Student Family Testimonials

Bill, Kim, Nolan and Erin B.

"At five years old our son Nolan began taking karate lessons with Sensei Amanda. Little did we know after the first lesson what an important part of our lives she would become. Nolan has been under Sensei Amanda's leadership for five years now and has grown and developed physically, mentally, and emotionally. He has learned through weekly lessons the importance of respect for his teacher and peers, patience with his own skill and knowledge development, dedication and perseverance with practice, and confidence within large group settings. As parents we appreciate Sensei Amanda's ability to show control of whole class instruction while still meeting our child's personal needs for learning. She uses an extremely positive approach, which makes her students willing to try new and unfamiliar skills without worry of failure. Sensei is also much more than a teacher to Nolan. She has taken personal time to hear about our son's school achievements and other life milestones. Nolan often asks to include Sensei Amanda when we are sharing with our family about happenings in his day-to-day activities. Karate has become a very integral part of who Nolan is as a person. We are grateful to Sensei for her part in helping us to raise a wonderful young man!"

Vicki and Doug W.

"My daughter Madison joined the YMCA karate program, led by Sensei Amanda Kaufman, when she was 5 years old. Now starting her first year in junior high and an advanced blue belt, karate has become an important part of her life. I have seen her gain confidence in herself as her skill level has grown. Her ability to retain information has surprised me as it has never been one of her strengths. But I believe that the most valuable of all the information learned would be that of discipline and respect. This is something that is quite often overlooked in today's society. Sensei Amanda?s classes have far exceeded our expectations. Both my children have gone through many programs offered by the YMCA and this is well beyond their standards. Over the years I have recommended these courses to many parents in the community and will continue to do so. Thank you Sensei Amanda for all of the heart and soul you put into your teaching."

Brian B.

"Working with Sensei Amanda and learning a martial art has been great for our son. The classes are a good combination of physical fitness and technical instruction, and Brayden enjoys them more than any other sport we have tried. As parents, we were hoping that Brayden would become more confident and assertive, and we believe that learning Shuri-Ryu has allowed him to be more comfortable with who he is and accomplish those goals. The techniques he has been introduced to have provided him with challenges that he enjoys and a work ethic that will serve him well into adulthood."

Craig and Tatyana B.

"Our family (one adult and both children) has been studying at Advancing Karate for more than three years. Sensei Amanda is highly respected nationally in Okinawan Shuri-Ryu. She is a rare combination, both a top athlete and a gifted teacher. Sensei Amanda always keeps the safety of her students as a paramount concern. Karate, like any other contact sport, involves some risk, but we feel confident that the risk is negligible at Advancing Karate. She also makes classes fun with different activities and occasional games. In addition to physical training, karate has helped to teach discipline, responsibility, confidence, integrity, and other important values to our children. We recommend Advancing Karate to all of our friends."

Rajiv and Purvi S.

"Sensei Amanda has been an excellent teacher to my son Hrishikesh who has been learning Shuri-Ryu style for the last six years. She is very dedicated to the art and its standards. There is lot to be said, but they are beyond the words and can be expressed only through feelings."

Jon and Lisa H.

"Sensei Amanda is exceptionally patient with all of the kids in class. Considering their ages, ability levels and attention span, it is truly remarkable. Specifically as it pertains to our kids, they have gained confidence, improved their balance and coordination and learned the importance of paying attention. Our son, Jackson, continues to enjoy the program and develop his skills. I give her my highest recommendation as a teacher of both kids and adults alike."

Marc and Sally M.

"Our daughter, Gabriella, has grown in many ways since starting at Advancing Karate, and has loved and enjoyed every minute of it. She has gained physical and mental strength as well as confidence, which has helped her in other sports and in school. Sensei Amanda Kaufman always has a focused and controlled atmosphere and she always manages to be careful and considerate at all times. Our youngest son, Sam, has just recently joined and we have immediately noticed the same beneficial effects. Both Gabriella and Sam have fun learning self-defense and safety awareness all while learning about courtesy, respect, control, and self discipline."

Jason and Tifanie K.

"We started our oldest daughter in Karate two years ago with Sensei Kaufman. There has been such a dramatic increase in her self-confidence and her sense of accomplishment. We now have three of our daughters in Karate with Sensei Kaufman. With everything a parent tries to do to prepare their children for college and the "real world," it is a little more comforting knowing that all of our girls will be leaving the house someday with over ten years karate training. I strongly believe that the values taught by Sensei Kaufman will have a very positive and life-long affect on all of her students."

Kristen and Jason H.

"I am so very impressed with Sensei Amanda Kaufman and Advancing Karate, Ltd. Our family loves the positive environment that Sensei provides for our child. Sensei Amanda demands and gives respect to the students and is the epitome of patience and understanding. Sensei is very in tune with children and I appreciate the way in which children are rewarded for individual efforts and perseverance. My daughter's accomplishments in karate have contributed to her confidence and have also provided a means of learning self-discipline, goal setting and the importance of punctuality. She looks forward to her karate classes and talks about them throughout the week. I would highly recommend Advancing Karate, Ltd.!"

James M.

"My initial goals were for my daughter and I to spend more time together, to have both of us learn some self-defense and to develop more self-confidence. My daughter was preparing to go away to college and was going to be on her own for the first time and I wanted her to be able to handle herself in potentially dangerous situations. I wanted to begin to sharpen my self-defense skills and for both of us to get some good physical training. I think we met all of these goals and more. I feel a lot more confident that she will be OK away from home. I think what makes this program unique is that self-defense and self-control are emphasized and that Sensei Kaufman instills pride and self confidence in all of her students."

Wendy and Reynaldo R.

"Our son has had a wonderful experience with his karate class with Sensei Kaufman at the YMCA. He is learning self-discipline as well as having a great time and making new friends. Sensei Kaufman is very disciplined but kind with the kids. Learning Karate is teaching our son to set goals and work hard to achieve them! It was a special day for him to see his hard work pay off when he received his advanced white belt. He is a very active 5 year old, and we weren't sure how he was going to do being in such a structured class, but Sensei Kaufman is wonderful and patient with him, and the class has exceeded our expectations. He is hooked!"