I want to say something about my teacher, whose name I know in English as Patty Li. I've been…read moretaking the Friday taiji class at the Berkeley YMCA for about a month and a half My name is Rick, and I have neuropathy in my hands and feet, but Patty who I met at the Y suggested that I come to the Friday Taiji class. I use a walker for balance, and sometimes need to lean against the wall so I don't just tumble over But Patty invited me and I came. Since I started the class I have noticed a marked improvement in my balance, my strength and my ability to focus my breath and my attention in my body Patty is an incredible teacher, a master of her arts, who has been doing martial arts, since she was a child in Beijing. I didn't know any of this when she invited me to class. Most people when they see me and my walker write me off as being unable to do things, but Patty didn't see any of that, she just saw another human being with a willingness to learn, I think she's incredibly perceptive person. So I started coming to the class and have only missed once in about two months I've been going to the Y every other day for swimming and some weight training, but Friday has become my favorite day I do the taiji class at 10 AM, and then I follow it up with a swim It was very clear to me from the beginning that Patty is an incredibly disciplined person, but what I really love about her, is her grace, and the humor with which she teaches... in other words she makes it really fun. Regardless of different peoples capability in class, she works with each of us so that we can become stronger, more balanced, and more able to practice this beautiful moving meditative art form She is a treasure, and I am blessed to have her as my teacher, and the YMCA is blessed to have her as part of this community 老师，谢谢 Thank you teacher

Are you a parent looking to encourage your kids (especially Chinese-American kids) to start martial…read morearts? Have cash to spare? Great! Are you an adult who learned some wushu as a child, fell out of practice through your teens, and want to pick it back up as an adult? Try a drop-in class for $35, and then see if you want to continue here. In my case, after two classes, I found another school to practice with. I hesitated leaving a poor review because why bother with all these 5 star reviews stacked against me? But I remember why I use Yelp: to consult legit reviews before I spend money on any establishment. Hence, I feel the need to pen this review, especially if there are fellow adults considering wushu here. That one review that says Wushu West takes adults seriously and caters to them too? Maybe that used to be the case, but from my experience, not anymore. Flashback time! My brother and I were wee elementary students enrolled in Wushu West. I remember enjoying the class. For unknown reasons, my parents stopped enrolling us. However, that experience (along with kung fu class in Chinese school) built the foundations of kung fu stances, kicks, and flexibility that I have carried on to this day. My biggest regret was that I never advanced far enough to work with weapons. Fast-forward to present day. I am a young professional who can do pullups & deadlifts. For several years, I kept eyeing Wushu West through the internet, promising myself I'd go back. Stars aligned, and I made my first visit back with a drop-in class. The class was filled with kids younger than me. Where were the adult students that were said to be attending this class too? For a good half hour, Shifu Patti (mind you, I'm only calling her Shifu out of respect) lead the class through warmups, which frankly feel like a huge waste of time, something that should be done before class starts. It's just jogging, jumping jacks, some kicks, and LOTS of stretching and counting in Chinese. I'm here to learn, not to do warmups that I can do by myself. Even when you're doing wushu exercises (various kicks, spins, stances, etc), Shifu doesn't lead them. It's her kid students leading the exercises. They go so fast, I can't keep up with forms and sequences I'm supposed to maintain and follow, so I flounder along while watching with a mix of admiration for the kids, and frustration that I can't keep up nor am I taught properly on how to keep up. Yes, the cool student leader will stop and walk through it with you a few times at most, but then it's on to the next cool move...that I can't keep up with. Meanwhile, Shifu sits on the sidelines. I came back one more time to see if it was an improvement from the first class. The oldest student I saw here was a man, but everyone else was a kid, with the eldest one maybe in high school. My gripes: 1) Shifu does NOT take into consideration my experience and skill level. I am either doing kiddie exercises or floundering with being unable to keep up with advanced moves. 2) My second visit here, I was assisting moving furniture, when my shin slammed into a wooden part of a furniture. It hurt like a MF-er, to the point that I felt the impact down to my shin bone. I had a deep cut on my shin. Although it clotted quickly, it swelled up to a huge bump. Shifu kept repeating, "It's just skin, you'll be fine," when I told her that I could feel the pain in my bone too. Way to be sensitive. 3. Shifu had me sign a release form after I was hurt. Whenever I sign anything, I take a photo of it on my phone so that I can have the form for my records. Shifu Patti gave me attitude and said, "We don't do that here, you don't need this record." I explained I do this whenever I sign a form. She said, "Why do you need a copy of this record? It's no one's business." Excuse me, this is MY BUSINESS. As a customer, it's my absolute right to take a photo of anything I sign for my records. She gave me major attitude. I really could not believe I had to argue for a copy of my records. 4. When I said bye to her (after she had a conversation with a kid's parents and nicely said bye to them), she wouldn't look at me and then barked that I can't pay drop-in prices anymore, I have to commit to a monthly plan if I wanted to continue here. I simply asked her to remind me of pricing, and she just waved me off, snapping, "You already took a photo, isn't that what you took that for?" Bless San T for his Yelp review from 2013, when he said, and I quote: "when it comes to business and money, she is downright horrible. and cheap...the way you run your business is part of the practice.  And you can't ignore a shady businessperson no matter how great of a teacher they are." I wonder how many other people have left with a bad experience, and just don't want to write Yelp reviews. Maybe my parents took me and my brother out of this class because of their experience with Shifu Patti. I'll never know.

Han Martial Arts Studio is a wonderful environment for students of all ages to learn Tae Kwon Do…read moreand other martial arts. My son has attended the program since he was 5 years old in the Tiny Tiger program and progressed all the way to green advanced belt. The masters are all focused on the key behaviors for a young martial artist, honor, self-discipline, respect, self-awareness and self-control - while engaging students in the basics of Tae Kwon Do. The masters make it fun, entertaining and have a great positive attitude. Their positive-reinforcement approach make it a welcoming and nurturing environment for kids of all ages and aptitude to succeed. I highly recommend Han Martial Arts Studio to any family that is interested in providing their child a warm, fun and positive-space to learn martial arts. Thank you, Masters Han, Edward, Sam, Jacob and all the other supportive staff for a great experience for my son.

Been doing Taekwondo here since I was 4, by the way, I'm 13 now. There has been change in the…read moremasters and instructors over the years but overall, this has been my favourite thing to do.

This gym is the best gym I have ever been to in my life so far! I was a complete noob and beginner…read moreto combat sports, specifically Muay Thai, and was shy at first trying to get myself just to walk through the door and ask a question! When I finally did, I was greeted with one of the most welcoming and friendly gym environments! Alex and Kyle have been very kind and helpful with answering my questions since the first day I walked in. The intro class was great and I didn't feel embarrassed at all for being a complete beginner- they teach the basics, have gear to borrow, and make the whole process trying it out very smooth and chill. Since then I have been going to the Muay Thai classes as much as I can. PRS has some of the best coaches, who are legends- so you absolutely get the bang for your buck! Coach Rob and Coach Six have been great coaches, and patient with me as a beginner. I asked for any and all tips, advice, and coaching during class and if they ever see me practicing outside of class, and they've helped me out a ton! I am very bad at hand eye coordination, but with patience and practice I get better every day. Coach Michael and Coach Shallon have been extremely helpful with learning sparring techniques on Wednesdays and more about the gym as well! All the coaches for Muay Thai are great and friendly! I recently been getting into some of the Boxing and jujitsu classes as well and had the same experience- passionate, motivating, and great coaches. Coach Mark teaches the Boxing class and has awesome boxing and strength and conditioning workouts, its very motivating and make me determined to get better. Coach Alex teaches Jujitsu, and has taught me a lot about the sport- its very technical, but he is a patient and motivating coach as well, and has given me great advice and made the sport more digestible to understand as a beginner! As I get more fit, Im hoping to add in more of these classes as well:)! Not only do the coaches help me improve as an athlete, but many of the fellow athletes are kind and welcoming to beginners as well- I usually ask for any tips or comment on my tech and get good helpful feedback. They have gloves, pads, shin guards and head gear available to borrow and use, and keep all their equipment sanitized and clean- including the training floor after each class. There are plenty of bags to train on, including some by the mirrors to watch your tech. They got everything you need in a gym, including an erg, assault bike, plenty of stationary bikes, and treadmills, dumbbells, kettle bells, benches, plates and bars, jump ropes, medicine balls, and rollers for recovery. Theres plenty of space to store your things and its safe to as well, as the locker area is in the back of the gym. They have clean mens and womens bathrooms and shower for after training. They got a really awesome ring and punching bags- basically combat sport heaven is PRS. The gym community is very friendly, welcoming, diverse, and accepting of all backgrounds. Ive met so many great friends so far :)! As a LGBTQ+ individual and woman, I feel safe and accepted at this gym :) 10/10 sanitation/cleanness 10/10 equipment 10/10 Coaching and trainers 10/10 environment, safety, and community 10/10 classes

Coach Markshawn is the best. His classes are fun, professional, and a great experience.read more

Sensei Michael is now part owner, being there since he was 4, I believe. He now teaches most of…read morethe classes and he obviously loves the kids and they ,him. We have had nothing but positive experiences since the beginning. Our grandson ,6, is on his 4th belt, blue. He loves it and almost never misses a class. It is an incredibly positive experience in his life.

My kids went to a couple of their camps and really loved it. They got tons of physical activity and…read moreit sparked an interest in martial arts. They made new friends and said the staff were nice and fun. It's also the most affordable day camp I've come across. Highly recommend.

I've been a member here for a few years now. The clientele is a broad mix of people at all…read moredifferent levels of fitness and with different goals. Despite the name of the place, you shouldn't think of it as only an MMA gym. They cater to a wide variety of people and I LOVE that. It's clear that the owner, Nick cares about his gym. The facility is spacious, and super clean! All of the classes they offer challenge you until the end and they're various types of classes so you will definitely never get bored! I've gone to a number of gyms over the years and tried personal training a few times. The owner, Nick is extremely knowledgable, and he's the first trainer I've worked with who actually keeps my goals and my fitness level in mind on an ongoing basis. I have been working of mental and physical goals and Nick has helped me achieve a lot of those. If you want a gym that you can feel comfortable in and feel like home -- look no further!

I was a little apprehensive when my son asked to join Bravo Zulu, bc I kept thinking of Cobra Kai…read more(the original Karate Kid version w/ Johnny.) But boy, was I wrong. Coach Nick, an Oakland resident, is strict but kind, and conducts the class in a calm manner. It's strictly a gym that conducts mma classes, not a weird "yes sensei!" dojo situation that I was afraid it would be. It's been really good for my son, learning discipline and hard work in what he calls a "very friendly environment." No "sweep the knee" situation here.

I have known the Chief Instructor at this dojo for 35 years; I can say unequivocally that he is one…read moreof the most qualified martial artist I know. He also is one of only a handful of people that teach traditional Japanese swordsmanship using live blades for test cutting. The dojo also boasts several other styles being taught including: Jujitsu, Aikido, Ba Gua and Wing Chun (my class btw). If you want to train at a school that is devoted to traditional martial arts in an environment that is friendly and supportive, look no further.

Went by there a few years ago to look at a class. The guy who teaches Wing Chun is a jerk and…read moreunprofessional.

Ralph Gracie Berkeley changed my life. Eduardo Fraga has an incredible depth of knowledge and has…read morealways pushed me to continue training even through some dark times in my life. This place has become family and I'm so grateful that I walked through those doors.

I had an absolute pleasure studying judo here with Sensei Barry and Sensei Newton. They are very…read morenice and knowledgeable.

I've been training here for about a year and a half, and by now it's hard to imagine it not being…read morepart of my week (which kinda sucks because after leaving my old job in the East Bay I'm gonna have a much longer trip to get to the school, lol). I had tried a few different martial arts classes before and never stuck with any of them because they were either too expensive, too regimented, or too hostile. East-West Wing Chun is none of those things. $60/mo gets you into all the class sessions you want, no BS. There are no belts and no uniforms; the class is set up such that Jasan guides you through the curriculum at your own pace, and along the way you're able to practice with and learn from every other student regardless of level. The atmosphere and the people are very welcoming and friendly; music is playing and people are chatting during class, and there are occasional fun extracurriculars like movie nights, class picture day, and a white elephant party. Also, self defense applications aside, it's good exercise (and easy to keep up due to being fun and engaging), and if you have a desk job the drills will improve your posture and help keep you from getting carpal tunnel. I only wish I'd discovered this place sooner!

Sifu Jason is an amazing instructor, great community, the curriculum is easy to follow but also…read morechallenging. Feels like second family