This is a brilliant program! I encourage anyone interested to give it a try, I think the first…read moreclass is free if I am not mistaken. It is such a positive program, the instructors are experts and very professional and the program supports peer-to-peer training and mentorship, and lots of opportunities to expand into different aspects of the program. The St. Albert Dojo is where they hold many classes, clinics, tests and special events. They also run satellite programs in Cardiff and Legal that are excellent for all belt levels and makes it easy access for rural communities. Throughout the pandemic they have seamlessly offered Zoom classes and maintained the students even online. Top notch experience with Desa School of Karate. The class prices are very reasonable too. This business is an asset to the community. Do try it out.

If you want to learn traditional Uechi-Ryu Karate, look no further than Desa School Of Karate. I've…read morebeen a student for almost three years now, and I've enjoyed all of it. The instructors are friendly and supportive, while also being highly skilled. The dojo features many different options for what you can do; there is a workout class, a sparring class, Kobudo (Weapons), summer camps, tournaments, leadership opportunities, social events, and of course the regular classes. There is even a program for 4-5 year-olds called Kickstart. All in all, this is a great school.

After taking both kidlets here for Open House day last month, we unexpectedly signed up both of…read morethem for a two month trial. I talked with some of the other parents and one who had been going here for two years with his daughter. He mentioned that they had tried 2 other Jiu-Jitsu locations before his young daughter felt at home here. From the moment you meet Sensei Stephane Dore, you know you've come to the right place for little kids. He's warm and inviting and my kids (4 & 7) were immediately at ease with him. I was surprised that he jumped right into teaching flips and falls for the introductory class at the open house - impressive! Parking is limited (Riel Industrial) but not impossible - be sure to park in the allowed areas. I like how the big roll up industrial doors allow for lots of fresh air and light in the dojo - and the mesh netting to keep out bugs is a nice touch. I had initially only thought about signing up our older child but with a 50% discount on additional family members, I quickly hopped on board and gave in to my pleading 4 year old for the Little Kids Ninja Class as well :-) I'll be sure to write an update in a few months time...

The Trophy Wife and I saw that St. Albert Jiu-Jitsu was offering a free class for kids. Since our…read morechildren have mentioned an interest in the martial arts for a while now, we quickly took advantage of the offer and enrolled our seven-year old daughter and four-year old son in the session. Stephane, their instructor was absolutely fantastic with the kids! He showed them breathing techniques and got their blood pumping by showing them how to fall properly ,holds and grappling maneuvers. They even had a little grappling session at the end of the class! Even though there was only eight kids in this particular session, Stephane had another instructor there as well, to help out with not only the demonstrations, but also so all the kids got some nice individual attention. Both Stephane and his colleague (I am so sorry that I didn't catch his name) had a wonderful demeanour to them and they treated all the kids with respect and in turn, they seemed to treat their instructors the same way back. We liked the atmosphere so much that we signed up both of our rugrats for two months and they were both ecstatic! We'll see if they keep up the interest in their lessons come November. Regardless of how our own kids' martial arts interest turns out, if you are interested in Jiu-Jitsu, you can't go wrong with Stephane at St. Albert Jiu-Jitsu.

I went to Neil Dunnigan's School of Karate back in 2000, when my girlfriend and I were thinking of…read moreenrolling her little 9 year-old son Josh in karate classes. At the time, the boy was a hyperactive, rambunctious little kid, temperamental and emotionally charged, and for his age and small size, pretty strong. He got into a lot of fights at school with other children. His mom and I thought it was a good idea to put him into something like karate, something that would give the child some discipline and instil within him some "focus" and stability. In addition to being a very naughty boy, Josh lacked a sense of confidence. He was a shy, nervous little kid, but full of energy and pent-up aggression. My girlfriend heard about Neil Dunnigan's School of Karate and asked me to call for more information. I was pleasantly surprised that Neil Dunnigan himself answered the call, and invited me to bring the boy to the school for a "meet and greet" the following evening. I have to say Mr. Dunnigan was very mannerful and friendly on the phone. Because of this, I didn't hesitate to accept his invitation and bring little Josh the next evening. Yelp readers will appreciate what I have to say next about our meet-and-greet, not only because of what happened to me right before the meeting, but how well Mr. Dunnigan was able to handle a very awkward and uncomfortable situation. About 20 minutes before arriving at the school, my girlfriend's little son viciously kicked me in the groin as I was trying to restrain and discipline him. Fortunately, I didn't live far from the school at the time (a short 5-10 minute drive), and I was still able to make it to the meeting with Mr. Dunnigan. I was in a lot of pain and almost decided to cancel the meeting, but I still went (the boy didn't go). Can you imagine? It was really awkward! Me, a fully grown adult man getting kicked in the "you-know-whats" by my girlfriend's naughty little child, and I was still going to meet the guy at his karate studio! I was in no shape to talk or sit still (my um, balls (testicles) were aching like hell), and I felt uncomfortable and very awkward. Despite the situation, Mr. Dunnigan made me feel at ease with his sense of humor and friendliness. I remember sitting in the chair moaning and thinking "Oh my balls! My balls! My aching balls!!" I couldn't sit still, not even for a minute. When I told Mr. Dunnigan that getting kicked in the groin was "horribly paralyzing" which made me drop to my knees "in an instant", he said to me with a chuckle, "Yep, that's what a kick in the groin does." I chuckled in kind, though I have to admit, it was half-hearted because I was still in excruciating pain. No wonder they teach "the kick in the groin" in self-defense/anti-rape classes! The boy applied the tactic on me very well. Agh! On the serious side, Mr. Dunnigan was able to answer all my questions calmly and clearly. He told me all I needed to know about their children's classes and scheduling, and how karate could instill self-confidence and self-dignity in the boy while teaching him self-defense at the same time. I came away very impressed with the meeting, but even more so with Mr. Dunnigan's calm, friendly, and respectful demeanour. No wonder his school has been around for more than 30 years. I sense a great dedication from the guy and his ability to serve Edmontonians in the true karate tradition of commitment and honour. I highly recommend this school to anyone who is seriously thinking of enrolling their child in martial arts. I did, and my girlfriend's young child (um, the little ballbreaker) really benefitted from it.

This is my goto spot when I am up in Edmonton. Mike is a top notched teacher and is competition…read morecertified. He is a true BJJ black belt. This school has a lot of classes so you can stop by and get a roll on about any time of day. Good programs in Muay Thai and the kettle bell training class is a work out!!! Good stuff! Ill be back for sure!

Amazing instructors and students. Great selections of programs, excellent location. I only wish the…read morefloorplan/layout was a little better but for the price it's hard to beat. Love this place!

My son had a blast training here. Wonderful environment for him to focus and build confidence. I…read morehighly recommend!!

From the owner: We would like our clients to be certain that they are making the right investment; therefore we…read moreoffer free/no obligation intro class on Muay Thai Kickboxing, Shotokan Karate and Women's Muay Thai Kickboxing for all ages and fitness levels.