★ 5

I was not sure what to expect from United Tae Kwon Do. For context, my kids trained briefly at a DIFFERENT academy, and we had inconsistent experiences with their instructors and administrative staff. I'm happy to say that United has been an excellent fit for our family in so many ways.

The instructors are patient and passionate. I truly don't know how they manage to know each student so well and match their instruction to different abilities. My 8 year old tries to attend as many classes as he can, which is not something we have experienced with him in any other activity!!! My 6 year old was very shy at the beginning, but now she SHINES in the Tiny Kickers class!

Also, after experiencing some disorganization with another school's admin side of things, I have an appreciation for how organized and available the admin staff is at United. Master Marci is often in her office and happy to answer my questions about billing, class schedules, costs of equipment, etc. Our family is in a financial place where we need to understand costs and have time to plan for expenses, and Master Marci has been really helpful in helping us navigate that in a way that will allow our kids to participate fully ❤️

We have been at United for about 5 months now and I can't say enough good things.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

We moved to Chapel Hill last year and we are so thankful that we found UTA for my 6 and 9 year olds. It is a wonderful community and has been so positive for the kids. All the teachers are fantastic - we especially love Mr. Putnam's energy with the Tiny Kickers. Every class is fresh and different, and they strike a balance of high expectations/discipline with lots of support and playfulness. I can't say enough good things!

Source: Google

★ 5

We have loved our experience at United Tae Kwon Do and plan to be attending for years to come. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was surprised and appreciated that there was no need to have any sort of martial arts background, we have been able to jump right in. I love how supportive the instructors are- there is a great balance of knowing what the students are capable of, pushing them to that capability and providing incredibly supportive and encouraging instruction. I also love that a factor in advancing is how students are doing at home and school, teaching the importance of applying the lessons they learn in class to their whole selves. My parents, who reside out of state, have also been very impressed and want to take my daughters to their classes when they are in town because they enjoy [watching] the classes so much. We can’t say enough positive things about United Tae Kwon Do Academy!

Source: Google

★ 5

I started going here after enrolling my son in the excellent after-school program. This is a phenomenal place of belonging, for children, parents, and people of all ages wishing to master themselves. Grand Master Patridge and the senior instructors all embody the importance of living up to your potential, giving your fullest, both inside and outside the dojo. There is both respect for the individual and a commitment to holding students to the highest standard, a firm and steady nurturing that pervades the whole experience. I have found a second home here, and I am grateful to be among so many other parents who started to support their children's practice but found their own path along the way.

Source: Google

★ 5

We started at United Tae Kwon Do when our son was 4 shortly after we moved to Chapel Hill. The instructors are incredible at teaching with kindness and infectious energy and enthusiasm while also maintaining a strict no-nonsense environment in which kids can truly learn high-level Tae Kwon Do. Our daughter was inspired by her brother and started in the Tiny Kicker program as well, and my husband and I joined shortly after her. UTA has become a second family to us and we look forward to going every day! Not only is it great exercise, but it is a fun family activity in which we can learn a skill together. The instructors are second-to-none and we feel so fortunate to have UTA in our lives. Honestly it is one of the reasons we continue to live in Chapel Hill!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

UTA has been such an incredible experience for our son (and family)! The Office staffs' kindness, flexibility and willingness to always accommodate is such a welcomed change from our previous experiences. We have been at UTA for over 3.5 years and are so happy to have found such an amazing environment. Thank you to all the UTA staff members!

Source: Google

★ 5

Appreciate dedicated staff and instructors. They are awesome.

Source: Google

★ 5

We are so fortunate to have one of the best places to learn the martial arts in the country right here in our Chapel Hill/Carrboro area backyard! I could go on and on about the positives, but I think the most important thing that sets UTA apart from other martial arts schools, is their unmatched focus on teaching. Grand Master Partridge and all of the UTA instructors (most all are master level instructors) really enjoy watching every student learn and grow, no matter their age or abilities. As an older adult who just started learning in my late 50s, I really appreciate the joy the whole UTA team shows in watching their students develop, whether they are 4 years old or 84. And given the positive environment and quality of instruction, the pace of growth at all levels is brisk.

Source: Google

★ 5

Dear Grand Master Partridge and Team,
We are so pleased with United Tae Kwon Do Academy! Our 9yo son (Arlo) started there in May 2022 and was immediately motived by the incredible instructors. They exude positivity and work extremely well with kids. Our son had no prior experience and has a tremendous amount of energy. He needs an outlet and responds very well to the discipline of Tae Kwon Do. We’ve witnessed his improved focus and positive behavior in just 3 months! He looks forward to workouts, instruction and new friends. We are signed up for the after school program this fall and are excited to see him grow with the family you’ve created there. Thank you!!

Source: Google

★ 5

The most professional team you will find in North Carolina! I absolutely love this place!

Source: Google

★ 5

Both of my children participate in the afterschool program here and absolutely love it! All of the instructors are great with the kids, I cannot speak highly enough about them.

Source: Google

★ 5

We absolutely love UTA! It's been transformational for our family. The instructors are fantastic at their craft, which is much more than just physical skills -- they build key components of character. Hoping to enroll our third family member soon...

Source: Google

★ 5

I can't say enough good things about this Tae Kwon Do school. My son had previous experiences with another in town that we were unhappy with so we were hesitant to have him enroll in a new one. But I'm so glad we did. Our son came to them as a fairly unfocused, unmotivated kid with little persistence or desire to work hard. Within a year he gained incredible focus, persistence, and motivation to succeed that began two translate to other areas of his life at school and at home. Three years later he is now working toward his second degree black belt (something we never imagined he'd ever aspire to), and demonstrates a level of maturity, patience in working hard toward goals, and helping out at home that I truly believe was a direct result of the stuff they teach here at this school. It isn't just an amazing physical activity, it's a way to grow as a person. And now he looks forward to helping younger kids and help out in other ways there.

A little about their COVID precautions. In the beginning (early 2020), I was skeptical and concerned. But they weren't the only group struggling to figure out how to stay in business and also keep things safe. The thing that made all the difference is that they listened and followed up. I shared with them, just like I shared with my daughter's gymnastics academy what I was not comfortable with, what I needed to feel okay with my kids going to these respective places. My daughter's place didn't listen and changed very few of their practices. Definitely not enough to make me comfortable, so eventually had to pull her out. However, United TKD listened. They continued to pivot, adjust, adapt, learn from what worked and didn't, until they perfected he plan. They went to Zoom trainings for a while, then slowly started bringing people back in. I came to watch and see how hey handled it all. They followed up with kids who didn't adhere to the guidelines and were clear about expectations. As a result I felt safe having my son continue with them and relieved he could continue.

In all, I really trust them to care for my child and have his best interest in mind, and to push him to become a better version of himself.

Source: Google

★ 5

Great instructors! Very professional !Great with kids & adults!

Source: Google

★ 2

I'm surprised many rate this academy 5/5 stars. I was actually disappointed the first day of my daughter's 5-day, $40 trail (which included the uniform). After 3 days, I had seen enough, enrolled her elsewhere. My daughter was a transfer student, had taken TKD for 6 months previously. She was experienced, although every school's curriculum is different. The owner, upon making her acquaintance, immediately thought it was appropriate to assign her a yellow belt (although my daughter was an orange belt). How exactly did her determine this if he didn't take the time to evaluate her technique one-on-one? He simply stated at the conclusion of her third class (in the middle of the facility's chaos rather than in an office-setting, revealing lack of genuine interest and professionalism), "I've been observing her.. she has a good foundation." Not only did I believe he wasn't being truthful, but he didn't bother to ask how she felt dropping back down to a yellow belt, a ranking typically achieved after 2-3 months of TKD training. "It's of equivalent ranking." No, sir. A genuinely concerned instructor does more than assume! Please, refer to the review I wrote about Master Mercer (Dong's MA School in Wilson, NC), an instructor who took the time to carefully evaluate my child when she transferred to his school.
Furthermore, it was truly an unorganized set-up, that which occurred on the mat. All belt ranks were allowed to participate during the same time-slot; there was too much going on in this facility at once, too many students for the couple of instructors and not enough mat space (Why else do you think one instructor became frustrated when another instructor's students invaded his class's mat space? He immediately requested they never interrupt his class again).
COVID precautions here? A joke. They were not seriously being established. Although everyone's temperature was seemingly being taken when entering the building (I managed to enter once without being checked as no one's actually guarding the door), there's no social-distancing occurring (obviously because there were too many individuals in the academy), students are engaging in activity requiring physical contact (as during a lesson in which one is taught to escape his/her attacker), plastic face shields are literally found on the floor when not in-use, which would minutes later be employed by a student (I actually saw a toddler playing with it moments earlier. Isn't this how germs are spread?), and even parents/relatives are welcomed to stay and watch! Isn't there an established capacity during this pandemic?
I would like to acknowledge the younger, enthusiastic instructors who are passionate about teaching TKD (unlike the owner and his wife who I perceived to be money-hungry).

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

We have two kids who have taken classes there for over a year. The admin staff are great. If anything ever comes up that messes with our budget they are always understanding and willing to work with us.

Source: Google

★ 5

Great foundation of my child’s development after moving to Chapel Hill 12 months ago.

UTA allowed my child to make new friends prior to school starting and keep friends even during another period of school transfer. UTA values and mentors members to grow stronger physically/morally, not just develop Tae Kwon Do techniques. Every part of their staff (management, office admin, after school, Tae Kwon Do) is actively teaching members the core values of UTA. In order for you to progress the belt system, members needs to improve their Tae Kwon Do skills and receive positive behavior comments from parents and school teachers. My child was also in UTA's After School program prior to COVID. My child even had her first birthday party in Chapel Hill at UTA.

For parents, working with the UTA staff is always a pleasure. The staff is always professional, knowledgeable and quick to respond to phone calls or emails. Their facility is top notch and well maintained. When new to Chapel Hill, we were able to get a lot of help on schools/residential information from the staff and other parents of UTA members.

Source: Google

★ 5

When we signed up our older child for a trial session of Taekwondo at United TKD Academy in 2018, I suspected that he would enjoy it, and that the quality of the instructors would match the expectation we had, based on the recommendation of a number of our neighbors and friends whose kids had spent any time there. I want to highlight the experience we've had with the administration in particular. The consistency of communication from the office, in particular the office manager Ms. Marci, has been so helpful to us in navigating the transition to online classes since March, gathering equipment to train at home, making sure our child is on track to meet his goals, and keeping him enthusiastic and motivated. I frequently suggest UTA when someone is looking for a well-run activity or after-school program with high expectations for both the kids and the staff as well as a great rapport with families. It is clear that Grandmaster Partridge and his staff are building a community at UTA, as much as running a small business. The growth in confidence and maturity I've seen in my own children, as well as leadership skills in the older kids that I am so glad my children want to emulate, keep us firmly committed to UTA.

Source: Google

★ 5

We love our UTA at Chapel Hill family! We’ve been part of it for almost 5 years now and it is an absolute honor that my son has been trained by this highly professional team. Master Partridge has an enormous knowledge that he shares so generously but what truly impresses me every time I see him is his ability to recognize the missing element in everyone’s technic so precisely and to the smallest detail that the advice he gives is truly what your child needs in order to learn and improve how true Taekwondo is done. Go UTA!!

Source: Google

★ 5

United Tae Kwon Do Academy is the greatest! They care about every student, and they put in the work to help every student individually. During the pandemic, they have been super accommodating to offer small in person classes (with masks/cleaning) as well as online classes. The instructors are amazing, the administration is organized, and all around it is a super welcoming place! I couldn't recommend United Tae Kwon Do any more!

Source: Google

★ 5

We've been with UTA since 2013, and it's hard to convey how important they are to our family. Our family has taken advantage of their after school program, their tae kwon do program, their summer camps, and their fitness classes. Our sons are not only stronger and fitter as a result, but they are also more confident, comfortable speaking in front of others, and are learning to be young leaders. As someone who never did martial arts when I was younger, I was skeptical at first, but now that I've seen the benefits in my own children, I am happy to tell others about how UTA has benefited my family. UTA fosters a close-knit community, and they've been amazing during the COVID19 pandemic. If you are looking for martial arts, after school, fitness classes, or even just summer camps or holiday camps, I strongly recommend UTA.

Source: Google

★ 5

Simply the best! Wonderful, caring and knowledgeable instructors that have a true passion for teaching not only physical skills but also values and respect. A great and safe place to learn about martial arts that genuinely cares about the family as a whole, the adults and the kids. The mixture of young and adult students is refreshing and makes it feel like we all belong to the same family, the UTA family!

Source: Google

★ 5

United TKD has provided an amazing experience for our two boys over the last 3 years. The martial arts instruction is extremely high level - coming from high level instructors, including Grand Master Partridge himself - all incredibly talented teachers and motivators - as well as talented martial artists. The organization as a whole is very well run, family oriented, and in these times, SAFE. They have quickly adapted to changing environments during COVID to continue to provide great instruction in a safe environment that is nurturing and stresses community, respect, commitment, and dedication.

Source: Google

★ 5

We absolutely love UTA and highly recommend this wonderful program! Our children (boy 12yrs, girl 10yrs) have been attending UTA for 5 years and also attended the After-School program for 4 years. Our children have graduated all the way from Tiny Kickers up to 2nd degree black belts and we couldn't be more proud of their accomplishments and their physical and mental growth. Master Partridge and the instructors and staff are great with the kids all around. They are caring and nurturing, and provide a very structured and informative learning environment for everyone involved.

Source: Google

★ 5

This is an absolutely fabulous place for both adults and kids! All of the instructors are incredibly professional and share what seems like a genuine joy and passion to teach. The staff is very knowledgeable and experienced. An amazing place!

Source: Google

★ 5

My children have been going to to UTA for after school and class for years and it's been an amazing experience. The instructors have helped both of my children achieve their tae-kwon-do goals along with building character traits that will help them the rest of their lives. UTA is always there for parents when school is closed. They offer teacher workday camp, snow day camp, and currently day camp when school begins remotely. For those concerned about the safety of going to an indoor facility, I can say that even before COVID-19, UTA has had high standards for the cleanliness of their facility. It's one of the few places I trust to allow myself and my children inside for a longer period of time.

Source: Google

★ 5

We could not have asked for a better experience. They have a unique style of teaching martial arts. We are very impressed with how they teach about values to their students. Their online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic have been of very high quality.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

We had our daughter's birthday party at United Tae Kwon Do and had a wonderful experience. The party room was beautifully decorated. The staff took care of all the details. The instructors were great with the kids and everybody had a wonderful time. Thank you!

Source: Google

★ 5

My daughter train Taekwondo in Korea and now she is here. In Korea, only young children and elementary school students usually train taekwondo. However, this was a very new experience, and I liked it, as parents and children were training together.

Source: Google

★ 5

I am continually floored by the professionalism, enthusiasm, and love that the instructors have for teaching and for us, the students. We are selective about our activities and come away energized and positive after every class. I wish I had time to go to class every day.

You all don't ask anything of the students that you don't model, yourselves, which makes all the difference in terms of asking young people to be respectful and disciplined. You have earned our family's trust time and again. After my 7 year old had been coming to class 3 days a week for a year, I signed up so that we could train together.

You connect the lessons from class with the way that we should treat each other in life, and how we should approach conflict and community. Your staff are diverse, as are your students, which is important to our family. You take learning students names--and getting them right--seriously. The instructors know where each individual student is in their training, what they need to be working on, and how best to motivate and support them--which is no mean feat. When we were first starting out you called to work out our trial schedule so that you could be sure to have an instructor available to give our kid individualized attention as he got started.

I am particularly impressed at the way you all handle helping families with school kids when there are unexpected closures, whether it is snow, hurricanes, or like today, a water main rupture that shut down most of the town. It must be such a relief for those parents to know they can count on you to pick their kids up from school and bring them safely to a positive, clean place to spend the afternoon. And I've never seen a tighter run ship! It was a pleasure to be in noon class today with Mr. Moises running class with 20 kids on the benches behaving so well, and every once in a while even helping count from the sidelines!

This place is the best, I've never seen anything else that even comes close!

Source: Google

★ 5

What can I say after three years as a student here? I love it! The instructors are very knowledgeable and do a great job of keeping discipline during class without having to break students down. The respect between instructors and students is always maintained. Bigger classes (20+ students) have students split up between instructors so that everyone gets some attention. However, smaller classes are my favorite because there's time to get into the details of the lesson for the day and I find that extremely helpful. I have come so far since I started my journey here and I'm looking forward to what the future brings.

Source: Google

★ 5

This facility is amazing! Both my girls have gained so much confidence. The instructors are great at providing one on one attention to each child. Highly recommend!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

The instructors and staff are absolutely wonderful! Both of my sons love it here, and we have struggled to find a sport or exercise program that they truly enjoy. But it's more than just exercise. There is a true sense of community here, of belonging to the UTA family. Great social and emotional centered growth as well.

Source: Google

★ 5

Went today to watch a child I sit for and as usual it was a great experience everyone is wonderful. I witnessed an interaction with another student and a teacher and the teacher was phenomenal. The encouragement here is inspiring :)

Source: Google

★ 5

Great staff. I love the personal attention they given my son and teach him focus and attention. Very much worth the time. Keep up the great work!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Fabulous Tae Kwon Do instruction, lots of positive energy, focus is on continual personal improvement and very well run. What else could you possible ask for? UTA is awesome!

Source: Google

★ 5

We're having a great time - just 4 months into it with our 6 year old daughter. Loved the trial package/period (great idea and deal) to make sure this was right for her. Mister Mike was great with us as newbies and working with a little kid, who was pretty nervous. Once signed up and attending group classes, I was so impressed with how welcoming and encouraging the instructors and other students were. My daughter is usually the smallest, youngest, slowest but she still feels like a champ - they clap for her! Among the many things we like are:
- lots of girls and women! - opportunity to come to many classes each week - Danielle in the office and instructors clearly like what they do and care about the kids/families. - they facilitate students introducing themselves to each other and exemplify politeness - they offer 'teachable moment' mini-lessons on things like honesty, integrity, supporting others, caring for your uniform - lots of compliments coming from instructors while they are also firm and address issues in class - big classes split into groups after the warm up so that there is more individual/small group instruction. An exceptionally great thing was the invitation early on that we could/should bring any issues - behavioral/outside world/feedback - to the instructors. I did just that when our daughter was struggling with not knowing what she was doing in class and feeling 'behind'. I was very pleased that we had such a positive, thoughtful and problem-solving conversation with instructors about her issue. Great resolution.

Source: Google

★ 5

When we first moved to Chapel Hill 2 years ago, we decided that my 8-year old daughter should take a martial art. We ended up choosing Tae Kwon Do although we went with a different school. I took martial arts as a teenager so I was relatively familiar with the beginning (white and yellow belt) instruction so it was fairly easy for me to see if my daughter knew the material or not. In addition, I work from home but live in a downtown area where there are not many children so we decided to take advantage of the other school's afterschool program. After a full year at the other school, and several very frank and honest conversations with the instructor, I concluded that, while they are very good with children, in my opinion, they were no more than a belt factory. It seemed like every 2 months was bonus time for the family owned business so while the owner's wife sported her Louis Vuitton bags, the children were graduated to the next belt despite many of them obviously not knowing the material in their testing.

I proceeded to look for another school and had heard of UTA in the past. I went to visit the school and I had a frank conversation with the office manager and the head instructor in an effort to vet this school better, share my previous experience and explore their philosophy in regards to testing, belt promotions, etc. Needless to say, based on their answers, I enrolled my daughter in their afterschool and TKD programs. They've been nice, friendly and have taken due diligence ensuring that my daughter was prepared and ready to test prior to allowing her to do so.

Yes, they have "events" as another reviewer put it but that's OK with me. They have extra-curricular activities as well (like Parent's Night Out) but nobody is required to participate. Yes, they tell the kids about upcoming events at the end of class but many times that's the only way the parents know about the activities. I like my daughter having social activities. Of course they cost extra money. This is a business. The activities cost money for them to put on.

Overall, I have been pleased to date with their afterschool program as well as the Tae Kwon Do instruction that my daughter has been receiving. Remember, she doesn't NEED afterschool care. My primary goal was to ensure that our daughter received a solid TKD education and not be advanced faster than she should be.

UTA has not let me down so far.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

United Tae Kwon Do Academy has provided great instruction for my oldest son. It is definitely more expensive than other programs in the area - we tried several (aikido, fencing, karate, judo) before finding this one, where he feels happy and has learned so much. I've since enrolled my other two children, although the finances are not easy, because the benefits are so great. The kids are not only getting in good physical shape, learning mental discipline, good habits, respect, values, and a few words of Korean :) ... they are part of a community where they both support and are supported by students and teachers. Other reviewers have complained about peer learning and teaching; I consider my son's time teaching other students as important to his training as his time spent "learning"... teaching is one of the best ways to learn, and a boost to self-confidence.

I appreciate the paid staff and the "student leadership team" equally, the teachers are human, but they seem to do an amazing job of balancing patience and high expectations, establishing positive relationships with a variety of students and their variety of attitudes and skills.

Source: Google

★ 5

United Tae Kwon Do is AWESOME! They teach self discipline, eye focus, body focus, and mind focus. My son has learned all of the above as well as respect and the importance if being honest and having integrity. I have been thoroughly impressed with UTK of Chapel Hill / Carrboro.

Source: Google

★ 5

United Tae Kwon Do Academy is far and away the best martial arts school in the Triangle. The head instructor, Master Partridge, is a 7th Dan National Champion and to be taught by someone of his caliber is an honor. The school is also run under the capable guidance of Master Shay and Master Mike, who both excel at their craft. As a 44 year old man I have found this to be a wonderful highlight of my week. After each class I feel more energetic, healthy and flexible, and that I am learning skills of great use. It is the attention to detail in training that really makes the difference. The instructors are respectful and courteous, but also command respect through their own actions. I have seen this to be extremely useful with younger kids who have difficulty with maintaining attention. I strongly recommend United TKD. Sign up and get yourself in good nick!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

UTA is the best martial-arts school in the Triangle. The instructors are well trained, kind, enthusiastic and obviously know what they are doing. They teach both kids and adults very well. They care about what they do and they are always ready to help any TKD student. The students at this school are disciplined, and the black belts are skilled, enthusiastic, and positive role-models for younger and lower-ranked students. The Instructors manage to make every class fun, and they bring a positive spirit to the classes they teach. I, as a student their have gone to their classes for five years, and I still enjoy what I learn and come weekly.

Source: Google