Knight's Isshin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo LLC

The Knights are passionate and compassionate practioners of Isshin-Ryu karate and kobudo. Methodical and consistent in their teaching techniques, the Knight's dojo can meet the needs of any skill level student. They've developed young black belts who are both technically proficient in the style and knowledgeable about its history. Sensei Stacie is patient but firm with younger students, like my daughter, building their confidence, character, and discipline. This is a quality dojo run by a local family who really cares about their dojo ohana. If you're looking to try karate for yourself or your family, the Knight's dojo is the best place to start.

This dojo has done so much for my 7 yr old son, who has been coming here for over a year. In the beginning I had to 'encourage' him to attend because he lacked confidence. A year later, he begged me to participate in the dojo's first annual tournament, and he did great! He has learned that trying hard, commitment, and discipline really make a difference in his karate, and in his life. Sensei Stacy teaches him so much more than just kicks, blocks, and punches and self defense - she teaches life skills.

My son and daughter have been committed to Knights Karate dojo for a few years, twice a week sometimes three times. They are excited to go to every single class! Both of them love what the are learning, the instructors and the peers on this journey with them. It’s been a wonderful experience for our family so far. Great job Knight’s!

My son has been with Knights Isshin Ryu for almost three years. He started as an energetic 3yr old and has promoted from little dragons to intermediate. His maturation, discipline, self-control, and skills have improved exponentially from his time with the Knights. A few weeks ago he mustered the courage to participate in their first Kata tournament. Although he was extremely anxious, the preparation provided by the Knight family enabled him to perservere and perform. He is now so proud of his accomplishment he is eagerly awaiting the next event. We can’t be more happy with the instruction provided by Sensei David and Stacie as they have been a huge part of our little man’s growth. We highly recommend them for anyone looking to instill basic life skills, maturation, and Isshin Ryu instruction into their child’s life.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but felt this was warranted, given the experience we had. Let this serve as a warning to others: My son has been practicing at Knight’s Isshin-Ryu Karate since April 2024. We’ve signed multiple six-month contracts, paid every bill on time, bought the required uniform and equipment, and paid extra fees for belt promotion ceremonies. My son has shown up, often three times a week, memorized Isshin-Ryu history, advanced through four belts, and fully participated in dojo culture and events. Because my family spends two months each summer working on the East Coast, I requested flexibility with their contract, which had been granted. However, when I attempted to renew in August of this year, I was told I could not due to their six-month minimum contract requirement. I agreed to the contract, given it was August and I would not depart until June of the next year - I offered to sign a six- or even a nine-month contract. But Knights never responded. Multiple calls and emails went unanswered. After more than two weeks of silence, I went to the dojo in person to try to get my son signed up. At that point, I was told directly — with some defensiveness and hostility — that I was no longer a client, that my contractual obligations had been met, and that they would not renew the contract given I could not commit to back-to-back six-month contracts or a one-year agreement. Shockingly, I was told my son would need to find a new karate dojo - despite all the time and effort he had already invested in Knights. It is important to note that I also observed that students seem to promote to the next belt about one week before their contracts expire. This happened to my son twice - as well as the majority of his class during the promotion ceremony last May. I don’t think this is a coincidence. This pattern raises concerns that promotions are scheduled more for contractual convenience than for individual student progression. I even brought this up once, when I felt my son was being promoted before he was ready. This situation was especially disappointing as I believed in the Knight’s values of respect, hard work, integrity, and determination - and expected them to practice what they preached to their students. Given that the Knight’s is run by a prior military member, I expected professionalism and integrity. Yet, when faced with a dedicated student and family asking for fairness, they abandoned him. My son, who invested over a year of effort, was simply dismissed from the karate dojo. He is now heartbroken given the time and effort he invested, only to be treated like a contract number. In my experience, Knight’s Isshin-Ryu Karate prioritizes rigid contracts and revenue over student development and well-being. Families considering this dojo should weigh carefully whether those priorities match what they are seeking for their children, and recognize that their child may be cut off at any time at a whim. If you value your child’s time and effort, think twice before trusting Knight’s Isshin-Ryu Karate.