What people are saying about Dojos!

I began taking kickboxing just before my 58 th birthday attending classes 4 to 5 times a week. At the time, I had been trying to lose weight for over a year, but I was stuck on a bubble. Once I began kickboxing, I found my weight dropping and reached my goal within two months. Since then, I have not only maintained my weight loss but my cholesterol dropped nearly 100 points thrilling both my doctor and myself. I have also found that I have increased stamina and energy. I raked leaves the other day for over 4 hours straight and wasn't tired. I could not have done that a year ago! I truly believe the regular workouts will keep me healthier and feeling younger. I love it!

Julia C.
Des Moines , IA

Dojos Karate Student

My son Ethan has been taking karate classes at Dojo's in Ankeny since September 2006. I am impressed with the quality of instruction.. It is a fun, positive, fast paced activity. The students are taught respect, self discipline, self confidence, listening skills, and the physical skills of karate.

The instructor can really connect with the children. The classes are self protection oriented, taught with discipline and motivation. The kids are always smiling, even when disciplined in the instructors positive manner. I've never before seen kids enjoy doing push ups as well as they do at Dojos.

Ethan has had tremendous change in attitude towards school work. His attitude is more positive in all tasks he sets his mind to. I wish I had this opportunity when I was a child.

Thank You Dojo's,

Eric M.
Ankeny , IA

Dojos Karate Student

I was 23 years old, 6'2" tall, weighed in at a very out of shape 220 pounds, and had been smoking for upwards of 12 years.

With each class, I was losing weight and improving my health. If the classes got tough, I just remembered that I was reversing the damage I had done to my health with food and cigarettes. Most of the time, I was too busy having fun to realize that I was working hard. As my clothing started fitting more and more loosely, I noticed myself getting less and less winded. This only made me work harder, anxious to continue what quickly became very noticeable progress.

When I signed up for karate, I knew I would eventually get in shape. I knew I would lose weight. I knew I would come out the other side with more tools with which to defend myself. Most importantly, I knew it was going to be a gradual process. What I didn't know was that the discipline karate teaches would help me make this new lifestyle change permanent. Not wanting to sabotage my progress, I started eating healthier (and actually enjoyed it!). My confidence and self-esteem were being exercised just as much as my body. I even felt better equipped to handle the stresses encountered in day-to-day life.

I am now 40 pounds lighter and 100% more healthy. The experience and rewards for me have been priceless. I look forward to every challenge now.

Dayton H
Mesa , AZ

Dojos Karate Student

Our two sons, Kyle age 7 and Carter age 6, have been taking karate from Dojo's since April 2006 and have learned so much. It is something they do together and have fun as well as learn discipline along with the karate. The instructor at Dojos, has done a fabulous job with all of the kids. His patience, humor and expertise is very impressive. He is an excellent role model for our boys.

The extra activities Dojos has such as Parent's Night Out or special classes have been great too. We try to take advantage of them whenever we can. Their flexible schedule has also been great for us as well. With three children in various activites between school, church and extracurricular, it can be hard to commit to one or two specific nights, so their schedule allows us to choose what classes work best for our schedule for any given week.

Kyle & Carter have been a part of the Little Dragons program and have loved it. We are very excited for them to advance to the Kids program soon and see how much more advanced they become. We want to thank Dojos for everything they do!! They put a lot of work into their programs and it shows!

Dawn & Tom L.
Kyle & Carter L.
Ankeny, IA

Dojos Karate Student

My son, Andy, is very shy and soft spoken. When we received his report card this term, we were quite surprised. On the comments from the teacher section, it said "participates in class discussions". In the years before, he only spoke when called on. We believe the credit for this goes to the Instructor at Dojos and the great Karate program. He also volunteered for a special part in his school's winter program, not something he would normally have done in the past. He enrolled in Karate 3 months ago, and we see results already with his self confidence. It's great!!

Shelly T.
Ankeny, IA

Dojos Karate Student

Since starting Karate at Dojos Family Martial Arts in February, we have noticed Adam's confidence grow in all areas of his life. The weekly lessons Adam learns at Dojos make him a better son, brother, classmate, student and person. The time invested at Dojos today will pay Adam dividends all through his life.

Jamie & Lynne J.
Ankeny, IA

Dojos Karate Student

Thank you so much for opening your dojo here in Ankeny ! Since I had Madison and Kaeden start your class, I have seen such improvement in all areas of there life! Kaeden refuses to eat unhealthy! Madison has focused her energy into practicing her Kata! Anytime Kaeden does something good he wants me to put it on his "ports card"... =-) I have also learned very good lessons just by watching how the instructor interacts with the kids. We all look forward to coming out as much as possible, it really is the highlight of the kids day!!

Thanks to everyone at Dojos Family Martial Arts, keep up the AWESOME work!!!
Madison
Kaeden
Travis W.
Ankeny, IA

Dojos Karate Student / Body Shaping Member

My 7-year-old son has been taking karate at Dojo's for about 9 months. It has been a very positive experience for him and for our family; he enjoys the class, takes pride in his accomplishments and is very motivated to continue in the class. He is learning not only physical skills, but also the values of honesty, respect, courtesy, friendship, focus and discipline. During each class session, The Instructor encourages the kids to practice these values at home and school as well as in class. I feel these are lessons that will stick with my son for a lifetime. The Instructor is excellent; he is obviously skilled at karate, but also has a very age appropriate teaching style and is a great role model for the kids.

I have also been participating in the bodyshaping classes since last spring. I have enjoyed the increased level of fitness, increased energy and overall feeling of well-being that I have obtained through the classes, as well as some nice friendships! The workouts are challenging, yet you can participate at your own level, building up as you go. The instructors are very motivating, positive and supportive; the workouts are always changing just enough to stay interesting and challenging. I also feel that I am setting a good example for my kids by incorporating more exercise into my routine, and they think it's cool that their mom takes class at the karate school!

We have definitely benefited from being involved at Dojo's and would encourage anyone to come out and try it!

Andrea and Michael W.
Ankeny, IA

Dojos Karate Student

Our daughter Cameryn (Camy) began Karate training in May of 2006. She had just become a big sister 2 months earlier and was feeling sort of left out. She needed something to build her confidence. We chose Karate because we also hoped to channel some of her excessive energy into something productive and hopefully to improve her focus.

The results have been nothing short of amazing. She is the center of the family universe on Karate nights. She urges us to hurry so that she will not be late for class and she will be able to see "Sir" and her friends. She loves being part of a team. She feels very special, and loves to cheer for others during class.

Her focus has improved dramatically. Sitting still remains a challenge for her, but she is no longer going in 50 directions at once, and she is able to follow through with tasks and concentrate on what she is doing. She is also remarkably more confident. She takes pride in her activities, and is anxious for us to see what she has done, not only in Karate, but also in preschool. She is slowly getting more comfortable with being watched, and sometimes even tells her sister, "watch Sissy, I can lead you by example".

Her improved focus has also gained her praise in preschool, a substantial difference from last year where learning was definitely not a priority for her. This year I hear from her teachers that she is actively participating in class, and is also willing and able to assist others when her tasks are complete. Another lesson learned, being a team player and helping others.

In closing, Karate has taught Camy some very valuable lessons, which have been taken out of the Dojo and incorporated into other parts of her life. She is no longer the shy little bundle of energy that she was 8 months ago. She is a far more confident bundle of energy with a long term goal, "earn a black belt".

Chris and Susan C.
Ankeny , IA

Dojos Karate Student

I am writing with regards to Dojo's Martial Arts School in Ankeny , Iowa . Our son, Morgan, has been interested in learning Karate for some time. He has always been one of the smallest boys in his school and recently has been dealing with a bully in his class. Therefore, I decided it was time to check out Martial Arts and see if we could fulfill his desire for the training as well as teach him a bit about protecting himself. Weapons have always fascinated our son and I was also interested in teaching him how to respect them.

In typical analytical fashion, I wanted to check out all the Martial Arts Schools in the Des Moines area. I contacted 6 existing schools. Over a period of time, I called the schools to interview them about their philosophies, schedules, requirements, costs, etc. In addition, we took advantage of free/introductory classes at each school to get a feel for the instructor and the environment. We were just completing our research when I happened to drive by the new Dojo in Ankeny . I decided to try out one more school before making our decision.

In the end, we chose to enroll at Dojo's. Since we live in a neighboring town, location was not the deciding factor. Dojo's was also not the least expensive program. As Morgan and I considered the options independently and together, we both came to the conclusion that Dojo's was the place for him.

The reasons we chose Dojo's:

I liked the instructors emphasis on character and positive self-esteem, in addition to teaching Karate. For example, each time he asks the students to sit, he asks them to "Sit like a Champion!" and they respond with "I am a Champion, Sir!" Well, if my child attends 2-3 classes per week and responds to this request 2-3 times during each class, at some point he is going to start believing that he IS a Champion! Who doesn't need that kind of self-esteem builder? This is just one example of how the instructor helps these students with positive self-talk.

The reasons we love Dojo's and will continue to attend classes:

The instructor is a terrific teacher. He has a natural ability to command respect and attention from the students. He does this with a kind but firm approach. His classes are very well organized and run smoothly. He is creative with the activities and keeps the classes fresh and exciting. Occasionally, he has some students that misbehave and he has dealt with these situations in a very calm and positive fashion.

The instructor focuses on teaching them to have good character and reinforces these skills throughout each class, in addition to learning Karate techniques. He makes learning how to BE a good person fun. My son loves to go to class and is proud of his accomplishments. I love to watch his classes and witness the wonderful skills that he is learning. The instructor is an excellent role model.

In a day where our kids have so many options of activities to be involved in, I am proud that we decided to join Dojo's and enroll our son in to a program where he is learning how to be a fit, healthy, responsible, and focused young boy. These skills will be important to him for the rest of his life.

Thank you,

Monica S.
Johnston , IA

Dojos Karate Student

We believe that it does take an entire village to raise a child and we're very happy that Dojo's is part of our "village" The life lessons taught at Dojo's are exactly what we are working to teach Noah. Noah is becoming a more disciplined and self confident boy because of the time he spends at Dojo's. The instructor is excellent with the children! We feel the positive reinforcement and role model approach that Mr. Wilber uses to teach the students at Dojo's is right on target."

Ann & Doug W.
Ankeny, IA