My son has been going to this Bryan Hawkins Kenpo Karate for over 4 years. During that time, he has…read morenot only learned how to defend himself physically but the real value lies in what it's done for him mentally and emotionally and spiritually. He has learned Self-Discipline, which has developed and grown a healthy Self Esteem, which has developed a gown a healthily Self-Confidence. He has learned how to repeatedly set goals, and then work hard attaining those goals. He has learned how to work with others and has developed leadership skills by communicating / demonstrating detailed instruction to lower ranks. He is learning valuable life-long lessons which will only enhance his future. Many Thanks to Mr Hawkins and his awesome Team of Instructors!

Our family absolutely loves Mr. Hawkins Kenpo Karate!!! My son Camren has being going to this…read morestudio for almost 2 years now and has excelled in all aspects.. self control, discipline, respect, confidence & patience... in class and more so at home. He looks forward to going in every week and I'm incredibly happy to see him accelerate at something he's truly passionate about thanks to everyone here that helps motivate him!! Thank you Mr.Stangbee & Mr. Barrea!! You are his favorites

I grew up learning Martial Arts myself, so when I was asked to drop by and watch Christian earn his…read morePurple Belt, I jumped on to this opportunity. Tang So Do is a Korean style Martial Arts but this school is no different, the values, tradition, culture and patriotism is integrated in the lessons they teach. Yes, I too learned this way at Shotokan, an Okinawan Karate and has similar instructional styles and practices, that dates back centuries. I've never seen Christian so respectful, measured and focused during his lessons here, he is attentive, laser focused and seems to be breathing and absorbing every aspect of GM Flame's instruction. During my visit, the classroom was full of students, different belt levels and skills but the most important here, is its inclusivity and highly- interactive styles of teaching. The Black Belts are also actively supporting the instruction but having them engage each other in sparring and hand to hand takedowns was enlightening and inspiring to watch. Meanwhile, I hope that they find a better and bigger landscape to teach these skills and practices to our children, they need a bigger space to be able to comprehensively inculcate the skills and talents this school is trying to articulate. Overall, I had fun and watching them engage each other, took me back to my old Shotokan days, where I would do the same routines and still enjoys watching the weapons being used and the tactics that built personal values and self-confidence of our children. Great job, GM Flame .... , I know that our little Christian has a great mentor, sensei and friend, we are confident that he will also grow into a very molded and responsible American warrior as he continue to learn these values!

Both of my girls takes classes and I have seen amazing growth in both their skills and confidence…read moreoutside of class. They absolutely love karate and can't wait to see their future growth.

My family and I have been coming here for about a year and a half now. We absolutely love Legacy!…read moreThe family sessions provide a good bonding experience that fosters discipline and promotes exercise and strength building. We're looking forward to our toddler joining there Badger program when he's of age. This is a great experience for all ages and families! What started out as a way to increase my daughter's intrinsic motivation and self discipline has turned into an ongoing family experience with us all working together towards being a family of black belts. Shout out to Mr Gregory for tailoring sessions to each persons unique abilities while still ensuring to push us out of our comfort zones, and for holding each student accountable to be their very best.

My six-year-old son has been attending Legacy Martial Arts for a little over four months. His…read morepersonality has always been introverted, cautious, and he has struggled with sensory sensitivities. We wanted to get him involved in a physical activity but knew that he was not ready for team sports. When starting him I was very nervous not knowing how he would respond, but to my surprise, within the first month he flourished! Not only has his confidence, self-esteem and physical capabilities grown; he's completely came out of his shell and is eager to participate and speak in front of class! I've watched him grow tremendously with his sensory sensitivities, which have previously held him back from participating in many school and social activities. Mr. Gregory runs an excellent program that holds his students to a high standard not only teaching proper martial arts technique, self-defense, and discipline; but also many life skills that your child will be able to apply to all other aspects of life. As a parent watching class, I must admit that I have also walked away on numerous occasions with self defense techniques or discussion on life skills that I re-apply to myself. Thank you Mr. Gregory, Mr. Stromsoe (amazing instructor!) and the rest of the Legacy Martial Arts team for creating the perfect family martial arts program! To any parent reading this review, I promise that enrolling your child into Legacy Martial Arts is worth the investment.

Absolutely 100% love this place!…read more My son has been doing karate now for a few years and this year we decided to sign up the whole family (that's me, my husband and 22-yr old daughter). There is so much to love about this for kids and adults. Besides the instruction and great customer service, there is this feeling of family. Everybody supports your progress. For kids, there is a fun, playful yet disciplined learning environment. Every class has a mat chat in which topics like bullying are discussed along with how to properly introduce yourself and make a new friend. Adults, get ready to get challenged, feel empowered and lose some extra pounds. I honestly don't know why I didn't join sooner. After the first family member is signed up, there is a discount offered for each additional family member. It's a no brainer! I can go on and on, but come see for yourself! We started a trial period at a discount with no contract. Great way to see if this is right for you or your children.

They are truly amazing happy I got to have the experience of training at this excellent karate…read morestudio!!!

I wanted to join here but unfortunately they are out of business. Yelp needs to update the profile.read more

Pure Self Defense Academy is incredible for kids and adults. My 6 year old son has been going for…read moreover a year and he is thriving. Shockingly, I went tonight to a women's self defense class and I am in awe of the coaches and how much they care. I have always thought "I should take a self defense class one day", and I just never came around to it. LADIES... WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO BE ATTACKED. Plain and simple. Every female should take as many self defense classes as you can. Even if it's just one. Make it your goal for 2023. After the very first class, you will be glad you did it.

Updating my review…read more My youngest son who is on the Spectrum has also joined the Fight Foundation team. We couldn't be more thankful for Sifu Cherry and her team, they work very well with my son. We started with 1:1 classes before integrating him into group classes. My son would elope at home, at the the store basically anywhere, with the help of Fight Foundation my son hardly has that issue now. MMA has taught him discipline and to follow directions. They instructors are great at reinforcing positive behaviors and nipping the bad ones. My son is learning to interact with his peers better and he is equipped to defend himself. We've been with Fight Foundation for many year and highly recommend them. It's also by far the cleanest gym around. We love Sifu Cherry And Sifu Paul, their whole team has always been awesome with us. My son has been with the fight foundation for a few years now. I signed him up because I was tired of my son coming home upset from being physically bullied with little consequences from the school. They've really helped my son with his confidence and bullying is no longer an issue. He's never had to use his MMA skills outside the studio but it's reassuring knowing my son has the tools he needs to defend himself if he's ever in a ugly situation or outnumbered. We can't always be there to protect our kids but you can give them the upper hand. MMA teaches more than just self defense its given my son goals to strive for and discipline outside my household. Thanks again Fight Foundation we love being on your team!

We love Sifu Cherry And Sifu Paul, their whole team has always been awesome with us. My son has…read morebeen with the fight foundation for a few years now. I signed him up because I was tired of my son coming home upset from being physically bullied with little consequences from the school. They've really helped my son with his confidence and bullying is no longer an issue. He's never had to use his MMA skills outside the studio but it's reassuring knowing my son has the tools he needs to defend himself if he's ever in a ugly situation or outnumbered. We can't always be there to protect our kids but you can give them the upper hand. MMA teaches more than just self defense its given my son goals to strive for and discipline outside my household. Thanks again Fight Foundation we love being on your team!

When my eldest, now 24, was 5 years old I sought out self defense programs. My purpose, to learn…read moreself defense and not to just move up belts with goal of being a black belt by age 9! I found Shotokan Karate. Due to moves we had to discontinue. Meanwhile we tried several other programs and learned to Value Shotokan more. 11 years ago we moved to Thousand Oaks and found Sensei Mike. He shares a teaching philosophy and style that kids of all ages and development respond to- an effective mix and balance of humor, discipline and technique makes learning a positive and powerful experience. All activity, games and exercise has a purpose. As a health coach, non traditional piano coach and occupational therapist, I am beyond thrilled to be connected with this Program. All 4 of my sons have benefited from Sensei Mike and cannot recommend any other style.

From the owner: We offer genuine traditional Japanese karate for students of all ages. This IS NOT commercial…read morekarate with young children as black belts. We adhere to the high standards of the International Shotokan Karate Federation and our credentials are recognized worldwide. Sensei Mike Szydlowski has worked with local, state and federal law enforcement on child safety issues and has been teaching in Newbury Park for over 25 years.

What a wonderful resource that is part of the a Thousand Oaks community! Four teenage girls and I…read moreattended the 2 hour Self-defense class for women. Johnny was a wealth of information and very patient and kind while empowering women to protect themselves in many different circumstances. I highly recommend this complimentary class as well as any services that are offered at this location.

My grandson goes to z ultimate and sensi Joe is the nicest…read moreand outstanding. He thought thing to protect him self in the future I really wish Moorpark was still with him today

My kids have been coming here for 3 years now, for both their After School Program and their summer…read moreday camp sessions. I have nothing but great things to say from my and my kid's experience. Master Yoo runs a tight ship with his studio and the kids are safe and well guided here. With the after school program, he and his crew drive to several different schools in the Conejo Valley and pick up the children to then be taken back to the very well equipped studio. There the kids have time to play in one of their many rooms (a library room, a computer room, a gaming room, and then a general toys area) and also get help with their homework. This last piece is a game changer when you are a full time working parent who then needs to hustle dinner before starting the bedtime routine. All the instructors are so kind but firm with the kids. Instructor Nick is a staple for me who I have called up when I need a little flexibility with pick up and Instructor Wylie, bless her heart, has the patience to talk bugs to my very precocious 5 year old. What I love about this studio isn't just the taekwondo or all the fun listed above, but that they teach the kids to be responsible people. As part of the black belt candidacy process, the candidates have to teach/assist in a weekday class, a weekend class, and also draft an essay. The younger kids see the older kids helping them and it becomes a very natural process of "this is what I'm supposed to do". It's the prime case of leading by example. They learn to respect and also what's right and wrong. As the kids develop friendships with each other, the also protect each other as well. During one summer, my youngest was 4 and had gone to day camp. Another child was a little aggressive with her because she is a bit small, and the big kids along with her siblings rallied around her to protect her. I have spent time at the studio and befriended some of the children and their parents and it's been great building friendships beyond the kid's home school. Master Yoo and team try their utmost best to work with every child and parent and usually it's a wonderful fit, but sometimes it just doesn't. I highly recommend this place for you to experience yourself. Plus, where else can you get such a deal of routine parent's night out for 3 hours on a Saturday where additional siblings are discounted! My favorite part about that is that if a kid pops a balloon, everyone has to drop and do 10 push ups. I purposely stay just to wait for a balloon to pop. My kids will continue to come and we will continue to support till they say no more, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

I'm writing this review as a concerned parent whose experience at Master Yoo's TKD was deeply…read moredisappointing and, frankly, alarming. Despite my daughter attending for months, we never received periodic updates, behavior notes, or any communication about concerns -- which is standard practice for any program working with young children. The first time Master Yoo raised an issue, it was suddenly framed as "ongoing behavior," which immediately raised red flags. What was described as "concerning behavior" was simply a 6-year-old holding hands with a family member and giving an age-appropriate kiss to another 6-year-old. Instead of viewing this through a normal developmental lens, Master Yoo treated my daughter as the problem and claimed other children were "bothered" by her -- essentially validating bullying behavior and putting the responsibility on a six-year-old rather than addressing misconduct from the older students involved. Even more inappropriate, he brought student comments into parent conversations -- instead of managing behavior privately and professionally. It is not a child's job to police, report, or manage other children, especially when their "feedback" is unreliable or rooted in their own behavioral issues. Yet Master Yoo seemed to take these problematic students at their word, without question, and without requiring accountability or apologies when their statements were untrue or harmful. Most concerning of all, nothing in my interactions suggested that Master Yoo has any training, licensure, or specialized education in: * Early childhood development * Child psychology * Childcare supervision * Trauma-informed practices * Mandatory reporting or safety protocol This program may be suitable for older children or teens, but based on our experience, it is not an appropriate or safe environment for younger kids. There is a clear lack of structure, age-appropriate supervision, and professional standards when managing emotional or social challenges among children. If you have a young child -- especially under 8 -- I strongly recommend seeking a more qualified, communicative, and developmentally informed TKD studio. From what I've observed, the real pattern is that she thrives when adults are emotionally attuned and supervising well. When that piece is missing, the dynamics shift. So I'm focusing more on finding environments that support her temperament

My Grandson Joaquin is Only 4 Years Old An Instructor Name…read moreLori took her time And Patience, on one to one Basic Training In Self Defense!! She Kindly Told me directly That Joaquin Needed to return back possibly In a Couple of Months, So Hopefully He Would Be More Focus In Following Direction More Closely!! I Thank Her Directly For the Opportunity She Gave My Grandson!!

My granddaughter attends classes here, Sifu Jesus and Lori are great. I would recommend for all…read moreages.