Great instructor, small classes and individual attention for your kiddos to improve in their skills.read more

My nephew who is five goes to this school and I watch his classes. There's a sitting area where you…read morecan see the class. The instructor who is the owner is friendly and can captivate fidgety young children into well disciplined children. I'm very impressed how my nephew and his classmates are very involved with the lessons.

Love it here! The staff is kind and encouraging. The students are engaged and wanting to learn. The…read morestudents range from 6 to 66 years old so you never feel out of place.

I'm grateful for the time and effort this school has put into my family. What you put into it you…read morewill get back ten-fold. It has truly been a blessing and I would reccomend it to anyone.

I don't often leave bad reviews for businesses, but when the behavior of a preschool director /…read moreowner is this egregious, I feel compelled to share my experience. TL;DR - Lack of communication, unprofessional behavior, petty conduct, limited to the school's director Adam. Teachers are great. Long form: We brought our daughter to Global Minds in November of 2021 and things were great right up until two weeks ago. She loved the school, made friends, and we got to know many of the parents. There were some problems, like their seeming inability to answer the phone or call us back, but we were willing to overlook that for the sake of our daughter's happiness and the fact that she was learning both Mandarin and Spanish. Also, we really liked how the parents all formed a tight-knit community. Recently, my wife and I got COVID while traveling out of state (we are fully vaccinated). We attempted to contact Adam via phone on 3 separate occasions to inform him that our daughter would not be at school when we returned, and to receive guidance about what we needed to do before bringing her back. No one ever answered, nor did they return my calls. This lack of answering phone calls is a problem that goes back about six months, with only one of my phone calls being answered in all of that time. I was told multiple times by teachers that they would tell ownership about the problem. Adam finally responded to an email my wife sent several days earlier, telling us that we could bring our daughter back to school when she was feeling well. No other guidance was provided beyond that. There was no mention of a need for a negative test prior to her return. Current CDC guidelines are that children who are asymptomatic may return to school 5 days after exposure to someone who is COVID-positive. We waited until the 8th day to bring her back. She was never symptomatic. In the absence of any guidance from Global Minds other than the email we received telling us to bring her back when she was feeling well, we followed CDC guidelines and brought our daughter back to school. When I brought her back to school, I was told that I could not leave her there without a negative COVID test. I was a bit annoyed, since we had tried to call them multiple times for exactly this reason, and no one bothered to answer the phone or call us back. Adam's email also said nothing about a negative test. So, I said it was fine if she can't stay, but I was a bit annoyed that no one had bothered to give us any guidance before drop-off that morning. Chi (Adam's wife) called him and asked what to do, and he apparently said it was okay to leave my daughter there because Chi changed her mind and said it was fine. Fifteen minutes later, Adam called me on my cell. His behavior on that phone call was beyond the pale. As an adult, I have never experienced the level of disrespect he showed me over the phone that day. I could barely get a word in, in fact I think I said maybe 5 words in total. When he was done chewing me out, he demanded that I pick my daughter up immediately, and then hung up on me. I couldn't believe it. I went to the school and got my daughter and later sent Adam an email, addressing his disrespectful phone call, lack of guidance, sudden change of heart, and their habit of not answering phone calls or returning messages. One week later, Adam sent me an email and said he "found a lot of truth in my words" and offered to apologize in person the following day. I showed up to the school as he suggested, and was told by his wife that he was not there, nor was he planning to be there that day or the next. She had no idea about our meeting. I emailed him again, and asked what happened, giving him the benefit of the doubt. He offered no apology. He said, "My intent was to be at school on Monday and Tuesday, but I had some showings of properties and some meetings that popped up that kept me away." Obviously, he has more important things to do than follow through on a meeting he proposed with a parent at his school. Given the lack of communication, unprofessional conduct, and the fact that Adam seemed to be deliberately misleading me to waste my time, my wife and I made the extremely difficult to tear our daughter away from her school and friends, and enroll her elsewhere. When I informed Adam that I would be removing my daughter from his school, I received an email response one week later that simply said, "Turd." See the attached screenshot. This behavior is unbecoming any adult, let alone one who is entrusted with the care of children. I think it is important that anyone who is interested in taking their children to Global Minds know what they can expect from the director before enrolling. I don't know if any other parents have had a negative experience with Adam. Before these events transpired, I would have said that everything at the school was great. But, given what I experienced with Adam, I wouldn't recommend Global Minds to anyone.

We are sharing our experience below in hopes that the owner of Global Minds will seriously consider…read morehow unpleasant and unprofessional he can be with parents . After seeing some of the prior reviews and speaking to other parents regarding their interactions with him, we learned that our extremely negative interaction was not isolated, but rather part of a toxic, dismissive, and volatile behavior set. Before we talk about our experience with the owner, we would like to praise the teachers and support staff. We found them to be energetic and polite. They were engaged and nurturing with our child. We'd like to compliment them. Now we will continue with the owner. First, we started to notice something strange when we wanted to speak with our child's instructors via text or email. This is prohibited. Strange. Our intention was to glean feedback and/or insights how to best help our child progress with Mandarin. We were told communication with instructors was only possible in person and after the owner personally set the meeting up. That raised a red flag. Due to our jobs, our family has lived in multiple states over the past few years and we've accumulated a fair amount of experience with preschools. Let us tell you, this is NOT the norm. When we were told that, it made us think that something is being hidden. Why in the world could we not speak with our child's instructor unless it was 'pre-vetted' by the owner? We got suspicious so we started asking around. As a member of the Chinese community and native mandarin-speaker, I reached out to the community only to find a strong negative narrative about the owner. At first, it seemed odd that he was described as angry and volatile as we never really observed that, but, then again, we had never really interacted for more than a couples minutes with him at any given time. Only after a shocking, and, frankly, disturbing meeting with the owner did we realize this is a very accurate description. This all started because we had a question about a school policy. The owner, instead of answering the question over the phone, insisted on meeting at the preschool to talk. Honestly, we didn't think anything of it and came to the preschool very casually. Our expectation was that our meeting was going to be pleasant and informative as the owner arranged it. You can imagine our surprise when the owner started to shake with anger and speaking obscenities to us. We were literally stunned, and, honestly, scared. We had absolutely no idea that such a volatile and unprofessional person was running the school. That day was our child's last. Again, we don't want to bash the school as there are many capable and caring teachers, but we do hope the owner will mature as a person. It is completely unacceptable to us to enroll our child in a school that is ran by someone that struggles with anger management issues. We had a simple question about a policy that could've been handled with maybe two or three sentences, but instead blew up into an owner meltdown. Please grow in professionalism and learn to lead in a respectful and dignified manner.

Rennaissance Wing Chun - Testimonial…read more Written after 30 months of training. If you are looking for a place to learn how to fight, this is it. Your body will get in shape as a by product of training and diet. The instructor is a Master of his time with a broad knowledge of fighting philosophy who will help you understand the elements of fighting and how they are applied in combat situations. This is chiefly a wing chun school but you will also have access to other martial arts such as Sanda, Catch wrestling and Savatte. The purpose is to expose the student to fighting at different ranges to limit the vulnerability of circumstance. There will be bruises, especially on the fore-arms. Part of the "no-pain, no gain" mentality. After a while they feel like badges of accomplishment. Eventually your body will harden and they will become less frequent. Im starting to miss them already. I have met new friends although it feels more like a family. I have lost body fat and gained muscle in areas I have not been utilizing transforming into a more tone and proportionate body. I have learned techniques in self-defense all while maintaining interest and having fun. My pains from past surgeries are a rare occurrence and feel in my physical prime. Most people try the $25 week to check it out, the newbies who are serious in enhancing their combat knowledge tend to be the ones who stick around. I find the potential benefit far out-weighs the costs. I find myself very fortunate to have encountered this opportunity in my life and fore-see years enveloped in this system before losing interest, as there is so much to learn. I have finished the wing chun curriculum and still find myself learning new things while improving my fighting ability. Thanks to Grandmaster Ip-Man for adding to the establishment of this art and teaching it to others where it eventually found its way into our lives. May he be at peace and may we represent him in a good manner.

Great place to train . Great coaches dedicated staff . Clean mats . All one could ask forread more

This is an excellent martial arts academy that I would highly recommend. My son just turned four…read moreand we enrolled him, and he has been learning quickly. He has gained more focus, attention, and is following along quite well. The instructors are top notch and they take the time to make sure each student understands the moves and routines. My son is excited to go to every class and is really enjoying it. Great for discipline, focus, and character building, not just for self defense!

We tried three other dojos with our five year old before settling on APSK. Even with kids as young…read moreas my daughter APSK teaches actual martial arts skills not just playing around. The classes always go for a full hour with no time wasted getting organized beforehand etc. The student/teacher ratio is appropriate and even with a big class they have enough instructors around so that my kid won't spend most of the class waiting for her turn. APSK is setup so that multiple skill levels can come to class on the same days at the same time. If you have siblings both enrolled they can take class together rather than having to wait through each other's class. APSK teaches the full package. They work life lessons into the program and try to demonstrate proper discipline, responsibility and respect along with defense techniques. My daughter isn't a discipline problem but I still really appreciate the extra help and lessons that have been part of her training. ASPK isn't just a karate class for my daughter. It's a community of role models and friends that she loves hanging out with. They have holiday and birthday parties, they offer after school and summer programs, they interact with parents, and they are the best options if your looking to get your kids (or yourself) into martial arts.

Master Ray Fisher is a force of nature. His depth of understanding of Kenpo, Qi Gong, and other…read morestyles and concepts of martial arts is only surpassed by the depth of his compassion for every one in his dojo/family. He is especially brilliant with kids, who snap to attention at his booming voice, but smile and giggle when he gets silly working with each one individually. He lays out exactly what he expects of his students and of parents (oh yes, you will have homework) and is always encouraging and positive - lavishing praise for the ones who work hard and try their best, and correcting and asking for better of those who fall short. Ms. Lyn is also amazing in her role as a second instructor, and my son especially loves training with her. She demands the best of her students, but ends up being the one who plays the most games with the kids. The students here are kind, funny, and very helpful to the lower ranks. I don't see a trace of ego in anyone who trains at this dojo, which is my number one concern at any martial arts school. It really does feel like a family, which is a rare thing to say for someone like me, who has become a bit jaded after experiencing a few too many "belt-a-month" schools. If you really want your child or yourself to learn the self mastery that can come from being a martial artist, then you should consider ACS first and foremost. Although many schools have wonderful programs, this one stands apart because of the humble, kind, and exacting leadership of Master Ray and his team.

I have been involved with ACS Karate on and off for over a decade. Originally forced by my parents…read moreto do karate as a pre-teen, I would be lying if I told you I really wanted to go those early years. Although I first resented my parents for forcing me to get involved in the sport, time has given me perspective and I can honestly say that it was one of the most defining activities of my youth. Now in my 20's, I am still involved in the martial arts and can see the benefits of my training in my everyday life. I spent several years enrolled in Chinese Kenpo classes, which is more or less traditional karate. Kenpo is a practical self-defense style, focused on real-world applications. As a small female, I appreciate learning techniques that can keep me safe in any situation. Kenpo not only gave me the skillset I need to keep myself safe, but it also gave me confidence in my ability to do so. This style of karate is excellent for teaching young children respect, dedication, self-control, friendship, and confidence... but the benefits aren't just for kids. No matter their age, everyone will benefit from training in Kenpo. Now as an adult, I still benefit from years of physical and mental conditioning in these classes. After a few years of training in Kenpo, I decided to join the kickboxing classes for a different kind of workout. Most recently, I got into Tai Chi and Qi Gong as my interest in "calmer" sports grew. While I no longer participate in Kenpo or kickboxing, I am still a student in the Tai Chi and Qi Gong disciplines. Although I never participated in these classes, ACS Karate also offers training in Jiu Jitsu, mixed martial arts (MMA), and weaponry. Master Ray Fisher and his staff are as dedicated as any true karate "masters" must be. Professor Fisher has been training in karate and other martial arts for 35+ years and has been the owner of this "dojo" for over 25 years. That in itself is a true testament to his technical skills and business savvy. He is a kind man and his passion for the martial arts is apparent in every way. Professor Fisher's dedication to his students makes this dojo stand out from all other karate schools in the Phoenix area. He is truly interested in each student and takes the time to identify their personal goals and develop strategies to achieve them. I have seen Master Fisher work with both young children and elderly individuals, treating everyone with the same level of respect and attention. ACS Karate offers classes six days a week so "not having time" isn't a good excuse to stay home. They have group classes, as well as private one-on-one training sessions. Professor Fisher is committed to helping you train, so he will sometimes schedule appointments outside business hours if your schedule requires it. Occasionally they offer various clinics in weapons, basic self-defense, and Eastern medicine/healing techniques. They also host and attend tournaments and conferences to give you the chance to interact with other martial artists from around Phoenix. Give ACS Karate a call. Ask for Master Fisher. You will not be disappointed!!!