After School
Programs

Please, please do your research before committing to a contract with the Clermont Family Martial Arts.  I have done quite a bit of research since reading about belt concerns that were brought to my attention by former parents, who removed their children from Mr. Shipley's program because of unanswered questions regarding his credibility.  Since my daughter recently earned a black belt, it was a big concern for me as I truly believed I spent thousands on legitimate training here.  It turns out I got duped!  I began by pulling out my kids' belt certificates and reading them more closely.  At that time, I realized that the certificates list the Chung Do Kwan as the granting authority of their colored belts.  Turns out that only a Master Wayne from Mt. Dora is the granting authority here because the Chung Do Kwan Association does not recognize Clermont Family Martial Arts as one of their schools.  There are other larger associations that govern Tae Kwon Do but, once again, the Clermont Family Martial Arts is not affiliated with any one of them.  Please do yourself a favor and look further into the World Tae Kwon Do Federation, the Kukkiwon, the International Tae Kwon Do Federation, and the American Tae Kwon Do Federation. You will see for yourself that this is simply not an accredited school.  If you choose to do business with them, please just know what you are getting yourself in to.  If sending your child to an accredited martial arts school is not important to you, then go with them.  However, if you want your child to learn martial arts by a legitimate school, then look elsewhere.  While Mr. Shipley might have been trained by Master Wayne, if Master Wayne is judge and jury, then who is to say that he is properly teaching his students Tae Kwon Do?  Master Wayne profits quite a bit from Mr. Shipley's business so it would stand to reason that he would fully endorse the business.  Affiliation with a larger, certifiable organization is what gives any school their legitimacy.  To go even one step further, I've also checked with numerous schools in the Clermont and Minneola area and every single one has demonstrated their affiliation with a larger organization other than Clermont Family Martial Arts.  That is the only school I have come across in our community that cannot definitively prove its association with any governing body.  It's like a lawyer, doctor, or teacher that is not board certified.  That does not mean they are not knowledgeable in their area but it certainly makes a huge difference in how they can advertise and gain new business, as well as how much they can charge for their services.  Just make sure you are getting what you are paying for!