Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts (Elmwood Park, NJ)

My son had been attending this school for almost two years. The reason I signed him up is because he has been getting bullied in school. He can’t punch a bag to save his life, nor can he kick it. They kept giving him stripes and belts he didn’t earn because he is super lost. I even paid for private lessons, which they asked me to do with the idea that he is doing great, but they want to take him to a new level - bs. I fell for it and paid the $700.00; what a joke. It changed nothing. Then I signed him up again in September. I was given the police discount because of my husband. A few days later, I noticed my credit card had been changed without my permission. I spoke with a few people, and they told me the matter would be taken care of. It wasn’t. I sat with the son’s owner, and he told me the problem is that my discount was wrong and it should have been less. I told him, listen, I never asked for a discount. I am upset because my credit card was charged without my consent. He made a phone call to the manager, who explained to him that he was, in fact, wrong about the discount, and I was right. He hung up and said, wow, you got a great deal, but the way he said it was as if I couldn’t afford to pay the full amount, and I was getting cuts. It was very disturbing. This was in September; we are now in January. I still have not recovered my refund. I tried to talk to the owner last Wednesday; he was very rude, told me he was busy, and to hurry up and tell him what I wanted. I explained to him the situation, and once again, he asked me why I have a discount; you need a badge for that. I was super confused; he knows my husband. I told him my husband has one. He said you should not be getting a discount; you guys are jipping me, super loud, yelling that we are stealing from him. He asked me who did that; I told him who, and then he said we were all stealing from him. Then he yelled across the room at the manager, as if she was his servant, that I needed to set up an appointment to speak with him because he was too busy. Then he went and sat down on the bleachers to talk bs with some of the moms. This man is one disgusting piece of work. He has preferences for the kids who go to tournaments and the moms. Let’s talk about the ambient sound in this place. The moms have their own click, like in high school; they will look at you wrong and not even say hi. For a whole year, I tried to be nice, to the point I was so uncomfortable being there. I would just drop off my son and pick him up because I didn’t feel like getting dirty looks. The owner and son think they are better than you, and you are just a peasant getting handouts. They think they are better than everyone else. Then they want their staff to apologize on their behalf for being unprofessional. Good luck sending your child here. 😳

Great place to get tougher get more confidence and exercise. My son love the place and the stuff is very friendly. Also parents have enough space to chill out while class is done.

I am not usually the type to write reviews; however, after discussing with others who attended this location and have since transferred, I decided to share my experience to provide potential members a complete picture and things to consider before making a decision. Initially, my experience in the beginner classes was relatively good, although the quality of instruction varied. Some instructors did not consistently provide tips to improve technique or spend time working with each member. Many times, I attended classes without receiving any attention or feedback. In the intermediate class, the environment became cliquish, resembling a high school setting where your experience greatly depended on being part of the “in crowd.” The behavior of some core team members was particularly unprofessional and unwelcoming. This created an atmosphere of favoritism that significantly impacted the overall experience, making it negative for those not included in the favored group. Due to these issues, I returned to the beginner classes but faced immature and petty behavior from one the instructor. On one occasion when attending the 1pm class, when I asked for help with test questions for my blue belt qualification on Valentine’s Day, the instructor reacted negatively because I did not give him a Valentine’s Day card. He snatched the paper from me and threw it on the ground, leaving it there for the entire class until I picked it up myself. This was just one example of the many instances of immaturity and disrespect I faced. Before transferring, I spoke with the Joshu at the location. Although he listened, he did not offer an apology, only stating that my experience might be better at my new location. Since leaving, I have spoken to others who shared similar negative experiences, reinforcing the issues I observed. I hope this review helps others in their decision-making process and prevents them from experiencing the same distress I did. While I regret choosing the Elmwood Park location, I do not want to deter anyone from Tiger Schulmann’s as a whole. I have since transferred to another location with a much better environment.

My kid loved this place because it's the place to make friends. From my point of view, it's the place for him to get tougher and build up his confidence. The staffs are very friendly and professional.

There is only one instructor for 5-7 year olds. I asked and was told there is no other option, no other days you can come to get a different person. This instructor is petty and weak. She consistently fails to provide explanation or context in the lessons, everything is just "do this". She points and laughs at children when they have the moves wrong instead of correcting. She has shamed children for getting distracted by calling them in front of the class to demonstrate moves she knows they didn't see her do, and then nastily dismissing them... She has taken my kids belt away with no explanation and then disappeared, so other instructors had to explain and give the belt back. She indirectly accused me of getting "upset my child was losing" a game she had dragged out well past the class end time because we left before she was finished. These children sit around majority of class time without much opportunities to be active. The game is more for her own amusement, most of the kids are visibly squirming and ready to go. There is no positive reinforcement to balance out the negative. To make it worse, this instructor also focuses on the same 1-2 favorite kids every class and makes no effort to engage everyone equally. I voiced my concerns to "management" and was repeatedly told she is the only instructor for this age group and there are no other days we can come to avoid her. She then began purposely alienating my child because I complained. We are now breaking contract and looking for another school. If you have a child between 5-7, I'd highly recommend a smaller gym with more mature instructors. Its very crowded with limited seating for parents and bathrooms are always nasty. Always 2-3 classes going on at once in the same room. Not worth the money.