Kids’ martial arts · ages 3 to 12
Brave, kind and a little bit fierce.
Martial arts for children aged three to twelve, taught by coaches who remember what it was like to be small. Your child’s first class is free, and so is the uniform for the trial.
Three programs, by age
The right class at three is not the right class at ten.
01
02
03What parents notice
The kicks are the least of it.
The belt journey
Six belts. Each one teaches something a kick cannot.
Belts are earned on the mat, a stripe at a time, so progress is something children can see and hold. Here is the road, and roughly how long each stretch of it takes.
White belt — the first bow
Week one. Learning to line up, to listen and to try the thing that looks hard. Everyone starts here, including the coaches.
Yellow belt — about three months
The first stripes, the first form, and the first time a kick lands where it was aimed. Confidence starts turning up at home.
Orange belt — six to eight months
Combinations and balance. Children begin to help the newer ones, which is where respect stops being a word on the wall.
Green belt — around a year
Sparring begins, in full gear, one pair at a time, with a coach a step away. Focus is this belt’s real lesson.
Blue belt — about two years
Harder forms, real self-defence and the leadership team for those who want it. Most Young Warriors reach it before twelve.
Black belt — the long game
Four to six years of showing up. Junior black belts are earned, never bought, and we have never met a child who regretted the wait.
The week
After school, and Saturday mornings.
Tiny TigersMon · Wed 16:00
Ages 3–5 · 30 min
Little Tigers — beginnersMon · Wed 16:45
Ages 6–8 · white to orange belt
Little Tigers — advancedMon · Wed 17:30
Ages 6–8 · green belt and above
Young WarriorsMon · Wed 18:15
Ages 9–12 · all belts
Tiny TigersTue · Thu 16:00
Ages 3–5 · 30 min
Little Tigers — all beltsTue · Thu 16:45
Ages 6–8 · 45 min
Young Warriors — sparringTue · Thu 17:45
Ages 9–12 · gear provided
Leadership teamThu 18:30
Ages 10–12 · by invitation
Tiny TigersSat 09:00
Ages 3–5 · 30 min
Little Tigers — all beltsSat 09:45
Ages 6–8 · 45 min
Young WarriorsSat 10:45
Ages 9–12 · all belts
Family classSat 11:45
Parents train with their kids
Children may attend any class for their age, as often as their plan allows. Arrive ten minutes early for a first class; we lend a uniform, and a coach will meet you at the door.
The coaches
Grown-ups who are very good at being around children.
Maya Chen
Head coach · 4th dan · founder
Started Little Tigers in 2014 after ten years teaching kindergarten and fifteen in a dojo. Knows every child’s name by the second class, and which ones need a quieter voice.
Theo Alvarez
Tiny Tigers lead · 2nd dan
A former primary-school PE teacher who can make thirty minutes feel like a game and a lesson at the same time. Fluent in Spanish, and in three-year-olds.
Priya Nair
Young Warriors coach · 3rd dan
Grew up in this academy, competed nationally, and came back to teach. Runs the sparring class and the leadership team, and still bows to the room first.
Parents say
In their words.
Our son was the kid who hid behind my legs. Six months in, he bowed to his teacher, shook her hand and asked if his little sister could come too.
The coaches know every child’s name by the second class. Ours came home teaching us the rules: eyes up, kind hands, try again.
I was worried about the fighting part. There is no fighting part — there is a lot of balancing, a lot of giggling, and a surprising amount of listening.
Tuition
Simple monthly plans. Pause for soccer season.
Tiny Tigers
$89per month
- Two 30-minute classes a week
- Uniform and first belt included
- Belt stripes and tests included
- Pause any month
Ages 3–5.
Tigers & Warriors
$119per month
- Two or three classes a week
- Uniform and first belt included
- Sparring gear lent for the trial
- Belt tests included
Ages 6–12.
Family
$199per month
- Two children, any program
- Unlimited classes
- Saturday family class
- Each extra child $35
Siblings and parents welcome.
Tuition is billed monthly and can be paused or cancelled with two weeks’ notice — for holidays, injuries or a season of something else. There is never a joining fee, and the first class is always free.
Questions parents ask
How young is too young?
Tiny Tigers starts at three, as long as your child can be away from you for thirty minutes with a friendly coach in the room. If you are not sure, come and watch a class together first.
Is it safe?
Yes. Children under nine do no contact at all. Sparring begins at green belt, in full protective gear, one pair at a time, with a coach within arm’s reach. Our most common injury is a bruised ego.
What should my child wear to the free class?
Comfortable clothes they can move in, and a bottle of water. We lend a uniform for the trial, and the first belt is theirs to keep when they join.
How long does it take to get a black belt?
Four to six years for most children who train twice a week. We would rather it took a year longer than a year less.
Do you have contracts?
No. Tuition is month to month and can be paused for holidays, injuries or soccer season. We never charge a joining fee.
What if my child wants to quit?
It happens, usually somewhere around orange belt. Tell us. A quiet word from a coach, a different class time or a few weeks off nearly always fixes it — and if it does not, we will say so.
Your child’s first class is free
Come and try a class.
Tell us your child’s age and which days suit you. We will reply within a day with a class to try — no uniform to buy, no sales talk, and a coach who will meet you at the door.