The Houston Center for Taekwondo

"This is a long post but I'm trying to condense 7+ years into one post. I have taken every action to try to resolve my issues /concerns with Master Giambi but I am left with no option but to leave a negative review. My three children had concurrently attended HCT for 7+ years with one child 'testing and receiving' her first and even second degree black belts from HCT. She started when she was in kindergarten and was a student in HCT's first class of black belts. Her goal was to one day become an instructor there. Due to many adult teachers either leaving or being fired from HCT and being replaced by student instructors, we decided to go elsewhere. The communication and administration at HCT were not going well. As my daughter wanted to continue with Taekwondo and compete, we went to another school. When it was time to enroll, we informed the new school that she was a second degree black belt. The new school requested to see her official black belt card and certificate. This was when I realized that something was wrong. You see, we never received any of the official documentation. When she 'tested' for her first and second degree black belts, I was informed that she would be 'registered' as a black belt. I naturally assumed that she would be registered in an official database at either Kukiwon or World Taekwondo Federation or some global TKD organization. This wasn't the case so I emailed Master Giambi three times requesting to have a face-to-face meeting. He didn't respond to any of my emails. Then, in between kids coming home and driving them to different activities, I drove to HCT in hopes of meeting with Master Giambi. Another adult teacher informed me that he was only available between 4-5PM so I went there to speak with him and the first two times, he wasn't there. Each time I went, I asked the instructor to have him call me so that we can schedule a meeting and I wouldn't have to drive there. No call was received. Then, today, on my third try to meet him, he was there and I was able to ask my questions about HCT's black belt testing. His demeanor was not helpful at all. I was trying to give him to the benefit of the doubt, emailed 3 times, drove to his school 3 times and I left frustrated, angry and disappointed. Apparently, the expensive black belt testing fee is only for their school. The records of students receiving black belts are not registered anywhere outside of HCT. I asked him what we were paying for through the fee and he simply said it was for their black best testing. He even said that they didn't even 'need' the official card or certificate. If I had known all this from the start, I would not have placed my children at HCT. If you are just looking for a place for your children to exercise, this place would fit the bill but if you are looking long-term and to have your children get their black belt and beyond, I would advise you to reconsider signing your kids up at HCT."

"Professional. Inspirational. Hospitable. These are the words that describe my daughter's experience at Houston Center for Taekwondo. My daughter has trained under Master Giambi for nearly 9 years. We are so grateful for the motivation and inspiration he has provided. He has helped our daughter realize her gift and to face challenges she had no idea she could conquer. Our daughter has overcome many obstacles - inside, as well as outside the competitive ring - due to Master Giambi's training which developed an inner strength she was unaware of possessing. We have followed Master Giambi from one location to another because of his expertise in the sport, the connection he makes with his students, as well as the values he instills in his students. Therefore, I do not mind driving 20.3 miles 3-4 times a week for her to train at The Houston Center for Taekwondo. It is a wonderful environment with people I consider to be a second family."

"We joined the Houston Center for Taekwondo (HCT) in November 2015. My son (9), daughter (14), wife and I consider the instructors, students, and fellow parents our second family. We live in Sienna Plantation and drive over 1.5 hours round trip to train at HCT. We probably pass a dozen martial arts schools on our way. Master Giambi is an exceptional instructor and business leader. He connects well with students and parents, tailors his motivational style to the individual needs of his students, and creates an open and family friendly environment in the school. I admire that he has many of his own kids there every day, and have enjoyed connecting with them and watching them grow. My children love training at HCT. The bonds they have formed through training and competitions are heartwarming. Their confidence, focus in school, and polite and humble approach with teachers and adults is something we attribute to the lessons they learn in taekwondo. While Master Giambi’s true niche is high level competition/Olympic taekwondo sparring (GForce, the competition team, won the AAU national title in 2017), he has programs for all ages, aspirations, and experience levels. His team of instructors are also fantastic and go above and beyond to make taekwondo a rewarding experience for students!"

"I am both a student and the parent of a couple of kids at HTC, and I must say, my experience in both roles has been outstanding! As a student, I must say that the workouts are challenging, which I consider a good thing. The instructors push you to achieve your potential and get the most out of your workout, as well as the knowledge and skills you are gaining in Taekwondo. My flexibility and health has increased dramatically since starting, and it is all due to the intensity of the instructors and the passion that they have for the art. My children have both benefitted from the program as well. They are being trained in a very professional manner by the instructors and even in bigger classes, the instruction still manages to be individualized so that each child can get as much out of the classes as possible. Both of my kids' self-confidence and self-discipline have grown by leaps and bounds. After a year and a half in the program, one of my children decided to join the school's competition team. Since then, the changes I've seen in him are like night and day. He's grown up so much in such a short period of time! He is much more mature, self-confident and disciplined than when he joined the team less than a year ago. It's amazing to see really. Everything in this review boils down to the fact that the instructors at this school truly care about their students, kids and adults alike. I did not have any experience with any other schools in the area, but I can say that I am thankful every day that this was the first school that we were lucky enough to join, because I really don't see how our experience could have been any better than at HCT!"

"We began taking my children to Master Giambi's beginner class when they were 5&6 years old. Our oldest child had a terrible teacher experience in first grade which stripped him of his self-confidence. Nothing seemed to help, until HCT & Master Giambi. Calm, consistent, discipline along with a positive balance of learning a lifelong skill not only brought my child's confidence back, but gave him the coping ability to not allow another person or incident to define him or take away who he is. Master Giambi along with his caring, engaging, professional instructors have a passion for the sport we were not previously familiar. Their enthusiasm is contagious. Not sure where we would be without Master Giambi. What he did for my oldest after a teacher destroyed his joy of learning and confidence, no therapist or counselor would have ever been able to do. I have observed throughout the years other children of all ages and background thrive, gain confidence, maturity, as well as friends being a part of HCT. My boys would much rather practice then watch TV. They love it and look forward to going to class. I recommend HCT to everyone!"