I had been searching for martial arts training, in the Fort Lauderdale area, for quite some time. Back in May ??????07, I came across Lavallee's USA Black Belt Champions. I took a tour of the school and decided to try it out; as I have done with other schools that caught my interest.

At first I was skeptical due to the McDojo complex running ramped, but I must say I am quite impressed. This was the first school where everyone seemed to genuinely live by the school creed. Everyone exudes a positive, goal oriented, attitude with the utmost respect for everyone around them... whether they knew you or not.

The workouts are tough and the instructors have an excellent understanding of their craft. They deliver their knowledge in a detailed, step-by-step manner. They not only explain how a movement is executed but why and the intended outcome.

You??????ll find that, from the senior instructors down to the lower ranks, everyone helps each other to progress as a martial artist and a human being?????? yes, a human being.

Many individuals hold the naive belief that the rank makes the person when indeed it??????s the person that makes the rank?????? the journey to reaching a black belt is more then becoming a skilled fighter?????? it??????s having the wisdom to know when to use your skills, it??????s having the understanding that a black belt symbolizes your completion of the basics and signifies the true beginning of your training.

When looking into martial arts training, please remember?????? many preach a path but very few actually follow the path they moralize.

Currently, I am a Purple belt and continue my training at the Commercial dojo. I look back wondering why I waited so long and look forward with excitement of what is to come.

As far as the statements made by Rob B., how can you actually make such allegations without even taking one single class. We all warm-up together and then split

I won't deny that Lavalles has an unusually strong sales pitch, but I will also say that they have an unusually strong product to back it up. I don't know what happened to the previous critic, but the topic of contracts did not come up during the sales pitch I heard until after I'd had a free private lesson, had a tour, had all of my questions answered, and had the choices made clear to me. Unwilling to make a commitment, I opted for a three-month trial. At the end of three months, I was still unsure . . . that's when the real pressure was applied: would I commit to becoming a black belt or not? It was time to fish or cut bait. You don't become a black belt champion by heding your bets. You become a black belt by facing challenges head on and overcoming them. That much I had observed in those first three months. And you know what? Signing that contract was the most important YES I've said in a very long time. Karate the Lavalle way has been a wonderful asset in every area of my son's life and my own (they suckered me into a Mother's Day special....yeah, and I'm glad it worked!) We've both just earned our brown belts together. Yes, the business end is strong, but it is a very well run business with a very effective product. To respond to the previous critic's comment about class size--size doesn't matter. First of all, the class is split into two groups based on rank/skill after the initial warm-up (you don't need one-on-one help to do jumping jacks or stretches). Within those two smaller groups, each led by a third-degree or higher black belt instructor, there are always other black belts or high-red belts doing service to the dojo in order to earn their next level. And they help, too. Best of all, however, is the spirit of nearly EVERYONE in the dojo. At every level, I have met the most cheerful, helpful, talented, supportive and knowledgeable people willing to hel

They are too caught up in the business end. They are all about the contracts and their person in charge of signing you up attacks you like a used car salesman right when you walk in the door. The instructor uses a microphone to speak with the students, because their are waaaaaay to many students for one teacher. I walked in, heard the sales pitch, saw how the floor operated, and left..lol...no thank you