On the telephone be forewarned of asking simple, direct, factual questions of owner/sensei Day about his dojo and school methods because you may receive as best as can be described it as short and "cold shoulder" responses without elaboration. He may well be a warmer personally face-to-face. read more

Sensei Day openly teased my child in front of all his peers after being admitted to the hospital and missing a second tournament. He won two gold medals at the tournament the month before, to give an example of what an exemplary student he is. This apparently took place because he was "not there to uphold his title of grand champion, but appeared to perfectl|y healthy" (direct quote, confirmed by the other students and staff! Direct HIPPA violation.) My son and myself both qualify under the definition of "invisible disability" (severe life long breathing problems, so they do not necessarily show outwardly on a daily basis). If your child has a chronic health condition, DO NOT SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH THE SENSEIS, simply give the most vague notice of absence possible. Not only will they not take it seriously, they will use it as ammunition to try and shame them for not being present, even with discharge paperwork forwarded to the school they coordinate with and pick up from for their after school program; confirming his admitting Doctor from Children's Hospital, primary care physician, AND school nurse all agreeing he needed to remain home for the week after release (he was hospitalized for the same symptoms not even a week and a half before this incident, to highlight the severity of his health condition).l emailed asking to speak to him after class after the incident, and he's stayed in his office with the door shut. I asked to speak to the other sensei on staff, and she told me to email him (which I've already done extensively). He has been an active member for multiple years now, and it says "health and education center" on the website and on the side of the vans! To see him disregard basic health and this standard of care was shocking to experience. On top of that, I've been trying to get tuition help from their non profit the Kata Fund for MONTHS! You attempt reaching out on the website, you get nothing. He keeps claiming he's sent emails with details, to the point where I had to send screenshots to show him what I had and had not received. They finally provided a single piece of paper in an envelope delivered indirectly by the other staff members, with no further instruction after MONTHS of attempting to work with him on the issue. My son openly admits to being actively afraid of sensei, and that he doesn't trust him to take his health condition seriously. The employees and community however are truly genuine, lovely individuals. We will not continue with our membership moving forward due to this behavior on his part. read more

My whole family goes here to learn Karate. My two daughters live this place and the teacher is very gentle and empathetic and gives many moral lessons to deal with day today life to children. She manages many kids in each class very well. Their after school program with school pickups is very successful for kids to learn karate and crafts. The Sensei creates a very safe and comfortable place for kids and adults of all ages. I've seen 70 year old women coming to learn karate in recent times. We live the class and plan to continue for many years to come. read more

If you have a special needs student, do not send them here! They are unwilling to work with you and will just cancel enrollment whenever they see fit without discussing anything with you first. I received notice via email on a Friday at 6:45PM that they were canceling his enrollment for after school care immediately. Meaning he was not welcomed back on Monday. If a child is aggressive towards others, that I could understand, but that wasn't the case. And instead of talking to me about any problems, they just kicked him out without proper notice. This left me without care for Monday and left my son heartbroken. He loved going there and had friends that he wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to. We were completely blind sighted. They claimed they could "no longer accommodate his needs". No you could have, you just didn't want to. If you want to not continue with them anymore you need to give them 30 days notice, but they can just kick you out at any time for any reason. Completely unprofessional and clearly do not care about children and families to do something like that to a child. You could at least talk to the family or give them time to find alternative care. Please find another place for your child where they will actually care about them as a person and will treat them with respect and kindness. read more

Obviously no other parents or themselves enrolled here... But my 9 yr old son has been going here for 6 months now, already been promoted to Jr. Orange- yay! I'm so proud of him. Besides baseball, this is one thing he has really enjoyed and been motivated to do. And having a great dojo and sensei really helps. I would recommend this place to anyone- kids OR adults. Even makes ME want to join if I had the $ and time! And it is also an after-school program so my son can take the bus from school and they have study/homework time, snacks, and play time before class. And really reasonable prices. You can go anywhere from 1-5 days/week, the more the better. Currently my son goes 3 days for now- hopefully more once we have the fundage. This place is really organized, well-kept, and they are very communicative with the parents as well as being involved- with competitions, day camps, and care/camps during school breaks as well as the summer. They go on field trips for day camps which is great as it keeps the kids active even when they aren't doing Karate. Highly recommended to anyone. :) read more

This has been a great place for my 5-year-old son to learn karate and with it discipline. We have been in the after-school program all year and find that Sensei Day has a great knack for knowing just how much gentle leading students need versus when stricter discipline is necessary. With our son being on the young side, we've seen this develop all school year and through it, our son's skills. Plus, they pick him up at school in a van so no transportation is necessary. Pickup in the evening is at 6:00 p.m. which is a convenient time for our family. I would certainly recommend the program for those looking to supplement after-school care during the school year. We'll be doing it again next year too! read more

My son has been going to the after school karate program for 5 years, since he was 6 years old. At first it was a struggle and negotiation to get him to go. He now loves it and wants to go more often. As a parent I love the discipline, the supportive community and the fact that he is acquiring a skill while making new friends. His confidence has grown, and he is on his way to a black belt! The dojo bus picks him up from school, gives him a snack, allows him time to do homework and I always feel secure knowing where he is. I highly recommend this program. read more

Why this doesn't have 100's of 5 star reviews is surprising. The place is bustling with a family atmosphere throughout the school year with a great community. I've got so many things to say as a parent with two kids who are enrolled along with me. I'm going to try and break it up so it's not all one blur of text, but for now let me just say this: Do not hesitate AT ALL about enrolling you or your kids. The fact that you have to EARN your karate gi by participating earnestly for one month first (compared to other places that will sell you one immediately) should tell you something. INSTRUCTOR QUALITY Sensei Day and Sensei Gutierrez are not just experienced, internationally seasoned instructors, but great human beings who have earned my respect through their actions. They're in amazing, flexible shape and could compete with anyone as an athlete. They understand everyone is at different skill levels and do a good job of adjusting each class session as needed so that students grow and learn. I agree with others here that they know how to balance gentle prodding at times with pushing to be great and everything in between. They've been doing this for a long time. Sempeis (higher belt instructors) fill in as needed and also keep learning. So even if they're not necessarily leading the class, they're there to point out details and help you get better. Even the other, younger belts are always ready to share and help you out. Good people are here and it starts at the top (sorry that Lauren didn't have a good experience; pretty clear that there are no refunds. We did the 3 month trial first before signing up for the year.) Yes, you pay for your gi if you've practiced for one month. I just weighed mine for fun: 2 lbs. DOJO Great space in Greenwood with easy access. Multiple dojo rooms but the main one with the tournament mats is awesome. Huge mirror. Ceiling is maybe 20 feet+. COMMUNITY Though my kids don't participate in after school program, we come in when it's getting out and it's lively. Vans will pick you up from your nearby school. Belt promotion nights are packed. This year there was a 'last day of school Friday night' live music party. I've seen Halloween party pictures. FAMILY PRICING I ended up enrolling because of the great family pricing. 2nd family member gets 30% off, 3rd gets 50%. If I'm going to sit there anyway watching, why not get in on it? I've lost fat and put on muscle. I can squat again (and get back up). My feet don't crack (as much) in the morning getting out of bed. Go look up the history of Washington Karate Association and how it was founded by Hanshi Thiry. I feel fortunate that we have such dedication to improving lives here. read more

Our two children, now ages 7 and 10, have been attending since the winter of 2016 in the after school program and I don't think we have enough good things to say. Every child is different, yet both of ours thrive here and learn a great deal, not just about karate but also about participating in a community. Being part of the WKA community for them, even just three afternoons a week, has been a boon to their self-confidence, discipline, and ability to persevere. It's very clear that both Sensei Day and Sensei Guiterrez (and their staff/instructors) care greatly for their students and we appreciate their feedback, encouragement, and ability to instill respect and care into our kids. Thank you so much! read more

My kids and I have have been part of this dojo for six years now. I feel so fortunate that we clicked from the very beginning. Throughout our time here, we've met some great families, learned excellent skills and have improved our confidence and fitness levels. I especially love the environment of respect and citizenship. I'd recommend this dojo to families, and also the after school program which lets you combine after care with martial arts training. read more

This place is not kid friendly, the sensei was really insensitive to my 5 year old and literally laughed at me when I asked to be refunded for the classes we are not going to use. In addition, the kids class on saturdays is taught by two young students, and while they are nice, they really don't know how to teach kids. I would not bring young children here. read more

Four my children and I have been attending to the Dojo for over 2 years. Karate started as another activity to take the kids to after school; however it has grown to be an important part of our lives. It has helped the boys to build character, respect and self-confidence. For myself, Karate has helped me to recover from a two year-old disc herniation and sciatica. From not being able to reach my toes or to seat down more than 5 minutes I could say I am fully recovered. These are just some benefits that Karate from WKA Ballard Dojo has provided to our family. WKA Ballard Dojo is an exceptional place. Sensei Day, is a fabulous instructor. He teaches Karate not only in the form of kumite or kata but also in live lessons of respect, humility, perseverance, respect, courage and friendship. He is very approachable and teaches the majority of the classes. Other black belts are also incredible and very reachable and help you every time. There is a wonderful Karate community formed around WKA Ballard Dojo, very supportive and friendly. There are people of all ages and races; young children, teens, adults, moms and dads doing Karate with their kids. Everybody is welcomed. My kids and I feel as part of a big family here. There are kids-tailored classes, basic karate, advanced karate, kata-only classes, kumite classes and tournament oriented classes. Finally, there is Kata fund, a nonprofit that born from WKA which helps families, like ours, which need financial aid to fund Karate, lessons and tournaments. Thank you Sensei Day, Sensei Guitierrez, Sensei Ran and all black belts. Ossu. read more

This is a fantastic dojo. Sensei Day and Sensei Gutierrez are outstanding in their teaching skills. My son learned karate at this dojo from age 4-10, eventually achieving the green belt rank before he decided to quit and focus on other sports. He won numerous gold medals at tournaments and ranked as one of the best in the country in kata and kumite. In addition to excellent teaching, the dojo has a warm and vibrant community of caring people who come from all walks of life. There are lots of adults in the classes as well--it's not just focused on kids. It's an exceptional group of people who have formed a special community focused on achieving excellence in karate and in life. read more