3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Little Ones
Games and bows · Yamini Guha · Main mat
Martial arts in West Valley City
Martial arts for children ages 3 to 12
Every class begins with a high five at the door. The youngest group starts with games and bows, and no one touches anyone in the first class. Older groups bring in pads, patterns and belts, one color at a time.
Your child's first class
What the first class looks like
This is the Little Ones class for ages 3 to 5. It has no contact, and it ends before anyone is tired.
01Shoes in the row
Your child puts their shoes in the row by the door, and a grown-up can wait on the bench in view of the mat.
02A circle and a bow
The class sits in a circle, learns each other's names and practices the bow, one at a time and together.
03Games, not contact
Animal walks, balance and a freeze game teach the first stances. Nobody hits or grabs, and every turn is short.
04A bow out
The class ends with a bow and a look at the belt on the wall, and then your child finds their shoes.
Weekly classes
Find a class by day and age
Three age groups, each in its own class on the same mat. Pick a day, then narrow by age.
Fall session
Showing 15 of 15
Monday
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Juniors
Stances and pad work · Zander Rijo · Main mat
5:15 pm – 6:15 pm
Older kids
Patterns and partner drills · Sione Latu · Main mat
Tuesday
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Little Ones
Games and bows · Takako Yoshimura · Main mat
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Juniors
Stances and pad work · Takako Yoshimura · Main mat
5:15 pm – 6:15 pm
Older kids
Patterns and partner drills · Zander Rijo · Main mat
Wednesday
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Little Ones
Games and bows · Yamini Guha · Main mat
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Juniors
Stances and pad work · Sione Latu · Main mat
5:15 pm – 6:15 pm
Older kids
Patterns and partner drills · Yamini Guha · Main mat
Thursday
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Little Ones
Games and bows · Takako Yoshimura · Main mat
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Juniors
Stances and pad work · Zander Rijo · Main mat
5:15 pm – 6:15 pm
Older kids
Patterns and partner drills · Sione Latu · Main mat
Saturday
9:00 am – 9:30 am
Little Ones
Games and bows · Yamini Guha · Main mat
9:45 am – 10:30 am
Juniors
Stances and pad work · Sione Latu · Main mat
10:45 am – 11:45 am
Older kids
Patterns and partner drills · Takako Yoshimura · Main mat
Nothing matches that filter.
Sample classes.
Times change by session, and the booking page shows this week's openings.
Belts
Six colors, one at a time
Each color brings a new stance, pattern or pad drill. A child moves up when the coach sees the skills.
White belt
SkillsBowing in and out, and standing ready
Taking shoes off and lining them up
Yellow belt
SkillsThe first stances: ready, front and back
A front kick on a pad
Orange belt
SkillsA first pattern, a short line of moves
Blocking with a forearm on a partner's slow punch
Green belt
SkillsA second pattern and a longer kick combination
Slow partner drills at the body
Blue belt
SkillsTurning kicks on a pad
A third pattern, with balance on one leg
Purple belt
SkillsEvery pattern so far, in order
Pad combinations with a partner
Sample levels.
Every child moves at their own pace.
The year
When belt days and sessions happen
Families are welcome at belt day, and every session starts with a place for a new child.
Late August
Open house
Families walk the room, meet the instructors and try a few of the Little Ones games.
Early September
First dayFall session starts
New children start at the beginning of a session, or in any week with a place open.
The last Saturday of each session
EventBelt day
Each child shows the coach what they have learned in their own class time, and families watch from the bench.
Late December
ClosedWinter break
The dojo is closed for the winter break.
Early January
First dayWinter session starts
A new session opens, and the booking page shows the classes with a place.
Sample dates.
Dates are set each session and posted on the booking page.
Instructors
Who is on the mat
Four instructors share the week's classes, so every group has someone who knows them.
Sione Latu
Owner and head instructor
Sione grew up in a Tongan family in the Salt Lake valley and started in the Older kids class at nine. He holds a black belt, teaches the Monday and Thursday Older kids classes and Juniors on Wednesday and Saturday, and speaks Tongan and English with families.
Yamini Guha
Instructor, Little Ones
Yamini teaches three of the five Little Ones classes and the Wednesday Older kids class. She plans each Little Ones class as a run of short games, and speaks Bengali and English with families.
Takako Yoshimura
Instructor, Juniors
Takako teaches the Tuesday and Thursday morning Little Ones classes, the Tuesday Juniors class and Saturday's Older kids. She counts in Japanese with every group and speaks Japanese and English with families.
Zander Rijo
Instructor, Juniors and Older kids
Zander teaches Juniors on Monday and Thursday and the Tuesday Older kids class. He holds the pads for every child's first kick, and speaks Spanish and English with families.
Questions
What parents ask first
How old does a child have to be?
Children start from age 3. Little Ones is for ages 3 to 5, Juniors for ages 6 to 8 and Older kids for ages 9 to 12.
Does my three-year-old have to be ready to listen?
No. Little Ones is built from short games and one bow, and a child who wants to watch for a few minutes first is welcome to.
Can I stay and watch?
Yes. Parents wait on the bench along the wall, in view of the mat and the door.
What do we wear to the first class?
A t-shirt and stretchy pants or shorts. Shoes come off at the door, and we lend a uniform for the first visit.
Do the children hit each other?
No. Little Ones has no contact at all. Juniors and Older kids hit pads and shields, and partner drills stay slow, at the body and with an instructor beside them.
How do belts work?
A child moves up a color when the coach sees the skills in class. Each color brings a new stance, pattern or pad drill.
Come and see a class
Book a first class on the booking page, or call the front desk and we will help you choose.