Mountain Eagle Karate Academy — Local services in Albuquerque

I believe that MEKA has provided a positive, supportive learning experience for many kids getting started in karate. I’m just writing this review as a “heads up” for parents who are considering enrolling their neurodivergent/autistic child at MEKA.

Our son is 4 years old and has autism. We wanted to enroll him in a fun after-school activity. Martial arts classes are great for autistic children, as they teach them skills to help control their bodies and emotions and gain confidence.

We told MEKA about our son’s special circumstances and took him to his Tiny Eagles trial lesson. He really enjoyed it, and the Senpai who teaches the class was compassionate and welcoming to our son. We felt good about it. After class I waited outside with our son while my husband went inside to meet with the Sensei and pay the enrollment fees.

When my husband came back out to the car, his energy had changed. Long story short, the Sensei of MEKA gave him vibes that she did not approve of our son. He interacts with the world differently than neurotypical kids. While the other 4-6 year old were able to easily sit still, our son was wigglier and a little more distracted. He was stimming—jumping, flapping his hands, pacing, repeating verbal phrases (echolalia), etc. He doesn’t do these repetitive actions to be difficult or naughty—it’s how he is able to calm himself when he has sensory overload and big emotions, including when he is happy. It may have been a little distracting, but we don’t feel that he was taking the experience away from the other kids. It may have looked like he was deliberately disobeying, but he was actually really happy to be included—even if he wasn’t doing all of the punches, kicks, and stretches like the other kids.

Funnily enough, that day I told my husband I was worried that the Sensei didn’t like him and would kick him out of the class for being different. My husband thought it would be fine because they’re little kids—not a competitive, intense class. Regardless, between every class I worked with him on the skills he learned so he could hopefully keep up and meet the Sensei’s expectations.

It wasn’t enough. As our first month came to an end, I saw the Sensei talking to his Senpai after after class, and I knew what was coming. Sure enough, his Senpai told us that our son was uninvited from MEKA. She said we could finish our last class that month and our son could maybe stay if he behaved like the other kids, but we doubt the Sensei would actually allow it. We feel that she made up her mind about our son that very first day.

It’s disappointing that the Sensei didn’t take time to talk to us herself, ever. I never saw her take even two minutes to talk to our son and get to know him for the wonderful little boy he is. She just wrote him off as a bad kid. Many neurotypical kids may have a great experience at MEKA, but their Sensei does not have a place for kids who don’t...

It's been awesome to watch my daughter's confidence and self discipline grow. We love the instructors and the environment they have created. The price and practice times are very comfortable. Highly recommend karate and this dojo to anyone looking to enrich their quality of life! UPDATE-3/31/2021 If Google allowed us to put more stars I would click the "universe" option! It's hard to find the words to describe such a wonderful program. When Covid came at our community, and world, it challenged many of us with a number of different issues. Renchi Mark and Sensei Anna demonstrated exactly what they teach. They adopted a new dojo for us and our children at a nearby park and always kept the health/safety of our children and families a priority. As the seasons changed, days became colder and shorter. Once again, they adapted there program to smaller class sizes to once again keep everyone safe. Throughout all of this time they provided several zoom classes for those who could not attend or felt more comfortable at home. During this past year, not only have they taught our children valuable skills, they taught me and anyone else observing there perseverance and commitment that we can rise above the hurdles we face. With gratitude, I say thank you to Mountain Eagle Karate Academy 💖💖💖 our community is better for...

Mountain Eagle Karate Academy has changed my life. We enrolled my son when he was 8 years old. I would go to classes and watch, and thought it looked like a lot of fun. I knew they offered adult classes, but at the time I was 43 years old, weighed 255 lbs., and was really out of shape. My wife talked me into giving it a try, and I couldn’t be happier that I did. I found the owners/instructors, Mark and Anna Gorman, to be great teachers and amazing people, fell in love with karate, and was welcomed into a wonderful community. Over the years I lost over 80 pounds, made lots of new friends, competed in many tournaments (even winning first place in Nationals!), and earned my Shodan (first degree black belt). I achieved more than I ever thought possible, did it all with my son, and we have had a great time doing it. Now I have the honor of helping others follow the path that I traveled, and that is one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. If you are considering karate classes for your child or yourself, Mountain Eagle is a great...