Manhattan United Tae Kwon Do Center

Recommends

Eramanti

Joined 2 years ago

Very happy with United Taekwondo Center (Manhattan). My sister's son trains at United Taekwando Center and we are all so happy! He loves teachers and the place is great!

Ignore the negative reviews those people must be out of their mind.

Doesn't Recommend

Cleptra

Joined 3 years ago

Not so sure. I feel ike this is a good place to exercise, but the instruction has changed in the past few months. In the adult class, we went from doing self -defense and practical Tae kwon do instruction, to just doing repetitive drills. I just don't know how useful these classes are anymore.

Doesn't Recommend

Fern123

Joined 3 years ago

Not very stable. I was really happy a few months go when my son joined. The head master was great and I saw improvement in my son at all levels. Then out of the blue, the head master changed without explanation and the whole dynamic of the school changed as well. I find it very chaotic now, and my son is losing interest. Very disappointed!

Recommends

IGlasser

Joined 3 years ago

Great School !!!. Both my children (age 12 and 7) attend the school for the past 2 years.

-1- Teaching is wonderful: Master Cho, Master Kim and Master Lim not only are wonderful teacher but are also great motivators. Master Cho always took the time to speak to the children after class encouraging them and always giving them advise on how to correct their mistake. Because they are all from Korea, they not only teach the art of TKD but also the respect of the art : being true to ourself, doing the right thing... Children look up to them and learn so much more than just TKD. The classes are teached in a very profesional manner; the masters can be fun and playful but focus on what need to be done. You can see the children progressing and learning so much from the classes.

-2- Promotion test: I agree that sometime the children do not seem ready to get to the next level, but the children gain a lot of confidence by gaining a new belt. I never felt pressure to bring my children to the promotion test. And I never received any grief from the masters about it at all.

-3- The school: I personaly love this school. It is kept clean. All the parents are encouraged to support the children and soon you are cheering for other children than yours. It is contagious, you wnat all the kids to do good.

All the children are happy to come and love the school. I would recommanded it to everyone. Come and see for yourself

Recommends

moma3

Joined 3 years ago

Fun sport for young kids. I disagree with any negative comments about the masters at United Taedkwondo. My son has been a member for nearly a year under the instruction of Masters Lim and Cho and he cannot say enough good things about them. I have attended nearly every class with him and have been thrilled by the way the instructors interact with the kids. I have told many friends how amazing it is that they manage to come across as kind and caring while commanding respect and self discipline. Each of the masters seems like they take such joy in getting to know the kids and seeing them succeed. Neither my son nor I can think of anything bad to say about this place with the exception of the crowded entrance, which has not been enough to turn us off. I highly recommend this place for young kids.

Recommends

mvalianelli

Joined 3 years ago

great place!!!. My son is very happy doing TKD because of the teachers. They are very kind and sweet with the kids and at the same time they make kids focus in what they are doing.

Classes are a lot of fun and they keep the kids very motivated giving them star cards and color tapes when they do a good job.

My son was very sad when he knew master Hyuk Jin Cho was leaving. We know he is going to do enjoy TKD to many kids as he did with Benjamin. Thank you very much for engaging my son in this wonderfull sport. Thank also to all the teachers there.

Recommends

eleewelshcarsoncom

Joined 5 years ago

Outstanding Tae Kwon Do School. My son has been studying Tae Kwon Do since age three and has studied at two different schools before moving him to United Tae Kwon Do when it opened and it is unquestionably the best school he has studied at so far. Our young daughter (age 4) now studies there also.

Since we joined the school, the instructors have rotated somewhat and we have had Master Kim, Teacher Nancy, Master Lim and Master Cho.

Most of our time at the school has been under the instruction of Master Cho and Master Lim who are both absolutely excellent instructors. These Masters are exceptional Tae kwon Do practitioners, but more importantly, exceptional teachers.

Both Masters Lim and Master Cho combine a focus on teaching not just the techniques of Tae Kwon Do, but also the important philosophy of Tae Kwon Do: courtesy, integrity, perseverence, and respect.

The Masters are strict but also warm. Our kids are of different ages and we have sat in on nearly 150 classes ourselves (we know this because the school tracks the number of classes each student attends on an attendance card). We have observed both Master Cho and Master Lim working with children of all different ages and have always observed the same positive approach to teaching all of the kids.

I could not disagree more with the negative comment posted by another reader which states that a Master is not good with children. WE HAVE NEVER OBSERVED ANY CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF THE CHILDREN. THAT IS SIMPLY UNTRUE.

Importantly, during our time at the school, we have observed children of all different ages, sizes, and athletic capabilities, develop not only their Tae Kwon Do skill, but also a sense of fun and confidence as they see what they are each capable of even as young kids. This is thanks to the wonderful instruction of the Masters.

The negative feedback I have is that the school (or system of schools) seems to promote children who are not actually ready for the next level. There are sometimes kids who do not yet know their forms at all and are promoted to the next belt. That takes away from the accomplishment of the kids who have learned and are prepared for the next level and frankly devalues the promotion process.

My guess is that this is due to 1) desire to keep earning revenues from promotion tests, 2) desire to keep the kids / parents interested and feeling like they are making progress themselves and compared to other students.

However, getting to the next belt means less if a student didn't actually learn what they were supposed to learn from the prior level. I think the school management should not encourage promotion before kids are actually ready for promotion - they know the forms well, they can execute the skills required. The kids will then have a stronger sense of accomplishment when they are appropriately promoted. That is integrity in the process. If everyone gets promoted - even the kids who haven't learned properly - what does that say to the kids who have worked hard, practiced, and really earned the next belt? It says - you really don't have to put in the effort to learn the forms or skills because everyone gets promoted anyway.

This does not seem to be driven by the Masters but by the school system.

Recommends

JSLerner

Joined 3 years ago

My kids absolutely love it-. We had tried another tae kwon do school in the neighborhood a few years ago and it was fine but didn't hold my son's interest. Upon visiting United Tae Kwon Do, both he and his 4 year old sister love it. It's a serious school- they actually teach the kids real skills, discipline and love for the sport. Another unanticipated bonus is that it is a great cultural exchange- learning about Korea and even picking up some of the language from the Masters- all of whom are incredibly well-trained and dedicated.

Recommends

WKA

Joined 3 years ago

Great Place for Learning Self-Defense at Any Age. My pre-schooler started here at UTKD a year ago and we couldn't be more satisfied with her personal development, increased self-confidence and self-discipline. This is all thanks to the excellent instruction and care provided by the current Masters there, who treat the children like their own.

Of course, TKD is a martial art which is taught for self-defense. This is NOT romper room or gymboree. As such, it requires a higher degree of respect and discipline, regardless of age, for yourself, the Masters and the other students. Therefore, if your child is spoiled, pampered, requires special attention or overly sensitive, UTKD is not for you unless you want them to learn discipline, respect and how to work hard in a structured team environment.

Anyone who has studied martial arts or has been involved in team sports will appreciate the need to keep order and discipline, as well as the consequences for you or your teammate not giving 100%, listening to the instructors or being disrespectful. Consequently, if you think doing push-ups as a punishment or being scolded for not following repeated instruction (like not talking or pay attention) as a group/team is your idea of corporal punishment, TKD or any sport will be difficult. Not to mention, unruly, unattentive &/or disruptive students waste class time/money for other students.

Furthermore, TKD is an Asian art that is as much a discipline as part of a culture, specifically Korea. Unlike other TKD schools, this one has authentic Korean Masters as instructors. As a result, you must also be willing to accept the cultural norms embedded in TKD, respect for elders/teachers, hard work and team work.

Finally, UTKD is a business, not a charity or church. They earn add'l money via promoting students to the next level (that's why so many colored belts) as well as their own tournaments. This is not under the control of the Masters at the school but is being pushed by the owner & federation.

Hopefully, this provides a much more fair and balanced review.

Recommends

Sarah Kate

Joined 3 years ago

Excellent for children and adults. You will not find better training in the city. The exceptional gentlemen running this school ensure expert instruction that is both challenging and joyful. Particularly good for those looking for self-defense skills, a self-confidence boost and/or a great work-out.