Excellent instructors and excellent material! Kwan and Art are masters of their craft as well as…read morevery kind and generous with their knowledge. I come away from each class humbled and amazed by their skill and by the variety and layers of the training. I feel that every area of my life has benefited from the training, far beyond the martial arts aspects. I highly recommend Systema Seattle for anyone interested in Systema, anyone interested in martial arts in general, and anyone interested in increasing the variety of their current training or health regimen.

Systema is a Russian martial that is perfect for all ages, and all people/identifies. It is a blend…read moreof breathing and holistic modalities like relaxation, breathing, movement, and good posture and applying them combatively to ourselves and another person/partner. The work is dynamic and gratifying; its also therapeutic aid at understanding your fear and stress as it pertains to you and how it embodies in behaviors that may not be as beneficial as you have thought or taken the time to. There is a lot of fun learning to fight , and there's a lot of work at understanding yourself. If you're looking for a blend of martial arts that is honest and delivers a premium connection to getting into a flow state this might be for you.

I decided to give Feminist Karate Union a try because I have family member who goes here…read more When I started at the beginning of this year I knew nothing about karate, was out of shape from becoming a new mom and had moments where I wasnt sure if Karate was for me. Even when it's tough, I keep pushing myself to come to what classes I can because I know its going to make me feel great. As of now I am a white belt, aka newbie, but I can already tell you that coming here will help build confidence, strength, patience, new friends and so much more! Such a diverse community of people here that are just so supportive and all around amazing! Thanks for making me feel like I finally belong somewhere!

Feminist Karate Union (FKU) - My Experience…read more I trained at FKU for about six months and ultimately left after an incident that revealed leadership and communication issues in the school. A simple comment I made while thinking out loud was interpreted through an excessively dark lens, escalating far beyond what was reasonable. I felt unfairly judged and misunderstood rather than supported, and staying would have meant constantly walking on eggshells. During one class, a green belt instructor was teaching solo for the first time. She mentioned that one student would work one-on-one with her, and I repeated what she said out loud simply to process it. Later, I learned that my comment was perceived as a microaggression. I was taken aback because it was simply a moment of thinking out loud, which most people -- especially anyone who knows me -- would have interpreted as benign; yet it was interpreted assuming the worst possible intent without any attempt at clarification. Rather than being asked directly what I meant, the concern was raised later through another instructor and escalated unnecessarily. I was told I had offended two people and violated a "no-touch" rule for briefly demonstrating a movement, even though light contact is routine in training. The response felt reactive rather than grounded in rational or objective thought. I was also concerned by how much weight was given to a single interpretation of my intent. A more measured approach would have involved hearing from all involved before drawing conclusions. When a formal write-up was considered, a senior brown belt instructor felt it would have been unnecessary. The green belt was the only instructor who supported it, and the limited engagement from more experienced black belt instructors suggested a ceding of responsibility to the junior instructor involved. I support a safe and inclusive environment, but overcorrection can create an oppressive atmosphere that discourages open communication. I hope FKU continues to handle conflict with greater balance and perspective, and demonstrates respect for all students, regardless of their personal or cultural identity.

Highly recommend! Self defense and confidence booster…read more This is a great program in a healthy environment. The leaders are good people, developing good people. The skills attained here are VERY practical and if used properly, would be VERY effective. No need to be "flashy" if it's effective. My teenage daughter has surpassed me and is excelling.

My partner and I took a free trial course in Tsun Jo Kung Fu today. Everyone here, especially the…read moreinstructors, were very welcoming. Initially, we were asked to follow along with warm ups. Next, two different instructors worked with us as a pair. They reviewed proper stances, basic movements, punches, and a couple of blocks. We did some of this work with punching bags, the instructors and each other. They made it interesting, fun, and empowering. They were very encouraging. One was lighthearted and upbeat and the other more serious but patient and very nice. I enjoyed the intimate setting and small class size. In addition to classes they have a small gym that is available to students free as long as the dojo is open. I might have to finagle my work schedule to make this work but we felt good about this experience and plan on continuing with either the one month unlimited trial or five class pass. Based on my first impression, this is totally worth it!

My teen is loving Arcaro's classes. The staff are welcoming, the workouts are hard, and the skills…read morehe's learning are professional-level. And I love that the schedule is flexible. Highly recommend.

As a former attendee at the gym, I gotta share this: Today my 57 year old body had a psychotic…read moreformer military person lunge at them suddenly with a hidden knife blade. My pivot and footwork learned at Arcaro didn't save my backpack, but it did save my abdomen. This is not a studio gym! it's the real deal. Thanks for all the footwork you taught me coaches Ondrea, Cisco, and Tricia now I live another day.

this is the best gym in Seattle by far! Highly recommend for any skill level to try it out!read more

Best gym in seattle, Coach ivan, Jose and Bano are the best coaches ive ever had. Very welcoming…read moreeveryone is super nice.

Been training here with a good friend of mine for almost 2 years. Love this gym. There's options…read morefor private lessons as well as group classes. Coaches all seem really passionate about what they do, and they'll definitely push you hard and test your limits every session, you just have to show up and be ready to put in work. Everyone I've met at the gym has been really friendly and supportive. Me being a smaller guy, I felt pretty intimidated at the start, but that feeling went away after I realized that everyone is there to improve each other. The only complaints I'll ever have for this gym is that it's expensive, ( If you're broke like me, coming here requires a bit of sacrifice ) but it's Seattle and I know the coaches gotta eat and cover their expenses for competing, which I'll gladly support. The mental and physical health benefits from training are absolutely worth it imo.

I was in town for the UFC. Needed to find a good place to get a workout in. Looked up quite a few…read moreboxing gyms but settled on this one. Glad I did, staff is cool, laid back environment. A great assortment of heavy bags, double end bags and speed bags. That was nice. Gym had an old school feel to it which is what I like and I am used to so that was a plus. Not sure when I'll be back this way again, but should we be fighting in Seattle in the future I'll definitely be back!

I went here for three years while I lived in Seattle and went to just about every class at some…read morepoint whenever my work or school schedule changed. Every instructor has been welcoming, highly competent, and teaches you something new. I was able to quit all my other physical activities and stay in pretty great shape just coming here, despite my terrible dietary habits. Even the virtual workouts the team put together during the worst months of the COVID shutdown kept me fit, and probably kept me sane as well. Gym culture is key in a martial arts gym and I can tell you that everyone here is helpful, friendly, and willing to challenge you in a way that is respectful and builds you up without ever being uncomfortable or risky. There can also be some variation depending on who you work with for partner drills, especially when the class is full, but having been both a total rookie and a veteran I can tell you there is always something to work on - technique, speed, power, adjusting for reach etc. The key is coming back, working with someone new, and continuing to improve. Instructors will make extra time for you when you are new. Be aware that this is a gym and there is definitely seasonality - early spring it can get full, early fall there tends to be a lot of new members, many of whom are new to Seattle (I assume recent grads). That said, the instructors do a good job adjusting the class depending on average skill level and space available.

Been training here for sometime now and I can say its definitely worth the money. 10/10 would…read morerecommend for beginners but as well as more advanced people. The trainers really know their crafts will drill their technique profusely, take coach Marios class if you stop by!

What a cool studio!…read more The music is bumpin', the studio has great visuals, and the workout is super dynamic and fun! Split into rounds of boxing and strength - love the structure. It's an amazing workout but not too hard either. A lovely locker room and showers to boot! Shout out to Braedan, what an energetic instructor!

Tobi is a great instructor for the beginner class. It was a lot of fun and not too hard. There a…read morelot of flexibility w how hard you can go and Tobi gave alternate options for each lifting step. He also was a very clear and visual instructor that described where you should feel moves as well as overall flow and cool down options. I've taken one boxing class before and it kicked my ass--it was mostly running in circles and less boxing. This class was a lot more fun and easy to tailor to your energy level of the day. Just show up! This studio is really fun. Love the dark room and the music and lights. It gets you more into the mood of working out. I took rowing before to 70s music and it just doesn't get the energy up at all in comparison. Would return.