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Life Ki-do Martial Arts has classes in Austin, perfect for kids, teen, and adult martial arts lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most frequent questions and answers about our programs
“Ki” (KEE) can be translated to “inner strength or spirit,” and “do” (DOH) means “the way.”
In this context “Life” means “your relationship with yourself, others, and the world around you.”
Life Ki-do means “the way of living from your own inner strength and spirit and honoring the same in others.”
Schedule a free trial by completing the form and then selecting your preferred class in the scheduler. Classes are sorted by location, day, and age group. Follow the prompts on the screen to book, and when you get to the page where you can add the appointment to your own calendar – you’re done! Feel free to call us at 512-327-2900 or email at info@lifekido.com with any questions.
Great! Just call us at 512-327-2900 or email info@lifekido.com to let us know which class you want to register for. We’ll send you a link to enter your payment info and you’ll be all set. You can register anytime throughout the year. If you don’t start at the beginning of a month, we’ll pro-rate your tuition.
We’ve spent over 30 years developing our own unique blend of martial arts. The foundation of what we teach is Systema which is based on the principles of a powerful posture, adaptive breathing, the correct balance between tension and relaxation and proper movement. With Systema as our underlying movement operating system, our Life Ki-do program also incorporates the following martial arts: Karate, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Tai Chi, Qigong, and Self-defense. Our Life Ki-do Martial Arts system covers striking arts, ground work, and forms to help create balanced martial artists on and off the mats.
Absolutely. We specialize in social/emotional learning and life education. In fact, Life Ki-do is very often recommended by occupational therapists, pediatricians, teachers and most of all by other parents who have seen major transformations in their own children. But don’t just take it from us! Take a moment to read through our testimonials to get valuable insight into our program directly from parents and educators.
We feel there are 3 major differences.
What makes Life Ki-do so different is our approach. We strongly believe in inner motivation rather than looking to others for approval. This builds a true and lasting inner self-confidence you can trust and count on no matter where you are or what others think of you.
Secondly, many types of martial arts can create rigidity, tension and unhealthy wear and tear on the body and we’ve found that our fluid approach is not only much healthier for the body but it helps students learn how they can deal with challenges with a calm and peaceful mind.
Finally, we have created a culture of teamwork, cooperation and friendship where everyone is encouraged to support each other to be one’s personal best instead of fixating on competition and unhealthy comparisons to others.
Yes, we always like to honor what the child has already achieved and if they would prefer they are welcome to start Life Ki-do wearing the belt they earned at their previous school. Then when the time is right, they can test for the belt most appropriate in our system. However, it’s not uncommon, for students from other schools to feel more comfortable starting at a white belt in Life Ki-do since it’s a new system for them. Either way, we’ll honor what your child feels is best for them.
Not at all! We have many female students ranging from age 3 all the way through adult and we have many incredible female student role models on our Leadership Team. If your daughter is between 7-11 years old and would be more comfortable in an all girls class, we have a Samurai Girls class on Mondays.
We offer classes year round! Your child can join at any time during the year since we don’t operate on a semester/session system.
No, we don’t. You can cancel at any time, for any reason with 30 days written notice.
Yes! You are welcome to schedule make-ups at any location. Please schedule your make-up class in the Member Portal. The make-up class can be at any of our locations.
Make-ups must be completed within 30 days of the missed class. Missing a class does not constitute a refund or credit for future classes.
To make things easier during the summer and around the holidays, we offer a Flexible schedule the months of June, July and December. During these 3 months, you are welcome to come to any age-appropriate class without booking it ahead of time
Monthly Tuition: The tuition for all classes is $119/month for one class/week except for the Little Dragons 30 min class which is $93/month. We have a one-time-only registration fee of $120 which includes the full Life Ki-do uniform (shirt, pants & belt), award-winning Life Ki-do Parenting book and ALL future belts and belt tests. So no additional fees down the line!
Multiple Day discount: Students who register for more than one day per week will get a 25% discount on the monthly rate for the added days.
Make-ups Available & Easy to Schedule: If you ever need to miss a regular class, make-up classes can be easily scheduled through the member app and done in any age-appropriate class.
Nope. Your child will receive the full uniform with the registration fee which is everything they’ll need to start. All of our belt test fees and new belts are included in your monthly tuition. In the Samurai classes for 2nd grade and above, once your child reaches yellow stripe belt level, sparring will become an option. In which case, we require sparring gear which is available for purchase at the dojo. We do offer in-house tournaments but they are always optional and there is never a requirement or expectation to participate.
We have new students of all ages entering classes at all times throughout the year and because of our nurturing, non-competitive environment, new students quickly feel part of the community. In fact, we often hear new students say that they were nervous before starting but that the kindness of the Life Ki-do instructors and students quickly made them feel at home.
We consistently encourage our students to disengage from unhealthy and damaging comparisons to others and rather to see others as an inspiration to be their personal best. While we do offer in-house tournaments and we use the belt system, we always encourage and invite self-reflection and self-awareness empowering our students with the ability to love and accept who they are and to do their best because it feels so good for them. We are training children for life not for tournaments.
Not at Life Ki-do! Firstly, throughout our classes, kids learn how to be aware of their feelings (anger, fear etc) and how to take care of those feelings through self-regulation tools. When kids learn how to manage their emotions, they are much less likely to be reactive and agressive. Secondlly, our curriculum focuses on connection and learning how you are affecting your partner. Empathy, care, and respect for others are a key component of our partnering skills. If you have any specific concerns about your child, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
In general we invite kids to move up in Spring as follows:
Kids entering kinder next fall – invited to move up to Power Ninjas class
Kids entering 2nd grade next fall – invited to move up to Samurai class
Kids entering 6th grade next fall – invited to move up to the Teen/Adult class
Our invitations go out in April and while kids are invited to move anytime starting May 1st, some choose to delay moving up until summer or fall and that is OK too.
It is best, however, to let us know prior to August 1st which class you want for the fall as many of our classes fill up later in August.
The two most common ways to tie your belt are shown below. There is a low difficulty, best for beginners and there is the Sensei way. Watch our videos and practice at home!
Version 1:
Easy Way to Tie Your Karate Belt
Version 2:
Sensei Way to Tie Your Karate Belt
Please email info@lifekido.com to receive a secure link.
Bringing a friend is simple, just fill out the buddy form and you are all set. We can’t wait to see you and your friend.
Fantastic news, we are excited to see you back at the dojo. Please contact info@lifekido.com so that we can re-activate your member portal. Then all we need is to update your payment info & help you schedule your class!
Yes! Visit our Life Ki-do online store to order Life Ki-do apparel, martial arts gear and gifts. You can also purchase Life Ki-do apparel at our Westlake dojo.
Yes, you can purchase Life Ki-do gift cards in various amounts, please contact us.