Very knowledgeable and a great guy. He can beat the prices from the locals here. At first I was…read moresketchy thinking it had no reviews or anything but he is highly qualified expert on what he does. I will be coming back and bring more customers his way. He can certify you and transfer a gun and sell. Don't be afraid to call

So far I have purchased two firearms from Steve and both times it's been easy and efficient. Steve…read moreis very knowledgeable when it comes to firearms and answers all questions professionally no matter how simple it is. I will 100% for sure keep Steve first in mind for when I make my next purchase. Keep up the great work!

There is something seriously broken here. The suicide attempt/success rate is out of control and…read morethe full-blown mental health crisis gobbles up and consumes every Army soldier. It's dangerous. And TRADOC's answer to this? We're going to hurt them more. Squeeze them harder. Deny any and all access to a healthy work-life balance and punish anyone who desperately needs to live their life. I'm lucky to have left this place alive. The same cannot be said for all of my battle buddies.

It was a stormy Tuesday night around 8PM. Jarg and I were stuck indoors. The weather can be so…read moreunpredictable on planet Winnebago. Fortunately we both had our stun rays with plenty of extra cartridges. You can never be too careful. Trouble is like the weather on planet Winnebago. Unpredictable. Also, it's bs that mom grounded me. Like anybody cared about that vase. "If those bastards make a move on us, I'm going to blast them three parsecs to the Wachovia sector!" Jarg muttered under his breath. "Yeah, to the Wachovia sector" I chuckled. Jarg was a mean bastard but he made me laugh sometimes. I'm not sure why. I believe I'm a moral and responsible person but sometimes I also wonder. My mom is the inventor of something called the Kolerstein morality scale. That's where you complain about politics, a person, or the world in general for about 5 or 10 minutes and in the end say if that someone or thing is moral, not moral, and by how much. Like for example if someone were to break a vase, after you're done complaining, you might announce that whoever accidentally broke that vase is a twenty three on the Kolerstein morality scale. Twenty three my ass. "Let's go blast these Winnebagoes" I yelled to Jarg. "Yeah" Jarg yelled back. "I act according to my code whereby I am moral by my principles. Morality is not an absolute and certainly not a number" I said. "God damn right" "Jarg confidently affirmed Jarg and I had some planning to do. Tomorrow was Wednesday. Wednesday is very dangerous on planet Winnebago.

Update May 2026: I've been training at Academy of Self Defense for 13 years and appreciate how much…read morethe focus on workouts and community. I've trained in Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Boot Camp, HYROX, and Spartan Deka, and the coaches do a great job pushing people while keeping the environment supportive. Coach Ilya and Coach Mikhail have helped me improve in HYROX and DEKA, especially on the assault bike and SkiERG. Coach Manny's Boot Camp classes always challenge my conditioning, while Muay Thai coaches Manny, Ramiro, and Amit keep classes demanding. Coach Amit also teaches Krav Maga and brings great technical instruction from his black belt background. The "Locked In for Summer" fitness challenge has also been a fun addition this year -- combining workouts, recovery, accountability, and community support both in person and online. The number and variety of classes and strong community are a big reason I'm still training here 13 years later.

love this place! the instructors are all so friendly and helpful. I initially came with my…read moreboyfriend because he wanted to try muay thai and i wanted to do the fitness classes and now he wants to do fitness and I want to do more fighting haha. Just got the membership for fitness classes and it is VERY worth it :)

Women: take this class! It was half information: how to avoid confrontation, what to do if you…read morecan't avoid it, situational awareness, and tools you can use to protect yourself. The other half was learning and practicing moves to defend yourself. Rebecca and her assistant were super professional but also really friendly and accessible. We were all newbies and some of us (me) were really clueless and nervous, but they were so patient and efficient and clear with their instructions I felt really safe and supported. We all got to practice our moves with a dummy (Dave!) and with the teachers, and they made sure we got them right before we moved on. I left the class feeling confident, like I was more prepared and capable to handle threatening situations. I couldn't recommend this class more! Thank you so much to Rebecca and her assistant (whose name I somehow forgot again, I'm so sorry! You are so cool and amazing!) I was so impressed and inspired, I hope to see you all again at a future class.

Rebecca is a wonderful, knowledgeable, and passionate instructor! I took the Urban Self-defense…read morecourse and learned a variety of helpful tips. The best part is that Rebecca goes over different self-defense methods so that you can figure out what feels the best for you. I have always been one to be proactive rather than reactive, so this class helped me overcome some fears. I hope I will never have to used the skills that Rebecca showed me, but I'm glad I know them for when the situation arises.

When I first met Grandmaster Sanchez, he was teaching weapons defense at a Martial Arts studio…read morewhere my daughter was studying. She really respected his knowledge and skill, and felt very comfortable and encouraged by him! After seeing what a great teacher he was, I decided to take 8 hours of personal training with Grandmaster Sanchez, and now I feel very confident I can defend myself in many kinds of attack situations. If I lived closer to the area, I would have continued! I was so impressed with the techniques I learned, I even bought my Mom a class. Grandmaster Sanchez taught her practical moves for a woman in her 70's without much strength, as well as how to make use of an umbrella to defend herself! I highly recommend training with Grandmaster Sanchez, to learn a skill that can save your life.

Me and my two sons, my son's friend and my nephew all signed up for his class. The first day we…read moretried out Grand Master Ian's class, we all got hooked so we all signed up immediately after his class was over. That goes to show how much we loved the class. GM Ian not only teaches martial arts techniques but also teaches real life scenarios in self defense. He is very accommodating and very patient with the kids. He is very down to earth and my kids love him. My youngest son who is very shy has gained confidence by coming to his classes. I highly recommend his classes.

I've been with MAI since their Brazilian Jujitsu program started, which was four or five years ago…read more(from this review). MAI is an associated school to Claudio Franca's BJJ in Santa Cruz. The atmosphere here is quite relaxed, with a emphasis on sportsmanship and an open learning environment. At the time of this review, the owner holds a purple belt in BJJ ( & a high level black belt in Kempo Karate, but my experience in the Kempo classes is very limited). There are a few other purple belts who attend regularly and once a week Daniel Thomas, BJJ black belt, comes in and instructs. I'm probably biased, but I've yet to come across a better instructor than Daniel. The class sizes for BJJ are small to medium in size. I'd say an average of ten to fifteen students per class. The student body size is quite larger, but different people might come on different days. Personally I appreciate a smaller class size - more room on the mat! If you are an association member with Claudia Franca BJJ, you can also attend one class per month at the other association schools, which is quite worth doing. I can't speak for the Kempo Karate program for adults. I know a number of parents who have enrolled their children in MAI's children's Kempo classes and they have told me it is a great program. If you are new to BJJ and want to give it a shot or an established/former student and are looking for a place to train, you should drop by. Classes are Tuesday @ 615 PM and Thursday @ 615 PM. Daniel teaches on Tuesdays. There are also BJJ classes on Wednesday and Saturday in the morning hours. I'd recommend a Tuesday class for your first though. Your first class here will be no charge. If you have any questions, call the place up and ask for Erick.

I needed to train really Bad!!…read more I saw there web site and called. They said go ahead and come in for a session. I showed up to a very clean and well kept school. The old school bags on the side. The smell of sweat and icy hot. I could see some kids grappling with there Instructor Josh 4-strip blue belt( I think really a purple belt.) leading the class. As class finished you could see how much the kids respected him. He introduced himself and said welcome in. They have a small dressing room across the mat. I went to change in the closed off studio. Class started with stretching and normal warm up. Went through some training moves. Great time on the mat. 4-5 5 min rolls with some really great students of this school! You guys rock!! Cheers!

*A love letter to my favorite place in the Monterey Bay area.*…read more If you are looking for a martial arts gym in the area that will introduce you to the art and take you to the next level, look no longer. Coach Mark is truly the best with whom I trained under and cares very deeply about helping students continue to realize their potential as human beings and as martial artists. I had my first class here Feb 2021 and was impressed with Mark's high level instruction, and the quality of my fellow teammates. The impression of a martial arts dojo for people who have never trained is that it is full of dangerous people ready to smash newbies. And while this is true for some gyms, Eliteteam Monterey is the type of place that will simultaneously push you to become better and empower you. It was through the coach and teammates' encouragement that I decided to compete, and if you are willing to learn the program and train consistently, you will be carried to another level with the support of a stellar coach and hard working team. Having trained at four different gyms since 2016, one learns to look at some details to understand the "health" of a gym: 1) The mats are always clean and are sanitized after every session. 2) Mark pays close attention to the organization, cleanliness, and vibe of the whole facility, so you feel right at home. 3) A shower is available for those on morning, noon, or evening training schedules and is stocked with "Defense" soap so that every person can keep the team safe with good hygiene (anti-ring worm, anti-staph). 4) This academy now has a Full Monday to Sunday schedule, with 6 AM classes, 12 PM classes, 4 PM classes, and 6PM classes. 5) It is a very inclusive academy and has classes for all levels, and women's classes 8-9 Saturday. 6) The coach constantly emphasizes fundamentals while helping you build skills, and then try them in live sparring under his close supervision so that everyone stays safe. 7) Striking classes are offered as well In addition to jiujitsu, I also benefited a lot from Coach Mark's advice about applying principles of the art in my professional and personal life, and how to improve my health. He provided me with strengthening exercises, cardio exercises, cool podcasts, and coaching at competitions, to help me build more confidence as a person and as a martial artist. Thank you coach Mark and the Elite Team Monterey crew. Catch you on the next roll.

I was visiting for a few days due to work and this was the highlight of my trip. Great vibe, I felt…read moresafe as a visitor, awesome technique. Thanks Coach Mark, and all the others of the team. Highly recommended

I consider myself incredibly fortunate that I found William Pernik…read more In a world where it often feels impossible to find an attorney who is both exceptionally skilled and genuinely cares about his clients, Pernik is the rare exception. From day one, he treated my case with the seriousness, attention, and strategic insight that you hope for but rarely see. He didn't just take my case -- he understood it. He understood me. He asked the right questions, caught details other attorneys had overlooked, and moved with a level of precision and professionalism that immediately gave me confidence. What impressed me most was that he balances brilliant legal ability with real humanity. He is calm, patient, direct, and honest -- no ego, no drama, just sharp legal work and steady guidance. At a time when I felt overwhelmed, he gave me clarity. At a time when I felt vulnerable, he gave me a plan. And at a time when I needed someone truly in my corner, he showed up 100%. Pernik is the kind of attorney who earns trust because he deserves it. He listens. He prepares. He anticipates. He fights smart. And he genuinely cares about the people he represents. If you're looking for an attorney who combines elite legal skill with integrity and compassion, you will not find better than William Pernik. I'm grateful for everything he's done, and I would recommend him without hesitation to anyone who needs serious, competent, and committed legal representation.

The worst experience I've ever had with an attorney. I hired…read morehim to help me with a criminal case, and he completely failed to follow through. There were constant cancellations, missed appointments, and ignored phone calls. Even the judge had to remind him to keep his appointments. I paid a lot of money expecting professional service, but in the end, I got nothing in return. Save yourself the frustration and look elsewhere -- there are far better attorneys who actually care about their clients.

For me, this place has been fantastic. However they do it, they've fostered an extremely supportive…read moreand safe environment across the board.

I trained here one morning while vacationing nearby with my family. Travis ran a fun class with…read morevery good technical instruction. Everybody I got to train with was welcoming, treated me like I was a regular and put up a tough roll. The owner Thomas went out of his way to help me out with the visit and is clearly passionate about his gym and his students. I'll definitely come back if I have the opportunity in the future.