Reputable Martial Arts School

USA Martial Arts! My children have been there for years. Mr. Castilla, the instructor, is amazing with children. They are also a leadership school. They are huge on respect and discipline. Mr. Castilla does "mat chats" everyday discussing respect, good attitude, goal setting, patience, etc... They have kept in close contact with me to make sure my children "act as a martial artist" both in and out the dojo. They make teachers sign off when they are ready to test for their next belt ranks. I can't praise them enough!

We are very happy with USA Martial Arts (Spring Creek/Coit in Plano), too!! Mr. Castilla is a fabulous instructor! He has a unique talent for getting kids to pay attention and they have lots of fun, too! There's always some point in the class that they get to play an attentive listening game or other types of games -- or they get to spar.

Trying a class for the first time is free so there's nothing to lose and you can ask all the questions you want from him or the office manager Ms. Shiva (super sweet!!).
I cannot tell you enough how happy we are with this school. They are so nice - we've been going for about 1 1/2 yrs now. My 6 yr old son LOVES it and is working hard to earn his black belt. My only complaint - I wish the waiting room was a little bit larger ... it's a popular school - word gets around that Mr. Castilla is a great instructor and the kids love him.
Tell them that "A. Marshall" recommended them to you! Thanks!

www.usamartialartsfitness.com

Ricks Kicks behind Tom Thumb. The best place ever to take your kids for martial arts. You can sign up for a year or you can do month to month. You decide.

My daughter trained with John Bain of Plano Self Defense. He has a small school, very dedicated, no contract. In his school...you do not "pay" for your belt...you EARN it.

A lot of schools, (NOT ALL), seem to pass a child up the ladder as long as there is a contract and you pay on time.

I will note that we switched from a very popular school to John Bain when my daughter was within a year of receving a black belt with the popular school. She took an extra year of training to "get it right". The management changed midway of her training, it appeared that the management was more focused on moving kids through the program vs making sure they knew what they were doing.

John is not like that. If they are not ready to move up the ladder, they don't.....HOWEVER....they are motivated, rewarded and encouraged. He has a very structured program and it might not be right for everyone. Parts of his program were not exactly what I was looking for but overall it was well worth our time and money.

My daughter earned her black belt 3 yrs ago. He does focus on self defense not sparring, breaking boards, etc. Yes, my daughter can and has done those things but they are not required for testing. Basically, he makes sure they know how to defend themselves if needed.

Even if you do not choose to go to Plano Self Defense....John has valuable information on the site on how to choose the right school for your child, what questions to ask, etc.

www.planoselfdefense.com