Confidence ThatFollows ThemOff The Mat.
Traditional Tae Kwon Do for ages 6–12 — discipline, focus, and real self-defense taught on the same Urbandale floor since 1970, family owned since 1986.
Free Beginner Kickstart
Our Urbandale training floor
Free Beginner Kickstart for Kids
A private intro lesson plus their first real class.
- One-on-one intro lesson with an instructor
- First class with kids at their own level
- An honest read on where your child would start
- No contract, no pressure, no obligation
Sound Familiar?
Why most parents call us
- Homework and screens win; focus and follow-through don't
- They quit the moment something gets hard
- Someone at school is picking on them
- Team sports haven't clicked — they need something that's theirs
Here's what parents notice first:
- They finish what they start, because the belt system requires it
- They stand and speak differently — quietly sure of themselves
- They know how to handle a bully without starting a fight
- They're measured against last month's version of themselves, not a team roster
40 Years
family owned since 1986 — the same standards, generation after generation
Designed For This Age
A Belt Is A Deadline They Set Themselves.
Every stripe has a requirement. Kids learn that effort, repetition, and correction lead somewhere — and that nobody can do the reps for them.
Focus And Discipline
Class starts on time, in line, with a bow. Structure kids can rely on turns into habits they carry home.
Real Self-Defense
Blocks, escapes, distance, and awareness — plus the judgment to know when walking away is the win.
A Clear Path
Belt ranks give a concrete goal every few months, with an instructor telling them exactly what's next.
Respect They Practice
Sir and ma'am, bowing in, helping newer students. Respect gets rehearsed here, not lectured.
Fitness Without The Bench
Every child moves the whole class. Nobody sits out, nobody gets cut.
A Room Where They Belong
Mixed ages and ranks training together. The older belts look after the younger ones.
What A Class Looks Like
Line Up & Warm Up
Class opens the traditional way, then conditioning and stretching to get bodies ready.
Stances, Blocks, Kicks
The core Tae Kwon Do curriculum, drilled by rank with correction from the instructor.
Technique & Partner Work
Rank-appropriate combinations, plus controlled partner drills and self-defense applications.
Review & Recognition
Stripes for progress, a short character lesson, and a bow to close.
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
They answer the first time — and mean it
They practice at home without being asked
They make friends across grades and ages
They stop quitting the second something gets hard
Built For Little Ones
Structured, Supervised, Traditional
Contact is introduced gradually, in gear, with supervision — never on day one.
Gear Before Contact
Sparring comes later, with full protective equipment and an instructor on the floor.
Rank-Appropriate Drills
Beginners work beginner material. Nobody gets thrown into something they aren't ready for.
Correction Without Humiliation
Standards are high and the tone is calm. Kids get fixed, not embarrassed.
The Day They Can't Fake
Certification is the first time many kids perform under pressure in front of a room full of people — and find out they can.
They Prepare For Weeks
Certification has requirements. Meeting them is the lesson; the belt is just the receipt.
They Perform Under Nerves
Standing up in front of instructors and parents and doing the work anyway.
They Come Back Different
Parents tell us school presentations stop being a big deal after the first certification.
Start Their
First Belt.
Free Beginner Kickstart
Our Urbandale training floor
Free Beginner Kickstart for Kids
A private intro lesson plus their first real class.
- One-on-one intro lesson with an instructor
- First class with kids at their own level
- An honest read on where your child would start
- No contract, no pressure, no obligation
Jacobs Martial Arts Academy
“This school has taught Urbandale kids since 1970, and we have owned it since 1986 — some of our parents trained here themselves. Come watch a class before you decide anything.”
Jacobs Martial Arts Academy · 3710 Dennis Dr, Urbandale, IA 50322
Common Questions
Got Questions?
Start Their
First Belt.
By appointment — limited slots each week · Family owned since 1970