Berrien Springs Taekwondo studio returns to in-person classes

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. – After dealing with the challenges that come with opening a business in the middle of a pandemic, Hyde’s Lifestyle Taekwondo is finally open for in-person classes once again.

The Berrien Springs martial arts studio opened last November, and has had its fair share of battles through the COVID-19 pandemic.

But besides having to find other ways to teach classes, the studio’s black belt instructor said the results speak for themselves.

“Biggest challenge I had, we started off really, really successful, doing the classes here in the studio, but unfortunately due to the pandemic, we were forced to go through Zoom and do virtual classes,” James Hyde said. “I did lose quite a bit of students because of the in-person classes versus the zoom classes. A lot of parents want the kids to be out, instead of confined in the homes doing classes.”

Hyde said that martial arts has actually helped the kids he teaches perform better in school. The kids are able to focus more in school because of their Taekwondo training.

“Actually, when we through the testing for the kids, we have them take a letter to their teacher for them to sign, you know, ‘hey how is this kid doing? Are they doing their work? What do they need to improve on?’ So, we take all that into consideration before we move them into the next belt rank,” Hyde said.

Hyde said his hope for the class is that he can teach them all the way to their black belts, and that his students will become instructors too.

If you child is interested in Taekwondo, there are still some open slots for Hyde’s classes. For more information, visit the studio’s Facebook page.