Re-started my aikido path in this dojo when moved to Seattle. Compared a few places before hand,…read morethis one has great balance between practice level, place spirit and price. Awesome people, senseis and classmates, make this place even more great. The dojo regular and beginners classes with adjusted workout and technic levels. I've seen people from various ages (from 6 to 70) and levels (from very beginning to 5th dan) here. I joined regular classes in October 2014, before that I trained for 4 years in Moscow. From the very first class I understood this is my place. Every class gives me something to takeout. Dojo has regular exams for those who desires to be formally attested. In April 2016 the dojo will host Endo Shihan seminar. We also have summer and winter out of town retreats in exclusive and superb Willapa Bay.

Having trained in Tokyo in the past, I can definitely attest to the fact that this dojo brings the…read moreauthentic philosophy of the martial art. There are many dojos who struggle to maintain the balance between the budo and harmony aspect of aikido, but this place succeeds in striking that rare sweet spot. Members of various level make this dojo a great place to practice, and the seminars held regularly invites practitioners from the world over providing an ideal environment to train under world renown shihans. Endo shihan graces us with yearly visits, which adds to maintaining a much sought after aikido style.

My daughter is a national judo competitor and we have been driving her an hour out to Seiei for the…read morepast year to train. The training is top notch and the Seiei's are so welcoming and helpful. My daughter loves being part of the Seiei team because she has teammates who really push her to the next level. I highly recommend Seiei for high level competition training and for novice training.

Seiei Judo is not for everyone--but no dojo can claim that. My perspective is only from…read moreobservation of their Saturday classes for my 7-yr old and 4-yr old daughters so there are other aspects that I am definitely missing from their many other sessions. Positively, it is not the "Cobra Kai" of Judo. It is a family-run nurturing dojo that genuinely cares for its young students. Sensei June Encarnacion is a very dedicated instructor that volunteers his time (and the time of his son and Olympic hopeful daughter) along with the other instructors. With that comes the welcome lack of high-pressure sales (as mentioned in the other reviews), free trial classes, and encouragement for everyone to participate regardless of skill or experience. Most importantly, it draws other instructors that come because they want to spend their time teaching and practicing. For those interested, Seiei respects Japanese tradition and customs without going "Bushido Spartan". Seiei welcomes students from all ages, experience, and backgrounds. It is a gem of a find to have a 30-yr veteran giving his time so freely. With his experience comes solid techniques and unique training methods for the younger kids. The class sizes are growing and the dojo may soon need a bigger space for all its students. So where's the 5th star? Perhaps I was brought up in a less nurturing environment (i.e., seiza on the hard floor for punishment, 20 push-ups for missing a ground ball in T-ball, bringing home an "A-" on a test just brought on questions about the minus, why 45 minutes of piano practice was not as good as an hour, etc.), so there's always room for improvement. But maybe if my instructors were as kind and patient as Sensei I would have stuck to my training. :)

Such a lack of honor and professionalism from David, I am disappointed. I had contacted David Leong…read morearound 5 months in advance to ask if we could have their wonderful dragon dance performance at our wedding in May. I gave him all our info including the time and location of our event. He said he was going to reach out to me closer to the date and confirm the time. I ask if he needed a deposit to make things official to what he replied that "they only take cash the day of the event". Two weeks before my wedding, I received a call from David. We spoke briefly and confirm the time and location which was still exactly the same I had given him 5 months prior. I told him my coordinator was going to be available that day to coordinate how they would enter as well as to let her know they had arrived and gave him her number and name. David told me they had scheduled an event earlier that day and will be there around 3:45pm after taking several ferries to get to my wedding. I told him "please call my coordinator if you are running late, we can do something else while we wait for you guys, it's not that big of a deal if you are late, as long as you arrive". On my wedding day, I asked my coordinator to let me know when they arrive so that we all prepare. She called him and he was rude to her letting her know that he didn't know who she was and that no one ever confirm with him. My coordinator asked him if they were coming at all, to what he replied that he had called me a thousand times in the morning and since I didn't reply to him he consider that I changed my mind and they went all straight home. My coordinator tried to call him but it went straight to voicemail. I had to step out of my wedding to give him a call myself and see what was going on. David answered the phone. He said "I called you a thousand times and you never picked up" I said "that's interesting, I don't know who you called because I have not a single missed phone call from you and I saved his number on my phone". He said "I assumed you cancel the wedding so we all went home". I don't know what happened but since he told me they were going to have an earlier event, I kind of knew they were going to not make it because they were too tired. I wish that David would have been honest and honorable as they say they are to tell me that they couldn't make it to my wedding so I would have had the opportunity to hire someone else who did have the time for their performance for us. I am extremely disappointed and sad as much as all our guests were. Absolutely not recommend their service.

If you are interested in Traditional Kung Fu, you can not get more authentic. Sifu David teaches…read moreKung Fu as it has been taught for hundreds of years applying time tested techniques and training. Starting a class is easy as you begin with the very basics from which you can build. The class is very welcoming and all students encourage each other through out their journey. The senior students are patient and helpful, but direct training comes from Sifu David. I encourage you to try 6 classes. Come join us! Carol D.

I love Two Cranes! I go here a lot, and all of the Senseis are kind and nice. They treat everyone…read morefairly, and for kids they have games that let them learn Aikido. Two Cranes is a hidden gem. They also have nights for kids like a magic show put on by one of the Senseis. They have camping trips (one of which I attended). I would truly advise you to go to Two Cranes. Aikido is a Japanese Martial Art. It was founded in 1942 by a man named Morihei Ueshiba. O Sensei changed some of the techniques to make Aikido safer (Ai = love, Ki = energy, Do = path or way). O Sensei was born in 1883. In 1902, when he was only 19, he married a woman named Hatsu. He died in 1969.

My son has been going to Two Cranes Aikido for several months. The Senseis at Two Cranes are…read morereally engaged, thoughtful and present with the students. T. loves going and enjoys the games they play as well as the teaching. The things he is learning at Two Cranes is helping him in school - his teacher at school has remarked on the difference in his ability to sit still and focus, not so easy for a 1st grader. I know that what he is learning in TCA will help him grow for many years to come. Thank you Two Cranes!

Excellent instructors and excellent material! Kwan and Art are masters of their craft as well as…read morevery kind and generous with their knowledge. I come away from each class humbled and amazed by their skill and by the variety and layers of the training. I feel that every area of my life has benefited from the training, far beyond the martial arts aspects. I highly recommend Systema Seattle for anyone interested in Systema, anyone interested in martial arts in general, and anyone interested in increasing the variety of their current training or health regimen.

Systema is a Russian martial that is perfect for all ages, and all people/identifies. It is a blend…read moreof breathing and holistic modalities like relaxation, breathing, movement, and good posture and applying them combatively to ourselves and another person/partner. The work is dynamic and gratifying; its also therapeutic aid at understanding your fear and stress as it pertains to you and how it embodies in behaviors that may not be as beneficial as you have thought or taken the time to. There is a lot of fun learning to fight , and there's a lot of work at understanding yourself. If you're looking for a blend of martial arts that is honest and delivers a premium connection to getting into a flow state this might be for you.

Clean, good instruction, chill environment, chill people. Must check out if you're rolling in…read moreSeattle.

I have been training here for about 3 months now and here is my preliminary review…read more 1) Cleanliness - The mats are swept / mopped after classes. I have yet to think about the mats or my partner as anything less than spotless. The other students take pride in their school and keep it as well as themselves clean. 2) Size - This could be my only complaint. The classes attract a lot of people and if it were possible to expand another couple hundred square feet, it would be perfect. As it is, we'll bump into each other on an odd occasion - it's nothing that happens all the time. Just everyonce in a while when sweeping someone. 3) Instruction - Incredible!! Brian Johnson is a Machado Blackbelt under David Meyer & John Will. He has won multiple tournaments (including NAGA, ADCC & Grapplers Quest plus more) and he is the primary teacher for the basics & advanced classes. - One of the reason I chose to train at NWJJA was Brian's Curriculum and his willingness to show & explain it. Basic 24 (Which will soon be turning into the Basic 48) is a set curriculum that students must attend before going to the advanced classes - Giving everyone a base from which to build. - With his new curriculum it is focused into 4 separate days a week. Example: Mon = Guard Attacks I Tue = Guard Attacks II Wed = Guard Attacks III Thu = Guard Attacks IV. This way you are learning new things, but are drilling the same core concept for the whole week. And this is just the GI classes. NWJJA also offers NoGi classes as well as open mats & competition classes. NWJJA offers, what in my opinion, is a great way to learn. Consistantly building on the foundation in a progressive way. 4) Other Students - The atomosphere in NWJJA is relaxed and welcoming. Every single time I have made a mistake or had a question, they were there helping me and explaining how I should do things. I've read that in other schools, some people don't even try to remember names until someone has achieved their blue belt (About a year or 2). Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) has a high drop out rate. It ain't easy and belts aren't handed out as often as some other styles. As such you see a pretty tight group of blue belts and up, because a lot of white belts quit for their own reasons. This hasn't been my experience so far with NWJJA. Blue, Purple & Brown belts train regularly in the basics class and I have never felt ignored. That's my review so far! Also - beginning soon there will be a kids class as well.

If you're looking for a calming, peaceful way to improve your mental and physical health, you…read moreshould take some classes at Embrace the Moon. That's the reason I started coming here. I was on a healing path and needed help and guidance to focus on my wellbeing. It was the right thing to do because I've been learning and practicing qigong here now for the past three years and it's been awesome! It's an amazing dojo full of good vibes and great people. I especially like the 18 Hands of Luohan and Muscle Tendon Changing qigong classes by Kim Ivy and Laura Quandt. For all new students, I recommend signing up for the new student special unlimited pass where you pay one low price and can try as many classes as you want for one month.

Few instructors are as committed to their art as is Kimberly Ivy. I have had the pleasure of being…read moreher colleague in the art of Taijiquan for over a decade now, and have witnessed first hand Kimberly's passion for both Taijiquan and Qi Gong. Kim travels extensively to study with her teachers and other lineage holders, and returns to her school to pass on her extensive knowledge with generosity and skill. If you have the opportunity to study with Kim, by all means take it! There aren't many like her left in our field of study.

I was fortunate to practice here when I was visiting the area. The instructor made me very welcome…read moreand the quality of practice was high. I am not from the area but I reached out on line about being able to visit, and got a fast and welcoming reply. The dojo facilities are nice, there's plenty of parking. I hope to return if I get back to that area!

Best women's empowerment and self defense - - -…read more My daughter started here since she was 5 years old. We have been part of Aikido Northshore for 8 years. This Aikido school provides the best physical and mental discipline. The head Sensei makes this place very special. My daughter is mastering the principles of mind body unification and applys them to all aspects of her life. This Japanese martial arts provides her power that is naturally hers through the unification of mind and body practiced in the non-violent arts of Aikido. After many years I notice my daughter cultivate deeper relaxation by learning how to remove tension and calm her mind.