C
Christopher Brent
Google Review
"Love the instructors and the experience! You need to check this place out, and the kickboxing rocks too!"
Foundational Martial Arts for Ages 7 to 9
Youth Karate Classes in Greece, NY: Building Real Focus, Fitness, and Personal Accountability
Between rising academic pressure, peer influences, and endless screen time, children ages 7 to 9 are at a critical developmental crossroads. They no longer need simple playtime. They need structured challenges that teach them how to focus, work through difficulty, and take pride in their own progress.
At Murray's Martial Arts, our youth karate classes transition students from simply participating in an activity to learning how to truly train. Through structured 45-minute sessions, our students develop athletic coordination, real self-defense awareness, and the personal discipline required to excel in school and life.
Evaluation Week Focus
Watch progress live during our special Evaluation Weeks
Verified Staff
Background-checked, CPR-certified staff
Sanitized Safe Mats
Impact-absorbing mats disinfected daily
Structured Training
45-minute sessions focused on technique
Community Trusted
Serving Monroe County for over 40 years
Conveniently Located in Greece, NY, Serving Monroe County Families
A regular training schedule only works when getting to the dojo fits smoothly into your family's weekly calendar.
Murray's Martial Arts is located at 4410 Dewey Avenue, Greece, NY 14616, near the intersection of Latta Road.
With convenient access from the Lake Ontario State Parkway and Route 390, our facility provides an easy commute for families throughout the Greater Rochester area.
We offer spacious parking, a smooth drop-off area, and a quiet, fully furnished parent viewing lounge where you can follow your child's progress each week.
4410 Dewey Avenue, Greece, NY 14616
Communities We Welcome Weekly
Families travel to our Greece dojo because finding a dedicated 7 to 9 developmental curriculum is rare. We regularly train students from:
Immediate Towns:
- Greece
- Greece Northwest
- Hilton
- Parma
- Irondequoit
Greater Monroe County:
- Rochester
- Charlotte
- Brighton
- Henrietta
- Webster
- Fairport
What to Expect During Your Child's First Day at the Dojo
Trying a new sport at ages 7, 8, or 9 can bring up questions about fitting in, keeping up, or making mistakes. At Murray's Martial Arts, we eliminate that anxiety before your child steps onto the mat.
We do not expect your child to be an athlete or know martial arts terminology on day one. We only ask that they show up ready to listen and give their best effort.
New Students Orientation
- 1
Arrive and Settle In
Our youth orientation gives your 7 to 9-year-old time to adjust to our dojo environment without rushing, easing first-day jitters as they explore the floor at a very confident, relaxed pace.
- 2
Uniform and Belt Plan
We fit your child for a gi and preview their belt. We set a clear plan to earn it over their initial classes by showing focus, personal responsibility, effort, and positive teamwork!
- 3
Meet the Instructor
Before training begins, your child's instructor will get down on eye level to introduce themselves warmly. This positive connection builds trust and sets clear expectations for all sessions!
- 4
Up-Close View for Parents
While daily classes stay spectator-free, orientation gives parents an up-close view of training. You can watch how your elementary schooler listens, follows drills, and takes real ownership.
- 5
Livestreams and Evaluation Weeks
After day one, stay connected by watching our livestreams or class replays anytime from home. Plus, join us on the floor during special Evaluation Weeks to celebrate your student's progress!
What to Bring to Class
Your Gi and Belt: Wear your clean uniform and belt to every single dojo class.
Labeled Water Bottle: Bring a water bottle clearly labeled with your child's name.
No Food or Gum: Keep mats clean and safe: no food, snacks, or gum permitted.
Bare Feet on the Mat: Take off your shoes before entering the mat to show respect.
Open Mindset: We encourage questions, positive attitudes, and a willingness to try unfamiliar drills.
Find Your Child's Ideal Class Time
Give us a call today to learn our current weekday schedule for 7 to 9-year-olds. We will help you select a time slot that fits seamlessly into your weekly routine!
From participating to training
What Sets Our Karate Program Apart: From Learning to Participate to Learning How to Train
Most sports programs make one of two mistakes with 7 to 9-year-olds: they either treat them like preschoolers with unstructured games, or they place unrealistic competitive pressure on them too early.
At Murray's Martial Arts, we understand that children in this age group are going through major cognitive and physical leaps. They can focus longer, retain complex sequences, and understand the relationship between effort and outcome. Our curriculum actively bridges that gap, shifting students from simply participating in an activity toward taking personal ownership of their training.
How the 7 to 9 Program Evolves Beyond Early Childhood Classes
Longer 45-Minute Sessions: Expanded class time allows instructors to move beyond introductory games into deep technical martial arts training.
Biomechanical Precision: Instead of just kicking a foam pad, students learn to control their chamber, balance, pivot, extension, rechamber, and landing.
Accountability for Feedback: Students are coached to remember corrections from previous classes, building independent study habits.
Controlled Partner Drills: Students work with classmates on target holding, distance management, and cooperative reaction drills.
Practical Physical Self-Defense: Training expands to include breakfalls, wrist escapes, verbal boundary setting, and safe evasive movement.
Delayed Gratification: Rank advancement teaches children that valuable goals require weeks of focused effort, patience, and maturity.
45 minutes · 7 phases
What a Typical 45-Minute Class Looks Like
Every class follows an organized structure designed to maximize athletic conditioning, technical retention, and character growth:
- 01
Cardiovascular Warm-Up: Dynamic movement, footwork drills, and core activation that prepare growing muscles for physical exertion.
- 02
Mobility and Dynamic Stretching: Joint mobility and hamstring/hip flexibility work to build athletic range of motion and prevent injury.
- 03
Question of the Day: A brief discussion on topics such as self-discipline, perseverance, school focus, and accountability at home.
- 04
Technical Fundamentals: In-depth instruction on stances, blocks, hand strikes, breakfalls, or kicking mechanics.
- 05
Applied Skill Drill #1: High-repetition pad work and heavy bag drills focusing on striking power, accuracy, and balance.
- 06
Applied Skill Drill #2: Controlled reaction drills, escape practice, and footwork obstacle courses.
- 07
Dojo Etiquette and Reflection: Review of daily lessons, awarding of effort stripes, and formal dismissal.
8 advanced life skills
The 8 Black Belt Foundations: Advanced Life Skills for Ages 7 to 9
While our younger students use these foundational pillars to learn how to participate in a classroom, our youth program takes a major step forward.
For ages 7 to 9, these eight skills shift from basic behavior management into personal accountability, athletic precision, and leadership.
Here is how our rotating curriculum elevates each fundamental for older students:
- 1
Discipline & Responsibility
Discipline & Responsibility: Students take ownership of daily habits, learning to pack their gear, listen the first time, and finish school tasks without always needing reminders.
- 2
Confidence Through Achievement
Confidence Through Achievement: True self-belief comes from doing hard things. Kids build authentic pride as they master challenging combinations and see their steady growth on mats.
- 3
Focus & Concentration
Focus & Concentration: Longer 45-minute classes challenge students to lock in, process complex instructions, and build the sharp mental stamina required for classroom study.
- 4
Physical Development & Coordination
Physical Development & Coordination: Training builds well-rounded athleticism, boosting speed, core strength, sharp reaction timing, and posture to support healthy action in other sports.
- 5
Resilience & Grit
Resilience & Grit: Students learn that making mistakes is simply part of progress, developing the emotional patience to work through frustration instead of walking away.
- 6
Practical Self-Defense
Practical Self-Defense: Students learn practical self-defense, from situational awareness and confident verbal boundaries to physical skills for safely escaping common grabs.
- 7
Teamwork & Respect
Teamwork & Respect: Structured partner drills teach students to hold targets safely, communicate clearly, and support their peers with genuine courtesy and sportsmanship.
- 8
Goal Setting & Delayed Gratification
Goal Setting & Delayed Gratification: Rank advancement teaches kids that valuable milestones require time, steady practice, and patience, proving that hard work creates meaningful rewards.
One skill per week
A Weekly Rotating Focus for Deeper Skill Mastery
Rather than dividing attention across too many concepts at once, our classes dedicate each week to a single foundation skill.
This focused rotation keeps training engaging, challenges students to absorb technical details without feeling overwhelmed, and ensures continuous progress in both athletic ability and personal character.
Why Every Child Succeeds on Our Mat
By ages 7, 8, and 9, many youth sports stop focusing on development and start focusing strictly on winning.
Parents often see their child lose interest in sports after spending half the season glued to the bench, feeling overlooked, or getting frustrated because they have not caught up to kids who have played for years. When playing time is tied to performance, hesitant children quickly lose their confidence.
At Murray's Martial Arts, we do things differently. We believe that at this stage of growth, every child deserves 100% of the coach's attention and 100% active participation.
Our goal is to build your child up from the inside out, helping them discover their own strength, speed, and resilience without the pressure of a scoreboard.
What Sets Our Program Apart from Traditional Youth Sports
Active Participation
Travel / Recreational Youth SportsRotational playing time; frequent bench-sittingMurray’s Martial Arts (Ages 7–9)100% active mat time every single sessionSkill Assessment
Travel / Recreational Youth SportsEvaluated on team wins and ball dominanceMurray’s Martial Arts (Ages 7–9)Individual progression against personal bestsPhysical Mechanics
Travel / Recreational Youth SportsRepetitive strain risks from specialized throws/kicksMurray’s Martial Arts (Ages 7–9)Balanced Isshin-Ryu alignment that protects growing jointsSeasonal Routine
Travel / Recreational Youth SportsAbrupt 8-week leagues with off-season downtimeMurray’s Martial Arts (Ages 7–9)Year-round structured training that keeps habits steadyCore Priority
Travel / Recreational Youth SportsWinning games and scoring pointsMurray’s Martial Arts (Ages 7–9)Personal accountability, school focus, and self-respect
The Isshin-Ryu Advantage: Safe Mechanics for Growing Bodies
Our youth curriculum is rooted in authentic Okinawan Isshin-Ryu Karate, a traditional martial arts system founded by Master Tatsuo Shimabuku.
We deliberately teach Isshin-Ryu because its physical mechanics are engineered for human anatomy:
Natural Upright Stances: Rather than forcing deep, unnatural lunges that strain developing knees and hips, Isshin-Ryu utilizes compact, upright stances that improve daily posture and core strength.
Vertical Fist Mechanics: Traditional Isshin-Ryu strikes use a vertical fist rather than a twisted horizontal strike. This aligns the bones of the hand and forearm, protecting wrists from impact shock during target training.
A Bridge to Advanced Training: The Fundamentals program provides the technical, physical, and behavioral base required for our formal Isshin-Ryu rank testing.
Our family teaching tradition
Built on Decades of Family Teaching Tradition
Our dojo started with Grandmaster Kim Murray, a 9th Degree Black Belt who treated every student like family. Most of us teaching today actually grew up in this very school. We remember what it felt like to be 7 or 9 years old, struggling with a new technique, feeling clumsy, or wanting to walk away when things felt too hard.
The patience our own senseis (teachers) showed us back then changed our lives. That same spirit guides how we work with your child today. The punches and kicks are fun, but karate is really just the tool we use to teach kids how to handle frustration, treat others with respect, and believe in their own abilities. When your child earns a belt here, they are proving to themselves that sticking with something difficult always pays off.
Verified Google Reviews
What Greece and Rochester Families Say
5.0
Read all 230+ reviews on Google230+ Google reviews
E
Eva Backus
Google Review
"We weren't sure what to expect when we signed up for a trial.. but by week 3 we felt so confident that it was the right choice for our daughter that we enrolled in the program for the year. We love it here, we love the atmosphere. We wanted to thank you for pushing our daughter mentally and physically in such a fun and exciting way!"
P
Patrizia Parrinelli
Google Review
"The sensei that work here are awesome! They always seem to thrown in lessons on life while teaching there techniques. My son seems more confident and I can see how he is proud of himself on his accomplishments. Thank you Murray's!"
P
P Shane McAfee
Google Review
"The sensei's and staff have made an awesome impact with my grandson (currently a red dragon). They are a great asset to his character development and growth as a karate-ka. I'll happily plug them on social media."
E
Eyleen Waters
Google Review
"Great school! Teachers are amazing and very supportive! Highly recommend!"
C
Christopher Brent
Google Review
"Love the instructors and the experience! You need to check this place out, and the kickboxing rocks too!"
E
Eva Backus
Google Review
"We weren't sure what to expect when we signed up for a trial.. but by week 3 we felt so confident that it was the right choice for our daughter that we enrolled in the program for the year. We love it here, we love the atmosphere. We wanted to thank you for pushing our daughter mentally and physically in such a fun and exciting way!"
P
Patrizia Parrinelli
Google Review
"The sensei that work here are awesome! They always seem to thrown in lessons on life while teaching there techniques. My son seems more confident and I can see how he is proud of himself on his accomplishments. Thank you Murray's!"
P
P Shane McAfee
Google Review
"The sensei's and staff have made an awesome impact with my grandson (currently a red dragon). They are a great asset to his character development and growth as a karate-ka. I'll happily plug them on social media."
E
Eyleen Waters
Google Review
"Great school! Teachers are amazing and very supportive! Highly recommend!"
S
Shelby Elie
Google Review
"Amazing staff! I cannot say enough about how awesome the teachers are. If you are looking for martial arts, this is the place to go!"
C
Christian Garcia
Google Review
"The facility is wonderful, and the staff is even better. From the moment you walk in the door you're treated like part of the family."
B
Blaine DeBerry
Google Review
"The staff are absolutely stellar, and they provide an incredible learning environment for all students."
G
Gerald Tillery
Google Review
"A little over a year ago my son arrived at Murray's Martial Arts in Irondequoit excited about 'trying' karate. 3 belt promotions later, that excitement has grown into a desire to keep getting better, earn every stripe/belt he can and continue to impress his Senseis. The instructors are absolutely phenomenal and really know how to get the best out of their students. Was definitely one of the best decisions my wife and I made!"
S
Sandi Thulin
Google Review
"It is 'real'. Senseis are serious but good at handling kids of all ages. They teach a traditional line of karate and are NOT fooling around!"
S
Shelby Elie
Google Review
"Amazing staff! I cannot say enough about how awesome the teachers are. If you are looking for martial arts, this is the place to go!"
C
Christian Garcia
Google Review
"The facility is wonderful, and the staff is even better. From the moment you walk in the door you're treated like part of the family."
B
Blaine DeBerry
Google Review
"The staff are absolutely stellar, and they provide an incredible learning environment for all students."
G
Gerald Tillery
Google Review
"A little over a year ago my son arrived at Murray's Martial Arts in Irondequoit excited about 'trying' karate. 3 belt promotions later, that excitement has grown into a desire to keep getting better, earn every stripe/belt he can and continue to impress his Senseis. The instructors are absolutely phenomenal and really know how to get the best out of their students. Was definitely one of the best decisions my wife and I made!"
S
Sandi Thulin
Google Review
"It is 'real'. Senseis are serious but good at handling kids of all ages. They teach a traditional line of karate and are NOT fooling around!"
Give Your 7 to 9-Year-Old the Gift of Confidence and Focus for Just $99
Help your child develop the physical strength, self-control, and resilience they need to succeed in school and sport. Our 4-Week Beginner Trial gives your child complete access to our youth program in an encouraging, low-pressure setting.