My son (age 5) has loved all of his experiences at UWS Kenshikai. He had a great week at camp and…read moretalks all the time about the classes he takes and the things he is learning. In a few short months we have seen his confidence and discipline increase. This is the first class/activity that he has consistently attended and been enthusiastic about. All of the instructors are dedicated and expert at working with kids. They are expert at keeping kids attention in a firm and yet gentle way. Each class includes a breathing exercise and the start and end so kids can center themselves.

Love the place! My son is thriving there. For the first time he is excited to go to an activity…read moreevery week!

One or two nights of any given week, I put on whites and kick ass with an electric sword at a…read morefencing club. One night recently, I put on a gi and hakama instead (blue and blacks?) and tried iaido at New York Budokai. Iaido is essentially what happened when the samurai class got eliminated in Japan - all the tradition got funneled into kendo (combat sport) and iaido (drawing/cutting). From NY Budokai's website: Iaido "involves controlled, precise movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard (saya), striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade (chuburi), and then replacing the sword in the scabbard (noto)." HOW can you resist something where WIPING BLOOD FROM A BLADE is part of the art. ??!?!!?!?!?!!! Let's be honest - I wanted to try it because it looks really. really. cool. But I was also wondering how it might inform my coordination and distance awareness in regular fencing. Eastern swordsmanship and footwork is totally different from Western (separated by several centuries and thousands of miles, duh). NY Budokai offers a $20 intro class for the curious. All clothing and equipment is provided; just give them a call to let them know you're showing up (Tues/Thurs 7-9pm). Tuesday is better for beginners since the classes are bigger and they'll have someone to focus on you and any other newbies: helping you dress, explaining movements and rituals, etc. Mitchell was endlessly patient, helpful, and easygoing despite the disciplined nature of the practice. The club itself is legit and is affiliated with a dojo in Japan. Each class varies, but most seem to focus on "kata" - practice forms, rather than sparring. From an exercise perspective, it's almost like fast-paced yoga: You'll improve body awareness and control, but sweat is more a result of the thick cotton gear than intense cardio. Aside from being 90% men, the group is a great mix of ages, races, professions, etc. Everyone seems very committed to their practice and the club, but also friendly and welcoming. Full membership is not for me - specifically, my wallet - right now (fencing ain't cheap, either!). But if I could, I would. If you're just a bit curious, go go go take the intro class!! It's a great way to try out something fun and different with a whole lot of history behind it. And, let's not forget - it looks awesome. (Nota bene: If you're lefthanded, sorry - either deal with using your right hand as your sword hand, or don't bother. No allowances are made for lefties. On the plus side, the footwork doesn't bias the right leg being forward nearly as much as Western fencing does, so you could probably swing it.)

I observed a class summer 2012 and fell in love. But I wasn't ready. I spoke to Sensei Ortiz and…read morehe suggested I check out other styles and schools. And I did. So when they offered a special on Signpost, I signed up and back to take my classes. On my first night, I learned how to cut and actually got to cut a mat with a real sword. To say it was a thrilling experience would be an understatement. Just writing it doesn't do this experience justice. It was like your first time shooting live ammo. Intense. Although it was a happy coincidence of timing, I was hooked. I was ready. Instruction, depth of seniority, uniform and equipment lending, everything was top-notch. Exactly what you'd expect for the oldest sword school in NYC. Highly recommend. Note that classes meet at a dance studio facility. It would be nicer if they could meet in a space they own. However, they more than make up for this by organizing tournaments and other excursions off-site.

Amazing instructors to help create balance and fitness at any age and skill level . A great balance…read moreof form , discipline and history.

I went to this school for 8 months before I got a little burnt out and stopped going. It is a…read morereally great workout and they teach you a lot of technique. The price is the best in the city, since it is a non profit organization and none of the teachers actually get paid. The class is intense & military style (be prepared to not laugh or chit chat & get yelled at). It took a bit of getting used to, since at first I thought all the teachers were mean, but eventually I realized they are actually nice people, they are just trying to get the job done & are very serious about their style of martial art & discipline. Before joining I had taken Taekwondo for ~2 years, so I was a little frustrated at how slow the techniques were taught. You can not get the next technique until the first one is learned to near perfection. I went from practicing all sorts of fun kicks (trying to learn a 720) to doing just the groin kick for a full month (plus some basic punches) and it was extremely frustrating. I understand why they do this, and I did feel my basic punches had improved significantly, but it was still frustrating. Students are allowed to show up early & stay late to practice, which is very nice, but they are not allowed to practice any techniques not taught at that school. I was however, allowed to practice some gymnastics, which was great. The class is 2 hours long, the first 45 minutes are a strenuous workout and the last half is technique. Class time is usually twice a week but the longer you go there the more classes you can attend without paying extra. Because I work a lot at my job, this time schedule eventually burnt me out (and I hate not showing up for something I'm paying for). Some days I would have liked to skip the workout & just practice technique, or vice versa. I'm more a fan of hour long classes. Pros: - Technique - Workout - Seriousness - Discipline - Price - Nice gym, good room for the amount of people - Good class size (not too small, not too big) - Plenty of teachers for individual attention. - Camaraderie - Eventually (+8 - 12 months) you will learn sparring Cons: - Class time length eventually burnt me out a bit. - Slow teaching new techniques - I like the taekwondo style better (more kicks, this is just a personal opinion though) - I liked the kicking bags at my old gym better (the ones they have I think are mainly for punching) - I would have liked more bag/pad practice (but at least they had some which I'm sure a lot of gyms don't in the city). - I would have liked to spar sooner.

Whatever martial art you learn, in my opinion, they're all good. What it comes down to for me is…read morehow it fits my personality and natural abilities and most importantly who the teacher is. When I want to do something that i plan to dedicate 110% of my time and effort to, I do my homework. I found Sifu Militano after trying out 4 other Wing Chun classes. I found him to be a sincere man who is very passionate about the art and even more passionate in teaching you Wing Chun. And in exactly the way his teacher taught him. I also like (and respect) the students in his class. I am proud to call them my "kung fu" brothers. Especially his most advanced, dedicated students. They too are very sincere, kind and willing to help you if you are willing to learn and train (hard!). They are direct reflections of Sifu Militano's training and teachings. Sifu Militano will put in the amount of effort to teaching you, equal to the amount of effort you are willing to put into your training. He's a great instructor and a marvelous human being.

I've been studying Wing Chun with Sifu Michael Militano for about a year now and I am completely…read moreaddicted. Sifu is absolutely amazing, not only in his unmatched technique but also in his teaching style and ability to connect with and motivate students. The school is a great community. I found a new family here when I moved to NY. Everyone is friendly and willing to help you understand the drills and improve your technique. I feel like I've improved a lot in a year and became more fit, in general. I recommend it enthusiastically to anyone who wants to learn Wing Chun. He teaches from beginners to very advanced students of all ages. The prices are more than fair at 150$ per month for 2 sometimes 3 classes a week. Check out his website http://www.militanowingchun.com/. He is now also offering classes in Brooklyn.

Our son has been going to PTKD for a few years now ad we absolutely love it. He recently started…read morethe sparring program and has the confidence to attend his first tournament this year. We are very impressed with his progress and great to have this community as part of our "village". Our son loves working with the instructors and has mentioned to us that this is also his preferred summer camp option in Manhattan.

We've really enjoyed the class. It has been a wonderfully positive experience for my kid and we…read moretruly appreciate the care and encouragement from the teachers. My kid just love it!!!

Its been 25 years since I last attended a martial art school. The onslaught of arthritis made it…read moreabundantly clear I was destined to become limited if not completely compromised. Physical ag and the return of dexterity in my hands is paramount. Once a martial artist always one, therefore the introduction to Tang Soo Do has become my remedy. I cannot emphasize how under the tutelage and discerning eye of Sah Bum Nim Rodney V. Ralph what a pronounce difference it has made in my agility and dexterity. I look forward to my commitment to Tang Soo Do and Sah Bum Nim Rodney V. Ralph. William Harrington

I haven't had formal martial arts training since the 90's. However, I've been incorporating all the…read moretechniques that I've learned and absorbing what is useful. I had the privilege of trying 2 trial lessons from Mr. Ralph and his Assistant instructor, Ms. Strong. Words can't express how fun and informative the training from them was. I hope to continue training w/ these 2 when the time comes and I'm ready to commit. Tang Soo!

My 5 year old son has been taking karate lessons from Sensei John Adams for ~6 months, and he loves…read moreit! Sensei Adams is an expert who genuinely loves the art of karate. He is very patient with my son and has been able to generate the same excitement for the art. Karate lessons are one of the highlights of my son's weekends. I highly recommend classes with Sensei Adams.

My daughter has been taking Karate with Mr. Adams for over 3 years. I can't tell you how patient,…read moreinsightful, kind, dedicated, and easy going he is! Starting with a 7 year old could not have been easy! He is extremely professional, clearly an expert, but even more than that, he is the perfect instructional representative for Martial Arts in general! I recommend him, and this studio for private instruction as well as the group classes that he teaches all the time.

This academy and all the people I've met here are very near and dear to my heart. If you're in NYC,…read morethis is definitely the place to check out. I've trained at many other Gracie Academies, both in the United States and Brazil, and Renzo's has always been my favorite. You get it all, BJJ, MMA, Kickboxing, NoGi Grappling, and Kids classes. You also gain access to the widest variety of high level training partners imaginable. On any given day you'll run into UFC Fighters, world BJJ Champions, ADCC Champions, and movie stars. It's pretty cool. I know people are always complaining about the price and how expensive it is. Yes, it's not cheap to train at Renzo's, but like they always say, "you get what you pay for". And that's exactly it, you pay more money sure but what you get in return is absolutely worth the expense. I could go on and on about what makes Renzo's academy unique but at the end of the day to truly appreciate what they offer, you just have to experience it first hand. Give this place a look. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Anyone who rated this above a two was paid to. The instructors egg on cheating and are biased…read moretowards some children and totally neglect others.