Usa Taekwondo Center - Monument, CO 80132 Be forewarned. Deplorable sales tactics and bullying Monument Colorado
Be forewarned. Master Lee's US Taekwondo Center in Monument is little more than a belt factory designed to maximize the dollars extracted from each student, regardless of the student's progress in their various programs.
As many others have commented, and I'm sure many parents and their children have experienced, Master Lee has trained his staff in the ways of deplorable sales tactics. The most egregious of which is the "Black belt club" pitch, where parents are pressured to sign a ridiculously onerous and unnecessary contract in the presence of their children. In essence, you either sign a 3-year $6,000+ commitment, or your child is made to feel like you don't believe in them. It puts parents and their children in an awful position and is a disgraceful sales tactic.
And once you've signed the contract, the high-pressure sales pitches for donations and purchases beyond the $180 / month commitment are never ending. Your child will be constantly made to feel as though they aren't committed to Master Lee and the Center if they don't pay up. In short, Master Lee and his staff have figured out how to turn the otherwise noble values of respect and subservience, rightfully integrated into most martial arts programs, into a psychological money making tool.
And as a parent of a student attending the Center, all I kept asking myself was, "Why?" Why does Master Lee employ these dubious sales tactics when there are so many reputable martial arts businesses that don't. Why does he need to extract so much money from each student? Why the need for so much profit?
Again, be forewarned. Do your homework. Ask questions. And whatever you do, don't let Master Lee and his staff bully you in front of your kids.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
L Caulkins
Monument,Colorado,
A Different Experience
#2Consumer Comment
Wed, May 28, 2014
My experience is profoundly different from the complainant's. My family has been studying Taekwondo at US Taekwondo Center in Monument under Master Lee for several months, and I can't say enough about how wonderful it is and the positive changes it has made for us.
I am 46... view more and use Taekwondo to fight off Lupus problems - my core is stronger, circulation is improved, and stamina is greatly increased. My 20yo and 16yo both have experienced a phenomenal rise in self esteem and life assurance, which is due mostly to the incredible atmosphere of participating in this dojang. Much respect is required of each student, but the beauty is that an equal, if not greater, amount of respect is returned to us by Master Lee and each of the seniors we encounter. It is incredibly validating.
Each student gets attention from the Master as well as from other instructors and mentors. For several months we also had the very nice experience of instruction from a world-renowned visiting Korean master.
This is not a belt factory. Of course, it is a business, and this is not a cheap sport. Like any other sport that offers competition opportunities in addition to daily training (e.g., swimming and gymnastics), there are times when entry fees crop up if you are going to participate in those events. I do not know what additional purchases and donations the complainant refers to, unless he means the invitation to provide lunches for the visiting master. There are more than enough people wanting to do such things so that those who do not wish to don't need to.
But I am very happy with the return for the cost of the black belt club. You get a high quality of instruction, a great number of "classes" offered weekly for many different levels, and the open use of the dojang for personal practice and help of any staff or instructors who are around outside of class time, 6 days/wk from at least 10am to 8 or 9pm, and even on some holidays. I frequently take advantage of this.
The complainant asks why Master Lee charges more than other places and that there are a lot of schools to choose from. The answer is easy for me to see: I have found only 4 schools to choose from in Monument (I do not want to drive down into Colorado Springs on a daily basis). The other three places are quite nice for what they aim to offer, I am sure, but I prefer Taekwondo over Karate, and the other Taekwondo schools offer only a total of 2 or 3 classes per week for you with a greatly reduced choice of adult-only, children-only, or all-age classes. Also, they have no open dojo policy for personal practice all day long that I know of. Master Lee's dojang further offers a networking of other high-quality masters and locations that you can attend down in the Springs - convenient for those who work there, I'm sure. You get a lot of bang for your buck.
And rather than only maximizing the dollar, each additional family member receives an increasing discount if they join. You can choose to join on an open-ended monthly plan, or if you have the ability and desire to commit to a program plan (which is what the complainant referred to), you can take advantage of a substantial discount, which guarantees your accomplishment of that plan's level regardless of how many years you take to get there.
If you are a dedicated student who practices a lot and who contributes to the dojang in ways such as helping track times at black belt physical fitness tests and participating in shine-up day (getting the facilities spot-cleaned for belt test day), etc., you can find yourself invited to step into the next level program much earlier than expected. The money you had paid into that first program is rolled into the following level for you. So, hard workers will save even more money over time if they want to continue advancing in Taekwondo studies.
These practices are not those of a belt factory or money-squeezer.
Also, I don't know much about it, but I know that there is a consideration for people who truly cannot afford the normal rates. So if financial hardship is the issue, be honest about finding out if you can qualify for that consideration. If it is a matter of difficulty in choosing how to spend the money you have, that's an entirely personal decision.
The three of us in our family who started together have had such a good time at the dojang, which has a very strong feeling of family and belonging, much like that in a nice church congregation, that my husband and 22yo have also recently joined. I have always been impressed with the ability of the masters and staff to relate with students of all ages (4 to 86), and am particularly impressed with their dedication to and interactions with young children.
If you are looking for a place to learn a martial art, to instill the concept of deep respect for every person around you, to reinforce a strong work ethic in the sport, at home, and at school (for children), than you could not find a better atmosphere to train under than the one at USTC, Monument, which is led by a Master who is extremely dedicated to his dojang, the students, and the outer community.
I am not an employee of US Taekwondo Center (which the complainant incorrectly called "USA Taekwondo"). I am only an appreciative consumer of its offerings and hate to see a terrific dojang haranged unfairly. (Although I do not have young children to fairly compare sales tactics to his experience.)