Revolution Taekwondo

I created a Unilocal profile for the sole purpose of reviewing Revolution Taekwondo. I really believe in them and am excited for their continued success.
My son attended Revolution Taekwondo for about three years and absolutely loved it, as did my wife and I. We have since moved to Dallas and enrolled him elsewhere but, while the new place is good, it’s just not the same.
Master Kris and Master Ivo are great instuctors. They make sure the kids have fun and are learning while still running their classes efficiently and sternly. They clearly put the main focus on the sport of taekwondo but also place high value on the culture of taekwondo. Before a child can test for a belt, he/​she must get a signature from his teacher and from his parents saying that he/​she is well behaved and respectful and he must be achieving good grades.
From a technical standpoint they do a fantastic job of teaching form, self-​defense techniques, and kicking combinations. My son was always confident and ready when it was time to test for a new belt because they made sure he knew his stuff.
If their were more stars to give, I would. Revolution Taekwondo was a big part of our family and we really miss being there. If you are considering getting your child started with taekwondo, Revolution is a great place.

I have, in some way, had Taekwondo in my life for over 20 years. When my son (10 years old) started, it was at a different school. We moved to Revolution after careful vetting, and it was the absolute best decision we have made. The school is the real deal, whether you are searching for traditional taekwondo or sport taekwondo. The students are taught with skill and care, are taught to be respectful and are held to it. They are promoted only when they know what is necessary for promotion; no belt buying here. The first thing I noticed when I observed this school (2 years ago, then when we came back because I knew one day I wanted my son there) was that all of the students in class were attending, focused, and disciplined. In the class there were children ranging from 5 to maybe 12, and NONE of them were goofing off. All of them were putting their heart into practice. That made a deep impression on me, seeing that the standard of expectation was set high and everyone was capable of meeting the standard.
Having a student at Revolution means that you will have a well rounded martial artist. The coaches there are extremely knowledgable about the sport side of Taekwondo AND the traditional aspect, as well as overall physical development and health. They switch seamlessly between age groups and understand what is developmentally appropriate for the age groups they are working with.
The sport aspect of their program is outstanding, consistently producing gold medal placement at high caliber tournaments around the world. Do not be surprised when you see students from Revolution at the Olympics soon. The athletes and coaches are dedicated and hard working. My son and daughter both are so very happy here at Revolution, to the point that they are sad when there is no class. It was the right move for our family and if I could give Revolution TKD infinite stars, I would.

This is the best taekwondo school, hands down, in the Chicago area. My three children, ages 6, 12 and 14, and myself, have attended this school for the past year and a half, and we find it excellent in all areas:
1) Instructor Quality: The instructors were national champions from Bulgaria in the 1990s, and the owner, Master Kris, also has a college degree in physical education. All the instructors are dedicated, friendly, cheerful, and encouraging. They work with the students at each student’s level, all the while encouraging them to improve.
2) Curriculum Quality: The taekwondo taught here is primarily sport taekwondo, oriented to the rules and requirements of Olympic taekwondo. It is also taught with a focus on physical fitness and mental discipline. So the warm-​ups and stretching are dynamic stretching, shown to be better for our bodies than standard static stretching. There are exercises to improve strength, flexibility, speed, and balance. And of course training in the basic skills of the sport — punching, kicking, footwork, etc. Many schools just do aerobic workouts and skills training, with some static stretching. This school provides overall fitness training through martial arts. The curriculum is also diverse, with classes based on belt rank/​skill level and a separate teen and adult class. The school has students as young as age 4 as well as adult students who are middle age or beyond. The bulk of the students are between ages 6 and 14.
3) Competition Team: The school has two competition teams: one for teens, and one for youngsters in elementary school. The young team train three times per week, while the older team trains 5 days a week. The team competes nationally at USAT events, sending athletes to the Junior Nationals competition, the Canadian Open, and the U.S. Open, as well as to regional competitions and the Illinois State Championships. USAT is the governing body for Olympic taekwondo. These teams are fantastic! Athletes must apply and be admitted, so the athletes and the families need to be committed. The coaches, Master Kris for the older team and Master Ivo for the younger team, are dedicated and caring, and really work with the athletes to help them realize their full potential.
4) Discipline and Character Building: It’s a cliché that the sport builds discipline and character and is not about fighting, but here at Revolution that cliché is a commitment that is practiced daily. The masters pay attention to the lives of the students and make discipline and character part of the training. For example, students must demonstrate good work in schools and good behavior at home in order to be eligible to take belt promotion tests. No matter how good the taekwondo skills, if a student is not also working hard in school and being a cooperative and helpful member of the family, that student cannot be promoted to the next level. The masters make note of this and speak with students about their school work and about any concerns in the home. The result is that the students have access to another caring adult outside the family/​school/​religion circles who reinforces the values of integrity, honesty, courtesy, hard work, and meaningful, purposeful lives. Anyone who has raised children knows that we can never have too many people in our children’s lives who reinforce these positive values.
5) Students and Families: The students are wonderful kids, and the families are very nice and friendly. This starts with the owner, Master Kris, who sets a friendly, cooperative, and calm tone for everyone.
6) Facilities: The school recently moved to new facilities in Arlington Heights. The training space is large, and there is a spacious waiting area. There are also two restrooms, a girls changing room and boys changing room. The facilities are cleaned daily, so there is no dust and the bathrooms are clean. There is also plenty of parking.
The school is located in a low-​rise office complex, without a big sign by the street, so it can be a bit hard to find the first time around. It is located on the south side of Golf between Arlington Heights and Algonquin.
My children have been doing taekwondo for several years, and this is our third school. We have also looked at many, many schools in the Chicago area. This school is simply the best!