but it's not worth it. They'll start you off with $180/month but have a clause in the contract that gives them the right to charge you $1000/month without your consent. That is ridiculous! I called to get this situation rectified and to get this clause out of the contact (that I didn't even know I was signing--they generate a signature to contracts without your consent), but the owner never responded. I guess he was hoping he'd get away with it!! Shameful!!! Also, it's ALL locations that are owned by the same guy. Not just the Sandy Springs location. AVOID THEM ALL!!!