OLD-SCHOOL VALUES, MODERN MARTIAL ARTS
   Serving Centerton, Bella Vista, Bentonville, Gravette, & Decatur


Weather Cancellation Policy:  We follow the Bentonville School District's Cancellation Decisions.


We Love to Teach Home School Families!  Note our day time classes!

►Class Schedule: Click Here

►Classes for 4 & 5 year olds now available! Click Here


►Day Classes 10-11:00am T, TH. Click here for details.

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At Northwest Taekwon-Do our primary goal is to help people live better lives.


♦  People join a martial arts school for many reasons.  Initially, many people think the word "Karate" is synonomous with martial arts, but Taekwon-Do probably addresses most of the needs of a martial art student better than any other form of traditional martial arts.  Learning self-defense is an obvious reason for joining a Taekwon-Do school, but physical conditioning, weight loss, increased self-confidence, improved concentration, better work and study habits, stress reduction, and most importantly, FUN are also benefits of practicing this art.

♦  Children develop coordination, balance, strength and self-confidence rapidly while practicing Taekwon-Do.  This is not a sales pitch.  It really happens.  Please come visit one of our classes and ask the other parents about their children's progress.  The kids love the program, the parents love the results and few families leave us unless it is because of a job transfer.

"What's with the yell?"  Here is a great example of how practicing Taekwon-Do develops self-confidence.  Most of our beginner students (regardless of age) hate the fact that we ask them to yell when they strike.  They feel very self-conscious even though the advanced students are shaking the ceiling tiles.  There are several very good reasons for this yell.  First, it can startle an assailant. Second, it attracts attention (great when you are being attacked).  Third, it helps with confidence and determination, and finally it also tightens the abdominal muscles to help in withstanding a strike to the stomach.  With all of these good reasons, why do people hesitate to yell when they are beginners?  Because of self confience.  Students are overly concerned about what people think about their behavior.  After time, we teach students that how they feel about themselves is what matters in life.  When the students reach this point, the yell gets very loud indeed.

♦ We don't just teach the tenents of Taekwon-Do: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and an indomitable spirit.  Instead, we teach people how to apply those tenents to their lives.

♦ We strive to teach this art form to people of all ages so that they may strengthen their bodies, minds, and souls.

♦ Taekwondo students only get better with age.  It is our intention to teach our students skills that will keep them healthy and strong, and which can be utilized for their entire lives.  Children will never be able to say, "Why should I study and practice for my next Taekwon-Do test?  I'll never use it!"  This art form will enhance one's life in almost every aspect.

                                                                         OUR VISION

♦ To provide a school that functions like a family 

In today's hectic life, it has become increasingly easy to be isolated from friends and family.  Most exercise programs do nothing to address this issue.  Mr. DeSousa has designed a school and curriculum in which every member is treated like family.  

Students enjoy an atmosphere where they exercise as friends and those friendships are enhanced through the interactions in class, mutual goal setting, teamwork in training and out of school activities.  Mr. DeSousa is fond of saying, "A family that kicks together sticks together"  and we do a lot of kicking at Northwest Taekwon-Do!                                  


                              THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE

Our students come from Bentonville, Bella Vista, Gravette, Decatur, Centerton, Cave Springs, Rogers, and South Western Missouri.  We hope you will join us as well!


No Appointment Necessary!  Just come and watch a class.

Click Here To Request Information


                               How to Choose a Martial Arts School

1) The first step in choosing a school is to define your goals.  Do you want to lose weight, develop your athletic skills, or compete?  Those are just a few of the reasons people practice a martial art and your reasons may be very different.  

2) The second step is to research the school, asking yourself how the school appears to be able to help you achieve your goals.  As part of the research, it is critical to visit the school and watch classes.  Some schools will sign-up students at off-site demonstrations.  We strongly advise against this practice.  Visit the school, talk to the students, watch the classes, and determine if you are comfortable with the environment.

3) Ask if the school owners have instructors in training.  Taekwon-Do is an art based upon scientific principles of motion and the direction of force.  As our knowledge of the body gets better, the art form evolves.  It is essential that the senior instructors at a school receive regular training from a higher ranked instructor.

4) Do the instructors compete and are they actively persuing a higher rank?  While this is not essential, it does indicate that the instructors are working to get better at their technique.  As the instructors get better, they will become better teachers.

5) Does the school smell clean and is the equipment in good shape?  Ask how often the mats are cleaned.

6) Ask how long the senior instructors have been teaching.  A high rank does not mean the person is a good teacher.  Many years of successfully running a school does indicate that the person is a good teacher.

7) What is the teacher to student ratio?  Do the classes have multiple instructors or does the senior instructor expect senior belts to help while they also train?

8) Does the school have minimum attendance requirements?

How does Northwest Taekwon-Do answer these questions?

1) We will ask you for your goals when you join.  As teachers, our job satisfaction comes from helping people to reach their goals.

2) Not only do we highly recommend that you watch a class, each new student receives a private lesson prior to their first class.  We want you to feel comfortable with us and the school.

3) Mr. DeSousa trains regularly with the sixth and seventh degree instructors from our parent organization, the AMA.  We also teach our instructors proven methods to get the best out of our students.  We insist that all instructors (ourselves included) write a new lesson plan for each class.  That way we know they are prepared for each class and that every class will be unique.  Nothing is more boring than performing the same activities during each class!

4) Mr. DeSousa competes regularly and is actively persuing higher ranks.  The same policy goes for our instructors.

5) We clean the school every day using commercial disinfectants designed for athletic facilities.

6) Mr. DeSousa has taught and/or owned Taekwon-Do schools since 1988.

7) Four senior instructors and a number of student assistant instructors keep the student to teacher ratio approximately 7 to 1. 

8) We require that the students attend 2 classes per week and we offer many training opportunities for your busy schedule.  In order to properly learn the techniques and to stay motivated, this minimum is necessary.  Students who only train one day a week rarley last very long as Taekwon-Do students.  They generally get frustrated because they are not achieving their goals and drift away from the school.