We love, love, LOVE Arizona Goju Karate school!…read more We attend the Tiny Tigers class every week, and we see a difference in our son. Sensei Steve teaches the children respect, manners, coordination, strength building, endurance, discipline, vocabulary, history, and they are having fun all the while! My son can't wait to go back to class. My five year old says to say "Sensei Steve is the best of the best!" We highly recommend his classes to every age and ability. I have also taken adult self-defense classes from the sensei before. He instructs equally well to adults and children alike. Every class is uplifting, inspiring, and challenging. Sensei Steve is no doubt a very gifted instructor, born to share this art with the world. Thank you, Sensei Steve, for sharing with us your passion.

From the owner: Teaching Martial Arts to Men, Women, and Children of all ages…read more Specializing in American Goju Karate we teach: - Balance - Respect - Coordination - Self Control - Self Defense - Self Confidence - Physical Fitness

Amazing Sensei, great training, and I've heard his comp team does amazingly well…read more The only two things that are a huge challenge for our family are: 1. Sensei keeps switching the schedule weekly or monthly, therefore our family, having many other commitments can't make it to class, I've never heard of any academy that changes schedules so much, so often. Our other children (we have 5) have all been in martial arts for years without a single change in schedule. Pandemic is over, not sure why it keeps changing, and they oftentimes tell us the day of, or the day before, or that week, when we have our whole month planned out. Keep the schedule as is and don't change it, please! 2. Neighborhood doesn't feel safe at all, run-down shopping center... Other than that, amazing Sensei!

My son has been attending Arizona Shotokai for over a year now and I could not be more pleased with…read morehis achievements and with his Sensi Ralph Palomino. He is truly one of the best instructors I have ever seen. We are so blessed to have found him. I highly recommend this dojo if your child is interested in karate. It is by far the best in the valley. Thank you!

We tried karate at Mesa Martial Arts on a recommendation from my son's teacher, to see if it might…read morehelp him with his behavior issues.... On the last night of his trial he was asked not to return tonight. The Sensei Nick even went so far as to tell me they just don't have the resources to handle special ed kids. I guess ADHD is something that bars children from karate at this Dojo. Save your money. Go somewhere else.

Update... I love the owners but as a marketing & sales professional I'll leave them with this…read morethought. It takes more money, time & effort to gain a customer vs. keeping a customer. We quit the program because the classes got too big, pockets seemed to have gotten too deep. In our last class there were 5 lines of kids, 15 deep for one class. All messing around with no discipline & goofing off. I was hoping, as a single mom, that he would see and listen to authority there. But in the end there wasn't any and he lost interest. When we first started and the classes were smaller, my son was engaged & wanted to go back. That died down. I hope Darrell & Shannon can see & feel the need for making a difference in the life of a child. Good peeps, need to reevaluate your motive for growth.

This review is for the children's Kung Fu Class. My daughter is a student and loves everything…read moreabout the Hung Fa Kwoon. Sifu Mark and Sihing Mike do a fantastic job teaching the kids the correct form and the importance of each movement. They're both very humble, patient, and always take the time to work with each student. Unlike some facilities that teach martial arts, this is not a "one size fits all" method of instruction where the teacher is up front shouting out commands and everyone is doing the same drill. Sifu Mark and Sihing Mike are great at keeping the kids engaged in their training--training which is focused on the individual and each student is assessed on their own abilities. I think it's important to mention a few things if you're thinking of enrolling your child in this Kwoon, so please keep in mind that Kung Fu is all about the merits of hard work. First, the warm-up, it's a 15-20 minute HIIT workout starting with laps around the room followed by a combination of exercises involving variations of push-ups, crunches, power jumps, squats, burpees, and different types of lunges to increase muscle strength for the legs, core, arms and shoulders. It's go time with one evolution after another. There's about a 30 second water break worked into the PT session, but the pace is designed to keep the heart rate up for stamina. If your kid needs to stop for a breather it's no big deal, there's no criticism, dishonor, or penalty, this is about building up their fitness level and these workouts are intended to push the envelope physically and mentally. This concludes with static and dynamic stretching for the cool down before your child's martial arts training really starts. Your kid will not be learning Wing Chun right away, every child must learn the basics of Chinese martial arts which involves training methods that are rooted very deeply in their tradition and inspired by Chinese philosophy. In this case, it's the mimicry of the Five Animals--physical training aimed at developing grace, power, speed, flexibility, and precision, all paired with balance. The basics are made up of rudimentary techniques, conditioning exercises, stances, breathing, simple movements, and proper body mechanics that are performed repeatedly. No matter what skill level your child is at, the basics are constantly revisited since they are the foundation for strong and flexible muscles that will enable your kid to progress to the more advanced stages. To succeed in this discipline, your kid will need patience, energy, practice, and time to learn every stance, block, strike, and kick. There are no shortcuts, but I believe you'll see the difference in your child's fitness level and self-confidence as time passes and they acquire new skills. Second, Hung Fa isn't limited to the biomechanics of a self-defense system, Sifu Mark and Sihing Mike actually spend time with the kids sharing the meaning of Kung Fu and its origin, and on the philosophical level, the importance of respect, integrity, and hard work. They show the kids the connection to daily life...that balance isn't just about staying on your feet, it's also about having balance and harmony in all aspects of one's life--family, school, friends, work, and play. Hard work isn't contained within the walls of the Kwoon, it's needed for everything if one wants to achieve. That's some pretty heavy dope for the kids, but they get it. Now with all this PT, Kung Fu training, and exposure to cultural diversity happening, Sifu and Sihing somehow manage to make it fun for the kids by keeping up the energy level when they demonstrate their own skills and explain how combinations can be put together with the moves the kids have been taught. This Kwoon is very supportive and encourages children to always be attentive, careful, and not be afraid to try something new. It's trendy for parents to enroll their kids in karate, it's almost a cliché. However, how often do those kids go the distance in such programs before they lose interest and become one of those teens who've forgotten everything they've learned as they hang out at the food court and tell their friends in passing "Yeah I took karate lessons once when I was a kid too..." Your child deserves better than that, if they've expressed an interest in martial arts why not give them a gift that will serve them well in life? I highly recommend the Hung Fa Yi Kwoon and hold the highest respect for Sifu Mark and Sihing Mike for passing on their experience to my daughter..."Yat! Yee! Saam!" "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all." -Sam Ewing

Instructor is incredibly knowledgeable and a talented teacher. Such a pleasure to train with!read more

I come in for open mat on Sundays. Prof Jimi's was very welcoming and the people that train on…read moreSunday am are very friendly. I really enjoy the rolls, but unfortunately I'm moving out of area and will miss the people here a lot. I highly recommend to train here!

We love Gracie Jiu Jitsu Mesa! My daughter has been taking classes for almost a year and has grown…read moreso much in her skills, but more importantly in her self-discipline and her confidence. She loves being part of this community and her teachers have been so supportive and encouraging of her development.

My child enjoys Ninja Trix every week we attend. The kids are always learning new tricks and…read morecontinuing to master the tricks they are already have been trying to perfect.

We signed our son up for this camp and he enjoyed the first week. We then had to pull him out…read morebecause they didn't have room for him for 2 months. We found another solution and had called to cancel our membership. We were told the membership was canceled and all set. We then received a charge of $230 after we canceled so we called again. We were told that someone missed something and that it was now for sure canceled. We receive another $230 charge so we call again. We were told it was a mistake and that they had notes it was canceled. We wait a week and now we are being followed up with and saying we have to cancel formally via this form. I'm sure there will be another $230 charge any day now. Complete and utter incompetence at your business.

My daughter has been going here for a while now, it's a really great place. The sensei's really…read morecare about helping the kids grow in more than just karate (but also karate). Gaining confidence, discipline, friendships, body awareness, mental and physical strength... it's been amazing to watch the journey. A major benefit of this dojo is that there are several different sensei's all with their own unique styles so in the end you're left with a wonderful balance. I've also taken the Women's self defense course here and highly recommend. It helped me learn some really great quick and easy techniques on how to fight back if the worst happens.

Casey is great! He's kind and patient, and I highly recommend Gilbert Defense Arts for your child…read morethat wants to learn Karate.

Our son has practiced BJJ with professor Quan for about 2 years now, and what a fantastic…read moreexperience. From day 1, Coach has not only taught the technical aspects of Jujutsu but also life long principles of respect, mercy, perseverance, and focus. Highly recommended for all youth.

We signed up for a month-to-month membership for my 5-year-old daughter. Unfortunately, all…read morechildren are placed in the same class regardless of age or size, which made the classes developmentally inappropriate. After about three weeks, my daughter quickly became bored and lost interest. Class times are also very limited--only 5:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM on Saturdays. Most importantly, be aware of the hidden costs: there are upfront fees, and even if you cancel, you'll still be charged for 60 days. Be sure to read the fine print before signing.