Taekwondo for Tucson kids and adults — taught by a clinical psychologist and martial arts master.

Your child gets 2 weeks of unlimited classes plus a free uniform, with no credit card required upfront. You’ll meet our coaches, your child will train alongside current students, and at the end of the trial we’ll have a short conversation about whether it’s a good fit. There’s no pressure to enroll, we want families who choose us, not families who feel cornered.

Our children’s classes start at age 6. But we have made a few exceptions for 5 year olds. We’ve found this is the age where most kids can follow class structure, retain technique, and actually enjoy the social side of training. We also offer adult classes for ages 13 and up.

Yes, and often these are the kids who benefit most. Our coaches are trained in mental skills coaching by Dr. Torres, including how to work with kids who are nervous, easily frustrated, or new to group settings. We pace progress to the individual child, not the class average.

Yes. TKD Wellness began as a hospital-based therapy group founded by Dr. Yoendry Torres, a clinical psychologist, before evolving into the martial arts school it is today. We are not a clinical or therapy program, but the same mental skills that helped kids in that original group are now built into our Taekwondo curriculum. Drills can be modified, students go at their own pace, and we’ll have an honest conversation about fit with you before enrolling.

No. Most of our students start with zero experience. Our coaches will meet your child wherever they are.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art known for fast kicks, athletic footwork, and a strong philosophical foundation (respect, perseverance, self-control). Compared to grappling-based arts like jiu-jitsu, taekwondo involves less wrestling and more striking discipline. At TKD Wellness, we also incorporate forms (patterns), meditation, and mental skills, which research shows lowers aggression and improves focus.

No, and research is clear on this. Schools that train only competition-style sparring tend to increase aggression. Schools that include forms, philosophy, meditation, and structured discipline (which is our model) actually decrease aggression and improve self-control.

No. Tournaments are entirely optional. Many of our students never compete and still progress all the way to black belt.

Beginning students (white, yellow, and orange belts) are never required or expected to spar. Intermediate and advanced students (green through black belts) participate in light in-class sparring drills only and free-sparring. Competition is still optional.

Yes. We have parent seating in the dojang and parents are welcome to watch any class. Most parents stay for trial classes and the first few weeks; many continue to watch every class and become part of our community.

Belts are earned. Students must demonstrate the skills, forms, and conditioning required for each level before they’re invited to test. There is a testing material fee, but passing is based on performance, not payment. Some students take longer than others to advance, and that’s by design.

Yes. With our unlimited membership, students can attend any class throughout the week, so a missed class can be made up by attending a different scheduled session. If you choose the basic membership (2 classes per week) just make up the missed class with any other that same week.

Safety is built into our curriculum. Our coaches are SafeSport-certified and background-checked, students wear required protective gear during contact drills, beginners do not free-spar, and we follow USA Taekwondo’s youth safety standards. Minor bumps happen in any sport; serious injuries are rare. We carry liability insurance and require a signed waiver before participation.

We’re transparent on pricing. Monthly memberships: $145 unlimited classes, $115 for 2 classes per week, $255 for family memberships (2 or more members from the same household). No contracts, cancel anytime. Comparable Tucson programs run $175+ per month.

Membership includes in-person classes. Optional additional costs: quarterly belt testing material fees, sparring gear set (intermediate and up), tournament registration fees (only if you choose to compete), USA Taekwondo membership (only required for certain tournaments), and extra uniforms. We’ll review all costs upfront so there are no surprises.

No. We’re month-to-month, cancel anytime. We also offer discounted multi-month memberships paid in advance for families who want to lock in savings.

Then they don’t enroll, and there’s no charge beyond the $99 trial. We’d rather have a smaller school of families who genuinely want to be here than push enrollment on kids who aren’t a fit.