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The American Taekwondo Association (ATA) is the premier North American organization dedicated the martial arts discipline of Taekwondo. Master J.D. Olford, sixth degree black belt, certified instructor, started the first ATA school in Texas and has taught in the Lufkin/Nacogdoches area for the past 25 years. Since the first class was taught many years ago, the focus of their program has remained the same: to provide students with the highest quality martial arts instruction available in a safe and positive learning environment that people of all ages can enjoy.

Life Skills
Self-Confidence – doesn’t come naturally for many children, but rather is developed over a period of time. As a child accomplishes new goals, his or her confidence level increases. Children become more self confident in Taekwondo because they progress individually at their own pace and are not judged against others.

Self-Defense – Children’s self defense takes many forms. Taekwondo teaches children to think instead of panic in potentially serious situations as well as how to react to threats from other children.

Better Grades – Being a Karate Kid also means being a better student. All kids in the Karate for Kids program learn skills such as following directions, paying attention in class, and participating in class activities that help them to become better students.

Every Child Wins – In Taekwondo, every kid can be a winner instead of a bench sitter because Taekwondo allows children to reach for their own potential rather than to directly compete against other kids.

Coordination – Taekwondo challenges the entire body by developing coordination, balance, agility, and poise, which are often neglected in many team sports available to children in this age group.

Fun – Taekwondo lessons are a dynamic and challenging approach to the martial arts for children who are athletic, energetic, awkward or shy, bold, nice, or maybe even a little wild once in awhile… Taekwondo is probably for a kid just like yours!

Getting Started
All interested individuals attend an introductory session where the specifics of our programs are addressed. They then observe an actual class before being given the opportunity to enroll. This allows the individual to experience a Taekwondo class session and to confirm whether or not this fits with his/her expectations. New beginners are starting everyday. All new students start slowly and progress at their own rate of speed.

There are many reasons for kids to become involved in the martial arts. We have developed a program based on traditional Taekwondo for kids called Karate for Kids, for students from 7 to 14 years old. The building blocks for our systems are themes such as: goals, perseverance, self-control, confidence, courtesy, respect, and integrity.

The Tiny Tigers program is for children ages 5-6. This program offers children a strong foundation in essential character qualities such as courtesy, respect, and discipline. In addition, the program is designed to improve motor skills and enhance the child’s ability to pay attention and follow directions. This program works in conjunction with the Karate for Kids program, thereby emphasizing the same important themes and value system.

Adults

Adults of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to participate. While advancing through the rank material, the adult classes emphasize fitness and self defense resulting in discipline and self-confidence that carry over to all aspects of your life.

Please visit ourwebsite for a discount coupon, class, and event scheduling.