★ 1

And here is ANOTHER complaint about not refunding money as promised! My son was involved for over 5 years, in which we paid in advance for discounted rates. The final payment to them was a three-year membership with promise that any unused portion would be refunded, no hassle no issue. Then Master of our location left, leaving my son uninterested in continuing. I have been requesting a refund of the remaining 1.5 years of prepayment since JUNE 2024. Headquarters has completely ignored my request. Our location tries to help, but headquarters lies and says they are reaching out to me, but I hear nothing. I'm feed up with this game as this is A LOT of money they owe me!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

The place is pretty cool. It has a warm environment welcoming all guest to assist with thier services.

Source: Google

★ 1

Wish I had read these reviews before signing up.

Impossible to cancel your membership, no one answers the phone and no one calls back, you can’t cancel at the local branch so I have been paying every week and have no way to cancel.

Steer clear!

Source: Google

★ 1

Just know trying to cancel your membership after the 6 months period has ended will be a hassle!
Be sure to check your My Studio app cause otherwise, you will be charged the 7th month.
They will hunt you down to get you to sign up but when it's time to cancel you will have to go through the heavens and earth. I will definitely NOT be recommending Karate America to anyone.

Source: Google

★ 1

Unbelievably awful customer service that leads me to believe the headquarters is all about money. The woman I spoke with was rude and condescending. My children have not attended in 6 months and my account continues to be debited as no one informed me I needed to call headquarters and cancel their contract.

Source: Google

★ 1

Place is a complete scam, and the worst customer service. Absolutely DO NOT sign up for their “yearly discounted package”. They’re business model is terrible - hence don’t trust they can actually stay in business. We got scammed at the one in Coral Springs FL. We literally showed up for class one day, and there was locks on doors, place was empty. No warning, no communication - just closed down. After repeated phone calls, we finally got some “form letter” basically stating we weren’t getting a pro-rated refund for what we paid for in advance.

Called the number on the letter, and got some worthless person that finally admitted she was just “there to relay messages and can’t provide any information; but it’s her job to make sure we were called by “management””.

Big surprise - no phone calls. And they shut down over 4 months ago.

Source: Google

★ 1

This place is a scam. I was signed up here by my dad 15 years ago and they lock you in a contract and I've had instructors ask me if my dad paid for my belts. They weren't going to let me get a yellow belt unless my dad paid them for it! They shill out and make you buy all this stuff. Karate doesn't work in self defense it's a scammy business!

Source: Google

★ 1

The instructors are great, the Wells Road school is awesome, it's their financial business practices at their HQ that are in question. After canceling my son's membership in Feb, I was still charged an extra month afterward. They gave me some 30 days cancelation nonsense, which still holds no validity because I canceled 14 Feb. 14 Feb to 14 March is 30 days so why did I pay for the entire month of March. I'm owed a pro-rated amount at the very least! Great school,TERRIBLE business! BEWARE

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Amazing place and staff

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Driven to help make a difference!

Source: Google

★ 1

If there was an option for a negative star it would still be too much for the scam the Headquarters of this place pulls. I travel for work and was visiting the Florida area so instead of doing recurring payments, I paid cash for my first month and decided a "month to month" option provided the most flexibility. The instructor was very skilled in her art but after attending 4 classes, I left Florida for health reasons and never returned back to the school but got a bill for 2 months of service. When I emailed Headquarters to explain my situation and tell them I been stopped going they basically told me they don't care about that and if they cancel my contract it would be from the date we spoke meaning they are going to charge me for an additional month in between. One of the students in the class was having the same issues as me one day in class and was told HQ handles the money. If you are reading this, please save yourself the headache....

Source: Google

★ 5

If you have never gone to a certification with them or listen to Grand Master Clark speak it is a very humbling experience. The wealth of knowledge in that building just wow!

Source: Google

★ 1

SCAM!!!
Please be aware of this company . My special needs kid tried them for 2 days and he did not like it. We asked them to cancel the membership and they said it is done. The next month they email us saying they charged us for this month and that they will continue charging us. We cpntacted the local place but they reffered us to a phone number that no one answers and a corporate gmail. What a joke!

Source: Google

★ 1

I paid for a year in advance for my son. However, he is unable to continue attending, so I spoke to the local Karate America Studio he goes to about a refund. They directed me to corporate HQ in Jacksonville. I called and emailed them about refunding me for the few months that he has left and they refused to do anything saying they do not refund memberships and gave me reasons that were never disclosed when I signed my son up last year. This is after spending the last four years or so giving them around $2,000+ a year for my son's classes. Apparently, the owner is not rich enough that he has to steal his customer's money in this way. After their email response, I called back but nobody would answer. Atrocious business practices after they charge so much for classes and equipment and I was a loyal customer for years.

Source: Google

★ 1

Worst karate academy ever the headquarters staff is very rude and nasty don’t care about clients concerns and are very misleading will never recommend to anyone terrible service is more like an overpriced daycare... smh

Source: Google

★ 1

My special needs child attended one if their locations. They treated him terribly left him behind and called him special needs in front of the other kids and embarrassed him then when we froze our account to decide if we would keep the account they told us they don't have to freeze it and charged us anyways.

Source: Google

★ 1

Source: Google

★ 1

After our 5-year-old attended Karate America Neptune Beach for 10 months, his instructor ABRUPTLY DISAPPEARED. We received no communication from the school or Karate America Headquarters (in fact...3 weeks later, we still have not received an official explanation regarding his departure). One day we showed up for training and the door was locked, the lights were off, and another parent drove up to tell us that class was cancelled that day. We never saw the instructor again after that.
We tried 4 classes with new instructors (different each time) and our child left crying each time. We talked through the challenge but after 4 negative experiences and a total lack of consistency, we decide as a family that we were done with karate.
I contacted Karate America Headquarters to notify them of our cancellation and they informed me that we were still bound by the 30 days notice in our contract. I asked them if they felt that was fair considering the fact that we were given ZERO notice that the head instructor was leaving. Her response was that the school was given less than 2 weeks notice and that there was nothing they could do about it. When I asked why, if they knew 2 weeks before he was leaving, that they didn't tell anyone....she said she assumed he had told his classes on his own. My guess is that they feared a mass cancellation of memberships so they kept it a secret for as long as possible until they could reach the next billing cycle.
Her attempt at a compromise was to let my son continue to attend for a month and then cancel his membership...which I told her was the same thing as holding me to a 30 day cancellation.
It's just so disappointing that after paying almost $2,000 for memberships and uniforms and equipment that we don't get a phone call, an email, or even a mass text about major changes in the school. And then, instead of doing the right thing and letting students opt out...they hide behind a contract to suck an extra $149 out of parents who bought into the system that would ultimately fail them.

Source: Google

★ 3

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★ 5

Great place.

Source: Google

★ 5

I have done a few Warrior X Fit classes, 2 of their boot camps, as well as training in Krav Maga and Fight Club and always leave feeling better than when I came. Mr And Mrs Alfaro are amazing instructors and I look forward to my next training with them.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 1

Money hungry company they don't care about your child's improvement. Don't waste your money with this company

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

I started the kickboxing classes last week because I actually love the art of it. My son does TKD at their monument location so I wanted to check it out. Paola C is such an amazing instructor. From my experience, my stepdaughter joined the Krav Maga classes with Instructor C and absolutely loves it. A nice bonus is that I can bring my toddler with me and she's not getting in the way. It is a nice family friendly environment to learn.

Source: Google

★ 5

I travel a few times a year all the way from East Moline, IL to Jacksonville, FL to train in both Krav Maga and Taekwondo and I have never had a wasted trip. All the instructors and Master Instructors are very professional and friendly and always willing to assist you. The training is tough and you leave feeling like you learned and accomplished something every time. I will continue my training with this group of people for many years to come. Not only have I personally grown in my martial arts career, my staff has grown, my students have benefited and my business is thriving. Worth every drop of sweat and every dollar I have ever spent.

Source: Google

★ 1

Everything is fantastic until something happens and you can’t attend. They will charge you and charge you and charge you and there is no way to cancel. A royal pain. DO NOT SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THE KARaTE AMERICA AT 2771 MONUMENT RD JACKSONVILLE FL 32225. I hope you read this before it’s too late. Always do your research, there are other reviews out there i wish I saw before I signed. This is only my experience with this location. I believe they are all individually owned. I don’t know if it is the same contract for all.

Source: Google

★ 5

I take classes at K.A. Ponte Vedra, where Master and Mrs Gimenez are both incredible instructors. The other instructors are excellent as well, and Mr Majeski is especially good with the kids. The kickboxing classes are fun and a great workout also. Take some classes - they often have deals where you can go for a couple of months for like $2 per class - very low cost. Then, read the contract before signing, and decide if it's for you. If you put your mind and body into it, you will not regret nor quit until you've reached your goal.

Source: Google

★ 5

I began in 1982 and attended up to 1985, Martial Arts training have come along way since then and even back in my day Master Clark was one of the first to implement cutting edge technology to enhance the training and learning of his students. To this day he provides everything you could want or ask for and has created the means to do it but having said that it is important to realize that everyone is unique in their abilities and developing skills does take time. This is up to each individual and practice(home and /or at the schools) and attitude is what will advance one in their career regardless if your a professional or a novice. Regardless if your pursuit it as a sport, interested in self defense or just moving up the belt ranks. It is up to you or your kid to apply what is taught and not all material will come easy or be within ones ability. Like any sport or physical activity this is true regardless if it martial arts, or dance, or who your instructor is or who they affiliated with. The ATA is a good organization and Master Clark has been involved with several aspects of Sport Karate even outside of his school and ATA organizational duties. He has invited some legendary (nonTaekwando) figures of the sport to come teach seminars in his schools. I am pleased that I was able to do my training with Master Clark at the start and it served me well even when I trained with others in other martial art styles and with other organizations. I recommended his schools highly!

Source: Google

★ 5

The Master's Gathering Seminar was the best, most professionally run seminar I have attended. Nothing was left to chance. Everything from scheduling, structure, organization, cleanliness and the quality of teaching can all be summed up to one word: PROFESSIONALISM!!

Obviously others have felt the same. After the first set of classes - it was clear that the bar is set high - providing an example for all of us to reference as we thought about how we would either bring or change the structure in our schools.

If there has to be only seminar a year that I could attend - it would be with Chief Master Clark in Jacksonville.

Source: Google

★ 5

There is no better place to learn martial arts in Florida! The facilities are top notch, a step above anything else out there. The instructors and staff are extremely talented and capable. Everything is run with such precision, nothing is done half way, nothing is left half taught. You can be assured that when you are done with a class, you have learned everything you possibly can, and you'll be hungry for next time. This is a school you could spend your entire life in and still be loving every minute. The professionalism and excellence of this school is perfect, and you will love every minute of training with everyone.

Source: Google

★ 5

Great Instructors! Awesome Programs! The facility is large and very nice. The staff is great and very knowledgable. I highly recommend to anyone looking to start martial arts, as well as to all instructor looking for additional training. I was just there for great training. The training was perhaps some of the best I have had in my martial arts career. Thanks to Chief Master Clark and his staff for their training and example that they set for the martial arts world.

Source: Google

★ 5

The seminar was one of the best seminars I have ever attended in 25 years. The staff did an amazing job from the moment I arrived through the time I left. I was proud to be a part of so many masters training in one building all at the same time. It was clear to me that all of my associate Masters and school owners all had the same thing in common. We want our schools to continue to offer the best and the most state of the art in learning martial arts. Thank you again Master Clark and all of your staff members.

Senior Master David Berry

Source: Google

★ 5

The Staff at Chief Master Clark's Karate America is top rate. They went out of their way to make all of us feel comfortable while training at the Warrior's Gathering. I can't wait for the next level of training. Thank you !!!

Source: Google

★ 5

We came prepared to hang with the best people on the planet and we were rewarded with high intensity, spectacular planning, gracious hospitality and world class everything! Thanks to Master Clark and his great instructional staff and admin support for all you did for us that week-end and all you do!

Source: Google

★ 5

Fantastic Training at the Masters Gathering ! Loved it ! Will definitely come back.

Source: Google

★ 5

My son started with Karate America in 2001. Yes, I spent a lot of money, and I would do it again. There were times he wanted to quit but I would not allow him to. I watched so many parents sign contracts expecting their kid to become great over night and then when they didn't, get mad and want out of their contract. They usually are spoiled brats whose parents cater to their every whim, thought their kid would look cute in a karate uniform. If you truly want your child to get excellent training, and learn discipline and self control, you need to give it time and not allow them to whine and quit.

Source: Google

★ 3

What is cool to watch is a good scrap between one of the husband and wife instructor teams in an all goes until one hollers I QUIT ! ! ! !

Source: Google