Looking for a TKD school in No Virginia

[div_0305]

First, I'm glad to have found and joined this forum.
My child, age 6, has been taking lessons at Tiger Den in Sterling, Virginia for a year. This is a large TKD school with several locations. The masters we started with were really great---kid focused and friendly. Unfortunately, one was promoted to another location, and the other left unexpectedly. The current masters are not that great with kids.

One ongoing problem for us is kids with disruptive behavior problems continue to get promoted and still being very disruptive during class. I think the class size is too large for the masters to deal with 2-4 of these kids as well. The kids may have some biological reason for their behavior, such as ADHD, but I think their behavior could be better handled by a smaller class size or one master paying close attention to them.

So the point of my post, we are looking into other schools because of the disruptive kids and the loss of the good masters. Has anyone heard good or bad about HK Lee, Sterner's TKD, or Neo Tigers? Should we stay with Tiger Den, even though it seems like a belt mill for some kids. Cost is an issue for us, and Tiger Den is by far the cheapest---I know you pay for what you get. We would pay more for a better school, of course.

 

[StudentCarl]

You are paying for a service to help with your child's growth and development. If what you are receiving doesn't match your expectations you should talk to the master there. He/she needs to hear your concerns. You will be able to gauge from his/her answers what you want to consider next. If it was me I would start visiting the other schools anyway to get a sense of the instructors and programs. Otherwise you can't really compare. Unless there's an immediate problem I would just explore the options and let the situation develop. You'll know eventually what's best for your child. Beware of changing schools too quickly or based on a first impression of another school. Likewise, if the current master is credible and articulate about positive changes, it would be unwise to leave too quickly. Act when you're sure.

Good luck and welcome.

 

[jks9199]

There are tons of TKD schools in the area. In my experience and by reputation, HK Lee's schools tend to be well run. Jhoon Rhee's schools are generally consistent, as well. Mt. Kim schools are also generally well run. How far are you willing to travel or have your children travel for training?

With all that said -- in the end, it really comes down to the individual branch. Visit them. Speak with the head instructor, and express your concerns with them. See what they have to say, and how they are willing to address the issues. In fact -- have you brought your concerns to the staff at Tiger Den?

 

[div_0305]

Thanks for the replies. We've been at Tiger Den for a year. I have raised my concerns with Tiger Den's director quite a bit. You don't have much access to the masters because they teach classes back to back w/ only 5min. break. Also, their English is limited outside of TKD instruction. I like that they all have intensive training from Korea in the art, but I don't think they get any special training on how to work with children. So the masters who were (super) naturals with children are gone, and now we have 2 masters that are not as good with kids.

I'm only able to travel within Herndon, Sterling, or Reston. The other Tiger Den location where the superstar master went to is in Herndon, but the class we'd take is impossible to get to on time due to traffic. Since it's been a year, I think my son is serious about TKD, so we want him to be somewhere where kids are better handled during class and w/ less disruptive behavior.

Another issue is Tiger Den's facility---it is not kept up well, and the past two summers they had an offensive sewer smell that could not be rectified. The restrooms are awful, but I saw the same issue w/ HK Lee's restroom. We will see how Sterner's is this week and see how it compares. I think they told me they teach "American" TKD, in comparison to TigerDen which is traditional TKD, but that it would not be difficult for my son to tweak his moves.

 

[SahBumNimRush]

Falls Church may be too far for you to travel, but S.H. Kim has a school there.

http://www.shkimtkd.com/staff.htm

I know him from the days he ran a school in the Canton, OH area.

 

[sadantkd]

Visit Jason Yi's Taekwondo college in Reston. Mr. Chris and Mr. Ben are great instructors and Master Jason's whole program is fantastic.