Exactly that — the Basics. Every student arrives with a different experience level, whether they've tried group activities before or this is their first. Basics is where we learn about teamwork, respect, focus, and discipline in a fun, rewarding way. The program is designed to be outgrown: once your child has the foundations of a good martial artist, they're ready to join the Elite students who make it their goal to become black belts.

We've tried it all — including age-specific classes for 3–5 and 6+ — and we've seen the most success and growth when younger students can watch the behavior of older students. Like any good older sibling, we expect our older students to encourage and demonstrate the behavior we want the younger ones to exemplify. Drills and curriculum are partitioned for students of similar age and size, but everything else is done together.

We highly recommend all parents get on the mat with their children ages 4–12. You are their role model — what you say, what you like and don't like, your children see you as someone they aspire to become. These are the most influential years in your child's development, and training together helps shape who they become in their teen and adult years.

We assess during every class, and we use a Black Envelope system: if an instructor or Master sees your student consistently meeting or exceeding expectations, we'll hand that black envelope to you on any normal day of class. Most black envelopes are handed off during testing — the best way to see how a student handles challenges, setbacks, and rising to the occasion.

We staff every class with the maximum number of Masters, Instructors, and Leadership/Mentorship students. The best feeling in class is when your student receives high fives, encouragement, and challenges from many people — not just one. We cap our classes and use waiting lists when we get close, because the more people your student connects with on the mat, the better prepared they are for school and every other public setting.