America’s Best Karate

Let me start out by saying that my less than glowing review is due to the fact that, as a people person, the master of the studio is a total jerk. On the other hand, the program is great. My children started the program at ages 3 and 7 and continued through their teenage years. My children are well behaved, disciplined, intelligent, talented, social. I could go on but I think you get the picture. The point is, while I pride myself on my parental skills, I can’t take all the credit. I believe that their experiences and mentoring at the studio helped form them into the well rounded people they are today. And, they are both physically capable of protecting themselves. So, if you don’t mind dealing with a total a. hole and paying him for the pleasure, America’s Best is a good choice.

My 5 ½ yr old son (who has high-​functioning autism /​Aspergers) just graduated from their Little Dragons program (after being in for just over a year.) He earned his place in their Juniors division & as I said in my previous review, both my husband & I agree that this karate program has been the BEST «therapy» for him! He has come so far over the past year, his self-​control & discipline are at a different place, and I attribute that to Mr. Kenny (oversees Little Dragons program,) and his other instructors (Miss Ashley, Miss Kayli, Miss Jade, Miss Susanna.) They are true mentors & pushed him when he needed it, guiding him on his journey.
I think one of the best things about being a parent is watching your child accomplish something great (especially when they have some neurological dysfunctions to overcome,) seeing them beam with pride after they’ve put in the hard work & dedicated their time to really mastering an activity /​sport they enjoy.
This really IS America’s Best karate studio! Everyone from the top (Grand Master Cox & Master Carlen) down is firm but compassionate & truly committed to guiding these young (and older) students on a path that propels them to be their best — not only in karate, but in life!
Thank you to all the amazing, caring instructors who have worked with my son — I am so grateful for all that you do!

I brought my three year old son for the trial «Little Dragons» class and I was impressed. After the initial class I was allowed to bring him two more times, just to see if he would be able to keep up with the other kids, who looked like they were between four and seven years old. The instructor, Ken was his name I believe, was firm with the kids. He shows a patience which is sometimes surprising, given how many children he has in his class. If he sees anyone struggling, in particular, he will take a small group aside and work with them individually. This is when the class is at its best. Ken has the ability to be warm but intimidating, at the same time. Of course, he has help with his group of tiny children, in the form of teenage girls. He can have about four girls helping per class, but there are about seven of them altogether and they rotate throughout the week. This is where I notice things start to get out of hand. When working with Ken, the children are on point, training their little hearts out. On the other hand, working with the girls is very inconsistent. One or two of them are on par with Ken, while the others seem to allow the kids to get distracted and stop practicing altogether. I understand these are children and distractions occur to the best of us, but the classes are only 30 – 45 minutes 3 times a week. One of the primary reasons I brought my boy was so that he would start to develop discipline. The issue may be with me, but the girls could have been a bit tougher on the kids and less motherly, like Ken. This wasn’t always an issue, but I got fed up when Ken started to be in our class less and left it up completely to the girls. Not much seemed to be happening these days. The reason Ken wouldn’t be able to lead our class was because he also helped the older, middle-​school aged kids, who for some reason were having a class at the same time, in the next room. Maybe Ken shouldn’t have been running two classes at the same time? The billing company is a whole other issue… The monthly fee was set up to be drafted from my checking account on a monthly basis. When you first sign up you commit to a six-​month contract. Everything was fine, until it came time to cancel. I called America’s Best and asked that they cancel my membership. I was informed that I had to call the billing company. Why?! I set my payment up in the karate studio, they should be able to cancel it in the same place. I called the billing company and was placed on hold… for a long time. When someone finally answered I was informed «Yes, it looks like you are eligible to cancel» but I had to FAX my request to them and it was going to take thirty days to process, so the upcoming payment, which was scheduled in 10 days, was still going to be pulled from my account. I pressed the issue but was told that there was absolutely no way to cancel my payment over the phone. This seems absurd. It’s 2013. My payment was set up with my debit card, through an iPhone and I need to FAX something?! I’ve never even SEEN a fax machine. Anyway, the only way this relates to America’s Best is that this is the company they chose to work with. If you have an older child, who won’t be in the «Little Dragons» class, this place seems to have a great program, but parents of smaller children might want to look elsewhere.

My son with Autism just started taking lessons here, the staff is warm but firm and it’s been an excellent experience so far! Mark cox (the Owner) gets personal with his students and is a fantastic mentor and leader. His teachers work with him to build him UP!!! So happy my son goes here!

I don’t think it’s a biased review but I will tell you I think the world of this place.
My son started taking lessons as a Little Dragon (ages 3 – 6). He was 4. He was a super shy kid. As he made his way through Little Dragons he grew more and more confident. After a year, he had graduated Little Dragons and was beginning as a Junior.
In the next 2+ years, he worked so hard to become a Black Belt. While the journey was challenging, as it should be, he was transforming into a beaming, confident young man. They will tell you that in martial arts the journey is more important than the destination and it is true. Along the way, he was pushed mentally and physically, and became a better person for it.
I promise that if your child has listening or attention issues, that those will improve with martial arts. The instructors are great about relating any lessons to the real world.
I haven’t been in any other karate studios so I can’t compare Chatsworth Karate in certain areas. I can’t tell you if it’s pricier or if the studio is dirtier or cleaner. I can tell you this — Mr. Cox and his instructors care about the kids. Every instructor is a volunteer — they teach because they want to give back. And it shows. The families that take their children there become an extended family over the years. But most importantly your child will learn to defend himself. You will feel better knowing that they stress self-​defense at this studio.
Another thing that is stressed is fighting — Your child will learn how to fight. It sounds daunting but all lessons are controlled. I’ve never seen a child hurt when sparring. But it’s reassuring to know that if someone tried to bully your kid that they could take care of themselves because they learned how to properly fight at Chatsworth Karate.
And the first class is always free so there is no excuse for not giving it a try!