A few weeks ago my girlfriend said she wanted to receive hadn't gun training. She had shot many…read moreyears prior with a hand gun really, too big for her, that was difficult to control. For me, it had been close to 30 years the last time I shot a had gun, but in 2005 I did purchase a hand gun and shotgun. To date, I have shot neither. As for my girlfriend's son, he loves shooting in video games, so it was time to see if he could hit the mark on a real range. I communicated with Jonathan after finding his academy on Yelp, I filled out the email on his site and we discussed what I was after for the three of us over the phone. We met him in the parking lot at Range Master in SLO on a Saturday. After signing a release form, we got our safety glasses and ear protection, both plugs and noise canceling headphones, in which Jonathan could talk to us once in the range. Making our way inside, Jonathan took the led, picking out ammo and targets, as we filled out more paperwork, providing our CADL to the guy behind the counter. Once completed it was time to make our way inside the range. We staged in a "ready room," putting on our glasses and ear protection, which receiving our targets and ammo through a small pass way. After goin g through their two-day system, we were inside the range, not crowded but a lot of other shooters, as we made our way down to lane eight. Jonathan discussed hand gun safety and the parts of a hand gun, showing us how to pick up and hold the weapon confidently. He showed us how to load magazines, with and without a loader. It was then time to shoot. My girlfriend started on a .22 ,a hand gun with virtually no recoil, easy to use and friendlier than the larger caliber she tried to use years ago. Wouldn't you know it, her first shot, a bullseye, right through the 'X' on the target. Pretty impressive! What was more impressive was the knowledge and instruction we received but the patience Jonathan had with our son. He's on the Autism scale, but high functioning and I had let Jonathan know this prior to coming to the range. He took the extra time to explain and demonstrate what he wanted done. His shooting? Pretty good, much better with the .22 than the 9mm, but he still had a good time and it was something new to experience. As for me, it was a good refresher on the safety and use of hand guns, which have come a long way since I bought mine 20+ years ago! Jonathan did inquire about our shooting goals and the CCW permit came up. It was something I considered years ago, but the politics being what they were years ago, made this process very difficult. Those have changed since that time, and it's not as difficult if you can make it through the class and demonstrate accuracy and speed on the range. I appreciate the time Jonathan spent with us and the knowledge we gained from his instruction. We are looking at furthering our skills on the range and will coming calling the next time we want to shoot. Thanks to Jonathan and Steel Bear Academy, would highly recommend him and his services.

It was my first time handling a fire arm and my confidence was not that high but wanted to learn…read morefor self defense purposes. He takes the time to walk you step by step without feeling like he's testing you. He really cares about you and everyone's safety. My favorite part were the exercises to practice what he had showed us. He broke it down by basics first so it made it easier to apply the further down in the lesson. I highly recommend!

Wonderful community of people. We were their first students when they opened and years later we are…read morestill here. The instructors are knowledgeable and kind. The student body is uplifting and you truly gain a second family.

Great instructors-patient and hard working. They attend to every student with courtesy and…read moreencouragement.

We have been at Atascadero Shotokan for a number of years and are very happy. Our son has grown and…read morelearned so much. We love the traditional aspects of karate being taught as well as subjects like self defense. Couldn't recommend enough!

My son has been training since he was freshly out of diapers, when we relocated to the area we…read morevisited all local schools. He was a green belt in his last Asian fighting art, we choose to go back to white belt because of the high quality of institution + culture of the school. I can not think of a higher complement to a school then the willingness to start over. We do not regret our decision, very happy with Patrick + team.

RBJJ has been an amazing experience. The staff does wonders with the children, keeping them safe…read moreand learning while maintaining the excitement to keep them coming back. My son has loved every minute of it and is constantly asking when he gets to go back. Josh is one of the best martial artists around and his skill on the mat is only matched by his abilities as a teacher.

Highly recommended!!! Great family oriented BJJ training facility for adults & kids. I've been…read morecoming here for almost a year but many of my training partners have been here longer. Always welcoming and friendly. Professors/coaches are highly skilled, super patient and are an amazing group to learn from. If you want to get in shape and learn one of the most challenging martial arts out there come to Resilience BJJ!

Mary Tesoro is a one-of-a-kind gifted instructor, compassionate, generous and deeply caring about…read moreher students. She manages to teach the art of Aikido to and entire class while keeping in mind the individual needs of each student. Always smiling, happy and welcoming, Mary has earned four black belts and lives and breathes the principles of AIkido. It is an honor training with this Sensei and master. More parents should introduce their children to AIkido and the inner strength and peace it brings with the training. Mary teaches kids, teens and seniors. She's one of the best teachers in the system and is responsible for training other teachers who have gone out to spread the practice to other dojos worldwide. It's never too late to learn Aikido and the benefits it provides to mind, body and soul.

From the owner: Aikido of San Luis Obispo has served the Central Coast of San Luis Obispo County for close to 30…read moreyears, offering high quality Aikido programs for adults and children. Self Defense Trainings Model Mugging Self Defense and Empowerment Aikido for Adults Aikido for Children Custom Trainings for local agencies and groups

If you have the opportunity to visit this dojo. Do it. If you have been studying martial arts all…read moreyour life then you owe it to yourself to see Kiyama Shihan's waza in person. If you are someone looking to begin on the road to training in martial arts, this is a great dojo to visit.

I've been traveling from Los Angeles to train with these guys since 1996. Really a great and rare…read moreopportunity to train under highly qualified senior instructors in this historical art. They've actually been around since 1974, but have only recently began to become visible publicly. If you're interested in classical Japanese jujutsu / aikijujutsu from an orthodox branch of Daito-ryu on the west coast, this is they way to go IMHO.

Bottom line: If you are in any way thinking about trying BJJ…read moreor relocating to a new gym and living anywhere near this place, head over today and try out a class. If you don't, you'll just be that much older when you finally do. I dropped in for a class while on vacation with my family in Cambria. Brent Dugan, owner and instructor here could not have been more welcoming, which is the hallmark of a great gym in my opinion. I came for the 6 am class so not a lot of folks in just yet, the mats were very clean and the gym has a lot of room. We spoke a bit about my experience level and he went into detail about what to expect with the class. The instruction in the class was very clear and easy to understand. I really liked the way Brent broke down the steps into the basic move we were working on that day, then finishing the move, and finally what it's going to look like in real rolling, reviewing possible reactions and counters. The welcoming feeling continued from Brent to all of the rest of the members of the class. Finding rolling partners during free-roll was easy, which isn't always the case being a larger person, and each partner had great technique and was quick to reset after a tap, ready to go. I felt no ego rolling which can be difficult for some newbies or visitors. Brent, Simon, Clint, Kirk, Kevin, and the rest, thank you for the time this week!

In town for work and stopped by for a Monday night class. Very welcoming gym and I got a killer…read moreworkout. I will definitely be coming back when I'm in town. Highly recommend Paragon BJJ!

Today was our first time here The visit was to introduce my…read more3yr old granddaughter to martial arts The class for her age group was small and the teachers were friendly, approachable and kid friendly The games to introduce martial arts was age appropriate and kept the students motivated I gave an average rating due to being the first visit

We are very pleased with the caring professional teachers here. Our daughter is shy and she is…read moredoing great learning karate. We can't recommend this business enough!

New gym replacing Headstrong. Opening Spring 2025…read more 24/7 hour access. I plan to join if they take Silver Sneakers.

From the owner: Welcome to The Gain Station, Atascadero's premier destination for strength and conditioning. We…read moretake pride in being more than just a gym - we offer an unparalleled training experience for fitness enthusiasts of all levels. Our mission is to empower our members to push their limits, transform themselves both physically and mentally, and cultivate a culture of growth and empowerment. At The Gain Station, our standout feature is our Open Gym floor, meticulously designed to provide top-tier training opportunities. We house an extensive selection of cutting-edge Real Leader USA equipment, a posing room, Functional Fitness Training, Cardio equipment, and much more!