Sensei Justin has been absolutely incredible for our daughter. She is naturally very shy, and we…read morewanted to find something that would help her build confidence and come out of her shell. She had the option to choose from five different activities, and she chose karate. We were already so proud of her for making that brave decision, and finding Sensei Justin made it even more meaningful. From day one, you can tell he truly cares about each child individually. He takes the time to connect with them, encourage them, and tailor his lessons so every child feels included and capable. His positive and patient approach has made such a difference, and it has been amazing watching our daughter grow more confident with each class. We genuinely could not have found a better sensei. We are so grateful for the environment he creates and the impact he is having on these kids, not just teaching karate, but helping them believe in themselves.

Sensei Justin is doing a wonderful job with his kids and classes. He keeps the class fun but they…read moreare all learning and doing lots of activity too. If you're looking for a karate-based martial art school for your kiddo, I highly recommend.

Our 2 kids went here and enjoyed every class. The facility…read moreis clean and climate controlled. The instruction is top notch and there's enough parking. Rates are very reasonable for what you're getting. Don't hesitate to check this place out!

Holmgren's Black Belt Academy is truly a special place. I drive from Ridgewood to Allendale two…read moredays per week, passing many other studios on my way. The owner, Marty Holmgren, has a real gift for working with children of all abilities. He is firm with the children and offers an abundance of praise at the same time. I would recommend this karate studio to anyone.

PROS: I've been coming here for a few months now and this place is amazing. Great instructor that's…read moreexperienced, equipment is all good quality, loads of parking, affordable prices. CONS: The place is a bit messy and can use a cleaning OVERALL: Definitely love coming here and would recommend this to anyone looking to do the art

Tony does a great job with his students. My 10 year old is learning self-defense skills as well as…read moresituational awareness while boosting his self-esteem. Tony clearly cares about his students and wants them to be prepared to safely de-escalate conflict.

Our son has attended the Shido-Kan Karate school for about a year and a half, and we have to say…read morethat Sensei Mitch is just great. He pushes the kids to be better and considers their experience level when matching the kids up for Fight Club or sparring. He encourages the kids to push themselves, and some might be offended that he's tough, but that's exactly what we wanted so that our son can train appropriately. Bullies are everywhere, and we want our son to get the right kind of training so that he becomes physically and mentally tough and can defend himself, but at the same time use his skills responsibly as Sensei Mitch teaches. My son started as the shortest kid in the class and Sensei Mitch kept pushing him to be better, and matched him up with bigger kids within a belt or two of his experience level. My son enjoyed his experience and continued to look forward to each class as development opportunities (and just plain fun). If the kids are too mismatched, then Sensei Mitch instructs the more experienced kid to just defend themselves and not overwhelm the less experienced students. Some people might be offended by this approach, but it makes sense to me and offers a challenge to the less experienced kids to get better. I've seen Sensei Mitch responsibly encourage the kids to do better and stops the various fights to give a demonstration of what could have been done better or to offer advice on technique. The Oakland review below was a little surprising to me as it seems very off in perspective (and not even the parent!). We videotape our son's fights/sparring/katas to show him what he's doing and to allow him to learn from his experience; and other parents do the same for their kids. We've seen Sensei Mitch discipline kids (even my son has been disciplined numerous times -- push ups, run laps --and now fidgets less in class and pays attention more), but we've not seen it done inappropriately for all the time our son attended. I get it that some people might be offended by some of his teasing, but get a grip. If you have an eggshell personality or particularly PC, life is going to be very tough on you (and likewise your kid). Everything Sensei Mitch does seems appropriate to toughen the kids, and many have stayed with him for many years. Even then, Sensei Mitch reminds the kids that they are learning a valuable skill but need to use it responsibly even if the other kids tease them (and also to remind the kids to thank their parents for the opportunity to learn Karate). "Don't you ever be the bully, but be ready to defend yourself if the other kid throws the first punch." Now what parent wouldn't want their kid to learn these valuable skills so that their child grow up able to responsibly defend themselves (and have a fun time sparring with other kids to hone their skills)? We highly recommend that parents check out the Shido-Kan Karate school in Mahwah, and watch the Fight Club sessions on Friday evenings.

When we moved to New Jersey, I was looking for a sport that would help build confidence and…read morediscipline in my son who's not the traditional athletic type. Definitely found it at Shido-Kan Karate. Sensei Mitch is tough in a way that makes kids feel proud and accomplished when they get things right--and determined to work harder when they get things wrong. Not going to lie, he's very tough! I was wondering if my sensitive, emotional son could handle the critiques. Not only can he handle it, but he's shown immense personal growth in learning to navigate challenges and raise expectations. He leaves every class feeling stronger. I also think it's helped him to deal with some bullying at school. I'm very happy he's sticking with karate at Shido-Kan.

Our two boys and one daughter have been taught by Master Joe for over 4 years now, and they all…read morehave increased focus, confidence, and determination. These skills have helped them at school and at home. We highly recommend Hong Ik, and particularly Master Joe, who knows how to instill discipline while maintaining a fun and entertaining environment.

Master Joe is an incredible teacher. My son has learn so much and his confidence and attention and…read morecoordination have improved greatly! I highly recommend!

I trained at Malandra's Martial Arts Center for about a decade in the 90s working my way to a 1st…read moredegree black belt there. Let me start off by saying that my experiences at this dojo have defined my life in so many ways and made me a better person. I cannot stress highly enough how valuable of an experience the martial arts is and how good the instruction is at this dojo. The dojo is run by a father and son pair (Shihan Don and Sensei Mike). Shihan learned the martial arts while serving in Korea and founded the dojo along with his son and Shihan Lester (a friend). I trained with one of the head instructors, Sensei Jason, for many years and he is a man of upstanding character (and outstanding martial arts ability). Some thoughts: 1. The instructors are friendly, understanding, tolerant, and will work with you as a child or as an adult. I had bad asthma as a kid and got bullied a lot. They worked with me and slowly over time, my flexibility improved, and I gained self-confidence. They foster an environment that is conducive to learning and improvement. What's really funny is, I ended up not being bullied because Sensei Mike taught me how to stand properly so that I wouldn't easily fall down when bullies pushed me. I never had to lift a finger or do anything. I just wasn't an easy target anymore and so they left me alone. The philosophy there is really about having self-confidence and treating others with respect rather than "learning how to fight". In my opinion, this is a really strong philosophical base upon which to train people. 2. They don't lock you in with long-term contracts (ie you don't enter a program where you get a black belt after X dollars have been shelled out). They really focus on helping you to become a better person and to make sure you're ready to move up. When I last trained there, the contracts were as short as 4 months at a time. 3. They are strongly involved with the community through the Suffern Board of Commerce and the Suffern Police Department as well as the local school system. These are good people who are not in it solely for the money. 4. They have classes for both adults and children and their style is called Mushin Do. It's basically a mixture of judo, jiu jutsu, tae kwon do, and karate. This means that you learn all-around self-defense, which nowadays amounts to Mixed Martial Arts. You'll learn how to grapple, throw, block, punch, and kick as well as how to do joint locks. The self-discipline and physical fitness I got from training here has shaped my life and I owe much of my success to these guys. I wouldn't think twice about sending my kids here or training at the dojo again if I ever move back to the area. I cannot emphasize enough how great a place this dojo is.

I started at Malandra's Martial Arts Center when I was about 4 years old. I continued on till I was…read moreabout 21 years old. I received my Black Belt at about the age of 19 Years. They are not given away at this school which I find to be for the best. I had to earn mine. I went through about 4 different tests until they felt I was ready to receive it. They teach you not only about how to defend yourself but about Mind, Body and Soul as well. All of the knowledge learned over my years became of GREAT use to me in the future. Discipline was my greatest assets and I would not be where i am today with out and where i learned it from. Mike and Jay are the greatest instructors i ever had the pleasure training under and then working with in my later martial arts career. To this day I can say that I have used every skill from Mental to Physical throughout my life and I cannot thank them more for this skill-set. I believe in this school and everyone that is a part of it and would strongly suggest sending anyone you know to at least try out this school to see what they are all about and I promise you will not be disappointed. I look forward to extending my Martial Arts career now and I will be joining back up to learn more.

Stevens karate is a excellent academy . top notch training , friendly atmosphere and great and…read morefriendly environment ,it truly is a pleasure to train there. i recommend bill stevens it to all my friends and family.

When I moved to Wyckoff, I was searching for a place where I can enjoy working out, preferably one…read morethat offers kickboxing. I tried several places, but I wasn't enjoying it. Finally found PMA, and was given 2 free trial classes. Because of my interest in kickboxing, I tried it, and gave the other free pass to my fiancé (who wasn't too excited about trying kickboxing for the very first time). We enjoyed our class so much that we signed up immediately, and have been coming for years. The instructors are amazing! They patiently take their time to correct your forms, make sure about your safety. They care. So far, Pro Martial Arts has not only improve my health, but also my confidence! :)

Instructors are good but Owner is awful!! Only seems to care about money!read more