TaeKwonDo America is a national organization with member schools across the United States. All the schools adhere to the same principles, standards, and procedures which guide the way the schools teach, promote students in rank, and project their image and reputation within the community.  Click HERE for more information.
 

It depends on the child. Many five-year-olds demonstrate the maturity to pay attention during a 35-minute class and follow instructions well. On the other hand, some kids who are much older behave in such a way that shows they do not have the same maturity. It has less to do with physical ability and age than it does with willingness to try hard. That's one of the reasons we encourage everyone to try a free class first. And it's also why we added the Little Dragons program for ages 4-5. We expect all students to:
   . be able to focus and understand simple instructions
   . follow instructions immediately and with minimal reminders
   . treat all instructors and other students with respect and courtesy
   . treat the school and equipment with respect
   . obey safety rules
   . behave according to the Tenets of Taekwondo
   . handle bathroom needs without instructor assistance
   . try hard and participate in all class activities with enthusiasm
 

Students are allowed to attend any and all classes for their age and belt level every week, but we recommend 2-3 classes a week consistently for the best results. Setting a schedule and being consistent is important. It is better to do 2 classes every week than missing a week and then trying to make it up with 4 classes the next week. Additionally, students who do not come to class consistently often feel out of place and then do not want to come to class. However, students who do come on a consistent basis feel better and actually look forward to coming to class.

Each martial arts student is issued an official Taekwondo America Uniform upon enrollment. All martial arts students are required to wear either their full uniform or their uniform pants with an HTA or Taekwondo America T-shirt and their belt. T-shirts other than HTA or TA may not be worn in class. When in full uniform, females must wear a plain white T-shirt under their uniform jacket and males do not wear any t-shirt under their uniform jacket. Anyone with hair below their ears must pull their hair back. Jewelry, including earrings, necklaces, watches and bracelets are not to be worn during class, testings or tournaments because they can injure you or your workout partners.

Fitness class students can wear family-friendly workout clothing: t-shirts or tank tops with bike shorts or long workout pants.

Parents, we know how tempting it can be to watch class and then try to "help" your child at home, especially if you feel they are not learning as quickly as other students. We have trained for years and have been instructors for years to be able to perform and teach proper technique. As long as students are attending 2-3 classes a week consistently, there is no need for additional practice at home. We also do not want students to injure themselves or a friend in an attempt to demonstrate kicks and punches they have learned in class. However, if students wish to practice their form or one-steps at home, it should be done in an approved area with plenty of space. Breaking wood is never to be done outside of the school until the student is a brown belt and both the student and parent/guardians have been taught proper technique.

Visit the website regularly and, if you typically drop your child off, stop in the school from time to time. The calendar and news page on the website are updated regularly with information about upcoming events and changes, including the testing schedule. We also post a list of upcoming events at the counter and on the front door. And there are often posters for the next event posted around the school, and we announce any changes and information about the next several events after each class.

We expect our students to give their best effort. Technique at the early stages of training is not as important as a positive attitude. If a student tries hard and has a good attitude, they will develop better technique over time because they are listening and learning.

Testing is a process where we evaluate the skills of the student to determine whether they are ready to progress to the next level of training. What is expected of students depends on the rank, age and physical ability of the student. What is required to pass testing increases dramatically as a student increases in rank. Little Dragons and White through Probationary Black Belts test every 2 months for a testing fee of $50 per testing. There are no longer interim testings for First Decided Black Belt through 2nd Degree Black Belts; and their testing fee is $95. If a student does not pass testing, you do not pay again to have them retest for the same rank, unless they have received 3 no-changes in a row for the same rank.

It is mathematically possible to become a Black Belt in about 2 1/2 years. However, it takes most people longer to attain that rank. But remember, Black Belt is the beginning, not the end, of serious training. Black Belt indicates that the wearer is a serious student of the art.