I've been eyeing Machida Karate Academy since I was pregnant with my firstborn. I had always…read moredreamed of enrolling him here because of the incredible reviews and the connection to someone my husband has admired for decades Lyoto Machida. When we first started dating, he told me about Lyoto, and it felt like destiny that our son would one day train at a place tied to someone we both respected. Back then, the youngest age accepted was 4, so I had to wait patiently. When my son was 3.5, I reached out to the dojo to plan ahead, and that's when I met Sensei Caroline the sweetest, most professional guide you could hope for. I also had the honor of meeting Chinzo Machida. He is incredibly humble and professional, even with a 4-year-old student, which immediately put me at ease. My son absolutely loved his time there. He would talk about it constantly, excited for every lesson, every practice. Unfortunately, after about two months, I realized he wasn't quite ready for the level of discipline and structure required yet, and I didn't want him or the class to struggle. I spoke with Sensei Caroline honestly, and she was completely supportive, encouraging us to return when the time felt right. This academy deserves every ounce of respect and recognition. The environment, the instructors, and the care they put into their students are truly exceptional. I can't wait for the day we come back and fully experience all that Machida Academy has to offer.

My daughter recently started at Machida Karate Academy in Lomita, and I couldn't be happier with…read morethe experience so far. From the very first class, the instructors made her feel comfortable, supported, and excited to learn. They strike a perfect balance between discipline and encouragement, firm when they need to be, but always positive and patient. What really stands out is how intentional they are about teaching both skill and character. My daughter is already showing more confidence, focus, and respect at home, and she looks forward to every class (which says a lot!). The lessons are well-structured, engaging, and age-appropriate, and the instructors truly take the time to help each student improve at their own pace. The academy itself is clean, organized, and clearly run with a lot of pride. Parents get a great view of the classes, and it's easy to see how much care and attention goes into each session.

My 5 year old girl has been growing a ton of confidence here. We started in jiujitsu and she was…read morehaving trouble leveraging her weight and figuring out the twisting of body parts with her partner. The competitive nature of that program and discipline didn't build her confidence much. Here, the practice is focused on the individual but also as a part of the collective team. No real sparring yet in the Little Samurai class, only some practice punches and kicks with chest protectors. Lots of punching bag practice for strength building and training. Lots of calisthenics as well with lunges, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, frog jumps, burpees, etc. Skills that they can use their whole lives and get stronger with. At the same time, there will be fun games like tag, dodgeball, red light green light to keep their interest and to work on reflexes. Excellent training in focus and active listening as well with focus claps, raising hands to speak, caring for others and awareness of everyone's space. These things I have not encountered in any other studio/dojo. I've seen many places that allow disruptive students or even parents. In contrast, here at 1st class, they don't teach blind discipline towards any instructor/owner but respect for one's self and each other. This alone is what keeps us coming back. This is what schools don't teach enough of. Not to mention the actual martial arts she is learning here. Channeling their chi into a strong Aiya, learning how to punch and kick correctly in self defense. Amazing program for little ones. Instructors are all black belts who are not only cordial, but also gentle yet firm. We fit in very well here and would highly recommend this program for little ones.

Took my little one here for a complimentary class. I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of…read morestudents and staff. The class was cute. It went by a little fast but I'm not sure if my little one could handle and hr long class though. Besides the distance for us, we would have committed. We may consider later.

Great dojo to train for self defense. Learn at your own pace by age and ability. Safety first,…read moregotta glove up to punch.

My 9 year-old son has this to say about Sensei Ford and Kaizen Dojo: "I love it! Sensei is great!…read moreHe's fun and nice, but he's also still a badass! I like his jokes! He's a good Sensei and I like going there very much!" I couldn't agree more! Very thrilled we found Sensei Ford and his impressive dojo. He's a natural teacher, leader, and clearly enjoys sharing the art, sport, and spirit of karate with all the kids. He keeps both the kids and parents engaged with the occasional joke or well-placed movie quote. And yes, he *is* a badass! I hope my son stays with karate at Kaizen Dojo!

Mr. Colwell is a fun, motivating and disciplined instructor. He teaches broader life, integrity and…read morecharacter lessons along with the karate. My son loves the classes, game nights, nerf wars and all the other stuff they put on. The close community of kids, parents and teachers really shines

Highly highly recommend! My 7/9 year old boys love the studio. Mr. Colwell is an amazing…read moreinstructor teaching karate, focus, discipline and fun. Not the cheapest class in town - you get what you pay for.

My sons have been taking classes with Yamato Sensei for a little over a yr now. His patience and…read morediscipline have amazed us. My wildest son is doing a lot better now and able to focus better. It also helps that he can speak Japanese as he can discipline the boys in Japanese if they cannot understand what he's saying in English. I believe my boys picked up English faster as they were able to hear both English and Japanese in class even for once a wk. Thank you Sensei for all your help!

We started karate with Michi sensei at Samurai Karate because my 3 year old son showed interest in…read morekarate/martial arts and Samurai Karate studio accepted 3 year olds and offered some outdoor classes, which I preferred at the time. My son has been going to karate with Michi sensei for about 6 months, and he's made a ton of improvement in his ability to focus and follow instructions, as well as with his body awareness, in that time period. He started off barely able to participate in class for 10 minutes, and now eagerly tries to learn all the moves the whole time. Michi sensei is warm and natural with young kids, but also has appropriately high expectations of them so that they take class seriously and improve. My son loves Michi sensei and looks forward to class with him every week, and we look forward to continuing our son's karate journey with Samurai Karate studio!

From the perspective of someone who has had the opportunity to compete all over California, I…read moreSTRONGLY believe that Dragon Martial Arts is the best Taekwondo studio in the state. Dragon has been my home for over 8 years, and ever since then, they have always took good care of me, and shaped me into a well rounded, disciplined person. I've been doing taekwondo ever since I was a little kid, and had the time of my life during this long journey. I also strongly believe that Grand Master HoJae Young is the best in the business. Not only is he the best Grand Master in Southern California, he wants all of us at Dragon to be the best not only at taekwondo, but outside of it as well. He always encourages students during class to try their best, and bring a positive growth mindset every single day. Whether you are reading this review because you are interested in your kid in starting taekwondo, or you are looking for a new studio, I strongly encourage you to check out Dragon. P.S. - I really don't write much reviews on yelp, so I mean everything that I wrote to my heart. Growing up in this studio, I truly had one of the best experiences I could ever ask for in my life. I would like to thank everyone in Dragon for being such amazing people. I couldn't ask for more professionalism from any other studio in the world.

My two kids coming here for years and tkd is one of their favorite activities. Kids like regular…read moreclasses but also demonstration class which is counted for volunteer hours. I believe Master Yong is talented and specialized for martial art. I'm happy to see my kids doing tkd and proud of them.

Shotokan Torrance dojo is at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center that has a lot of parking spaces and…read morethere are a lot of cultural communications are going on. It is easy to come! It is very good opportunity to learn mental method to apply your business and any challenges that you are doing in your living. When you are mentally stronger, you are physically stronger too. Should try to watch the practice first!

From the owner: Torrance Shotokan Karate is a dojo (studio) member of Shotokan Karate of America, a non-profit…read moreorganization promoting the teaching of traditional Karate-do in the United States since 1956. Our Shihan (Chief Instructor) is Tsutomu Ohshima, a direct pupil of Gichin Funakoshi who introduced karate to Japan from Okinawa in the 1920s. Torrance Shotokan Karate stresses the importance of character in the practice of martial arts as well as physical development. We welcome all who wish to practice our traditional style of karate.

Training understanding, observing him teaching other students is consideration for my shortcomings…read moreand teach me to appreciate Korean Hapkido and accomplishing my black belt. Thank you.

My daughter and I attended self defense classes here. The instructors are informative and helpful…read more The facility is clean and organized. Highly recommend!

Oss! Advanced and intermediate instruction, all levels, all…read moreages, good training, good convenient location and plenty of parking.

I took the Karate class for the first time. Louise Sensei taught me clearly! Her lesson was very…read morefun:) I go regularly for my exercising!