Enrollment Info

Please select a topic from the menu below, and read some important information about our school. Even if you do not chose our school, there is important information on how to find the correct school and what questions to ask. Do a little research, ask the right questions and you can have a very rewarding Martial Arts experience.

At Royal Dragon Martial Arts, 741 W. Lumsden Rd. Brandon, Florida, we offer a true martial arts school experience. When you enroll in our school, you join a school, not a business. Rank is earned and not purchased. We teach two separate martial arts systems with belt ranking offered in both Taekwondo & Hapkido. We will help you in choosing the Martial Arts style which is right for you. The feeling within our school is that of a Martial Arts educational environment, not a business, not a Day Care, not a Gym, we are solely a traditional martial arts school. Money and finance never interfere with training and the relationship between instructor and student. Our school is 2000 Sq.Ft. The environment is professional and safe, the restrooms are clean and sanitary. Lush floral planters fill the courtyard in the front of our school and are visible from our training area, which is located in the courtyard of Oak Park Plaza in Brandon. What may surprise you most is that our classes are organized and well disciplined. Many schools use all the "Buzzwords" discipline, focus, respect. However when you visit their childrens program it is more of a circus environment than a true Martial Arts disciplined environment. Come visit our childrens and/or family program you will see the difference! Our school is our temple, and it feels like a temple, and our students and instructor staff take pride in its quality. The traditional principles of spreading the history, philosophy and tradition of the martial arts are honored, rather than the modern concepts of finance, retail and revenue. There are no egos, competitive attitudes, or hidden agendas within our school. What you will find is a safe, friendly, & fun atmosphere. Currently few schools offer this perspective, we welcome you as our student, we welcome you as our friend, and we invite you to join our martial arts family.

In Taekwondo we teach the Taeguk forms, and our focus is purely self-improvement and self-defense, not sport competition Taekwondo. We compete and support local & regional tournaments, but this is not our school focus. We did not build our school curriculum around repetitive sparring drills. This curriculum was designed around technique, & traditional martial arts skill. Contrary to popular belief, Taekwondo is not just kicks, it is the art of the hands and feet and contains dozens of effective hand strikes and techniques as well as the famous spin & jump kicks. These kicks & strikes can be very useful for street self-defense applications when applied and taught correctly. Our school focus is a healthier mind, body & spirit through self-confidence, hard work, and proper physical and mental training, not competitive point sparring. Cardio, Flexibility, Speed, Power, & Mental Focus are what we strive for. We support and follow World Taekwondo Federation guidelines and Grandmaster Jae Hak Lee, Korean 8th Dan Grandmaster.

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Hapkido is an extremely effect style of self-defense where an attackers energy & strength can be used against them. The main focus of Hapkido is joint locking, balance disruption, and pain compliance. In Hapkido, we offer a blend of Modern & Traditional Hapkido techniques and concepts. Our school also teaches the history and terminology as I feel it is important to honor the history and classic style of this beautiful and most effect martial art. We teach both open hands and weapons training including escrima, knife, & cane. Hapkido is an art rich with heritage and can be enjoyed by any age. Safety, effectiveness, and accessibility is what makes our Hapkido program unique. You are encouraged to accomplish what you can accomplish for your age and body type. Everyone can improve, everyone can learn and the program is customized for you so you are not expected to do the same as a 20 year old. We welcome adults and seniors into our Hapkido program. Our Hapkido program does not have association fees, annual membership dues, or additional black belt certification fees. These fees can add up $100's of unnecessary dollars to your Martial Arts training. Please shop and compare and ask about all fees when inquiring about the Martial Arts and in particular, Hapkido. Our school is free from all of these excessive type fees and focuses on just training. Our Martial Arts program does not focus on the sales of videos, merchandise, memberships and seminars. Our focus is State of the Art Martial Arts training with traditional Martial Arts ethics.

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Are there any hidden Association or Federation enrollment fees when I join?
No, absolutely not, some schools offer a lead-in price or promotion only later to add a $30 enrollment fee. Some schools also charge an annual membership fee. When you sign up in our school there are no contracts, no hidden enrollment fees and no annual membership dues.

Will my child or I get hurt or injured due to hard contact training?
At our school we do not practice hard contact drills. Tournament contact sparring is voluntary for those interested in competition. Our daily and weekly training is designed to strengthen not injure the body. We practice modern safety standards in our training. Our curriculum is primarily self-defense, not sport. Those not interested in competition can train in self-defense and skill development only.

When can I enroll? When are your beginner classes? And what will I expect my first class?
Our enrollment times are 6:00pm Mon. & Wed. or Saturday at 11:00am. You can also schedule an appointment if you prefer, please call 654-5425. Most of our classes are all belt classes with the exception of Black Belt and Advanced class (see our schedule). During your first class you will have assistance from the instructor, a leadership team member, and or a higher rank student. They will all assist in showing you your new white belt level requirements. We gradually introduce you to your new skills and allow your mind and body to develop in a way that is comfortable for you. We pride ourselves in making you feel as comfortable as possible, and we all train as friends, there is no ego and competition to deal with within our school. Everyone proceeds comfortably at their own pace.

Will my child learn discipline & respect?
These are some of the "buzzwords" that are used frequently in the Martial Arts. However when you visit your average Martial Arts childrens class, it is anything but disciplined and organized. Visit our classes and you will see the difference!. Our classes are very disciplined, organized and professional. Our children have fun, they smile, they learn however they are kept in line with respect to themselves, their fellow students and our school. They learn how to respect themselves, their peers, our school, and our authority.

What is the youngest age you accept?
This is probably the most asked question we get. Traditionally age 7 or 8 is a good time to begin training. With that said we have had some 6 year old students that do well and some who have not done well. It depends on the child. How come some other schools accept 3 and 4 year olds? Because some other schools are solely focused on money and they run day care centers not traditional Martial Art schools. A child of 3, 4 or even 5 cannot earn what is considered true traditional Martial Arts rank. It is virtually impossible. Can they practice activities that resemble martial arts? Yes. However they cannot earn real rank. To give a 4 or 5 year old a green belt, red belt or any other rank is just dangerous and unethical. It implies that have learned what teens and adults have learned and it is just impossible. They cannot grasp all of the requirements mentally, physically and spiritually when you consider real rank. It is like a game, or play time rank, but it is not real. So these schools will take your money, and the child will get fake rank or spin their wheels until they are old enough to earn real rank. Ask yourself this important question, Is a child of 3, 4 or 5 mature enough to understand the implications of using a self-defense technique such as palm strike, elbow strike, or a kick? The answer is "No", there is the danger of a child that age misusing these techniques and injuring another child or toddler. They are simply not old enough for the responsibility of learning "Martial" or "Warlike" techniques. That is what "Martial" means. Why are our classes so well disciplined and organized? Because we only accept students who are old enough to accept the responsibility of training in the true Martial Arts. So you can send your child to a day care center to learn "play" Martial Arts and earn hollow rank, or you can wait until they are the proper age to enroll them in a real school with ethical requirements for real traditional rank.

Our staff of instructors are all adult, all hold at least a 1st Degree Black Belt, four of our instructors are 2nd Dan or above, and are specifically trained on the implementation of our curriculum. They are provided with study sheets, guidelines, curriculum changes, student comment sheets, and must repeat the same fundamental lessons that they learned on each technique before they are permitted into the leadership/instructor program. This keeps the quality of the training consistent and avoids the inconsistency of a poorly organized instructor staff. We follow the American Council of Martial Arts guidelines for Martial Arts instruction and our staff is trained extensively on proper procedures of warmup, training, cool down, and dealing with students physical and developmental needs. Regular instructor meetings and comment sheets keep all instructors informed on student progress, areas of concern, and the overall flow of training at the school. Instructors are regularly briefed on individual adult students needs, childrens needs, and parental needs, all basis are covered. We have six instructor levels of training, and all levels include specific training, reading, and guidelines. It is shocking how unorganized, unprofessional and poorly trained some Martial Arts schools are and how untrained their staff is. Leadership, education and example are what the Master instructor should provide for his staff as well as his students. You will not find a more comprehensive and studious instructor staff in our area. Beware of those instructors who purchase their paper credentials without truly qualifying for an instructor position (see "tips on finding a school" section for more info). For more of our staff info click here.

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Our Trial Program is 1st Months for $99 with a free uniform! No strings attached, no obligations or sales pitch! Unlimited training for four weeks with a free uniform!

We do not advertise enrollment lead-ins or have hidden charges. These deceptive practices have no place in the Martial Arts and do not nourish a healthy student/instructor relationship. Beware of those who offer a "lead-in" promotion and then charge a Federation enrollment fee of $30 or later raise your tuition price with so called "upgrades". Some schools also have an annual renewal for membership fee. Some schools raise your tuition price when you get to the higher ranks! This can add up to $1000's of dollars of needless expense over the course of your Martial Arts training. Make sure you ask up front if there are Federation Fees or annual Membership Dues. Our school has no hidden fees or annual renewals and we do not raise your tuition when you get to certain belt levels!

We have flexible tuition prices according to how often you would like to train. We also offer some billing options which can save you money. You are billed once monthly for your tuitions. Or you can try our quartlerly or semi-annual payments to save on tuition price! There are no hidden Federation or annual membership fees. Additional family members can join for a discounted price! Uniforms are $29.95 but are included free with our enrollment program. There are no contracts, each student pays month to month. For about $15-$20 per week you can have a true martial arts school experience. Your tuition allows us to support the operation of our School. We operate as a team of martial artists and one family. For more info on joining our school call (813) 654-KICK (5425) You can even enroll online and pay with a credit card for your first month and uniform. To find our more about pricing and enrollment CLICK HERE. You can also sign up for coupon payments or automatic monthly bank payments for your tuition. Whichever you prefer.

PRICE COMPARISONS

When comparing Martial Arts schools, shopping by price is not always the best way to shop. Shop and compare the schools by quality, not price. Like anything in life, when you are comparing restaurants, automobiles, clothing, etc. We do not hold you to a contract or raise your tuition price at a later date! (see our advice section below for more info). We offer options according to your training needs, from $59.95 or $79.95 limited class plans to $99.95 for our unlimited class plan. We invite you to come in and try or watch a class and meet the instructor staff. You will see the difference. We are not a revenue based belt factory that promotes students for profit. We promote and evaluate students based on skill. Ours is a traditional Martial Art school not a corporate for profit multi-level marketing store! Come try our school for the first month for only $99 and we'll include a free uniform! You will see the difference.

VALUE

For as little as $59.95 per month you can attend classes at a state of the art professional Martial Arts school.! Piano or Guitar lessons can be as much as $30 for a one hour class, for $99.95 you can attend unlimited classes per month! This is a great value for the beneficial skills a student will develop. Our uniforms are $29.95 + tax. We have family discounts for our tuition programs and have several payment plans which can save you even more! Our school enrollment program is $99 for the first month and includes a free uniform! This is an exceptional value and a way to try our school and experience the martial arts. You can PRINT OUT THIS FORM and bring it with you to your first class or you may obtain one at the school and fill it our prior to your first class. Any questions email us.

1) AVOID CONTRACTS!
There is absolutely no need to ever sign a contract with a school. Would you sign a contract with a hair stylist, dentist, doctor, little league or soccer coach? It is a ridiculous concept to sign your child or yourself to a contract for 1 year, 3 years or 6 months to a school. Things change, maybe you or your child will realize the martial arts are not for you. Maybe the instructor or curriculum will change and you will be dissatisfied later. The only instructors demanding contracts are those that cannot retain students the legitimate way, by great teaching skill, motivation and responsibility to their art. Contracts are a way to keep students captive in a poor school. They are also used for money, money, money and to guarantee income to an instructor who is less than qualified to teach and worried about his students quitting. We never use contracts at Royal Dragon Martial Arts, we have been in Brandon Florida same location for eleven years. There have been schools in Brandon that used contracts with their students, then the school closed and they still attempted to enforce their contracts! Beware of contracts.

2) BEWARE OF UNUSUAL FEES & RENEWALS!
There are no additional enrollment fees at our school. There are also no Association or Federation enrollment fees, annual membership fees or multiple certification fees at our school. Shop and compare and avoid the school which burdens its students with unnecessary signing fees & annual dues. Ask what each fee is for. We only charge for tuition & tests, no other money is sent up the ladder to corporate leaders or Federations. Corporate sales oriented style schools have association and federation fees as well as annual renewals for membership. See "Chain Store" school info below.

3) AVOID THE MULTI-TIER PRICING!
A common and unethical practice in the martial arts is to draw students in at one price, get them interested and then raise their tuition price. This is extremely unethical. It is no better than the dreaded "lead-in" sales promotion which promises a product and one price and then bait and switches to another product at another price. It is ridiculous. Beware of the schools that want to upgrade your tuition price. Multi-level sales is another warning sign you are in the wrong school. They enroll you at one price and surprise you when you reach a certain belt that now your in a different level and they quickly raise the tuition price and program! We never raise your tuition price.

Unfortunately chain store marketing oriented "belt factory" schools are now opening in Brandon. For decades
Brandon had mostly traditionally run Martial Art schools owned by local Black Belts. Now outside corporations are recognizing the growth market here so the "belt factory" schools have arrived.

One women called me about her young son who was only a white belt in one of these schools. He had only been in the school a month or so and their price was already raised once, she had to buy another uniform because he was awarded the Black Belt club and she signed a contract for financing a loan for their training and she didn't even know it! Unscrupulous money oriented schools are slick with their marketing, sales pitches and their tiered pricing. They get you in at one price and then raise the prices and retail you to death. It is their way, its the only way they know. They are not true Martial Artists they are professional marketers. At Royal Dragon you will find a peaceful relaxed atmosphere focused on Martial Arts education not retail and revenue. Put our Master instructors name (Frank Ehnle) into any search engine and you will find true Martial Arts history. However put some of the other local Brandon instructors into a search engine and you will find nothing but marketing and business accomplishments. Where do you want to train? Training under a traditional Martial Arts Master or a Master of marketing and business? Traditional Martial Arts training is not motivated by money and greed it is motivated by helping someone learn valuable physical and mental skills which can help in all aspects of life. I read these business publications that teach all the above methods of "making more money" from your students and I'm appalled. They should have articles on how to be better instructors, not better businessmen. Our school is an educational environment focused on traditional training, not lining my pockets.

--- Master Frank Ehnle
4th Degree Black Belt Taekwondo
4th Degree Black Belt Hapkido
Royal Dragon Martial Arts

1) TESTING FEES are another big difference between schools and usually a hidden surprise. Another common horror story is a student trains for years to get to red belt only to find out that the test for Black Belt costs $500! Imagine your child or children get to Red Belt and the instructor informs you that the testing fee for Black Belt is $450 or more! What do you do? Your child has worked years to get to this level, do you disappoint them and tell them they cannot test? The fact is many schools charge $450, $650, $850 or even $1000 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Degree testings and they do not disclose this when you sign up at white belt.

Our testing fees never exceed $65.00. Black belts are reviewed for rank every six months but our testings are extremely affordable compared to the vast majority of schools. Find out what a Black
Belt test costs before you enroll in the school!

2) Instructors should be qualified and meet professional standards.
An instructor should be a high level student both physically and mentally who qualified for their position within their school by demonstrating leadership skills and a concise knowledge of the curriculum. Beware of those instructors who merely purchased their paper credentials from an unethical organization. Many "For Profit" organizations will sell paper credentials just to increase their numbers without truly qualifying their instructors. A paper certificate hanging on a wall does not qualify an instructor, years of dedication, experience and high level teaching skills are what you should look for in a qualified instructor staff.

Some local instructors here in Brandon claim to be instructors because they purchased their instructor credentials (did not earn them from their original instructor). In fact some of these "supposed" instructors originally trained in our school. We have the white belt testing forms of some who are claiming to be instructors. It is interesting to find out how little time they have spent studying their style. We offer this information and these testing forms to anyone who is shopping for a school and seeking the proper information to find a true Martial Arts environment with qualified instructors.

While Master Ehnle and the AHF Federation staff, Prof. Dill, Master Rodriquez, Sensei Santos, Master Phil have 20 or more years experience. Some of these new Brandon instructors have as little as five years training yet they claim their own style and have their own school. This is why the consumer must beware of these phonies who claim to be instructors. Their experiences is a small fraction of our staff and our Federation.

3) Avoid the Corporate "Chain Store" schools.
There are "National & International" Chain store like Martial Art schools. These are generally corporate run "mail order" black belt type schools where the standards for black belts and instructors are very low. These chain store type schools and corporate federations are generally interested in one thing, money. Their bottom line is more important than the quality of black belt or instructor that they turn out. Their criteria for instructor level is either extremely low, non-existent or it is based on how well an instructor "sells" not teaches. They are staffed by expert salesmen not expert Martial Artists. Be very careful when approaching these schools. Expect a slick presentation, slick charismatic instructors, carefully planned phone and in school sales pitch and a belt-factory like atmosphere. Some will go as far as promising rank faster to color belts & black belts.

AT OUR SCHOOL YOU WILL NOT FIND:

1) Required Association or Federation Fees at enrollment
2) Annual Federation Membership Fees & Renewal Fees
3) Pressured sales of videos, merchandise, & seminars
4) Contracts & long term obligations
5) Tiered pricing which raises your tuition price later!
6) Unethical Rank & Instructor Standards, quick automatic rank advancement, usually every two months!

* Beware of schools with the above practices. Seek out a traditional ethical Martial Arts school not a school motivated by business, retail sales & revenue.

* IMPORTANT REGARDING RANK*
5) Make sure the school promotes according to skill and not the calendar.
Some poorly run and unethical Martial Art schools promote by the amount of classes you attend or how many months have passed, instead of what you've actually learned. These schools will generally rush you through the ranks at 2 month intervals and not really care whether or not you have truly learned the material or earned the rank. Basically you get the marks on the card, write your check and get your belt. These schools operate for profit instead of Martial Arts principles. There are schools where every student promotes every two months regardless of skill, be wary of these schools, they are belt factories and they do a great injustice to the Martial Arts. If you never see a child being held back from rank promotion you may be in the wrong school. At Royal Dragon Martial Arts you promote by your skill level not by the calendar or the marks on your attendance card. We have children who have remained at the same belt level for six months or even one year until their discipline or skill level warrants there rank. This is the true Martial Arts not a business for profit. The same applies to Black Belts. Beware of the quick Dan rankings. If you truly have not earned rank it is a hollow accomplishment. Those offering the "fast path" to dan ranking are unethical and are just trying to sell certificates and phony rank. An instructor should determine rank by skill, dedication, and attitude, not solely by how many months have passed. If all black belts are offered the same promotion in the same amount of time, something is wrong.

6) Make sure the schools is clean and sanitary.
This is a hand to hand activity, and a school which smells terrible, or has unsanitary bathrooms or shower facilities can be a breeding ground for disease and infection. Inspect the school and make sure the school and restrooms are clean and sanitary. Some Gyms have adult Fitness patrons and children martial artists sharing the same public restroom in an unsupervised area of the Gym. Our school is one of the cleanest martial art schools you will find anywhere. We regularly clean and sanitize all the equipment, mats, and bathrooms, and the bathrooms are large single occupancy and in a highly visible safe area.
7) Make sure the instructor continues his training.
Some instructors claim to be experts yet they rarely or sometimes never hit the mats or continue their education. Seeking out new information and constantly learning is a Masters responsibility and the correct example to set for students. Make sure the instructor has sought out training and is a serious martial arts practitioner and not just a business man who sits behind a desk and never trains. Be wary of a Master who never truly demonstrates the kicks, strikes, and self-defense skills he is trying to teach, this is the first sign that something may be wrong. Many "Desk Jockey" style instructors go to training seminars but they are "marketing training seminars" not real Martial Arts training. They train on how to "answer the phone", how to "make the sale". It is really a pathetic example of a Martial Arts instructor. Master Frank Ehnle of Royal Dragon Martial Arts has traveled the country and outside the country to personally training directly under world-renowned Masters & Grandmasters of his two training styles as well as other styles to bring his students the most accurate and updated methods and techniques. He has also traveled the country giving Hapkido & Pressure Point seminars and clinics. Master Ehnle and his organization regularly bring in top Masters and Grandmasters for special seminars and clinics to benefit his students training. Our focus is not our bottom line but the quality of training experience for our students. There is a big difference when it comes to schools in this department. You will train in some schools that never have guest Masters, special training events or clinics. Their instructors training resume is virtually non-existent except for their original black belt training. For more details on Master Ehnle's extensive training resume and experience see the Seminar page and the Wall of Fame page.

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What is Taekwondo	12 years in Brandon! Our School Info