I am a local Richmond resident and I was looking for a martial arts studio to keep fit. I searched around google and found a few until a friend of mine recommended Gum Ying Hapkido Studio. My friend told me that she has been taking her kids to the studio for martial art lessons and that the instructor ratio was very, very good. All the instructors knew the students on a personal level was what I was told.
Following the advice of my friend, I drove over to Gum Ying Hapkido Studio.
PARKING
There were plentiful parking spots, but it is shared by the whole complex. Nevertheless, it was easy to find parking.
INITIAL CONTACT
Upon initially walking into the studio, I was greeted by a very friendly Master Thomas Lok, who I later found out was the head instructor. He asked me personal daily life questions such as how much exercise do I do, how active do I want to be, what type of goal am I looking to achieve, etc. Through our conversation, he made me comfortable and want to know more... I was definitely interested as Thomas showed a genuine concern for my wellbeing through our conversation.
ATMOSPHERE
The area inside the studio was spacious and equipment was plentiful. The floor is padded with soft plastic mats and walls are lined with weapons and sparring gear. On the other side of the wall is a huge mirror spanning across the studio. The area looked very clean and well-kept upon my visit.
CLASS
I signed up for a trial class and the class that I was in had a very good instructor to student ratio as mentioned by my friend earlier. There was one instructor in my class of 5. The instructor was very personal and was able to critique my stance, technique and movement every 2 minutes.
Overall, it was a very good experience for the money I paid. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who comes. I will be returning to Gum Ying for my workouts! read more