This place is the best. Community-oriented, fun, and…read morefriendly. They have a great summer camp. Many other classes offered also. Young kids, teens, adults, seniors. Judo & kick boxing.

There are not enough positive words to describe the people and experience here…read more I've known Scott for about 10 years and have witnessed his skill and knowledge in different settings and with different audiences. As time goes on he gets better at what he does and he is great! He was recommended by several friends who went to him and took their kids to him. So what separates Scott and his staff from other similar businesses in the area? They are personable, positive, encouraging, and supportive. They have donated their time and expertise to the community by teaching High School and Junior High students useful and proven self defense techniques. He even trained my co-workers and I so we would have necessary and helpful background knowledge. The confidence building, individual contact, commitment, and genuine care the staff takes in teaching all students is unmatched. There is a personal touch here that really has a lasting effect on the students. Thank you for being you. Thank you for giving so much to your community.

I've had the pleasure to learn Tai Chi Sword here with Dan Cuthbertsen and it's been a wonderful…read moreexperience. He is an amazing teacher! Patient, professional, funny, articulate, present, and extremely knowledgeable. I look forward to learning other styles of martial arts with him as well. Highly recommend!

High standards and excellent instruction are hallmarks of the Petaluma Academy of Martial Arts…read more Director, Daniel Cuthbertson, and his skilled staff offer a diverse variety of, programs in Martial Arts. Programs are offered for all levels of students from the beginner to the advanced, with some really wonderful programs especially for children. The adult Tai Chi program in which I am enrolled gives a through foundation in the Yang Style Long and Short Forms. Qigong practice in the form of warm ups, and which is also a traditional companion practice to learning the disciplines of Tai Chi Forms, is also offered, and is a great health benefit and an enhancement to the practice of Tai Chi.

Went in for my first self defense class along with my sister and didnt know what to expect. The…read moreinstructor, Damon was very respectful and informative in his class along with everyone else there. Great experience. If you havent tried this place yet I would definitely recommend it.

Great experience. Sifu damon is very knowledgable. Classes are good for all levels. Good for…read moreanyone interested in martial arts, practical self defense. Environment is welcoming and safe for newcomers.

everyone is so nice there, I came to visit a few times and they were so welcoming. lots of good…read moreupper level people to roll with also. cannot recommend enough.

Absolutely loved my first experience here! Everyone is very friendly, welcoming, and willing to…read morehelp new members. The style is effective and taught well by experienced instructors. Happy to be a member!

This play is so welcoming and inviting. Classes are small at the moment which means a lot of one…read moreon one instructions. I've had crazy injuries doing bjj but I feel really safe here. Would definitely recommend.

From the owner: We offer and inclusive and safe space for all to learn jiujitsu. read more

About a year ago I was shopping around for a martial art that would be good for my 11 year old son…read more He tried several different team sports, but he never seemed very inspired or passionate about any of them. I began "Youtubing" different martial arts and unintentionally came across Capoeira. I had no idea what it was, but when I watched some Capoeira videos, I saw kicking, escaping, cartwheeling, flips, dancing, music, cultural diversity and what seemed to be a very communal experience. This Capoeira thing definitely peaked my interest. I signed up my son after he watched the videos and said he'd wanted to try it. Then I thought, wait, I wanna try this, too! So I attended an adult class of Contra Mestre Fabio's the next week and I knew I was onto something wonderful. Everyone was inviting, friendly and helpful. I was introduced to not only a new martial art, but a dance, new instruments and even some singing in Portuguese. My son and I have now been doing Capoeira for about a year. We both go twice a week or more. We often attend combined bay area Capoeira events and have gained community, support and friendships with people from all over. It's been a wonderful and enjoyable experience for both of us and so much more than I ever expected either of us to get out of getting exercise a few times a week. If you are looking for a teacher of Capoeira who is patient, friendly, knowledgeable and brings a wealth of experience and culture from Brazil, you have found a great place to come to. We are so lucky to have Contra Mestre Fabio from Brazil teaching us in Petaluma and his partner Instrutora Come Come as well.

I started this class about six weeks ago. Wow they are great. Instructors and fun a patient. You…read morelearn about the culture and music as well. The classmates are friendly and overall a good community of people. Its a great workout and you can take it at a pace that works for you. I look forward to continuing on in my practice. Come on out and play with us! Three months later I'm still at it and loving it. The instructors are great and the fitness benefits have helped me lose 9 lbs since I started.

Excellent place to learn the open hand and weapons forms of Aikido! Great kids program too.read more

Sensei Paul is a wonderful instructor. I appreciate that he is patient yet firm with his students…read more He deeply cares about his students and their success and is more focused on developing a well-rounded individual than testing and promoting belts. I believe he is passionate about teaching, extolling the virtues of Aikido and is always applying real life to his instruction.

The teachers here are fantastic. Every kid is given individualized instruction, even in a group…read moresetting. There is a positive vibe and students support each other. The program feels a bit overwhelmingly complex at first. They have many options and different events, dates, milestones... once we attended for a month or so I got the hang of things. And there is always a friendly face to answer questions.

We have had the pleasure of knowing Senior Master Schafer for 2yrs. He has always been an…read moreinspiration for us. Recently we became students of his, and we couldnt be more impressed. We are fortunate to be a part of his martial arts family. If you want your child (or yourself) to learn martial arts, and skills to succeed in life ... SIGN UP and never look back! Enjoy the journey!

The best martial arts school in Sonoma County for sure! Dan Cuthbertson has been around for decades…read moreand the schools 32 year history has seen the fads come and go. Once you meet the instructors and have a class, you'll understand why he's been there so long. This school isn't about fancy equipment and patches on uniforms - it is about taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. I just saw that they're also doing a free trial month - may be worth checking out!

Master Strain is the best! She has taught my daughter confidence and strength as well as respect.read more

If you like to waste your money on sending your kid to learn fake martial arts at a daycare center…read morethis is the place for you. I went to ATA for 3 years and got my blackbelt. First of all, the blackbelt ceremony is a literal circus. My older brother did real martial arts and then I found out that ATA is not a real martial art. I do Kenpo Karate now, and looking back, I see it as the worst self defense system ever! ATA's self defenses are COMPLETELY WORTHLESS and unrealistic. When Terri Strain tried showing me how to do a technique, it didn't work because she did not know how to do the pressure point. And she's a 5th degree blackbelt in ATA!! She made up a lame excuse saying that I was "double jointed". Terri is an absolute joke. ATA is a complete waste of time. All they do is "point sparring", and they only let you hit 10-20% because they want to avoid liability. You have to understand though, martial arts is all about learning how to fight and defend yourself. If you train to fight 10-20%, then that's exactly how you'll fight in a real life situation. When people go to ATA and say it's a good martial art, they are completely brainwashed. When they test you for your belt every month, the instructors don't care. All ATA wants is your money and they give you your belt even when you look terrible. Also, when they teach stick fighting they only teach you a worthless defense with worthless strikes. But get this! You can learn more if you join the almighty leadership program!! Don't worry, it's only $150-200 DOLLARS A MONTH. Have fun buying overpriced foam and plastic toy weapons. Plus the kids class (Tiny Tigers) is legit baby sitting. If you think I'm wrong, go to a real karate school for at least 6 months and tell me what you think. I honestly feel sad for the people that are tricked into ATA. Overall, if you want your kid to have a false sense of confidence and waste thousands of dollars on overpriced, watered down martial arts, then maybe this is the place for you.