Lakewood Ranch Tae Kwon DO
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Grandmaster Craig Balliette invites you and your family to join one of the most complete and professional Martial Arts Facilities in the country! Lakewood Ranch Taekwondo proudly serves Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Sarasota and beyond. Grandmaster Craig is only one of five non-Korean certified Grandmasters of Taekwondo in the world.

Children 4 years through adult can benefit from his 42 years of teaching experience. Lakewood Ranch Taekwondo Academy is a World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) School and includes Hapkido, the Korean art of self-defense. Taekwondo is a powerful, methodical Korean Martial Art that emphasizes physical training and mind body discipline.
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The purpose and benefit of our introductory course is to let you experience our program before you decide to join. We will focus on basic punching, blocking, kicking, and practical self defense to assist in bullying and unexpected confrontations. We will also spend time talking about the philosophy of the art and belt system.
Reviews (10)
Declan Keenan
Declan Keenan
Jun 02, 2021
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This is a top notch and excellent Tae Kwon Do Academy. Physically it is in a great location, easily accessible and provides plenty of parking.
Inside, the facility is comfortable and extremely well equipped.
The Do Jang is very well run and managed by Grand Master Craig who is a staggering, Ninth Degree Black Belt. The other instructors, Masters Cindy and Joe are also extremely knowledgeable, patient and helpful.
I joined LWR Tae Kwon Do Academy some months ago at the age of 60. It has proven to be an excellent decision as I have benefitted in many ways, both physically and mentally. I enjoy
Jessica Murphy
Jessica Murphy
Jan 29, 2021
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Master Craig is wonderful! I wanted to find something to do with my four year old daughter and to learn more about self defense. I decided to enroll us into Lakewood Ranch Taekwondo and have currently been there for 2 months. It has been a great experience! Not only have I enjoyed it, but my daughter is learning so much. Highly recommend!
Ace Maintenance
Ace Maintenance
Jan 07, 2021
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Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality, Value
Best taekwondo school around! In our experience with taekwondo there is no one more knowledgable than Master Craig! Highly recommend for kids of all ages. My 4 year old if enjoying it and learning SO much!
Pau Torruella
Pau Torruella
Jan 01, 2021
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Best decision I've made from my son yet! The values of the lessons he learns at LWR Taekwondo will last him for many years into the future. Master Craig is the real deal, traditionally trained and focused on the quality of the artform. He instills the traditions of TWD in all his students along with respect, obedience, self esteem, and pride.
Brandon
Brandon
Oct 03, 2020
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Terrible instruction in my opinion. My daughter who is 5 went there for instruction. The introduction class gives off the impression that the lessons will be in group but very hands on. They are not at all. It’s simply watch everyone do this move and then you do it. There is no guidance to the parents on what they should be practicing and the automatically test after a certain number of classes. Oh yes let’s not forget testing a reason to make you pay more as the testing is required and comes with a fee. The owner of the establishment is not very forthcoming with that information either when
Keith W.
Keith W.
Oct 02, 2020
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My son (6 years old) has been attending Lakewood Ranch Taekwondo for a little over a month now. I can say that I have been very pleased with the instruction he has received and how the instructors interact with the students. Make no mistake, the students are there to learn and the instructors are there to teach. There is no room for goofing off and I appreciate the tone the instructors set in order to ensure all students receive the full benefit of each class. As for my son, he absolutely loves it. He says it is the best part of his day. I'd have to agree with him since watching him learn is the
Jen F.
Jen F.
Dec 04, 2019
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We love Lakewood Ranch Taekwondo! As a parent not only do I love that my 7 year old loves Taekwondo but that he is learning it from the best instructors out there. This organization is not your run-of-the-mill “belt factory” where the children earn belts quickly, but rather, students of all ages are learning the proper techniques, discipline and requirements to get them to the next level. Grandmaster Craig, as well as Cindy, are patient, respectful of the children’s individual talents and they work with the children to develop to their own potential. We highly recommend this organization
Samurai Gaming
Samurai Gaming
Oct 18, 2019
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Our son started Taekwondo at age 5 in S. Korea, working with a Grand Master that was a World Taekwondo Federation. When moving back to the states it was a high priority to find another Dojo that met the same standards. We looked at several and all of them were after school daycares that offered TKD.
The initial phone call I had with Grand Master Craig, I knew right away it was going to be the right fit for our family. The first class my son had there the connection was immediate with Master Craig. Since than we have been at the Academy for 6 months now. Our son just tested for his 1st degree Black
Russell White
Russell White
Jul 04, 2019
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When my son showed an interest in Taekwondo we were new to the area, Lakewood Ranch Taekwondo was highly recommended by neighbors so we decided to check it out. Our son did the introduction course with Master Craig, he loved it and was excited to start taking Taekwondo! Not only has our son learned the proper way to kick, punch, and block he has learned important lifelong principles like respect, honor, courtesy, integrity and self control. The students work hard to earn their belts. Master Craig and Master Cindy do a great job teaching the students the art of Taekwondo.
Marisela Santiago
Marisela Santiago
Aug 30, 2017
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My 2 kids are homeschooled, so when it came time to get a Martial Arts school for my kids, I needed the best in the area. We looked around for months until we found it with Master Craig. His classes are for kids that really want to learn Taekwondo. They are serious, structured, discipled, and respectful. My kids are learning their forms correctly & rapidly. He is truly a great instructor.
One of the things that we liked about this school is that there are no contracts. Master Craig teaches every class himself, from white to black belts. In his class you won't see kids running around or socializing