How we got here: J.K. Lee Black Belt Academy has been teaching martial arts to students of all ages for over 40 years. The six locations in the greater Milwaukee suburbs currently serve over 2000 students. We wanted to find a way to reach children unable to experience the benefits of a traditional suburban martial arts school due to issues including poverty, location, transportation, and instability at home. In 2010, we became an approved Milwaukee Public School wellness vendor in order to bring the classes and benefits directly to the schools. We have been a successful partner of their in-school and after-school programs. In 2015, we expanded our presence to better meet the needs of Milwaukee’s youth, by establishing City Youth Martial Arts as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We are happy that our outreach programs and home school programs are back to pre-pandemic levels, reaching 500 students on a weekly basis. 

Where are we now: 2025 marks our 15th year of service and our 10th year as a nonprofit program! We are proud of our continued work in our community.  We are especially proud of student leaders, those who have persevered over 5 years of training to become black belts and those joining our instruction team!