We recently had the chance to sit down with Anastasiia Bateman of Keon Taekwondo, and were thoroughly impressed this new Taekwondo studio in Carrboro.
Not only do they offer a wide variety of Kaewondo classes for all ages (as young as 4!), they also offer after school care, and pick up/drop off children to help parents! Yes, you read that right—included pick up and drop offs! With their after school care, they also take weekly field trips around Chapel Hill and Durham. They also give back a portion of their income to help low income children enroll in Taekwondo classes.
And this will also be the new location of our Group Infant Massage Classes! We are very excited to be able to bring back a group setting for infant massage classes, as the benefits for the group setting are very apparent for new moms and dads learning how to care for their newborns. You can register directly online when you are ready to attend our group infant massage class in Carrboro.
Meet Anastasiia and Nick Bateman, the owners of Keon Taekwondo!
What made you want to open Keon Taekwondo?
We opened Keon Taekwondo because my husband and I both love working with kids! Both of us had previous experience working in the child care industry, and we learned over time that these companies, unfortunately, pay more attention to money than the actual children.
We wanted to be different so we created Keon, a community of parents, kids, and all around good people, who above all else value kindness, respect, and helping others. Our long term goal is to be a community first, and a business second.
What are some of the benefits of children taking Taewondo and what age do you recommend they start?
The benefits of having children take up Taekwondo are immeasurable. It allows kids to set and meet their own goals, it gives them a chance to prove to themselves what they're capable of, and most importantly, it instills values like respect, discipline, and work ethic that they carry into adulthood.
It's the earliest possible stepping stone kids can take towards learning how to be successful members of society and we recommend starting them off early. Nick (my husband) started Taekwondo at the age of 6 and attributes it towards how he leads his life today. I started when I was 24 and wish I would have started earlier.
What makes your Taekwondo studio unique?
Our Taekwondo studio is unique because we're not in the business of selling ranks. You are what you earn and Keon doesn't promote students before they're ready. There is no "fast track" when it comes to martial arts because we see Taekwondo as being much more than just belts. If you work hard, never give up, and treat people with respect then you are a martial artist and you're representing what it means to be a student of Keon Taekwondo, that's all that matters.
We're also one of the few facilities in Chapel Hill that works directly with low income families. A portion of every Taekwondo and After School membership is reinvested towards allowing low income children to be apart of our growing community.
Do you have programs for all ages of children?
Yes! We have activities for everyone. Our after school program has an age range of 4 - 12. Our family TKD class has no age limit, and later in the day we have our adult only class, ages 14+.
We also offer ALL DAY summer camps from 8:00 AM to 6:00PM for ages 4 - 12! We take field trips every single day and they include taekwondo lessons.
When you are not at your studio, where can we find you?
Nick is also a full time student at UNC. Because of this you can usually find us on campus. We own an unhealthy amount of board games and love exploring our town. We also love to escape to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg VA whenever we can because it's where we first met. We're season pass holders and go at least 10 times a year.
