Questions & answers
Asked and answered
The questions families actually ask, including the awkward money ones. If yours isn't here, ask at the desk or by email; you'll get the same plain answer.
Which program is right for my child?
By age: 4–6 join Little Herons, 7–9 Young Herons, 10–13 Juniors, and teens 14+ train with the adults in Foundations. If your child is on a boundary (just turned 7, small for 10), book the trial in either band and the coach will make a call with you after class: the fit matters more than the birthday.
Do you charge belt-testing fees?
No: $0 at every rank, always. Gradings happen during regular class time each season and the new belt is included. Schools that invoice each promotion (commonly $25–$100, rising with rank) can quietly double a family's real cost; we publish this policy so you can hold us to it.
Are there contracts or enrolment fees?
Neither. Every membership is month-to-month, there is no enrolment or registration fee, and cancelling takes 30 days' notice by email, phone, or in person. You can also pause up to 2 months a year free.
Is martial arts safe for kids?
Our kids programs are built around control: no head contact at any kids level, grappling starts from the knees, and sparring exists only in Juniors, opt-in, padded, after six months of training, and refereed by a coach. Parents watch from the bench beside the mat, every class.
I'm an adult and completely new. Will I have to spar?
No. Adult Foundations contains zero sparring by design, and nobody is ever pushed into contact elsewhere. All-levels kickboxing has no head-contact sparring at all, and BJJ live rounds are split by experience and always by agreement.
How fit do I need to be to start?
Start where you are. Every drill scales, conditioning is calibrated to you rather than the room, and the coaches genuinely prefer teaching beginners. Fitness is a side effect of training here, not an entry requirement.
What should I bring to a first class?
Comfortable clothes, a water bottle, and bare feet. We lend clean loaner gis for karate, Juniors, and BJJ trials, and gloves for kickboxing trials: buy nothing until you know you're staying.
What does a membership actually cost, all-in?
The number on the pricing page is the number: kids $99–139/month, adults $139–169/month, tax included, uniform included at enrolment, belts included forever. The only future costs are replacement uniforms at our cost and optional Juniors sparring gear (~$85) if they choose to spar.
Do you offer family discounts?
Yes: 25% off the second family member, 50% off the third and beyond, and a whole-household cap of $429/month. Two kids plus a parent typically lands around $330/month all-in.
Can I join the Women's Self-Defence cycle midway?
You can join at the start of any week in the six-week cycle: each week stands alone, then builds. If you join late in a cycle, we'll pro-rate and carry you into the next one so you get all six weeks.
What if we miss classes: holidays, sickness, exams?
Kids can make up missed classes in any same-band session the same month. Adults just come to another class on the timetable. Longer gaps: pause your membership, free, up to 2 months a year.
Do your students compete?
Some do, casually: a few local BJJ and karate tournaments a year, always optional, never a status marker in the room. We're a school first. If your goal is a serious competition camp, we'll happily point you to gyms built for that.
Money questions answered in full on the pricing page, and your first class is free to book either way.
The only offer we run
Try a class. Pay nothing. Decide slowly.
Any program, any trial-marked class on the schedule: no card, no contract, and an honest chat with the coach afterwards about whether this is your right room.