A warm, neighborly team that truly cares and gives far more than they sell. After an unsettling encounter with a man in public that left me feeling unsafe, I began seriously exploring different self-defense options, including jiu-jitsu. I tried several gyms, but ultimately chose USSD Irvine Northwood because their program blends multiple martial arts styles and focuses on practical, tactical self-defense. Everything I've learned so far has been incredibly useful, and the instructors have been supportive every step of the way. I'm genuinely grateful to have found such a friendly, welcoming community. read more

My friends and I took a private self defense course and we had an absolutely AMAZING experience at USSD Karate Irvine! The USSD team is amazing, shoutout to Anthony who is also an amazing instructor - super knowledgeable, funny, and talented. The dojo has such a nice vibe and my friends and I learned so much as well, we were taken care of very well! Definetely recommend! read more

The dojo is very nice and clean with comfortable mats to train on. The instructors are high ranking and have a deep understanding of the art. Training classes are serious and fun at the same time. Jokes and laughing are pretty common each session. This is great place to start your martial arts journey or get back into it (like me). read more

USSD Karate Irvine - Karate Near Me - Irvine, California

The senseis at Karate Irvine have done a fantastic job training my children. My kids started their lessons about a year ago and have progressed immensely from the direction of their sensei and the dojo. They start out like everyone else with white belts, and have progressed to their current orange belts. I like that they have their weekly private lessons where they can learn the various forms, techniques, and get very technical in their practice. The more direct teachings from the private lesson help them develop their skills while the dojo also holds daily group classes. These classes occur throughout the week as well as Saturdays, and while I try my best to take them in to as many during the week as possible I'm not always able to bring my kids in. During these group classes they get to exercise and work on some group activities, such as group sparring, or punches and kicks on the pads. The senseis all know my kids by name and are very approachable, as well as when we could not make it to our private lessons due to vacation or illness we have always been able to request for a make up class and they are very accommodating with the rescheduling. If you're interested in putting your child into karate but are unsure if your kid is a good match, they do have trials which they will spend a few minutes with your child and work through a short private lesson to gauge their interest. Also, while my kids are not in tournaments, be aware you will have to invest a bit into their growth with sparring gear, outfit, and maybe the occasional long trip to a tournament. read more

We love USSD! Especially Sensei Anthony. My son started karate when he was 5. After 3 years he took a little break. He's back now and is so happy to be able to train with Sensei Anthony again and all the Senseis at USSD Woodbridge. It is a fun yet challenging atmosphere. My son has learned much more than karate spending time here. I believe any child interested in karate would enjoy being a part of this fantastic dojo. read more

USSD Karate Irvine - Group lesson. - Karate Near Me - Irvine, California

This is the best place for kids to practice Karate! The team is very professional and commited to the kids success. My son goes there and he loves every minute! He goes four times a week, in addition he did their summet camp and even his birthday party there. The dojo looks great, well maintained and the location is convenient. Great people, great place. Highly recommend! read more

We love USSD Irvine Karate! Sensei Anthony is the best! He is very welcoming, friendly and amazing with teaching the kids. Our youngest son is most enthusiastic about going to karate here so much we referred one of his friends to join. Love the fact that each student gets weekly one on one lessons with an instructor which helps a lot in advancing each child's learning experience here. Everyone seems very nice and professional here. Highly recommend! read more

This place is fantastic. Our six year old came out of his shell right away and was self assured and confident from the get go thanks to the good work of the instructors here. Sensei Dragon and Sensei A.J. are awesome. The facility is clean and organized and we're thrilled to have found a fun and safe environment for our son to learn self defense and discipline. read more

Wow, so a little over a year ago there was a huge change. My son (almost 9 years old) has been with USSD since he was 3 years old, but when management left to open their own studio, I followed them. It was the biggest mistake I have ever made in terms of my son's karate career. I was anxious and I didn't trust the process and I left the best studio. This place is serious. They don't let you slack on your forms. They have tons of skilled, well trained sensei's and senpai's to help each student. The private lessons really are private lessons. They make sure each student is treated equally and levels up appropriately. I have seen a complete turnaround with my son's performance and he has only been here for about a month. I am sad, I feel like we lost a year in the other studio. I will never make such a mistake again. read more

My son continues to love taking Karate here and recently just became an Orange Belt! I am very proud of him and hope that he will continue taking Karate indefinitely! The senseis are wonderful and really try to instill discipline and motivation to work hard and earn things in life! I like knowing that my son is gaining many skills and is always happy and excited to attend classes each week! Highly recommended for children of any age read more

This place is absolutely horrible my kids were left unattended in the shopping center, keep in mind both are under 10 years old. I was distraught and angry, how dare they put my kids lives at risk. There was change in management and instructors and ever since the place is not a safe environment , my kids were miserable and have been charging me for months even though I already quit! This guy Dragon and some guy Sensay Anthony are rude, unsafe and just trying to rip people off and illegally charge them. Do not recommend! If you care about safety this is not the place it used to be, truly sad. read more

My 8 year old daughter has been taking classes here for 8 months and we couldn't be happier with this place. The senseis and sempais are fantastic. Sensei Vlad and Sensei Ryan are very knowledgeable. They motivate the kids in very fun ways and at the same time they teach discipline, hard work and perseverance. We recently celebrated my daughter's birthday at the dojo. It was the perfect birthday party every kid dreams of. I kept thinking to myself, I wanted to be a kid again so that I could participate as well. The senseis were extremely fun. They were rolling around on the floor with the kids playing monkey tag games. They made the birthday girl feel very special by letting her break a board in front of all her buddies and chop the cake with a ninja sword. They also played light saber games and all the guests got to keep their own light sabers. They took care of all the food, cake and party favors. It was very well organized and extremely fun!!! What a unique and memorable experience for my daughter and for all her guests! It took a lot of research to find the right place. Being a black belt myself, I'm so happy to have found the perfect dojo for my daughter to train at. read more

USSD Karate Irvine - The birthday girl chopping the cake with a ninja sword! - Karate Near Me - Irvine, California

My 4 year old son has been coming to karate here since January and absolutely loves it. The management and teachers are super kind and truly care about the kids. The space is clean and they take the necessary precautions to be safe. We are so grateful for Karate Irvine and highly recommend it!! read more

My 5 year old loves his classes here. He is learning new things each time in a small group setting. His teacher has him set goals to earn stars and other achievements. Wonderful for learning discipline and having fun! read more

Just experienced the two-weeks class, awesome! Sensei Vald is amazing! Very patient and precessional! His one on one class covers lots of martial arts knowledge from different Asian countries. I also attempted one group class which included warm up section , btw I love anaerobic exercise. There are several equipments in there. Personally I like to practice with the Body Opponent Bag. When I hit it I can release stress. read more

Great school, motivating instructors with a good mix of beginners and advanced students. My kids and I all train here and we've always enjoyed it. One thing that often gets overlooked when choosing a school to learn martial arts/ karate/ workout are the egos of the instructors and students. I'm happy to report this school specifically is well-run and ego free, everybody there is happy to help and I really enjoy the atmosphere. Update - in the last 6-9mo they have gotten a major facelift on the inside, and upgraded some of the instructors as well. Highly recommended. *Also- not sure what other's experience was but my billing is automatic and trouble-free every month like clockwork. read more

USSD Karate Irvine - Karate Near Me - Irvine, California

I love this dojo. It's definitely the best place to train karate in Irvine. I sincerely respect their work ethic and how well-trained the teachers are. Here, mentality is more important than physical strength. Not to say they don't work us hard, I actually have a 6 pack after only a year training here. Other improvements I've noticed are a stronger/solid base, increased confidence and more of a go-getter type attitude. I love this place, I call it my dojo home. 10/10 would recommend to a friend. read more

USSD Karate Irvine - Sempai Sam (one of the teachers) training his side kicks like a pro! - Karate Near Me - Irvine, California

We love this studio! Steve, Dragon, and the whole team of senseis are fantastic. They truly care about your kids and want to help them do their best, not just in karate but at school and at home, too. My son has been training with USSD for 5 years and still looks forward to coming to every class! He wouldn't trade his sensei for anything. If you are looking for the right martial arts studio for your kids, look no further. read more

We searched it online ourselves and coz of good reviews we decided to give it a try. It's been over an year and my kid is still with them. He loves it here. Sensei Tyler is awesome, full of energy and patience. read more

This place is great for kids... Instructors rock.... It's professional and clean

I have a 10 year old son who is currently at USSD. He has been with the school for almost 2 yrs. The teaching staff, Sempais, Senseis under the management of Master George are AMAZING! They are professional, patient, positive motivators and true role models. My son is learning in both private classes and the group practice how to be Brave, Wise, and Kind to his peers. My son is happy and proud to be part of the USSD school. I highly recommend this place! read more

My child has been coming here for just a little over a year now. He is 4 and a half years old. He is now a yellow belt. At first he trained with Sensei Vlad, who was really a wonderful person, but then after meeting Sensei Ryan by chance, I realized Sensei Ryan was a better fit for my small child. Not only has he taught my son discipline and how to believe in himself by knowing he can improve with time and practice, but he take my child seriously. Ryan believes in him too. When my son recieved his yellow belt, i walked in on the ceremony..it was really a beautiful thing. I can't stop there. I feel like everyone there (staff, student, etc) are like family. Sensei Jessica has been a God-send. She has been there in more ways than I can express. Master George is kind, fierce like a tiger, he truly believes every child has a potential to reach their maximum capacity and he pushes them to be at that place. I just can't express enough how happy I am to have USSD woodbridge in my life. Thank you guys!! read more

I had been searching for an outlet for my husband's work and life stress. He needed a way to blow off steam while getting in shape. We had our daughter start here and then I saw his excitement and pursuaded him to try it out. Long story short, the instructors are amazing with our daughter and he has connected with his inner Bruce Lee. Thank you to the entire staff, so professional and genuine. read more

Karate Irvine is a nice place to learn and master Martial art. My daughter has been learning Karate and Sparring close to 2 years now. We are happy with the progress. The Senseis here know the students strengths and areas of improvement pretty well so, that makes it easy for the students to learn faster and joyfully with periodic challenges. read more

Beware! This place was cool at first but then I start to notice that the program was weak and my daughter was not learning, improving or being challenged. It was complete waste of time. Additionally, I had formally requested to cancel my membership 30 days in advance as required by United Studios but they still charged my card anyways for the following month. I called them several times to remove the charge but they never credited the charge. I think their business practices are dubious. read more

It has been such an amazing experience being a part of the Karate Irvine team for years now. My son appreciates the instructors and the way of teaching so much, as do I. This is a team that treats you and your child like family instead of just another student on a roster paying monthly tuition. I have appreciated the level of skill, professionalism, down fo Earth attitude, friendliness and dedication Sensei Jessica, Sensei Gabriel and Sensei Tyler bring to the table. They are all so warm to work with and when it comes down to business, they know what they're doing. From scheduling classes, organizing payment, attending private and group lessons virtually and in the studio, everything is seamless. My son was inspired by the Karate kid movie and the rest is history. Now here we are, with awesome Instructors who continue to inspire my son to stay committed, disciplined and also enjoy it all. Even through Covid, he is safely studying this craft while also progressing and having this become something he's truly proud and passionate about. Winning! From white belt to hopefully black. He's all in. Thank you! read more

Where else can you learn from Martial Arts Master Joshua George? This place has been a staple of Alton Square since the early 1990s. The quality of instruction here is top notch. There are so many schools, especially tae kwon do, that give belts away. When you train here you truly earn your rank, instead of buying it. read more

The USSD Woodbridge Team is AMAZING! They are the most talented and insightful teachers I have come across. They know how to motivate and push each individual for maximum growth without being overbearing. This has been a great place for my entire family (husband and 6 &8 y.o. included) to try something new, be active and and develop a growth mindset together- all while having fun. I'm awed at how the self control and discipline the kids learn at the dojo transfers so easily to school and home life. I highly recommend checking them out! read more

Experienced, friendly and motivational instructors. Classes are fun while being goal directed. Private lessons provide additional focused training. Life skills taught alongside with martial arts. Highly recommended if interested in learning the martial art. read more

I 1000 % recommend this studio. The instructors r excellent teachers who r very focused. They teach with great detail. Master George is 1 of the nicest instructors ever. Come check out this studio. read more

My whole family trains here. Couldn't ask for a better learning experience for myself or my son. Every instructor has a well versed and deep background in the martial arts taught here. Their schedules are always open and flexible. Children learn a strong sense of respect for others and for themselves. Adults will get some of the best exercise they've ever had. Instructors are friendly and explain everything clearly while teaching. read more

There are so many different reasons for people to study Martial Arts. Some people go to learn self-defense so they can protect themselves if they are ever confronted with an unsafe situation. Others go for the exercise, friendships, or just to spend time with their children. There is no wrong answer but choosing the right school and the right teachers will determine your personal success. All schools are not the same and learning from instructors who care about your individual success and development will make all the difference in the world. There is no "one size fits all" manual for martial arts. Each student has different goals/needs and learns in a different way and speed. You need the best instructors helping you so they can determine which path is best for you. There are no egos at this school and everyone is always trying to help each other develop and get better. I have been at this studio for over 8 years and learned so much. I actually go four times per week and skip the gym now. I have been to studios in the past where there are "muscle heads" just trying to knock people out or want to join the UFC. USSD Irvine 2 is not that kind of place and everything is taught in a very controlled and supervised manner so you can train hard and still be able to go to work the next day. I am the most proud of the kids at the studio. They are humble, respectful, responsible young people with manners and goals. To watch a child begin his/her journey in life knowing what it feels like to accomplish something through hard work and determination is so rewarding and inspirational. There are not many bigger lessons that you can teach to a child. I have watched so many children start their first day of Karate too shy to even speak and in less than 90 days they are transformed into respectful young people who shake hands, look you in the eye and call you sir. You cannot say that isn't life changing for them. Every person has a moment like that in life and the age and environment in which they have that moment will often change who they will become. I don't understand why parents waste so much money on video games for their kids? Why not bring them to a place where they can exercise, have fun and learn skills that they can apply in life instead of sitting in front of a TV screen all day shooting dragons or saving princesses on Xbox? I still attend this Studio and I am proud of what I learn here. If anyone has any questions about the instructors or reputation of this Studio feel free to email me and I will be glad to help with any information you would like. No, I do not work there and no I do not get anything for writing this review. I felt obligated to share my honest feelings about this Dojo because of all of the wonderful times I have experienced there and what the instructors have taught me. Parents don't take my word for it. Come by the studio one day and watch how much fun the kids are having in class so you can see for yourselves. I wish my parents would have 30 some years ago:) read more

I have two kids at this studio and love it. The staff is wonderful, attentive, and great to the children. I highly recommend this studio.

Great place for kids and adults alike. Highly recommended.

The Woodbridge dojo is great. Vlad, Gabriel and Ryan are knowledgeable and are great with both kids and adults. My 7 year old loves going and after each class my son answers me with "Yes Mom". Love to hear that!! read more

I couldn't recommend this dojo more! My son loved being a Tiny Tiger here and came out of his shell because of the attention and support he received from Sensei Vlad and Sensei Ryan. From mindfulness to discipline, my little guy really got so much more than the karate skill-set. An extra bonus was the Sensei's thoughtful pairing of sparring partners. They identified the best partner to be his sparring partner, and really had both kids coming out of their shells, having fun, and excelling at something they were both proud of. Not only was it the highlight of my son's week, but it was the highlight of mine as well. Really great instructors and a great facility. Just great all around! read more

I am 100% satisfied with the training here. My daughter is 5 and in the Tiny Tiger class. How Sensei Vlad and Sensei Ryan keep 12 three to six-year-olds in line I'll never know. They never have to yell or get cross. The children always reply with a resounding "yes sir!" Being prior Army, the amount of discipline and respect they are teaching these kids pleases me. My daughter was a bit hesitant at first because she is the only girl in the class. Sensei Vlad did such a good job building up her confidence that she is no longer apprehensive. She looks forward to each class. One reason we enrolled her was because she tends to be a bit clumsy. She has already gained more strength, balance, and self-awareness. If you want your kids to learn self defense, get in shape, gain confidence, make friends, improve balance and coordination, or all of the above THIS IS THE PLACE! read more

After 20 years, I decided to return to martial arts. My daughter and I both started about a year ago at this place. It has been a great experience for both of us. The staff is very attentive. Can't wait to get my son started soon. I highly recommend to any one who is interested in learning martial arts. read more

I wanted to write a review on this place since I am here twice a week and it has been great for me. My boyfriend has gone here for years and I was always curious about learning Karate so I thought I would try it out. He loves it. I have been going for about 7 months now and have been really happy with my progress. I am only about 100lbs and have always been worried that I would not be able to protect myself if something ever happened to me. I know that I will never be ready for a career in the UFC but at least I feel much better about what I should do if I need to protect myself. It is a much different workout too because you are forced to use different muscles than you normally would at the gym so it has helped with my flexibility and my core strength. I know that I will feel more confident as time goes on but I have learned a lot about keeping myself safe and challenging myself. I would recommend this studio to anyone because there are adults and kids there all the time and there seems to be instructors for every level. Everyone is really great!!!!!!! read more