Kevin Sullivan's Black Belt

I just started bringing my three children to Grandmaster Kevin Sullivans' Karate class. From the past few weeks I can already tell it was a great life enhancing decision I made for my children. I can see how it is going to help them grow into strong well rounded individuals. As my children train with Grandmaster Sullivan, I see how he not only teaches them karate; he makes them confident in themselves and helps them to find the internal strength to make the right decisions in life. Every class I have watched so far has incorporated important life skills such as; respect, teamwork, social skills, sportsmanship and many others in a fun environment for any age. Grandmaster Sullivan is great with the kids and the parents. After the first session with my children, he was able to see their strengths and weaknesses. He explained how karate with him as their Grandmaster would be beneficial in overcoming their fears and weaknesses. In a fun structured environment, he has not only proved what he said to be true, but left me speechless as I already see the effect it has made on them so far. For example, my two eldest are very shy and not easily motivated. Over the past few weeks I have seen them become excited to go to karate every Monday and Wednesday; they even were brave enough to do their kicks and punches in front of everyone with the support and cheering of their class and Grandmaster. My youngest has attention problems and we can't get him to sit still for anything. However; he will sit and be obedient throughout the entire class time. He has even started to be more attentive outside of karate as well. It really shows the effort Grandmaster Sullivan puts into his students and the level of care he has for each one of them. I'm extremely grateful for all Grandmaster Sullivan does for the kids. I believe he is a very positive role model and instructor for the children. I would recommend his class to anyone who has children and would like to see them become strong, responsible individuals. more

My son has been a student for 6 years,was the best gift for him ,will last a life time. more

I had my kids go to this school to learn self discipline and self worth. I will say that though his methods seem militant at times, are effective. It was proved in the duration of time the kids spent over their year of enrollment. They listened better and also did better in school. He does care about the students in his class, but his instruction mantra is defiantly "tough love" and some kids can't cope with that and tend to learn by fear. My son told me one day on the way to school, after arguing with him to get in the car for 15 mins, he didn't want to go because Master Sullivan was a bully. His perspective was all I needed to realize that this was not what I wanted to teach my kids. That if your mean and tough and vocally over the top and push peoeple enough you can get what you want with fear. That is not how I need my child to grow. I, at the same time, am greatful to Kevin. In my time of need he put my daughter through class free of charge for a year. So all in all, you have to understand, though his class is effective, it is very abbrasive. And in my opinion, in a negative influence on my kids. There are alot of happy kids in his class, so it's all about your kids nature and his methods. You as a parent need to decide if it's a good fit for you or not. For mine, it was not. more

My kids have been with Kevin for over 4 years now. My son used to have a problem with confidence and it affected everything in his life. Since being with Kevin, my son's attitude toward life has changed. He looks you in the eye when you are speaking and responds with respect. His school work comes much easier to him because his focus is concentrated instead of erratic. My daughter had a problem with being very talkative during school which used to get her into trouble. Knowing when to speak and when to listen is what she learned with Kevin. Both of my kids get their needs fulfilled at his school and that's what matters most to me. As for the negative reviews i have read on here......I can tell you that I have personally watched parents argue with Kevin because he said/did something to their child that they didn't like. In each of these cases, I witnessed everything and can tell you that some parents need to stop babying their children. You can't get mad if he makes your kid do extra pushups because he wasn't doing what he was supposed to. If you want your kids to learn, then you need to let them and not get in the way. At times, he can be seen as to harsh, but that's just a good life lesson. There will always be people that you disagree with in your life, but you can't just up and quit when things get tough. I guess that some parents still haven't learned that lesson themselves. As for the comments about him just wanting your money......not true. Originally, my son was enrolled, not my daughter. When my husband was laid off, he allowed my daughter to join the class for free. He cares about their fitness and their future. more

This guy is the worst instructor ever. He never teaches because he is chasing all the women that come in the school. He treats good hard working people like crap and is often making fun of people. He is all about the money and is very confrontational. His technique isn't even that good when I smartened up and went to another school and did some techniques in front of some big named kenpo guys they laughed at my technique and my certificate of rank. There are some awesome instructors out there he is not one of them. Don't let him brain wash you and your kids into thinking how great he is. All his top guys left him because he is such an ass and moved on to better things with better instructors Im suprised he can get his head in his school because he has such a huge ego. As far as him being a world champion thats a joke as well you could win any tournament and say your a world champion. Anyone can get there pictures taken with famous martial artist. Nobody and I mean nobody knows who he is if he was that famous the big name guys would know him. Do yourself a favor and find a real school with normal instructors so you can enjoy the martial arts. more

My children have been attending Kevin Sullivan's school of Black Belt Excellence for some time now and I feel compelled to write a review. I've never sat down to do such a thing, but I am so moved and so impressed with my children's progress that I wanted to share it with as many parents as possible. I consider myself to be a good mother, I do the best I can with what I've got; but what I've been given are two hyper children who have an extremely difficult time listening and paying attention-this makes their school environment nearly impossible. They have both been a constant distraction to their teachers and fellow students...I didn't know where else to turn. I had heard that Karate had much to do with discipline and self control, but I needed to see for myself. I will begin by saying that the commitment first begins with the parents; it is time consuming, my children attend practice 2 to 3 nights per week, plus participate in belt tests, movie nights and additional activities. I decided to commit, and lead with the behavior that I wanted to see my children model. The first few weeks I was nervous and skeptical, my son could barely stand still, my daughter seemed confused but eager. We kept at it. A few months went by and I began to see a maturity that time alone could not have offered. My son was able to sit still longer, my daughter more determined and focused than ever. This "discipline", these skills, are now being carried into the school with them. The improvement I see at home, and the level of respect I am now seeing from my children is remarkable! Each month that goes by, they become stronger and better focused. The improvement I see in my children's lives as a result of this school and the teachings of Kevin Sullivan is beyond any price tag I could put to it. Mr. Sullivan is a remarkably patient man who truly learns each child's tolereances and skills; and then builds upon them. I'm so grateful for the development I've seen and would highly recommend this program to anyone. more

Respect, pride in one's work and doing your best in all that you attempt were the main themes addressed in a very age appropriate and insightful manner in a talk by Mr. Sullivan at our school. He presents himself in a very professional manner and is a positive role model for the benefits of staying physically active. more

I was also a student their and I thought the school was fine until I moved and had to shop around for a new school. Wow, it was eye opening to realize what real karate schools were like. Kevin Sullivans school was the first karate school i went to. I have to agree with what some of the other people said on here. He was terrible to the parents of the kids, he was always flirting with the mother's and telling his conquest stories to the male students. I saw him verbally threaten parents and challenge them to fight him. I saw him kick kids out of the school if the parents disagreed with how he treated them or their kids. He was very, very into money and I know now that most of the things he did was only so he could line his pockets. He made me sign a multi year contract that I still had to pay even after I moved. I just assumed that's how these schools worked. When I moved and started going to a new school I saw what real instructors were like; polite, caring and had a real curriculum. They made time for the parents, answered all my questions, never made fun of me for asking a basic question. I actually had to earn my belt promotions and they told me if I wasn't ready. At Sullivan's we had belt promotions whenever Kevin needed cash. He charged so much money for the tests and everybody always tested and passed. I always thought it was odd that we had extra belt promotions around holidays but I was so naive I didn't realize that he was doing it to make money and not because I earned it. DB more

Listen, I know people don't know any better and these horrible places are everywhere. You are spending your hard earned money on this stuff. Here is a guy backed by no one who developed his system in Bristol CT and has pictures with famous people woo hoo! If you are going to spend your money and trust you and/ or your kids are in good hands. Find yourself an Asian instructor at a school with an organization backing him and overseeing the methods being taught. These schools are in every area if you look, some are more olympic sport others are more realistic self defense both are better than this. Actually I have seen a new Korean owned school backed by the World TKD Federation right in Bristol in front of staples on rt 6 about a mile west of Kevin Sullivans self bastardized method of mix karate. more

His heart is in the right place and most kids benefit from his instruction. However, he has a confrontational business style that most parents can't/won't tollerate! The irony in his inability to deal with conflict should not be missed... more

I happened to be a student there presently and i would highly recommend this studio to any students and/or parents that are looking for a safe enviornment to look forward to after a long day. Grandmaster Sullivan does everything he can to teach the students and parents to the best of his abilities. I'm only 15, and i was not put up to this, but i must say if you have any negative comments about the studio keep them to yourself, because your not acting very mature. You don't like him or his studio, fine that's your opinion and your entilted to it but stop downing on it. Thanks for reading. -Laura- more

Kevin runs a great school. Any parent considering karate for their kid(s) should seriously consider his school. During a tour, pay particular attention to the students that have been in the school for sometime. There is a great disparity between the "Park and Rec" kids and his core students. The core group are the true indication of Kevin's ability to motivation and instill excellence. The "Park and Rec" kids are mostly testing the waters and have not fully committed to Karate. RG more

Wow, I'm shocked at the neg. reviews. My kids have been taking boxing and karate with K. Sullivan for almost a year and we have had nothing but positive experience. He has been attentive to my children, and is almost always teaching class. My children look forward to classes and he has been very respectful to the parents per my observations. His studio however, should be nominated for a makeover. more

Kevin Sullivan is a snake. He is a terrible teacher and is more into making money than anything else. He seems very nice when you first encounter him, but once you sign that contract, forget it. He is rotten to the parents, and has no problem telling you what a lousy parent you are. And, I highly doubt that he even knows Chuck Norris. I find it hard to believe that Mr. Norris would have anything to do with this rotten excuse for a human being. He should be embarrassed to show his face in public. I have come across numerous people that have had the "Kevin Sullivan experience" and not one person has anything nice to say about this man. Parents-BEWARE!!!!! more