One Class.The WholeFamily.
At Jacobs, parents and kids train on the same floor, in the same class, working the same curriculum at their own rank. One drive, one schedule, one thing you're all getting better at together.
Free Beginner Kickstart
Families train together on our Urbandale floor
Free Beginner Kickstart for Families
A private intro lesson, then your first family class together.
- One-on-one intro lesson for whoever is starting
- First family class — parent and child on the mat together
- An honest read on where each of you would begin
- No contract, no pressure, no obligation
Sound Familiar?
The family-schedule problem
- Every kid's activity is a separate night and a separate drive
- You spend the hour in a folding chair watching from the side
- Nobody in the house is training — including you
- Screens win most evenings, for the kids and the adults
Here's what parents notice first:
- One class covers the kids and the parents at the same time
- You're on the mat, not on the bench with your phone
- Your kids watch you struggle, correct, and keep going
- The drive home has something real to talk about
40 Years
family owned since 1986 — some of our parents trained here as kids
Designed For This Age
Kids Copy What You Do, Not What You Say.
A child who watches a parent get corrected, fix it, and come back next week learns more about persistence than any lecture delivers. Families who train together also quit far less often — the schedule is already built, and nobody wants to be the reason it stops.
Same Class, Own Rank
Everyone works the curriculum for their own belt on the same floor. No separate nights, no split schedule.
One Trip, Not Four
Mon–Thu evenings with earlier appointments available. One drive covers the whole household.
Self-Defense That's Practical
Blocks, escapes, distance, and awareness — taught the same way to a 9-year-old and a 39-year-old, scaled to each.
Something You Share
Same techniques, same terminology, same standards. Practice happens in the living room without anyone forcing it.
Belts For Everyone
Parents rank up too. Certification days become family days, not spectator days.
Fitness Without A Gym
Kicking, conditioning, and stretching for an hour — the workout is built into the class.
What A Family Class Looks Like
Line Up & Warm Up
The whole class opens the traditional way, then conditioning and stretching for every age on the floor.
Stances, Blocks, Kicks
Core Tae Kwon Do drilled together, with the instructor correcting each student to their own level.
Technique & Partner Work
Students split by rank for their material, then pair up for controlled partner drills and self-defense.
Review & Recognition
Stripes for progress, a short character lesson, and a bow to close — kids and parents side by side.
Mon–Thu Evenings
we recommend 1–2 classes per week
On the same Urbandale floor since 1970 — family owned since 1986.
Within The First Few Weeks
What Changes In The First Month
One night on the calendar replaces three
Your kid sees you as a beginner — and respects it
Practice happens at home without a fight
Everyone actually sleeps after class
Built For Little Ones
Mixed Ages, Carefully Run
A floor with 9-year-olds and adults on it only works with structure. That's what 40 years of running this school buys you.
Gear Before Contact
Sparring is introduced later, in full protective equipment, with an instructor supervising every pairing.
Partnered By Size And Rank
Adults aren't paired against children. Drills are matched by experience and body size, every time.
Correction Without Humiliation
Standards are high and the tone is calm — for the eleven-year-old and the forty-year-old alike.
Certification Day, Together
Certifications are where family training stops being a scheduling convenience and starts being a shared history.
You Prepare As A Household
Requirements get drilled in the kitchen, the driveway, the living room. Nobody trains alone.
You Perform In The Same Room
Your child watches you handle nerves in front of a crowd — and then does the same thing.
You Keep The Same Receipts
Belts hanging side by side on the same wall. That's the part families tell us about years later.
Get The Family
On The Mat.
Free Beginner Kickstart
Families train together on our Urbandale floor
Free Beginner Kickstart for Families
A private intro lesson, then your first family class together.
- One-on-one intro lesson for whoever is starting
- First family class — parent and child on the mat together
- An honest read on where each of you would begin
- No contract, no pressure, no obligation
Jacobs Martial Arts Academy
“This school has taught Urbandale families since 1970, and we have owned it since 1986 — parents, kids, and now their kids. Come watch a class before you decide anything.”
Jacobs Martial Arts Academy · 3710 Dennis Dr, Urbandale, IA 50322
Common Questions
Got Questions?
Get The Family
On The Mat.
By appointment — limited slots each week · Family owned since 1970