This place is great! The level of training by very professional coaches here is beyond amazing. In addition to teaching judo technics they help to build self-confidence in kids, teach discipline, to stay focused and achieve their goals. The club provides a very friendly environment where every one knows one another and respects each other. The new facility is big, modern and very clean. Highly recommended! read more

I came here for a Judo competition that was run very smoothly! There's lot of parking, the tournament started on time, bathrooms are phenomenal (lots of stalls, 2 showers, a changing area and lockers. They also have a gym area, complete with workout equipment for cross training sessions, and a designated warmup mat area. My husband had been here previously for a Judo event and he had great things to share with me about the place. read more

As a female who has trained in other martial arts gyms, I can say without a doubt that Eastside has the best, most supportive culture for women that I have ever seen. All the people I have encountered there and all the coaches have been extremely kind, helpful, and welcoming. It's not a room full of "groups", "cliques," or "egos" like I have seen in other gyms. It is a room of respectful people who genuinely want to see each other succeed. The quality of instruction is exceptional, which is important to me for many reasons, but especially for injury prevention. The floating floor is great because falls hurt way less than in other gyms where I've trained and the coaches always make sure beginners have the extra crash pad mats that go on top of the floor until they feel safe taking falls. The Sensei Russ Hogan is an exceptional leader. I have seen the way he and the other coaches interact with the kids and it seems to me to be a great place for kids to train too. All I see is smiling little faces when it's time for them to go home as I step onto the mat for adults class. One last thing, Judo is hard work and it will make you strong and fit fast if you are willing to show up and work! If you come to Eastside, you will have a big team of people right there working hard with you and cheering you on. So if you are on the fence or if you are thinking of where to enroll your kid, I hope this review helps you take the next step. Also if you have had bad experiences elsewhere, I really encourage you to give Eastside a try. It is truly a great place and just what I needed to continue my martial arts journey. read more

It's been 5 years and now they officially have the biggest judo dojo in the country! *They have a new location 2655 Premier Dr Plano * New location is so huge! Showers, lockers, everything you'd expect at a gym. The mat can easily accommodate over 50. So many seats and so much room. Judo definitely is a great way to get your kids into the art of fighting. It teaches self control, defense, discipline and courage. The coaches here are world renowned and they are always giving to all their students. If You show up to do the work, they will make it worth your wild. I love that all the staff here are so invested in our children and completely love what they do. Definitely way better sport than most other material arts as it's real contact sport with moves you can use in real life. They have a special going so you have nothing to lose! Definitely come and give them a try! Thank me later :) read more

Fantastic work out facility! Great staff, clean environment, good ownership. Very convenient location.

This facility is quite literally the best in the US. I can't speak enough about how amazing the space is. Convenient location right off the highway, but secluded enough so it's super quiet, great parking easy to access. The facility has world class strength and conditioning equipment, as well as world class athletes training there. The mat space is raised, spring mats with the red and yellow judo tatami on top, covering three large rings. The mat space is huge, able of entertaining huge 100+ people training camps and clinics, and more than enough space for the 40 person regular class to have all the space they could ever want. The coaching staff are amazing, super knowledgeable, high experience level, and just great people overall. The environment is perfect for children, up to world class athletes. Adults who have never tried anything athletic ever, to national champions who have been training since they were 4. This facility is wonderful for all. Here you can experience judo in every form, from hard training as a black belt competitor, coaching, children and new adults, refereeing, and casual recreational sport. Love this place It's fantastic. read more

New place, great owners and excellent coaches. It is a whole new training facility, built up to train high level athletes. Excellent for kids and adults who wants to get an opportunity to work with a black belt coaches (Russ Hogan) and olympic medalists (Sainjargalyn Nyam-Ochir). On Top of the regular practices sessions kids are getting prepared for a local and Nation competitions. My 6 and 9 years old getting much more than Judo. Discipline, respect, friendship and ethics are essential part of every practice. It is the best Judo Dojo in North Texas. We are blessed to have it in Plano, TX and we are proud to be a part of the Eastside Dojo family. 10 stars!!! read more

See all

Today was my second day of class, and I told myself I'd give it a week before I reviewed, but I already know how I feel- I love this place! I called up one day on my way home from work, and Ken (sensei Ken?) told me to come on in that same night and check it out. We registered me that night, and I basically started out with a private lesson (having never done any judo before). I had so much fun, and Ken was super supportive and encouraging and gave great instruction. I came with my own unique set of challenges, but he took them in stride and I felt like any other student! Tonight, I basically did everything along with the rest of the class, and was paired up with another instructor, Gigi. She was just as amazing- a very good teacher and really encouraging. The third instructor that I've met so far, Russ, was also encouraging me from the sidelines :) I love coming here, I love leaving worn out and feeling powerful and awesome! read more

I just checked out Eastside Dojo yesterday. Pretty cool! My son and have never done Judo and yet the instructors were so patient and nice to us. I guess there is a tradition in Judo where experienced players help less experience players work on skills. We had guys with black belts who were nationally ranked helping introduce us to the sport. I must say, it was a really good workout, sort of like a good session with a personal trainer but a lot more fun. The dojo is super clean and new. I will definitely be back. read more

See all

Eastside Dojo in Plano has an excellent Judo facility accompanied by great coaches and a very welcoming family environment. They have Judo for all ages & sizes. This is where Champions are made. read more

What a great group of people doing judo here! I was in Plano for work for three weeks. I had been on a good stretch of training and improving my judo and did not want to let the momentum stop. I reached out to Sensei Ken (there's a lot of Kens at this place) and he told me to come on in and practice. I went in, and I'm glad I did! There were a lot of seniors to train with, of all sizes and ranks. The Senseis were not just welcoming, but they were happy to teach as well and know great technique. It was nice to work out at a place that had a good amount of black belts that actually know their judo(as opposed to "paper black belts"). The training partners were not "heroes" trumping to take everyone out at first opportunity. They would take their falls and work with you so that everyone improves. The facility is top notch! Two full sized mat areas to start with. The mats are not old and worn out, they are practically brand new. They keep the mats clean too, which is great. There are nice, clean (separate) men's and women's changing rooms, which is a luxury and definitely not the norm. The restroom stays clean and there is cold filtered water fountain! What a great facility! Given that the instruction, facilities, members, training partners are all top notch, I will definitely try to visit if I'm ever in the area again. I recommend this place to anyone wanting to learn judo, train in judo, or squeeze in an extra practice! read more

I've been going here for a couple of years now and I love it! The instructors are great, the classes are fun, educational and a good workout. The new facility is huge and has some great features like showers in the men's locker room. Plenty of seating for spectators and enough room to host a tournament. read more

This is a great dojo. My son has been going here for 3 years since he was 6 years old. We love coming here 3-4 times every week. There are classes for all skill levels, including little kids and adults. The coaches always travel to tournaments and help guide the kids there as well. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in Judo to come and see it for yourself. A+. Hajime! read more

I've visited Eastside Dojo several times while on business in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and it's always great training. The new training area is one of the best I've seen in the US, but that is not what makes the club great. The club is great because the instruction is top notch no matter what your skill level is. Additionally, the members are friendly and welcoming. If you're looking to try the sport or a little rusty and want to mix it up again on the tatami, then this is definitely the place. read more

Where do I start? Eastside Dojo is the complete package... clean, good student-to-instructor ratio, economical, and no pressure. Ever been to a martial arts school and you feel like you're about to buy a car? This is not that place. Humble, patient, and quality instruction is what you'll find. Judo is just about the only thing that will tear my kid away from the iPad, video games, etc. He loves it and we can't say enough good things about it... tell your friends, it's worth it. read more

This message is directed for Ken Scialo. My son and I did not know if we were going to be able to attend the Dallas Invitational due to a school scheduling conflict. I let Mr. Scialo know this months prior and assured me it wouldn't be a problem and thanked me for contacting him. We found out yesterday we would be able to travel and compete and were very excited! We seen registration was closed online so I called Ken to see how we get him added. When I called he answered with just "hello" in a very unhappy tone. No "Hey this is Ken" or polite greeting of any nature. I continued to ask how to get my son added to the tournament. In a very mean tone "He replied that he cant compete since he didn't pre register" I asked him about our conversation a few months ago and again in a very argumentative/unhappy tone he said " that conversation never happened and we use madison bracketing and its impossible to add" I have ran and organized plenty of tournaments using this style of bracketing. Its a couple clicks and you can add a kid no problem. Its also strange that there was a chance to pre register but no chance to register afterwards. Why call it pre register if the athletes cant register after or on the day of weigh ins? The presidents cup is held the following day and there was a chance to pre register and register on site. Refusing to allow a kid from coming from out of state to compete is wrong and the way you handled the situation was extremely wrong. I pray that Mr. Scialo doesnt treat any other parents or kids this way. Id never trust my child around a person like this. Parents keep a very close eye on this guy and don't count on trusting him. read more

Best judo club in the metroplex. ESD is a great judo club catering to all ages from adults to boys and girls. The owners and instructors are experienced judokas and excellent working with kids and juniors. East Side Dojo has been great for my son and our family and I would not hesitate to recommend it with the highest marks. The monthly fee is hard to beat and you can take advantage of many available classes read more

Great atmosphere, very accessible and down to earth people that love judo and love to teach it. Teachers are patient and knowledgeable. Even though the environment is relaxed and friendly, they encourage competition and everyone seems to have a good time. Classes for children and adults. Again, great people and great environment, even for those that may not be the most naturally athletic and coordinated. Highly recommend! read more

I just recently started here and I am very impressed. I have had a lot of experience at other martial arts places over the years and this one really stands out. They are very structured when they run class. Every section of a good Judo practice is covered everyday! They pay close attention to each student and the knowledgeable coaches are always there to help. There is always several coaches on the mat and it feels like you are almost having a semi private class. They take great care in promoting a healthy and safe learning environment. The bathrooms, changing rooms and mats are always spotless. The actual practice mat is very thick and is set about 7 inches off the ground and gives way so theres minimal impact. When throws are practiced they use an additional heavy mat thats about 12 inches thick. They support their members at tournaments and even offer extra classes when they close for travel to Saturday competition (they sent a text and email to remind me that they would be at the tournament and when they would be offering a make up class). They run things very efficiently from the office to the mat. You are missing out if you dont stop by read more

We have been going to Eastside for almost 6 years. My husband, daughter, and son all practice at the dojo. Our daughter started at the age of 5 (she is now almost 11) and because of the amazing level of instruction from the sensei's she has gone onto compete very successfully at a national level. Our son started at 4 1/2 (he is currently 7) and he loves coming to classes and he is now starting to love competing as well. My husband practiced judo as a child and teenager and loved to compete as well. Now that he is older he doesn't compete as often but still loves to practice judo. We are so fortunate that Eastside has such high level caliber senseis and that they care about the kids on and off the mat. Another great factor about Eastside are the people. We are there for each other and our kids. We get together for birthdays, Christmas, New Years, or just enjoy each others company at practice. We have all become judo family! read more

My son and I joined east side dojo two months ago and all I wanna say is I made a very good choice because my son has much more self confidence than before.its a good good dojo and believe it it's different. read more

What an outstanding school. The instructor/student ratio is excellent, with some very talented people teaching there. They are firm but still allow the kids to have fun. The dojo is a clean, safe, family friendly environment, that is open girls, boys, old, young, and any race/ethnicity you can name. Also there are no egos there, I see advanced students working with the less experienced ones and they allow them to work their techniqes. It's also a great bargain with no contracts, they actually earn your business with each class. read more

Excellent excellent place to learn some very useful martial arts (throwing and breakfalls and judo stuffs- pardon my technical terminology). Instructor truly caring and reflects in the overall aura of the school. Well disciplined class, friendly fellow students, no show off- all work. Serious. Topnotch. read more

You will not find a better judo club in the metroplex. East Side Dojo is a great family friendly judo club for all ages, boys and girls. The owners and instructors have experience in both national and international competitions. Judo is known for stand up gripping and throwing, however, if you are a ju jitsu fan, there's plenty of ground work being taught at ESD. The fee is unbeatable. There is no annual contract, low month to month fees with family discount for multiple members. And there are NO ADDITIONAL FEES for belt promotions. Kids are divided into 3 age groups, Pee Wee, Bantam and Juniors. Classes for each group are taught separately to ensure the students receive proper attention. Adult classes are available Monday thru Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Come get your money's worth at ESD. read more