Calculated from categorized student reviews and profile completeness — instructors, schedule,
facility and pricing — using the data available to us. Manage this academy?
Claim this page to update it.
Excellent facility for kids to learn martial arts. Trainers go above and beyond to make sure kids learn and give their best. Wonderful experience for us !!!
My wife and I have been going here for about a year, having moved High Point around that time. The coaching staff here really made us feel like part of the family. We receive quality instruction and get treated like people, not $ signs. Cannot recommend enough!
SMA is an outstanding Martial Arts Academy!
They offer a full range of martial arts instruction from the friendliest and most knowledgeable staff.
Highly recommend!!
With multiple black belt instructors in multiple martial arts., SMA Academy is your number one choice in The Ballentyne area! Each instructor has over 1000 teaching hours to be certified. Every instructor continues to train with Sensei Sparks, being the student first with the privilege to teach. I would highly recommend trying a free class!
SMA is a fantastic dojo for all levels or martial arts. My Children and I have been training there since September and it has been nothing but great. The instructors are friendly, knowledgable and welcoming. The kids look forward to every class and I every adult kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu class. If you are looking for a place to train in Charlotte look no further. This is the spot.
We signed our 6-year-old son up a little over a month ago and it's been nothing but a wonderful experience so far. He's excited to go to every class (which was not our experience with baseball) and always leaves feeling confident and great about himself. The instructors are wonderful with the kids and always take a few minutes to check in with the parents. So far we couldn't be more pleased with SMA Academy!
My daughter has been taking the Youth class here for over a year. She enjoys it so much! Her confidence and physical strength have increased. She is learning great life values like being on time and working hard to achieve goals. We have had a very positive experience at this martial arts academy.
My whole family has become stronger inside and out thanks to SMA Academy! The Sensei holds multiple black belts and all instructors take pride in seeing students’ growth
Kris is amazing at what he does. Yes he's highly skilled but it's so much more than that. My children have been attending for the past few months and they have really created a bond with him because he actually cares. The staff is really caring, and want you to succeed.
My favorite thing about Sparks is that he wants you to really understand what you are learning, so there is no belt pushing involved for monetary gain.
Great instructors, very helpful. Very friendly. Always there to answer questions. Sensei is great. Enjoy coming here and learning to defend and control.
Fantastic teachers, caring and encouraging environment that truly feels like a family. Challenges available for the everyone in the family. Cannot recommend enough!
Sparks academy is very welcomed and family oriented place that teaches from kids to adults about love and respect of martial arts and the meaning of what to do!
Best dojo around! Sensei Sparks and his entire staff are incredible! My son started taking classes here over a year ago and we're hooked! Very friendly family like atmosphere and the instructors are the best! Highly recommend Sparks Martial arts and I'm proud to be a part of their family.
Had my first kickboxing class last night. Happy to say I’m sore and ready for some more. Staff was a dream to work with. Everyone was extremely welcoming and felt like a family right away. Excited to go back and start accomplishing the goals we set. Highly recommend this institution to everyone, for every class they teach!
I have had the honor of going to this gym, and I would have to say it is top notch! Everyone at the location is always super nice and focused on helping you achieve your goals. I truly cannot say enough nice things about this place, and feel blessed to have been able to attend classes at this gym.
My six year old started here about a month ago and I’m very happy how it is going. My daughter was very shy and ran out on her first day but sensei Spark came out a held her hand and helped her line up. Ever since she’s been excited to go.
My 6 year old has been taking weekly lessons from Sparks Martial Arts and we live everything about it. The instructors are friendly, engaging, and most importantly for a 6 year old, encouraging. I would definitely recommend them to anyone.
Great Dojo! The staff is so friendly and always willing to help with any questions. It’s obvious they care about the kids and want them to succeed. They make it fun for them as well as teaching lessons! We have had a great experience there are my boys LOVE going as much as we can!
Our family LOVES Sparks Martial Arts. Sensei and his team of instructors challenge the students and keep them focused and interested in learning. Students EARN their ranks and have fun while working hard. We have recommended Sparks to family and friends and will continue to do so.
I've never encountered an environment with this amazing combination of excellent teaching, expertise in martial arts, acceptance of all comers, willingness to embrace all students no matter their skill level, upbeat encouraging atmosphere and just plain old good people that care about each other on and off the mat.
We let our son join Sparks about 5 months ago. He has loved the experience. The entire Sparks staff has been wonderful to my entire family. We love that they have homeschool programs that work perfect with our schedule. If you are looking for a great place for your children or yourself to learn karate, I highly recommend Sparks.
Focused on each child's individual success, confidence and safety! My son loves going to Sparks. Every instructor has been fantastic and well suited for working with all ages and levels! Thank you Sparks.
Sparks Martial Arts is the most amazing place I could have ever hoped for. When I came in about 5 months ago for the first time, I met with Sensei Sparks personally, who made himself available and gave me a tour, asking about my goals and answering any questions I had as someone with no martial arts experience. The facility is very clean and well kept, and offers a variety of options for training. The truly incredible thing about Sparks, however, is the unbelievable community of people who take you under their wing and do everything they can to help you grow as a person and in your skills. I found then at a very vulnerable point in my life, and I can't imagine my life now without Sparks. It's an incredibly protective, family-like environment, and I know I'm training with people who genuinely care about me and want to see me succeed. They have inspired such a love of martial arts in me, and I am so grateful for the hours of love and energy that they have devoted. I'm looking forward to hopefully working with Sparks Martial Arts for a long time to come, and I'm excited to see how my skills grow and develop. If you're interested, I highly recommend checking Sparks out, and I doubt you'll regret it.
My son loves going to his classes at Sparks Martial Arts. From his first class he was immediately welcomed into the Sparks Martial Arts family. Sensi Sparks, and his team of instructors are a talented group of professionals, who are highly dynamic allowing them adapt to every level.
Sensei Sparks and his team are amazing! This no-bullying dojo has a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere where they work hard AND have fun. It's immaculate with comfortable seating so you can watch your child during class. My daughter's confidence has soared! Sparks Martial Arts teaches your children proper self defense, good sportsmanship and teamwork. I highly recommend them!
My son loves it here. You always feel welcomed and at home. We couldn't have found a better place. The atmosphere when you enter is very welcoming. This is the place to be.
We attend as a family and this is the BEST! You'll always feel welcome here and the team treats you like a family. They work with you no matter your skill level and you'll feel super accomplished every single time you go.
We absolutely love going to Sparks. You really feel it to be a safe, fun and educational place to learn Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, etc. We take our kids to the Home Kicks program and they absolutely love it. Everyone at Sparks, the teachers AND the students, is so friendly and positive. Sensei Sparks and his team all promote positive thinking and speaking and a "can do" attitude. I highly recommend them for learning martial arts, no matter if you are a beginner or have a great amount of experience.
We have been part of the Sparks Family for about 10 months. We love it there. The instructors are not only interested in helping our kids get better at karate but to also grow into better people. The classes have been great for my kids. We have also done a birthday party at Sparks. My son and his friends had a blast and I loved that I didn't have to do anything. They decorated and handle the whole party. They made is so easy and were willing to work with us on whatever we wanted. I can't say enough good things about Sparks!
We LOVE Sparks Martial Arts! We moved from High Point a little over 1 year ago, and were leaving a GREAT martial arts school (Tiger Rock - High Point, owned and run by the Snyders, in case you find yourself moving to High Point/Greensboro). I asked for any really good personal recommendation from Mrs. Snyder since there are no Tiger Rock franchises around Charlotte, and she said Sparks was excellent. I spoke with Kris Sparks directly about his program and my children's prior experience. He was so open and friendly! He did one-on-one evaluations with each of my kids, and welcomed us to come try whatever classes we wanted. My children have now been with Sparks for just over 1 year. They all LOVE going to class! Sensai Sparks is so personable, and very informative, especially for me since I had no prior martial arts experience. I recently began their Adult Kickboxing class, and I am enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would! I have and would highly recommend Sparks, as they did prove to be excellent!!
Our entire family trains at Sparks Martial Arts. The owners and staff are all wonderful, so knowledgeable and encouraging. Our children love the homekicks program and literally count down the days until we go to the studio. And their father and I love the leadership, self-discipline and self-esteem skills they are developing. We get a GREAT workout during our adult kickboxing classes while learning invaluable self defense techniques....and it's fun! Thank you Sparks!
We absolutely LOVE Sparks Martial Arts. The teachers are fun, challenging, and encouraging. The facilities are nice, and we can watch the students practice and learn in a comfortable environment. My kids are truly enjoying the homeschool class and have learned a lot already. I would recommend Sparks without hesitation!
An outstanding place to train!! Sensei Kris Sparks provides an excellent family oriented atmosphere with a structured martial arts curriculum for all ages. I had the opportunity to train at Sparks Martial Arts during a kickboxing seminar. Kris has a passion for teaching martial arts and it clearly shows!! I am a fellow Karate & Kickboxing school owner who travels three hours just to train with Sensei Sparks! I can't say enough great things about this place. If you are looking for a program for your child or for yourself look no further!
Kris Sparks is a very Talented Martial arts instructor, He offers several styles to choose from, You can't go wrong with this guy! If you are looking for a quality instructor and a family atmosphere, I encourage you to give his school a try!
I have attended several top-quality martial arts schools over the past 15 years throughout the southeast. When it was time to find a place close to my home for my own children to attend, I had very high standards, and I was incredibly fortunate to find Sparks Martial Arts. I knew as soon as I walked through the door that this was not one of the typical "kids karate" schools you may find around town.
Sensei Sparks is not only one of the nicest, most personable instructors I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, he also happens to be an extremely accomplished and dedicated martial artist who is very well-respected in the martial arts community. Sensei Sparks, and his associate instructors, are completely dedicated to the personal growth of child and adult students in the martial arts. They think of each person that walks through the door as family, and treat them as such.
Children's classes have just the right balance of discipline and fun. Color belt promotions carry no extra cost, which is almost unheard of, and speaks volumes of this school. Sparks frequently offers children's camps, activities, and parents-night-out.
Adult classes have a complete range of skill levels, from very-first-time beginner to very-advanced. Sensei Sparks constantly brings in accomplished masters of various disciplines from outside the school for special seminars and classes. A wide variety of styles are available to learn from this school - kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, kali, and aikido to name a few. Standards are high for promotions, as they should be. Class atmosphere is incredibly positive, always with opportunity for learning something new in every class.
Whether you (or your child) are new to martial arts, or are an accomplished martial artist looking for a home, you could not find a better place than Sparks Martial Arts.
Both my children and I love being a part of Sparks Martial Arts. Not only is it great learning experience for mind and body, but it is a great community to be a part of!
We signed up as a family about ten months ago. My son is in the kids program, and my daughter takes the kickboxing class along with my husband, and I. If you are looking for a place to gain knowledge in Martial Arts, have fun, build self confidence, get a great workout, and be in a family atmosphere with good people to encourage you along the way, then Sparks Martial Arts is the place to be. It's awesome !!!
My husband and I wanted the kids to learn self-defense, so we signed them up at Sparks Martial Arts. They are getting so much more! Confidence, knowledge of martial arts, learning how to deal with bullies, learning karate, doing exercises and making life long friendships!
The teachers are AMAZING! They NEVER yell at the kids and they are always there helping the kids and boosting their self confidence. They use positive reinforcement and are just the nicest people!
My kids love it there and I would recommend Sparks to anyone and everyone!
Sparks Martial Arts is the place to be. Fun, friendly, family atmosphere. Mr. Sparks is great with kids and his adult instruction is top notch. Give him a try, you will be glad you did.
Kris Sparks is fantastic. I have known Sensei Sparks for quite a while and I would highly recommend his classes to anyone. Whether you are an adult looking for classes for yourself or a place for your children to learn to protect themselves, while having alot of fun....you cant go wrong in choosing Sparks Martial Arts.
Our son joined Sparks 2.5 years ago and he continues to enjoy his training with Kris. Our daughter also joined a year ago and she loves it too. Kris is great with the kids. He is continually making it fun and exciting for them, while teaching them discipline and important skills needed. The atmosphere is very family friendly and we enjoy spending our time there.
Joined two summers ago with my son. We both enjoy Sensei Sparks' teaching style. We do Jiu-jitsu and Kick boxing. It is a fantastic workout. A great place for kids and adults.
I started Training at Sparks about two years ago with my brother and sister. We all love it so much we're there just about every night! Its such a great environment so many great people everyone's so open and excepting and ready to help. Sensei Sparks always keeps the classes fun and interesting he's always ready to make you laugh! Overall its one of my favorite places to be!
My husband, myself and our two kids started training at Sparks only 2 months ago. What started out as us looking for a place for our kids to train has ended with our entrie family training together. We absolutely love it!! My kids ask me everyday if we're going to karate. Sensei Sparks is great with the kids; teaching them discipline and respect and a very fun and encouraging way. I'm able to see these lessons played out in my kids everyday life. My husband and I also enjoy the adult kickboxing class. The adults that train are all different ages and skill levels which is helpful when learning kickboxing technique. There is nothing ordinary about this dojo. It has truly become a great part of our lives and the friends we are still getting to know have completely welcomed us in the Sparks Martial Arts family. 100% recommended!
I started at Sparks Martial Arts over 6 months ago and LOVE training there. What started out as a good way of getting exercise a couple nights a week quickly turned into a love of kickboxing and training 5 nights a week. In the summer I started training in his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program and was hooked. I am at SMA almost every night of the week and it never gets old! Sensei Sparks is a great instructor and really cares about his students and their progress in martial arts and personally. My fellow students have become a second family to me. It is a place to work out, make friends, and have fun!
The parents that come here take up all the available parking for the other 3 shops in the center so that no one can park next to any of the stores, you have to go to another parking lot then walk over all because the disrespectful patrons of this karate place literally take EVERY SINGLE SPOT THAT IS FOR OTHER BUISINESSES. Other buisinesses have complained but the hack owner wont do anything about it.
