Myung Kim Martial Arts

I totally agree with LDB C’s review. Also they charge $ 620 for testing black belt. I was SHOCKED!!! I called other Tae Kwon Do places and they are charging $ 400 to 450. This is an outrage!!! His place is not that SPECIAL to charge more than any other place.
They don’t tell you about the fee until the last minute. When someone is signing the contract, they should inform the customer.

Great place to train. Train here if you want to learn authentic martial arts rooted in real authentic culture and respect. Be prepared to sweat and learn. Master Kim is one of the few around of a dying breed. A real «Master» of his craft.

My son and I have been coming to this studio for over 3 ½ years, and I can not recommend it enough. Not only have we learned to have more self confidence, but are in much better shape. The instructors are amazing, and really care about you and your growth. The style of teaching makes the classes fun, although the atmosphere is one of equal respect, and dedication.

my daughter (8 years old now) has been at Myung Kim’s for just over 2 years and has made a steady progression to Brown 1 (should test for black belt by this time next year) and Master Kim and his instructors have done a great job bringing out the best in her. There is no coddling but instead they have instilled a great sense of discipline and respect for her elders and for herself. She has been moved up in both rank and class difficulty at the right time to where she is challenged consistantly. She spent a year at a kids only school in studio city and I am thrilled that we moved her to this school and wish we had done so sooner!

In regard to the reviewer who had nothing but negative things to say about the studio: I was surprised to find a very disrespectful private message from him yesterday via Unilocal.Who does that? It’s clear to me now why he didn’t fit in at Myung Kim. Disrespect isn’t tolerated at the studio — courtesy towards others is expected.

I’ve training at MK Martial arts for almost 10 years. I enjoy it very much. The instruction is top notch. The instructors are patient, informative and always helpful. I encourage everyone who is interested to attend a class and sign up.

I have been training at Myung Kim Martial Arts for 7 months. In my time so far I have increased my flexibility, gained confidence and learned a lot about self defense.

Master Kim is just what you would look for in an instructor. He pushes you mentally and physically in to making your body move in ways you wouldn’t have thought possible. He perfects your form with you by making slight adjustments as you move through techniques and forms. He is also from Korea where he has learned the art of Taekwondo at the source. I have heard complaints about his English but I don’t have a hard time understanding him. If you do, he shows you through movement and adjustments. He is a true martial artist and I am trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can from my intelligent and skilled master.

The other instructors Chris and A.J. are dedicated, friendly and inspiring.

A.J. pretty much lives at the studio. His life is dedicated to martial arts. He is patient and skilled. He teaches most of the classes and also private lessons which I have found to be very helpful. The one on one time has honed my skills faster than just taking class alone. A.J. also lets you practice the techniques on him like you would an attacker on the street (HARD). If you don’t do it right he will make you practice and throw him around until you do. I have learned so much from A.J., he really cares about his students and always takes extra time before or after class to answer any questions by either demonstrating the skill or by working and watching you until you get it. He is wonderful and patient with kids and he loves the art. Couldn’t ask for a better instructor.
Chris teaches his classes with an intense discipline that makes you feel like you’ve taken 2 classes in one. He is strong and respected. I have to admit. I haven’t gotten to take as many classes from Chris as I have from Master Kim and A.J., but I do make the effort to catch one of Chris’ classes from time to time. He is such a strong martial artist and with that comes a lot of respect. He pushes you and you find yourself wanting to work extra hard for Chris. He is amazing.
I have read some reviews about the class NOT being hard. Well, as they tell you at the beginning of every class «You work as hard as you push yourself.» I come out after every class dripping with sweat. I push myself hard and take private lessons and my skills are growing fast. The 15 minutes of stretching at the beginning of class in necessary. I have increased my flexibility by 50% in 7 months. That’s more than any yoga class has done for me. This class is as intense as you make it and there are some true martial artists here. Myung Kim is well respected in the martial arts world as a true master.
To anyone who doubts the validity of the school there is a demonstration in a nearby park every May. This year it’s going to be May 21^st. It will show all the students at all levels going through forms and demonstrations. The real treat though is the black belt demonstration. These are the guys who’ve been training at Myung Kim Martial Arts for years and they are phenomenal. I hope this review helps bring a wonderful team of ninjas in to your life.

I trained at Myung Kim Martial arts between 1993 – 97 and now I’ve returned to train again with Master Kim. I’m also currently training at 2 other studios as well. Each place has it’s unique style and atmosphere to it. At MK Martials arts, I learned to be tougher.
In my teens, it was a great environment to train in with Old School Korean style discipline. Like any other martial arts studio, it helps with self confidence and stronger physical abilities. I just like to be there, it was a 2^nd home to me.
Now that I’m older, Master Kim knows what I’m capable of and pushes me more than I think I’m capable of. I’m still not dead yet, so he must be doing something right.
I currently only attend the Black Belt classes, but I can honestly say it’s tough. Not only physically, but mentally as well. In the end, I always come out with a tiny jewel of information or a minor adjustment to make my technique a little better.
In short, you get what you put in here. Master Kim knows his stuff and he teaches it well.

I started my grandson Luke with Master Kim, and could not be happier. He was clumsy, shy and had low self esteem. Master Kim, Chris & AJ focused on this and now he is a blue belt with confidence and control. They really worked with him one on one — they seemed to know just what he needed to feel better about himself. I am proud of him, he is proud of himself and we are both proud to be part of Myung Martial arts!

Before I start my review, let me fist say that I have had about 2 years of martial arts training, and have won sparring tournaments I am a decent intermediate fighter and martial arts have long been an interest of mine. Here is the lowdown on this place:
They manufacture black belts here like McDonald’s does hamburgers, and that is not a good thing. They make a lot of them but they don’t taste very good. It’s a family style school where the bottom line is money.
Here are the positives: Lots of kids, so if you need a safe activity/​daycare place for your child, this is for you. They will have fun there with the other children and will have fun learning. OK, so far so good. Now for the rest:
First, this is not a place for serious training. If you want to become a good fighter, go elsewhere. A serious gym should reek of sweat, telling you that there are people really working hard there. This place smells like flowers. Taekwondo is a «fun» art, and is more about «scoring points» (like in the Olympics) and fancy kicks than it is about serious defense. That’s not to say that it can’t be used effectively but is definitely more artsy, and not very realistic, especially the way we fight today. There is not a lot of sparring, and when they did spar, it was once a week in a crowded class for about 15 minutes, with only 2 people sparring at a time. Sometimes we all sparred, but you were instructed to keep it light and just to practice your kicks and punches. This method of teaching is safe, no one «gets hurt» and therefore no legal liability or someone quitting because they got punched in the nose. You just simply cannot really learn how to fight this way. You can impress all your friends with cool kicks and show them your «form», but without really getting in there and getting your ass kicked you will never be ready for a street situation. You are just a pretender with a belt that is black, not a BLACK BELT. Memorizing the moves here well will get you that black belt no matter your level of physical ability. Great, now you got moves memorized and that’s it. And you can’t even kick decent to defend yourself but yet you are still a black belt. It just doesn’t make sense but you will find them here. Don’t buy yours, earn it, knowing you are a serious fighter with skill and not a move memorizer.
A typical class lasts a full hour long: 15 minutes of stretches, then 15 minutes of kicks, punches, or falls, usually with one person at a time, running diagonally across the mat and returning to the back of the line. No chance to build up a sweat. After this, you will practice your techniques with a partner. Some other instructors walk around and help as well. After techniques, it’s back to stretching and the end of the class. It was rare that I got a great physical workout, and this should be considered, especially if you are considering martial arts as a way to work out or lose weight. You will sweat but not what I would consider a lot.
At the end of a class you will have to salute about 10 different black belts each class. I believe that the quick promotions to black belts look impressive to the outsider looking in, with many BB’s in any given class. It may also bring in referrals, friends they can show how «well they are doing». They test here every 2 months and moving up the ranks quickly keep people motivated and staying longer. Can’t do something on a test? You will most likely pass anyway until you get to much higher belts. Remember that in addition to the monthly, there is a testing fee for each belt, and a test every 2 months is a convenient way to make extra money. I think white to yellow was $ 40 and my green belt was $ 80 as a testing fee with amounts in between for the other colors. (white, yellow, orange, blue, green) which I unaccomplished in 10 months. To test for black is $ 500! (every 6 months) Better pass or you have to pay again. When you are testing possibly 60 – 100 or more students each 2 months (including kids) in my estimation, this adds up quick!
To the lady below who remarked about my message, I told her she does not know what serious training is and called her sweetheart and if that’s a crime, then I am guilty. I fit in there just fine, my review is directed at people who want to be serious, and this is a family school. Mr Kim has physically assaulted an instructor. You have choices, and there are MANY better schools out there, which she probably hasn’t seen.
Other than the relentless pursuit of money, beware of 2 things about Myung Kim. First, he has a serious mean streak and I know that he has slapped a previous instructor. Second, he speaks poor English. This is important because if you ask a question, you most likely will get a head nod and a demonstration of the technique without an explanation which may bother you…