Yi Sport Tae Kwon Do
Seattle, WA 98144
Phone: (206) 850-9449
06/06/2007 Posted by bdj
If you're looking to get your kids into martial arts - for exercise, for confidence, for self-defense, or for sports competition - you've found the right place (Yi Sport has adult classes as well, but I can only comment on their youth programs). We started our kids in taekwondo at a studio on Mercer Island. It didn't take long before we were getting pressured to prepay thousands of dollars to get them a black belt in 3-4 years. This maybe a common business model in martial arts, but I found it distasteful, especially the underlying premise that our goal in participating was just getting to a black belt. Yi Sport is completely different. You pay (a very reasonable amount) by the month. The focus is on training, conditioning and learning every day - belt promotions happen as kids advance in their skills and the advancement really means something. Head Coach Lionel Lee is a constant presence in the studio. He sets the tone: demanding, hard working, yet warm and supportive. Kids recognize his integrity and authenticity and they respond with incredible effort. The students are drawn from all over the region and are an unusually diverse group. It's important to know that Yi Sport emphasizes sport taekwondo. From very early in their training, kids don protective gear and start sparring. Participation in tournaments is not required, but these provide a tangible reward for daily training and the kids love the competition. Yi Sport, as a whole, does extremely well in tournament play locally, regionally and nationally. These young athletes are an impressive group, distinguished as much by their sportsmanship and camaraderie as by their technical skills and determination. We have been extremely pleased with Yi Sport. The downsides are a relative small space (though there are plans to upgrade in the near future) and - for us - the trek from the Eastside into Seattle. These inconveniences are easily outweighed by the many positives. Stop by and see for yourself!
Pros: Coaching staff; Curriculum; Diversity; Suportive atmosphere
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