From: Mrs. Dressler I'd like to express my gratitude to Minton's Black Belt Academy.  In the short time my son has beeen a student, the behaviorial problems that brought us here are a thing of the past.  

Each day my son strives to live his life by the teachings he receives in class.  He treats everyone he encounters with respect and has more self-esteem, but more importantly, a greater sense of self-worth.  What he has learned and accomplished in such a short time reflects in the way he carries himself.

I credit Minton's Academy for making such a huge impact in my son's life.  He constantly makes the right decisions and has a wonderful attitude towards everything he does.
Sr. Master Minton, Mrs. Minton, and the instructors lead by example and encourage the students to do thier best in class and in their daily lives.  I can't say enough how wonderful this school is or what an impact it's had on my son.
Thank you for being a positive and growing experience in my son's life.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Dressler

From: Ms. Sara Perez (Parent of Autumn Martin)
I wanted to take the time to notify your Academy of the great success and benefits Minton's has given Autumn.  Autumn is a 5 year-old who started Minton's Academy in mid-September 2008.  She lived an active life style, however, she was not as physical as the Minton's Academy has provided.  Autumn startedd the program at approximately 78 pounds.  Besides her normal activity, since coming to Minton's for 30 minutes twice a week in the Tiny Tiger program, Autumn's weight is currently 69 pounds.  Autumn had a follow-up with her specialist, who has been monitoring her wieght as this has been an ongoing concern.  He was very pleased to see her improvement and continues to encourage her physical activities that Minton's Academy has provided.  Not only has Minton's helped with Autumn's weight control, it has also built her self-esteem, helped with focusing, and encourages a positive attitude.  I, as a parent, 100% believe in Minton's Academy's beliefs and standards.  I know Autumn's progress will continue to grow the longer she is enrolled, for this I am looking and excited for Autumn to belong to Minton's Academy.

Sincerely,
Sara Perez

From: Mrs. Tisha Lohrmann, Retired Teacher, 1st Degree Black Belt
At first glance it may have seemed to be an entirely inappropriate gift for a fifty-eight-year-old woman who had spent the past thirty-five years grading research papers, essays, and tests.  However, my husband's gift of four weeks of Taekwondo at Minton's Black Belt Academy was undoubtedly the most beneficial present I have ever received.  In the nearly three years since that Christmas, I have improved my weight, muscle tone, and overall health.  Oh, and I have also earned a first-degree black belt.

I wish I could say that earning a black belt in Taekwondo was an achievement that I had dreamed of all my life, but the truth is that  I have never been much interested in exercise and I enjoyed athletics only as an observer.  What really happened is that my husband was worried about the consequencesof my sedentary lifestyle, and, after I retired from teaching, he constantly nagged at me to be more active.  My parents, who were in their late eighties, were requiring quite a bit of assistance; my father's battle with heart disease and dementia were overwhelming my normally stoic mother.  I soon discovered that this situation was more stressful than anything I had experienced in teaching and believed I could find neither the time nor the energy to exercise.

His suprising gift came a year and a half into the struggle to keep my parents happy.  My father was residing in a nursing home, my mohter was feeling guilty and depressed, and I was exhausted.  Not wanting to seem ungrateful for my husband's concern, I relunctantly attended the first lesson.  I felt awkward, uncoordinated, and totally inadequate.  I had trouble getting up from the floor after warm-up exercised, and I had to work harder at learning the movements than the younger students.  Nevertheless, i left each lesson feeling revived and energetic; I found that I was better able to deal with the stress of my family responsibilities.  Not only did I have the time for Taekwondo but I also needed it to keep myself sane and functioning.

Several people have commented that they thought I would quit Taekwondo once I earned my black belt.  Early on in the process, I thought that, too, but I find now that it would be diffilcult to stop.  I look forward to each lesson and feel slow and sluggish when I get off schedule.  I am greatly improved not only physically but also mentally and emotionally.  I enjoy the people and am pleased with my accomplishments.  If my high school physical education teacher could see me now, she would be truly amazed.  From couch potato to black belt in less than three years - not bad for an old lady!

Tisha Lohrmann
Rockville, IN


From: Ms. Laura Monroe (Parent of Cole and Nolan Seward)My sons, Cole and Nolan Seward have attended Minton's Black Belt Academy for 2 1/2 years. They are both 1st degree black belts and are in the Leadership Program.

Taekwondo has provided my children with many life skills that have helped them grow both physically and mentally.  Along with what they are taught at home, I am confident they have the skills to grow up to be strong and dedicated young men.

Sr. Master Minton and his instructors are wonderful. Their knowledge of Taekwondo is incredible and they show great compassion and friendliness to each and every student.

As a parent, I am so proud my children are a part of the Taekwondo family. They have been given the opportunity to learn from Sr. Master Minton, one of the greatest instructors of all time. Minton's Black Belt Academy is a life changing experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

Sincerly
Laura Monroe
From: Mr. and Mrs. Pruitt (Parents of Trevor McGill)We wanted to say how thankful we are for enrolling Trevor into your Academy. He has only been a student for about 5 months and he has learned so much already.

When we first decided to make a commitment to this type of program we checked out other options first but felt that there was no comparison to Minton's. The friends he has made, the special training he gets from being in the Leadership Program and the extra activities (Xtreme Martial Arts) that he gets to be a part of  have all been a great benefit to Trevor.

We enjoy being able to sit in the viewing area and watch his progress each class. The classes are always so structured and the instructors are always so positive with the students.

It's an honor to know that our son is being trained under one of the best martial art performers in history, Sr. Master Minton. Our hope is that not only will Trevor learn the basics of self-defense, sparring and the forms of Taekwondo but that he will also learn the knowledge and discipline from Sr. Master Minton that he can use for the rest of his life.

Sincerely
Mr. and Mrs. Pruitt
Trevor McGill's Parents

From:  Polly Mitchell (Mother of Hannah Gugel)
When my nine - year old daughter expressed interest in the martial arts I was excited because she had chosen a sport that she could participate in throughout her life.  I feel that most people realize that martial arts programs help to develop focus, discipline, endurance and strength that is both mental and physical but I do not think that we parents realize that some sports only last a brief "season" or time in a child's life.  Tae Kwon Do is different in this aspect.

From the very beginning at Minton's ATA, students of all ages train together by belt rank.  One might think this would be intimidating for some students but it is not at all.  This practice is wonderful because it shows a student that they have "equality" in their development with much older students.  In addition, training together teaches a student not to fear a larger attacker because each student has been taught together in self-defense with all sizes.

In closing, I really want to stress that it is important to take the time to visit and evaluate each school before making any kind of commitment.  A school should have instructors that model the behavior they expect each child to follow and your school should have a structured setting that will create an atmosphere that promotes good training and fun.  I know I feel comfortable that I have found just this at Minton's and look forward to watching my child grow with Tae Kwon Do.

Polly Mitchell