Just changed locations! Still in South Pasadena with the same great staff & coaches. Coach Brian…read moreteaches the 4 year class and is so great with the kids. There's ample parking out back & new paint job outside with the same familiar clean black & white design. Inside has nice lighting and is surprisingly very cool on a hot day. Excited to see what changes come with this location compared to the last one.

the real deal elite knowledge, elite standards, and a genuine passion for making every student…read morebetter. The coaches and professors across the board are phenomenal: technical, patient, and deeply invested in your growth on and off the mats. If you want real BJJ, clean technique, intelligent training, and an environment that pushes you to improve every single day, this is it. Kaizen offers some of the best technical Jiu-Jitsu in South Pasadena, and honestly, one of the best schools in all of LA.

I should update. I have now just achieved my "3rd dan" or third degree black belt - the 25th from…read morethe South Pasadena studio. Kim's hapkido has been like a family to me for 15 years. I am proud of my belt at almost 57 years of age, and I know I couldn't have done it without the consistent instruction, the help of friends and testing partners, and my family. My son made his black belt too, but high school football and now university have put a pause on his advancement...for now. Perhaps he will come back to it someday. Whenever he does make it back on to the mat for a rare visit during vacation, everyone greets him warmly because he grew up with them. Even though I am busy with my career and trying to rebuild my house after losing it in the Altadena fire, I plan to make time to begin teaching the colored belts that I used to be too. I know I'll have the continued support of the belts even higher than me.

Kim's Hapkido is an awesome place! My son started at the South Pasadena location when he was 5. But…read moreafter only 3 months, the Covid pandemic shut down everything. Afterwards, at age 8, he had his second start and has been learning Hapkido for nearly 4 years now. He enjoys it a lot. This school is a wonderful place to learn self-defense, develop self-confidence and how to stand up to bullies, practice discipline and respect, and forge friendships. Master Kim and every single instructor are great with the kids (and adult students, too!). Hapkido as a martial art combines kicking, striking, throws, grappling and joint locks into a very effective self-defense system. While these techniques might seem scary and, as a parent, one might be concerned about injuries during practice, there is no reason to worry at Kim's Hapkido. The entire team of instructors is patient and skilled, and safe instructions have priority. In all the years watching my son practice, I've never witnessed an accident or unsafe instructions, including during the sparring sessions. Kim's Hapkido employs a neat belt system, with about 13 different belt colors and stripes from white to black belt. While these many steps are more than what you typically have in other martial arts, they provide an effective motivational tool to keep attending practice. Achieving the next level belt color is based on performance and an official exam (with board breaking!), and each kid is immensely proud when they are awarded the new belt. No belt is given merely based on the time spent in the dojang, but rather is awarded based on the merits of having learned the respective set of techniques. By now, my son has climbed up the belt ranking by 10 steps, and each successful passing of a belt exam represents a wonderful highlight that nurtures his self-confidence and personal growth. The adult classes at the South Pasadena location usually are 8-15 in size, whereas the kids' classes are larger, depending of the day of the week. However, in all classes there are always multiple black belt instructors available; therefore the teacher-to-student ratio is excellent; during the detailed technique portion of the class, safe and personalized instructions are assured. My son attends practice 2-3 times per week (depending on his soccer practice), plus 1 sparring session in addition. The sparring sessions are restricted to intermediate + advanced students and require the wearing of well-padded sparring gear (hitting the head is prohibited!). The gender distribution is about 50:50, and it is great to see how girls hold their own during sparring; a valuable lesson to learn for the boys! Another clever concept is Master Kim's Star Program, where kids can earn small, star-shaped merit badges for their uniform, based on achievements outside of Hapkido (such as in school or church or another sport). Some of the kids wear over a dozen of them as a proud display of their varied accomplishments during their young lives! This is one more example of how thoughtful this place is with regard to instilling a sense of achievement in its students. Despite its location in the heart of South Pasadena with its high rental costs, Kim's Hapkido has managed to keep its membership fees fair and affordable, which I appreciate. The studio is nicely spacious and there is a designated seating area for the parents in case they want to stay during class and observe (or read a book). Parking is easy and free; there is street parking along Fair Oaks Ave, dedicated parking behind the studio, and a large lot behind the Canoe House across the street.

You'll almost always feel welcome here. Especially if you are a child, for example, a 12-year-old…read moregirl lost count of an exercise she was doing, and he snapped at her & asked if he needed to count for her! He will call the kids boy or girl rather than by their actual name to make them feel worse. He used the excuse that this is a rough sport to justify his abuse. He even laughed at a little boy who had accidentally gotten hurt and mocked his pain by saying, "Blood, sweat, & tears!" And he didn't even check to see if he was okay or tell his parents what happened to him, what if he got a bruise or god forbid was bleeding?! He views their failures as burdens for him rather than obstacles for them to overcome. And the curriculum is seemingly too random and doesn't focus enough on systems. He will sometimes pressure the good kids for no discernible reason; that makes no sense. So if you believe teachers shouldn't be held accountable but children should, then this place is for you! He couldn't even look me in the eye when he told me to trust his process, but he screams at a little boy to look at him when he is carelessly reprimanding him. He will use any excuse to scream at the kids instead of being more patient with them. My entire journey with him was boiling frog syndrome. All these kids he's tormenting with his childlike screaming and lies are gonna have broken brains, good job! It would be extremely helpful if he asked his students for feedback and found ways to improve his methods instead of losing his temper. He just drops random stuff on us and expects us to do it perfectly. He laughed when I misheard his instructions, and he enjoys humiliating his students in front of everyone and thinks it's good. He'd better get it right if he doesn't want his precious trophies to stop coming in. I have lost my temper here before I admit it. And maybe some kids who need to be pushed, everyone is different. But do you really want to take that risk with every kid? And yes, I overreacted when he posted an Instagram story where he joked about not turning on the a/c during a hot day of 2024. He also had this competition training technique, I think he called Red Alert, where if your opponent is being unfair and breaks your arm, he won't do anything about it. And the sweat test, which I previously mentioned. And as mentioned in my previous review, there was the 200 squats group punishment, but what I haven't mentioned about it was how he unnervingly laughed about the way the tears streamed down their face. That is a form of corporal punishment. And I can't abide that because it is immoral. He often lets the kids play a bit after class, and there was one time when a little boy was playing tag with his brother wasn't playing tag. And they acted like he hit him and threatened him 100 burpees if he did it again. Instead of hearing his side of the story and then Coach Nate mocked him for being scared of Coach Joseph. He has done kind things for them from time to time, but that's not going to cancel out all the harshness he has and still is inflicting on his students. Provoking hope amuses sadists. And I may have misunderstood Coach Martinez jokingly calling some kids liars. I also misjudged the capoeira/MMA coach; he is a good man who just has a really intense way of teaching. He used his dog to distract the students during one of the comp classes, and got mad at them for looking at her. It's an imbalanced power disparity. Then there is the matter of those martial arts camps he is a part of. The way he described them made it sound like he'll break the kid's spirits with pain to "help" them. Kids don't have the option to leave unless their parent(s) or guardians say otherwise. And he said, "We will do in a month what the parents won't dare do in a lifetime." Seems like he thinks he can raise them better. Hardly any kids will tell someone about this abuse since most kids don't do that. I should know, I've been there. They often don't know how to express themselves yet. He hates their innocence, and that fake smile and condescending laugh of his. He said no matter what I say about him, he won't hold it against me. All that talk of integrity, and this is how he acts. He called two young boys weak for having soccer practice every other week, something they can't control. He also mocked me in a direct message on Instagram for having a rough childhood and "taking it out on everyone!" Don't trust this man to respect physical boundaries either. He would often snatch away my headphones to check them out or caress me without my consent. He also forced us to ask a question, so I asked the first one that popped into my head. And it wasn't very good, and the next day he said he had a new rule. Where every question will go through him first before asking a guest coach. "Because some of you have been asking some really stupid questions." He says. That's a wonderful way to talk about your autistic pupil. He also gaslights a lot.

Joseph, the owner and professor is great with kids and adults…read more He is passionate about his work and has a great sense of humor while still very serious about the art.

I cannot stress how much I loved my time at Fight Academy Pasadena. I had been training for 5 years…read moreat different gyms (jiu jitsu) before finding Fight Academy and I stayed there for the last 2 years I was based in LA. EASILY the best training, community, vibes, and biggest improvement in my fitness and combat sports training was here. Savant leads an amazing team of coaches!

Been coming here 4 years and it feels like my home away from home. They are welcoming from day one…read moreand the coaches are high level. The owner Savant was a top 10 featherweight in his prime and always pays close attention to each student. Coach Chris though is light work every time

I used to have a much more positive view of this Krav Maga gym, but unfortunately it has gone…read moresignificantly downhill and is now in a noticeable state of disarray. The biggest issues are poor management and a lack of clear organization. Communication is inconsistent, newsletters routinely come out late, and administrative follow-through is unreliable. Even basic things like belt test certificates have been delayed by more than a year after the actual test, which speaks to deeper operational problems. There also appears to be a steady decline in membership, which is not surprising given the current state of the gym. The environment feels less structured and less cohesive than it used to be. From a technical standpoint, Krav Maga here feels like a "jack of all trades, master of none." This is an inherent trait of Krav Maga, but if you're going to steal from other martial arts, you should know the pure form of the art as well (at least at the instructor level) to demonstrate the cleanest technique and explain why you're doing certain things. As a result, students get surface-level exposure rather than real proficiency in any one area. If you are looking for strong fundamentals or mastery of a specific discipline, this is not the place. I have also heard repeated concerns about instructors not being properly compensated. Allegedly, some people taught for long periods with little or no pay, which raises serious questions about how the gym treats its staff and values their time. To be clear, this gym was never the best even at its peak, but it was at least better run in the past. At this point, the lack of organization, declining quality, and management issues make it difficult to recommend. I hope they take a hard look at what is happening and make meaningful changes, because right now it feels like a gym that has lost its direction.

Joined around Thanksgiving (2024) after having been at UFC gym forever. Enjoy the more intimate,…read moreclean, and relaxed environment to take classes in. Instructors are patient and friendly. Would definitely recommend if you want a good workout.

I wanted my daughter to train in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu because I always heard such great things about…read moreit. I didn't realize there was a Pasadena location but I stumbled upon them recently through a Google search. My daughter had two sessions and loved it. She's 12, and decided to participate in their Women Empowered classes before adding their Compatives class later on. She has no prior Jiu-Jitsu training, but has settled right in. Fred is the owner of this location. He has been nothing short of amazing, but his staff and instructors and have been equally impressive, particularly Crystal, Michelle, and Lilly. They've made my daughter feel so welcome and supported, and now empowered. All the women in the class are just as amazing. They have different programs and membership packages. It's very affordable as well, making it accessible. The facility is fantastic, very clean and modern. Parking is easy, validated for 2 hours I think, but then only a couple dollars after that. Restrooms, locker rooms, and waiting areas are clean and comfortable. I highly recommend this Pasadena location if you're thinking about martial arts. It's a great place to start training and an amazing group of people to be associated with.

I am so shook and confused at what just happened today 09/17 when I took my daughter to the little…read morechamps free "bully-proof" class (second class) from 5-6pm. I had originally reserved this on Eventbrite for Saturday September 5th at 1pm and Saturday September 12 at 3pm. Unfortunately, the time was wrong on their EventBrite page for the 12th because it showed 3pm instead of 1pm. Anyway, we missed the second class and they offered me to go any other day of the week as a courtesy, which I agreed to. So today I showed up with my daughter and I was questioned if I had already been to the "free" class and I said yes, but this is her second (free) one. The girl didn't seem too friendly (my daughter was all excited talking to her and she seemed MEH!), but she brought out a temporary uniform for my daughter and we went into the class. I sat on the back this time and my daughter kept yelling "mom", so I would stand up walk up to the front to make sure she was ok. Every time I stood up to look at her, her uniform was worse in terms of fitting. Her pants were dragging, coat sideways off her shoulder, and belt coming off. I let it be and thought they would fix it (which is what her karate instructors usually do). Eventually, she yelled "mom" again and at least 3 kids were lined up and one of the 2 male instructors was fixing their uniform. I told my daughter "you need to fix your uniform". She then looked at the instructor and said "Can you fix my uniform?" He kept doing what he was doing. No eye contact. Nothing. He finished fixing the other kids' uniform and my daughter was still standing on her own with her sloppy, baggy uniform. Ignored. Although she didn't line up. She spoke up many times, she yelled "mom" at least 3 times and neither of those times was she questioned or cared for. I then said out loud "they're not gonna fix it?" Mind you, the kids were no longer in line, so I told her to come to me and she ran across to the beginning of the mat where I was standing. I began adjusting her pants, which were below her butt, and then my phone fell, I lost balance, landed on my knees, and hurt myself with the wooden tile. Not one of the two instructors said a thing. Did they really not notice ALL that?! I then said "What's going on?! I'm confused?" We are not ghosts! Lol, Can they not see/hear us and offer help? I Looked back and a lady looked at me also confused. I then said, you know what, we're being ignored, let's just go. Took off that uniform and left it on the mat. I'm sure they noticed that. I told the lady in the front what happened she said she would see what happened. See what?! Idk, but everyone else saw. The least the instructors could have said was "Do you need anything?" after all those "mom" callings my daughter did. Was it because she didn't line up that she was ignored, even after speaking up? If this is a learning class, you could at least correct/redirect her, so she can understand why you're not helping her. AGAIN, 2 teachers ignored her. Don't offer free anti-bully classes if you're going to ignore a new kid who isn't a member and hasn't paid for your classes yet (but could have). This whole scenario and my daughter telling me she doesn't want to go back to this class because the instructors ignored her so many times is all I needed to write this review. One star for the older male instructor on September 5th. He was fun, caring, and paid attention to all kids. Otherwise, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu felt very unwelcoming this second time, and this is probably why I don't go based off first impressions anymore.

My son loved their 6-week summer baseball academy. The…read morecoaches did a great a job with him, and really helped him learn how to persevere through challenging drills with a positive attitude. Can't recommend them enough.

This place is amazing. I knew about it when it was Catz PT. They did great. Now it's both with…read moreFitSport and they have a great facility that takes athletes young and old to the next level. Great instructors.

I have nothing but great things to say about this martial arts studio!…read moreWe've been bringing my 3 year old daughter for almost a month now and she has been ecstatic about it since her first class. Master Parth and his team are great and very patient with the kids. They take the time to help every kid individually if needed. His style of teaching keeps the kids engaged and excited to learn more! Since starting my daughter has built her confidence to use her voice more and not be as shy which has been a great milestone. I would highly recommend!

My son enjoys going to his karate class at Freedom Martial Arts & Fitness studio. It helps him…read morebuilt strength, confidence, and helps him stay focus on his goals! Master Parth and his staffs are an amazing karate instructors! They are very kind, caring and patient to my son that is on the spectrum. Master Parth and staffs build a strong support team that makes learning karate enjoyable, fun and easy for my son to navigate his karate lessons. I'll most definitely recommend Freedom Martial Arts & Fitness studio to my family and friends!

Over the past year, our son has been attending Eagle Rock Jujitsu, and the experience has been…read morenothing short of incredible. Through the art of jujitsu, he's learned so much more than just self-defense--he's gained confidence, discipline, focus, and resilience. It's been amazing to watch his growth both on and off the mat. The coaches (Edson, Tristan and, Ethan) at Eagle Rock Jujitsu have played a huge role in this journey. Their dedication to the development of each child is evident in every class. They're patient, supportive, and always push the kids to be their best--not just as athletes, but as individuals. Professor Carrão has created a warm, welcoming environment that extends far beyond the training mats. His academy is a place where children and families feel seen, supported, and part of a larger community. It's a rare and special thing. I see you, Bobby! We feel incredibly lucky to have such a top-tier jujitsu academy right here in Eagle Rock, bordering Highland Park. Our hope is that our son continues his jujitsu journey well into adulthood under the guidance and mentorship of Professor Carrão and his amazing team!

We've had such a positive experience with this academy and highly recommend it to any parent…read moreconsidering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for their kids. What makes this place special is the culture the coaches have created -- it's encouraging, respectful and very warm. Coaches Edson, Ethan, and Tristan are outstanding with the kids. They are patient, attentive, and truly invested in every student's development. My child really looks forward to class because the coaches make it a fun environment. The academy teaches kids how to stay calm under pressure, work through difficult moments, and keep trying even when something feels hard. Those lessons carry far beyond the mats and will make a difference in the real world. Sometimes, we even have Professor Carrao teach the kids a move or two so it's a real treat! The instruction is excellent, the environment is positive, and the sense of community is amazing! This academy is doing a fantastic job developing strong, respectful, and confident kids while teaching high-level Jiu-Jitsu. We're incredibly grateful for this amazing academy!

South Pas Fitness has become my go‑to gym because it consistently delivers on everything that…read morematters to me: cleanliness, great service, and ease. The staff is always genuinely pleasant and helpful -- the kind of people who greet you with a smile and make the space feel welcoming. I love the infrared sauna, especially because you can book it in advance, which makes planning workouts so much easier. Their variety of weight machines keeps things interesting, and I never feel like I'm waiting around for equipment. It's rarely crowded except for the usual New Year rush. Parking in the lot can be a little tricky since it's small, but there's plenty of free street parking right outside, so it's never a dealbreaker. They also offer a great lineup of workout classes, which adds even more value. Overall, it's a gym that makes staying consistent feel effortless. Neighbors and friends are all members so it's fun to work out together and there are perks for referring new members too!

Once my boxing gym got bought out and spiked their fees, I was feeling frustrated until I found…read moreSPF. The facilities are very spacious, albeit extremely busy a lot of the time, they have a lot of classes and equipment, and the people who work there are all really personable and attendant. Super nice staff. So why not 5 stars? Because sometimes the music is just this contemporary drivel that makes me lose my mind. Yeah, I could put in some earbuds but they never stay in during heavy bag work. I just don't understand why music is so bad these days. Is it the gym's fault for things going on in the music industry? Yes. Yes it is. If you are sitting there all shift day after day, make a playlist and put some love into it. There's SO much good music out there. Don't play homogeneous corporate slop. We can do better. I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!