UPDATE: I am very sad to announce that we at Tucson Chayon-Ryu have had to close our doors. There are no prospects of reopening in the near future, but if you would like to be informed should the situation change, please email robyn@tucsoncyr.com to be added to a notification list.

About the school:

What does “Family Martial Arts” mean?

One of the things that makes Tucson Chayon-Ryu different from many other martial arts schools is that we don’t separate students by age for our classes. All ages and levels train together for at least some portion of every class, which makes our school ideal for families that want to learn martial arts together. We have students who train on their own, too! But our family-friendly teaching style is one of the things that sets us apart, which is why we’ve chosen to highlight it.

You say your school combines several martial arts traditions. Is Tucson Chayon-Ryu an MMA school?

No. Mixed martial arts – usually abbreviated MMA – is based on the combination of a number of different martial arts influences, as is Chayon-Ryu, but that’s about all we have in common. MMA is a sport that focuses on full-contact combat and competition. Chayon-Ryu is non-competitive, and sparring is a comparatively small part of our training

About becoming a student:

What ages do you teach?

Students aged six and above. We’ll consider accepting younger students if they can demonstrate the ability to pay attention and take direction from someone other than their parents.

Do I need to be physically fit in order to train?

No. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to increase your fitness as you learn.

What should I wear to my first class? Where do I get one of your uniforms?

Wear something comfortable that you can move around easily in. (Loose track pants good, denim skinny jeans bad!) When you’re ready to buy a uniform – we use the Korean word “dobak” – you’ll purchase that directly from us.

I have a disability – can I learn martial arts?

Absolutely. It is our philosophy that martial arts should be for everyone, and we’ll make an effort to accommodate students with disabilities. People with mobility issues should be aware that our current location is not wheelchair accessible and may be a little difficult to access for those who have difficulty navigating stairs. Still, we’d like to try to find a way to make training work for you. Email, call, or show up for one of our class times to let us know what your needs are, and we’ll do our best to figure it out.

About classes:

Where are you located?

210 W. 5th Street. You can click here for a map. Look for the Aikido of Tucson (our friendly landlords) sign.

What times are your classes?

We have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-7 pm, and on Saturdays from 1-2 pm.

How much do classes cost?

We charge a one-time registration fee of $25 per student, and monthly fees are $50 for a single student or $90 for a family (we define “family” pretty broadly. Just ask if you’re not sure whether your group qualifies).

So, for example, a student training alone would pay $75 her first month, and $50 every month after that. A family of four would pay $190 their first month, and $90 every month after that.

Do I have to sign a contract for a certain number of months of classes?

No.  Students pay their fees on a monthly basis with no contracts.

About our teachers:

Are you insured?

Yes.

How much experience do your teachers have?

It takes a minimum of five years to earn a black belt in Chayon-Ryu, and all of our classes are supervised by at least one black belt. Our most senior instructors have over twenty years of training experience.

Learning to teach is an integral part of training for students in Chayon-Ryu after they earn their purple belts, which means that all of our teachers have been specifically trained to teach our techniques.  Knowing how to do something doesn’t always mean knowing how to teach others to do it – we make sure that our teachers are qualified for both.