About Us

We can do an assessment of your child to see if they are ready, but usually 4 is the earliest that they will be able to understand the seriousness of what we are teaching and use the material that is presented.

Even 4 can be a bit early, and at 4 years old, we like for them to watch a class first, and then do a free 2 class trial before signing up. That way we can all gauge the interest and ability.

6 is a great age to start Karate. If they feel ready to take on the regular Kid's Classes, they can begin at 6, though we recommend beginning that class at 7. If they would like to develop some confidence before that, they can begin in the Mighty Tigers, and then "graduate" into the regular classes with a strong foundation and plenty of confidence.

In Mighty Tigers we work on karate basics - and how to work in a group. The class is guided at all times by the instructor and assistant instructors. The instructor leads the children in acitivites to help them succeed in Karate foundations such as getting into a good stance and identifying the correct block for the correlating strike, and group activities that teach fairness and good sportsmanship.

The Kids classes give students the opportunity to work up the ranks to achieve their Black Belt. They learn independent study as they learn to establish and realize their goals while being guided by instructors with a ratio of 1 to 6 students on average.

We know that some tournaments are not well run, and can be disappointing to both adults and children. However, we do recommend a few. We also provide private lessons for Tournament at a reduced rate and Point Fight group training classes for free to members. These classes do not count against your total if you have a 3x/week group class limit.

We recommend starting with private lessons. We have instructors who are specifically trained in special needs instruction - including sensory disorders, developmental disabilities and children falling within the Autistic spectrum.

We use a card system so that each child can learn to track their own progress and assess where they are. Instructors (not assistant instructors) will sign off on techniques as your child can perform the technique as required. Once they are all signed off, they will have a final "pre-test" and if they pass, they will be asked to test to their next rank.

Every person at some point struggles with achieving their goals and this is true of children as well. It's important to teach them the importance of seeing a goal through - to not give up when it is not as easy as they might have thought, or if they struggle with something. Your child's success depends on whether you let them resign themselves to failure or encourage them to see things though. We are here to help your child on their path. A really effective method is to have your child do their chores - like cleaning their room. Once it's time to leave for Karate, they will be grateful to go. It's hard for a child to leave their favorite game, but not their chores.

This is a common time when they realize they might need to study a bit harder. They can ask for special help during class, and if that is not enough, we can arrange a single private lesson or a package of 4.

Click here for a graphic, or ask an instructor to show your child when they are next in class.

Children must wear clean Gi's and be healthy. Before class has begun, they may bow themselves on to the mat. After a class has begun, they must wait at the side of the mat in a salute until an instructor or assistant instructor bows them on to the mat. If they are excused from the mat for any reason during class, they must be bowed back on. Talking when an instructor is talking is not allowed. They must use good control when working with others, and be respectful at all times. If they break any of these guidelines, we use push ups, wall sits, and finally, being excused from class as corrective measures. We never work against a child's self worth, but it will be clear that there are consequences to actions, and those choices are in the child's control.

We expect and appreciate when parents keep the volume low when waiting, and that a child's' siblings will not be allowed to run or play during a class. If something gets broken, and it happens, let us know so we can fix it.

We expect bumps and bruises. We expect frustration, and doubt, and sometimes injured pride. In self defense, there is no other way to practice effectively than on each other. But we take our control as martial artists seriously, and we work to make sure that safety rules are strictly adhered to by everyone. Those who do not adhere to our safety measures or standards, will have their memberships cancelled. This respect and safety clause is in our contract and discussed in our instructor meetings.

We have Open Mat on Fridays where that is a perfect time to train together. Otherwise, kids and adults do not take the same classes. When teens reach a certain age, they are allowed into the adult class to train with other teens.

We can't be sure they won't, but we are clear that if they do use Karate for anything besides self defense, they will be excused from the school. Their training will stop and they won't be allowed to return.

Please bring it to our attention. Conflict presents an opportunity for the student and for the teachers. The answer, what to do, will depend on the specifics. But our aim is to help students understand the meaning of respect. It does not mean that you necessarily like the other person or have to be nice to them all the time. But you do have to listen. Every conflict here creates the opportunity to explore and to teach that. If there are problems or issues that can't be resolved, corrective measures are taken. For instance, if a child is using their karate skills to bully or intimidate others, whether at the studio or offsite, and parent intervention doesn't correct the behavior, they will be asked to leave.

No. The belt you wear in our dojo represents the rank you have achieved in American Kenpo Karate. We assist each other in our art, so that our ranking serves to let others know if we can help, or if we may need help. However, if your belt was in American Kenpo Karate, then yes, absolutely.

No, you are in just as much need for an effective self-defense as you ever were. Maybe more so as you get older. And exercise is an essential element to keeping your mind fit as well as your body. The mental study of kenpo karate, the effort of memory and imagination required to understand the art, can also provide real and immediate benefit to all mental processes. We proceed at your pace, according you your needs and abilities. You needn't be able to take falls or do the splits. You will learn kenpo that works for you. Make sure you check out our blog post.

Yes, we offer packages for just private lessons. You can begin learning the self defense techniques, and Kata as you progress. We also have certain days and times when group classes when there are not as many people if you prefer to train more slowly.

Yes. We have family discounts for children, and as an adult you can train to be a group class assistant. After you train, and are approved, then your tuition can be reduced in exchange for assisting classes. Being able to assist the smaller children (our Mighty Tigers) will give you a greater discount. Not all who apply will qualify. We also exchange in trade for certain skills. Please see below or ask if you would like to know more.

If you have great focus, and athletic skills, no distractions, you could earn your black belt in 3 to 3.5 years.

American Kenpo Karate was created to be be personalized to the individual. Our instructors are trained in adaptive teaching methods, so that if you have a condition, we train to work around that condition, and find your strengths. For some injuries, for example serious back injuries, group classes would not be advised, but private lessons could work. For most other conditions, for example ACL tears, rotator cuff injuries, or tendonitis, we work around the injured part. One of our members has an eye condition where they can't be hit or fall - so we adapt the techniques to fit their natural abilities and strengths. PLEASE NOTE: You must speak with a physician to understand your own limitations, and we will work within those limitations. It is up to you to let us know what those are so we can adapt the lessons.

Each person is unique, physically and mentally, so it is hard to predict the rate of progress. In your first lesson you will be glearn concepts and be introduce to skills that will do just that, keep yu safe and use the attack against the attacker. That will show you how to increase your strength and power based on your understaning, give you strength beyond your muscles. we teach self defense course and offer seminars that allow you to practice these skills. but to develop thoughtless reactions will take you months of practice. A person can learn a great deal about self-defense in even a month of classes, but it usually takes from six months to one year to train your reflexes to be react with an appropriate response to a common self-defense situation and longer in reading the attackers a telegraph of moves.

Men wear the belts to the left, and women wear their belts to the right. The instructor will have theirs to the center.

We begin each class with some conditioning to help aerobic capacity, strength training, flexibility and then moving on to self defense techniques, kata and light & fast contact sparring. Your probably won't notice the changes at first, but within a month of committed practice you'll realize you are doing things you couldn't do when you started.

Yes. However, during open mat you may wear an Arnott Kenpo t-shirt with your Gi pants. Also, no Gi is required for an introductory private lesson.

We expect bumps and bruises. We expect frustration, and doubt, and sometimes confusion. In self defense, there is no other way to practice effectively than on each other. But we take our control as martial artists seriously, and we work to make sure that safety rules are strictly adhered to by everyone.

For that reason, it is important that you don't try to learn techniques above your rank. We teach different techniques progressively, building on each phase so that the new phase is understood and safe. Those who do not adhere to our safety measures or standards, will have their memberships cancelled. This respect and safety clause is in our contract and the requirement is a requirement per your ocntract and is a regular part of our instructor meetings.

The path to Black Belt can be more fun and rewarding when there are siblings or parents to help practice. There are discounts for every additional family member. Our tigers that have graduated early into Kid's class have done so because they have had help at home from a parent or sibling.

If you would like to apprentice in becoming a Kenpo Instructor, let us know. We can set you up on a highly rewarding path on Kenpo Karate Basics as well as effective teaching methods if you meet the requirements - ability to lead, kindness, clarity and willingness to learn. By assisting with the Kids classes and being paired off with an Instructor, you can offset your tuition. You can earn extra income as a private instructor as well. ($20/Hour)

We love a good Barter. If you have a service you can provide, ask us if there's a possibility of trade. It doesn't need to be Studio related - it can be bookkeeping, dogwalking, plumbing...the possibilities are endless!

If you have experience teaching young preschoolers, then we are looking for qualified preschool karate instructors. We teach you the basics of karate for free as you apprentice with Tiger Classes, and your child's tuition will be reduced. If you move up to being a lead teacher for our preschool karate, then your membership and your child's membership is free. This applies to our Mighty Tigers classes only.

Occasionally we have members who have generously donated memberships to those who can't afford the tuition. To qualify, you must be an adult, or over 16 with parental consent. Be respectful of all others, train earnestly, help where possible, and maintain a clean appearance. Belt Fee's are not included. Please write to Mark Arnott with a request to be considered for one of the few available scholarships.