The best in the San Lorenzo valley. I have studied 5 styles, including here. I have never seen a…read moresmall dojo that gets personal visits from a Senior Grand Master. My daughter has studied here 7 years and they make her work for each belt. Hard. Honor and skills are taught here.

I quit to join a gym that was closer to my work and school. Tom called and said that if he had…read moreknown I was going to quit, he would not have given me my blue belt. Fine, I tossed the one he gave me away and went back to white. No skin off my nose, I'm in it for the journey, not the belt. His actions told me that he most likely gives belts to people whom he believes are "cash cows". Whatever with that, honestly. I told him I was quitting, he still charged my card. I had to call my bank, but the whole mess was such a hassle that I decided he could keep the $60. Hope this helps. There is also major preferential treatment towards women. I was given two weeks free whereas men who had called in to try out the gym were heckled into paying a $25 mat fee. Really? $25? I've been to better gyms with better instructors in this state and even they have charged less. You're not really the Mendes Brothers or Cobrinha, so how can you justify charging such an insane price, for a class that you barely teach? FYI, Tom did not teach most of his classes, he let Tarzan do it. If you call to request a free demo class, and they tell you that you need to pay a "mat fee", think twice, there are better gyms out there. If you do decide on joining, do not sign a contract. I know of people that have gone to that gym WITHOUT a contract. Tell them you will pay upfront in cash every month. They DO NOT need your credit card information, save yourself the trouble. It's a shame honestly, because there were some really awesome people at that gym. Tom makes you believe that you're doing "legit", "real", "old style" jiu jitsu because i) he barely speaks English (so it ups the 'I'm from Brazil or where ever" legitness factor), ii) he urges you go BALLS to the WALL, and iii) he runs his gym like a totalitarian dictator runs a war-torn 3rd world country. Strength, aggression, and recklessness are valued over technique, pace, and skill here. I wish I knew what the turnover rate at that school was. I have tried again and again to understand why people stay. I think they're so caught up in the hype that Tom has created that they are simply TOO afraid to take a step back, realize what type of situation they're actually in, and walk out. Tom will harass you. He will call you up and threaten you. He will talk shit about you behind your back if you do not come back. There was a guy that left his place to go join Caio's. He talked so much shit about this dude, about how he was a pussy and wasn't a real man and was training with a bunch of fakes. Is that the type of instructor you want to teach you? If you get on his bad side, are you prepared to hear that shit coming from his mouth? On top of that, Tom is also physically abusive. I witnessed Tom SMACK his brown belt because he was demonstrating a technique wrong, then THREATEN him with an instant demotion if he did not get it right. The technique was something like a rolling crucifix to lapel choke. Jesus, Tom, if he didn't get it right, why don't you step in and HELP him, instead of fucking with him like that? YOU ARE THE ONE THAT GAVE HIM HIS BROWN BELT, HE IS A PRODUCT OF YOUR TEACHING. That incident gave me the creeps. I distanced myself from the gym shortly afterwards. I am surprised that nobody I was with that night said anything, I assume that behavior is normal there. I kick myself often for not stepping up, I knew it wasn't right - the hive mind mentality is strong there. Lastly, as if this wild ride couldn't get any crazier, Tom is a big proponent of DEMOTIONS. Have you ever heard of demotions in CA for BJJ? Have you ever heard of demotions by TWO belt ranks, even threats for THREE? Last year he demoted his black belt for "not training enough" (words taken straight from his FB). Jesus Christ, Tom. You gave that man a black belt because you believed he possessed the knowledge, wisdom, and experience to BE a black belt under YOUR style of BJJ. Does he lose knowledge if his training is interrupted by personal reasons? Does he lose his rank because he suddenly isn't paying you monthly tuition anymore? Which is it? How many other martial arts are as trigger happy with demotions as you are? Check their website and announcements page for past demotions (not sure if it's taken down by now, they used to have it up). This review is long, but honest. This review is not a reflection upon the people that train there. This is a review about the owner, Tom Cissero, and the way that he conducts his business. I will not tell you to not train here, the choice is yours, but please - if you feel anything amiss, anything at all, do not let him scare, intimidate, or BULLY you into staying. Save for San Diego and LA, there is NO OTHER PLACE IN CALIFORNIA that is as densely populated with legitimate and amazing black belts as San Jose. You have a myriad of schools to choose from, take your time, choose with care.

Great jiu jitsu, nice people, terrible business practices. I trained here for over a year and it…read moretook me a while to realize how poorly this business is run. Here are the lowlights from my time as a student: -oppressive one year contract with a cancellation clause of more than $300 -students pay different monthly amounts for the same amount of training -if you get injured and can't train...good luck getting your contract put on hold -a text message notifies you that prices will increase the following day -higher level belts are asked to pay several hundred dollars when they get promoted -many classes taught by an assistant who should get paid but doesn't And when I voiced my concerns to the owner about some of these practices I was kicked out and my belt was demoted....nice touch. The whole thing is sad because the people that train there are very nice and even the owner isn't a bad guy, he just runs a business like he is in some small town in Brazil, not in a major city where people have choices about where to train and expect to be treated fairly.

I love this school. I have been training here ever since I was little. This school is really…read moreunderestimated since it seems like a small school, but it has a lot of heart. All of the higher ups are really nice because they care about the students. They would take time to teach them each technique and would sometimes skip their own training just to make sure the students are learning the technique well. The school's sparring is different from other schools since each person spars differently than everyone else. Each person has their own style and flavor so you'd have to figure it out. Everyone's fighting style isn't textbook and everyone's styles are unorthodox. The students here are all friendly and very down to earth. There isn't any egos within the school because all of the students go there to learn not just from others, but themselves. If you are new then you are totally going to find it really easy to make friends and learn.

Been a student here for about 12 years now, and the instructor (Thay Tuan) has always been very…read morewelcoming to his past students. He is a great teacher, taught and disciplined students in the art of taekwondo for more than 30 years in both Vietnam and the U.S. He teaches the traditional taekwondo forms and sparring techniques as well as additional forms of martial arts such as judo. He also provides training for weapon defense and self defense in general. This place is in a small crevice of a lot, but despite the small space, it can fit a considerable number of students per class (about 40-50 max). The instructor considers the learning curve for each and every one of his students, and is strict yet shows so much compassion for his students and their talents. The price range for a student is very affordable, and he even adds a discount if two people from the same family join! I've seen parents come to practice with their children and it is quite endearing to see, actually. Overall, I would definitely recommend learning taekwondo here. Great environment for children and adults to practice martial arts together.

This is my first time bringing my children to this karate class, and I was surprised to learn that…read morethe lesson takes place in a separate room where parents are not allowed to watch. My children are only 4 years old and are still learning English. I do not understand why I am not allowed to see what is happening during the class. As a parent, I believe I should be able to observe my young children, especially when they are in a new environment. If space is limited, the facility should find a way to accommodate parents rather than completely preventing them from watching. I find this policy unreasonable and disappointing.

Okaigan Karate has been one of the best things we could have done for our daughter…read more Before we began there, our daughter, still 4 at the time, would struggle to be in activities on her own without one of us there by her side at all times. When we began Okaigan, we were hesitant about the policy where no parents are allowed inside the dojo during class times but the instructors explained to us very clearly that doing so would not only be a distraction to our daughter and other students but would also prevent her from developing confidence and independence. They were very helpful and clear in explaining what happens in class, what we could expect as far as the challenge for our daughter in being on her own, and ways they work with the kids to help comfort them. Within a few classes, our daughter was not only comfortable in her karate classes but to our surprise, in ALL of her other activities. We no longer had to sit by her side and watched over the next few months as her confidence and independence grew. It's been a year now and she loves her karate classes. She works hard for every belt and they're not definitely not bought or given to them. It's clear they have to be earned. She loves the instructors there, we're amazed by how much she has developed over this time, and it tells us a lot that out of all of her activities, karate is the only one that she has wanted to keep pursuing consistently.

We've been fortunate to find this school. Master Joong K Nam is a great and high dedicated teacher,…read morewho has also trained an Olympic Gold medalist in the past. My kids and wife attend this school. His rates are reasonable, his training is top-notch and I've been amazed at the steady progress that my family has made. Very happy with this school.

Master Nam teaches official World Tae Kwon Do Federation martial arts Certified by Kookiwan, Korea…read moreTae Kwon Do world Headquarters. Many people don't know that their are different variations of Tae Kwon Do and that only the World Tae Kwon do federation participates in the Olympics, as the 5 color belt system reflects the 5 rings of the Olympic committee. Master Nam teacher both in English and Korean and has over 50 years of teaching experience including to the United States U.S. Army. He is wonderful with children of all ages and instills values of respect, confidence, and success. He is strict with style and forms (poomsae) and does not simply promote because you pay to be their. He has the lowest rates in the area guaranteed for the classes you get. Currently classes are limited to Mondays and Friday's, but as demand increases more classes may become available.

There are many schools in the Silicon Valley, but after searching many, this is the best karate…read more and martial arts dojo. A traditional style of karate taught by a Sensei who trains in Japan every year - so cool! Sensei focuses on high-quality techniques and working hard to earn your next belt. They are in the well maintained Akiyama Wellness Center. This school is perfect if you are a beginner or experienced in karate or another martial art.

I have been wanting to take a self-defense class for years. My daughter and I signed up for our…read morefirst class in a series of 4 and attended it last night at 7pm. We have both been in situations where having some of the tools presented & taught at the class would've helped us to feel more safe and confident. It became obvious to me that the instructor and owner of the studio, Paul, is an expert in self-defense. He is well-versed, clear and an informative communicator of how to use our bodies & minds to escape forceful, scary situations by an attacker. Paul also made the class fun, which I feel is important when learning something new. What a great group of women who all have the same goal of protecting ourselves! My daughter and I were very impressed by the presentation and the way the class was executed. It is obvious that Paul cares about all of our well-being and that is priceless. We will be attending session # 2, & practicing all that we learned. The 90 minute class seemed to go by quickly and the cost absolutely affordable. What would we pay to be able to take care of ourselves in a situation where we needed to defend ourselves in order to be safe? It is priceless. Thank you, Paul and Self Defense Solutions for a fantastic class. I highly recommend these classes to everyone! We will be seeing you at the next session.

The beginner's self defense class was awesome. It was not only informative, but I was comfortable!…read moreThe basic moves gave me more confidence.

Master Leon is just an incredible instructor. We had tried him on a trial lesson and my son…read moregravitated immediately to him his style the way he makes every class really engaging in fun but also his small class sizes which offer every student to have enough attention from the instructor so I feel this was the most rewarding experience for us. We have been with Master Leon close to a year. We attend all of his summer camps and my son has become extremely more focused follows directions better and will be more prepared for first grade as a result of attending this summer's camp I also want to say compared to some other martial arts studios in the area such as Victoria martial arts and others. I really feel he is a little bit more expensive but worth every dime if you want a true instructor a lot of other places quickly move faster promote the children into the next belt without them really gaining the necessary skills or even being ready but I think they do it just to increase momentum more than really training them but I feel Master Leon really assesses as a kids at which level they are or should be at and then appropriately test them so I really appreciate that overall he's an outstanding instructor. I just couldn't be happier and I'm so glad I found him in fact I drive 15 minutes to his martial arts studio when I have other choices that are literally three minutes away.

Both of my kids (a boy and a girl) have been coming here for 3 years now. Master Leon has always…read morebeen amazing. He knows kids, has his way to encourage and help children uplevel! He's caring, patient and actively discussing with parents about kids needs and family focus. It feels so lucky to have Master Leon here be part of my kids growing journey.