Finding a good dojo is like finding a good, honest mechanic. Find one, and wherever that pied piper…read moregoes, you go as well. I've been training at Rocky Valley on and off for several years, and I've followed them from their first location in San Jose to their current, shiny new digs in Menlo Park. If they moved under the pier in Santa Cruz, I'd probably go there, too. The teaching is top notch and you get none of the posturing or chest pounding you see in other schools or systems. The atmosphere here is supportive from top to bottom and you quickly learn that your competition is less external than it is internal. If you're looking to duke it out with some cauliflower-eared galoot who's still upset about being cut from the Octagon, then look elsewhere. If you're looking for something more sublime, give this place a whirl. They'll still teach you martial arts, but you'll never hear anyone talking about how you need to destroy your opponent.

One of the best things at Rocky Valley Aikido is the personal attention you get from more advanced…read morepractitioners. The nature of the training and the people in the dojo is such that you are often one on one with someone who has been doing this for years. This is a great advantage for the beginner! A great group of people!

Practice Martial Arts is the absolute BEST martial arts studio in the Bay Area. My 14 year old son…read morestarted with Sensei Armenak in Marin County from the age of 4, and refuses to go anywhere else and followed him up to Petaluma. My husband has also recently joined. Sensei Armenak is the best instructor. He has amazing martial arts teaching capabilities. He is the kindest and most knowledgeable person that we know in Martial Arts. The qualities that make a good instructor or Sensei are knowledge, passion, communication, morality, care and respect. Sensei Armenak is all of that and more. The greatest teachers are the ones that have knowledge and passion AND can communicate them to his students. I give Sensei Armenak and his martial arts studio 5 stars out of 5!

I have been working with Armenak for about a year now learning various boxing styles and martial…read morearts techniques. He gets top marks from me for being knowledgeable and friendly, and progressing skills and techniques safely and efficiently. His level of expertise is obvious in the way he patiently develops your progress with various drills and means to enforce proper movements and skill. I've also observed him working with young kids and he has a very good way with connecting with them. Practice Martials studio is also a great place to train if you're not into a loud, high pressure, competitive atmosphere with someone screaming in your face. If you want to learn self-defense and confidence, come here and train!

I've been training with Ed since about 2005 so you could say I'm hooked! Systema is very…read morefree-form and unconstrained in comparison to many traditional martial art systems. No belts, no rank, no beginners vs experienced students. Everyone who shows up learns practical applications for self defense and health. Learn more at www.norcalsystema.com or just come out and check out a class or three!

This course is held twice a week on Monday and Tuesday, starting from 6 pm, lasts for 90 m…read more I joined the class six months ago with no experience, and picked up the basic movement fairly quickly. The class has people with a wide range of levels, from beginner to advanced, which helps the progress a lot. Besides the physical training, the course also teaches the basic musical instrument that adds lots of fun to it, I've enjoyed it a lot.

I joined Jadson's class because I had a Groupon for the old location. It was for ten classes…read more.. I've been training with him now for 3 years! He's a talented professor with much to teach and a friendly motivating personality. He goes beyond expectations in answering questions after class, Capoeira movie nights, making berimbaus with class the OG way, and keeps students posted on events all around the Bay. It's not a big school relatively (so far), but that means more instruction for you! The current facility (Bladium) is great for Capoeira because easy parking, decent space, and after open roda, we can get bar food and drink upstairs!

I love The Open Matt!! Since coming here just over a month ago, it's like inheriting a family. Matt…read moreis so easy to work with, you feel comfortable right away with his aura and calmness and his eagerness to teach and talk with you. Small classes and personalized help with your needs and desires to be there.

There is no where in the Bay Area that can compare to The Open Matt. I've been training martial…read morearts for 16 years and I've found something incredibly special in the training I've done here. Perfect for beginners and people who are hesitant about martial arts and wellness. But at the same time, any experienced martial artist or HIGH LEVEL athletes will find training that takes them to a level they didn't even know existed. I know that's a lot of hyping, but it's not a joke. This place is special. The people are special. This work changes you, empowers you, and gives to you. Nothing is asked other than you show up and be cool and have a good time. The Open Matt is the best place to train and be healthy. Period, end of story.

Join our Palo Alto group as we practise and share our knowledge of Xing Yi Quan, Bagua Zhang and…read moreTaiji Quan. We are young professionals living in the SF Bay Area who share a deep interest in the internal martial arts. Our workouts are free and open to all martial arts enthusiasts. The focus of the sessions is to extend our practical skills in a safe manner. There is formal instruction available outside of this session so that our time is not used up teaching but rather used to practise specific skills. Current members of the group practise WuShu, Chen Taiji, and ShanXi style Xing Yi Quan and are led by indoor disciples of Master Li Tai Liang. Exercises and drills from Old Form Bagua are used to enhance effectiveness of techniques and body mechanics. Dantien training techniques build core body strength. Xin Yi Dao is a system developed by Master Li Tailiang comprising the main three forms of internal kungfu: xing yi quan, bagua zhang, and taiji quan. We practise Two person forms from Xing Yi and use light contact sparring test our understanding of techniques. We also practise competitve Taiji push hands to complete our workouts. Stop by and take a look. Meet some new people and share our knowledge. EMAIL for schedule: ****

John Chang was hired by the City of Sunnyvale to teach Self Defense for Kids classes at one of…read moretheir summer camps. My daughter was in his class for less than an hour on one day last year; she was uncomfortable with the way he spoke to her, and with how he re-positioned her body. I have taught her that she doesn't have to do things that make her uncomfortable, and that her body is her own, and no one has the right to touch it without her consent. As such, we removed her from the class, as it was clearly a poor fit between student and instructor. This year, my daughter is at the same camp, but not registered in Mr. Chang's classes. He brought a snow cone machine to the camp, gave the students in his class snow cones, and then offered them for sale to the kids outside of his class. Because the camp was not informed of his intent to sell snow cones*, neither were the parents, and many kids did not have money to purchase. Mr. Chang told other coaches/instructors that, for the kids without cash, they could pick a camper who was very well-behaved to receive a free cone. A coach chose my daughter, which speaks to how well-behaved and agreeable she is. When my daughter went up to receive her cone, Mr. Chang asked if she were the student who stopped taking his class last year. She said yes. He then told her she wasn't good, and refused to give her the cone. She retreated, embarrassed, hurt, shamed, and in tears. She asked her other coach for space, and wept quietly until she pulled herself together and re-joined her group. She didn't complain, whine, or get angry. I approached Mr. Chang the next day to speak with him. He said that, a year ago, she "spoke down to him." I said, "She spoke down to you?! She is a child!" He clarified that she didn't listen when he told her to do things -- that ONE day, in that ONE class, for less than an hour, after her initial attempts left her uncomfortable. I applaud her for this: it's a children's recreational summer camp, not an army, and she was not comfortable acting on his orders or being touched by him. She didn't talk back to or sass him. For a grown man to hold a grudge like this with a child for an entire year, and punish her for it publicly, is ridiculous and petty. Even IF my child had been rude or disrespectful to him a year ago, her other coach identified her as well-behaved and deserving THIS year. This isn't about the snow cone, and it's not about martial arts or self-defense. This is about an instructor whose focus is on authority at all costs, who is insensitive and unkind, who holds grudges against children, and who expects respect but doesn't offer any. If your parenting style is one of absolute authority, obedience, and discipline, you might get along with him well. For those of us who teach self-awareness, self-protection, and empathy, I strongly recommend avoiding his teaching. * Soliciting children for money is not allowed at the camps. Had Mr. Chang requested permission to do this, he would have been denied.

My son attended John Chang's karate class for one year and he loves it. My wife has decided to…read morealso take the class and both are enjoying John's instructions. John does not just teach martial arts. John helps children learn to respect and physical health as well as focus. He lets his students have fun but also lets them know that martial arts is also a serious sport. As far as the comments that John is rude, I would say that I have never observed this nor have ever been treated this way. If you're looking for a teacher that will also say yes to you or coddle your children, then don't go to John. However, if you want your child to learn, be disciplined and succeed in life as well as karate, then we highly recommend John Chang.

I highly recommend this course of martial arts training, for men, women and kids alike. I am a…read morecouch potato by nature, and I've found it hard to stick to a solitary gym routine. This has turned out to be a great option for me, even having no prior experience with martial arts. It is an excellent workout *and* a lot of fun. Since I started training over a year ago, I have lost weight, gained strength and flexibility, and learned valuable self defense skills. It is fun interacting with classmates, unlike at the typical group gym class where you attend side by side with a bunch of others but never really get to work together. The group here is really friendly and supportive - a great community feel.The course is also a challenge for the mind: I've had to memorize many techniques such as joint locks, strikes, throws, kicks, falls, and "forms" (a series of techniques). With such rich, varied training content, Instructor Moore is a very good teacher - patient, clear, challenging and encouraging.