Professionally ethically, as I understand it, I am required to own up to my mistakes and correct…read morethem when possible. I believe it is appropriate to extend such ethical behavior into my personal life. I originally gave this place five stars. Part of that was because I was coming off a horrible experience with the predecessor organization of this place, part of it was because David Diep does in fact have some good knowledge with respect to shao lin training. Some of what he states is not correct, or at least debatable at best, but no one can be perfect and I think I could have easily overlooked most of his short comings. To start with, like their predecessor organization, they lied. Before I started training there, I asked a very simple question and was outright lied to. That question was do they hit the floor or do ground work. I even elaborated and stated that their predecessor organization claimed to do ground work but during sparring, the minute two people hit the ground, it was stopped. Further, they considered ground work rolling and drop kicking and a half day seminar annually on the same. Chuan Wu even has mats, so I thought they were telling the truth. But alas, they were in fact lying. They do not do ground work. On this same light, I believe their understanding of Chin Na is missing the spirit of Chin Na. Like their predecessor organization, their Chin Na is more akin to what Kajukenbo calls quick responses. Chin Na, as I understand it, translates to "sieze and hold," not move out of the way while punching and kicking. It became clear to me that joint locking was foreign to most at this location. Then the problems started to arise about six weeks after I started to train there. A third degree violently verbally projected his lack of understanding of the subtle emptiness inherent in tai qi sparring. How he rose to the rank of third degree without this understanding baffles me. But this issue would more than likely have resolved itself, except others did not want it to. David's wife, second in command as I understand it, overheard part of the subsequent conversation between the third degree and myself. Taking the part of the conversation out of context and blowing it up to a mountain resulting in further drama culminating in both public and private meetings. During the private meeting, I was required to become much more than humble merely to save the face of David even though it clearly showed in his face that he knew very well he was not speaking the truth and was taking credit where it did not belong. From this incident, I started to see that although David does have some good knowledge, he doles it out as his whimsical heart determines. Unfortunately this means if you are not in his good graces, irrespective of the underlying reason, the information is withheld. To me, one of the primary functions of a teacher is to provide information to the students, not withhold it. The incident with the third degree and the subsequent wife issue, were just the start. The drama and psychological costs kept occurring to the extent that I realized I had been through this before. For five years I trained at a place that had decent kung fu and training. Four or five days per week for about five years, I motivated myself to take the 45 minute drive, and train for three plus hours. At this place, the training was top notch, but just about every week, one of the upper echelon would behave in such a way as to demotivate the class. The same thing was happening at Chuan Wu. The only difference is at the other place, the very top guy was not involved; at Chuan Wu the top guy is involved and often treats adults like children. He requires people to be perfect yet he is far from it. On numerous occasions I answered a question only to be told I was wrong and then listened to him reiterate my correct answer. The final straw for me was when David's son, a second degree who's shen is not developed enough for him to hold such status, apparently became bothered because he and many other upper echelon of this place believe respect is a one way street, and that lower ranked persons should be in a perpetual bow to bolster the empty egos. In my opinion, this is completely wrong. If an upper belt is on the floor during a lower belt class, the upper belt, being the guest at the moment, should yield to the lower belts since it is their class time, but the empty egos simply would not allow this. If you are willing to pay the psychological costs, and if you are willing to accept teachers that take much effort to demotivate, as opposed to motivating students, and dole out information sparingly based on whimsical emotions, you might be able to get some decent training here. I think it is sad, because the majority of the people I trained with had good hearts, I was learning and changing, but like the other place of many years ago, the upper echelon leave a lot to be desired and exact a price that I am not willing to pay.

Martial arts is a broad concept, which is one of the reasons I took a while to commit to a system…read moreof the art. I finally had the opportunity to engage in Kung Fu after years of thinking about what to get into, what my objectives were and finding the appropriate school to suit what I was looking for: 1. Balance of my mind, my emotions (positive/negative) with my phsycial being; 2. A skill that I can use for self-defense; 3. Improvement in mobility, endurance and my overall health; 4. A traditional Kung Fu school that focuses more on the art of Kung Fu comprehensively without the competition. After visiting, observing and meeing with owners of various Kung Fu schools, I learned that CHUAN WU KUNG FU INSTITUTE would be able to provide the guidance, the skills and the knowledge to help me meet my objectives. It has been five months attending CWKF and I have already started the process in obtaining my personal goals and have even received more than I what I wanted. The sifus and masters - Master David, Master Oanh, Master Katherine, Sifu Noel, Robert and the other instructors are very patient and have years of experience. They make this experience a successful one.

Excellent instructor and program. They always care for their students and look for ways to expose…read morethe potential each student has. Students attend 3x per week, two days for technique and 1 for sparring.

A very fun experience and perfect for the younger kids who are looking to have some fun while…read moredeveloping disciplinary skills. Instructors are experienced, especially my instructor Cecil Moreno who just received a scholarship for his time in taekwondo. Master/owner is very strict and impatient, but that motivates the students to train harder and think faster which is good for the younger children as they will be challenged to straighten themselves up into a true martial artist and become successful in the future. The environment is very small but also very friendly and family orientated. Smaller classes mean a closer bond to the fellow classmates which can be good for those who are shy. Outgoing students will enjoy ceremonies and parties as more people will attend and will surely have a great time. You can see the black belts have developed a really close relationship/bond as you would want the black belts to have. Students themselves are very skilled at what they do thanks to the harsh but excellent training they revieve. They will cry, bleed, whine, etc., but that's where the sport of taekwondo will take you. No pain no gain. Former students have become successful as some are now currently on the Team USA roster (James Howe II, Alvin/Albert Jong, etc.). With the motivation that your child will get, their future can be anywhere. If you are looking for a very good taekwondo dojang that is very affordable and fun for the kids, give this place a shot! They have a 2 week FREE training!!!

Black Belt Taekwondo 2025! We are very proud to be a disciple of this dojo. I would like to express…read moremy sincere gratitude for the opportunity to practice Taekwondo. This martial art has not only improved my physical health, strength, and flexibility, but also helped me develop greater discipline, focus, and confidence in daily life. Through each training session, I've learned the value of perseverance, respect, and self-control. Taekwondo has become more than just a sport--it's a powerful way to grow both mentally and physically. Thank you to my instructors and everyone who has supported my journey in this meaningful path.

Before the Grand Master passed away, I was here during my adolescence for a couple of years until a…read moremonth in after receiving my black belt. It was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. Tons of friends and even had a fling or two. Looking back, this place built me into the man I am today. Confident, strong and disciplined. This place set me up to teach Taekwondo at my church in a life group, another great experience.. Overall.. The dojo is set up like a warehouse, but don't let that fool you. The extra space, hard carpet, and high ceilings were all pluses, training wise. They had sandbags set up, vending machines, training gears, even weights. I was an assistant instructor but I never forced impossible stretches as the above reviewer said, but you can always tell them not to do that. Come on, they aren't there to hurt you. Unfortunately you can get a bad instructor but in my hay day, the instructors were great. Like a sensei. The training is intense and works up a real sweat, with the occasional sparring three times a week. This was my favorite part of training, and I would do it without gear, but for kids, its extremely safe and fun. It builds up self defense confidence and replaces fear with fun. I would recommend this dojo for kids/beginners or those that want to dabble in martial arts or mma.

I really really like this place. First off lets talk about their customer service, people here are…read moregreat and friendly. Not only are their staff great and helpful but the environment here with their students are just great and uplifting. The master that teaches here is probably one of the nicest most helpful people I've ever come across. My son has been here since he was 6 and is now on his way to his black belt in few months. The instructors that teach here are very very experienced and trust them very well to teach my son what it is to be disciplined. This studio has a few instructors that teach different stuff here. There are different types of martial arts here, from Tae Kwon Do, to Eskrima. Not much more I can review here, it's more of a try it out sort of place and I promise you won't be disappointed with their service. Friendly-ness and awesome fun students makes it worth while to come here. If you're serious about trying a martial arts place, especially Tae Kwon Do, I HIGHLY suggest coming here and trying it out. I wouldn't have my son coming here for so long if I really thought this place wasn't good for him. This place is great for kids as well as adults, so don't be shy to come in and check it out, master Manuel is a people person and will be glad to help you in any way. These people are real professionals when it comes to Tae Kwon Do, they really know their stuff and are highly educated in this form of martial arts. They really know how to show kids a good time while keeping them focused at the same time. Thumbs up guys for keeping this a friendly environment for my son to learn and grow up in. Keep up the good work!

If you're looking for a place that follows tradition, Pacific Alliance Martial Arts (PAMA) is the…read moreplace to check out. Master Manuel has been teaching Tae Kwon Do and Eskrima for many years now and there is no one more qualified than him in this area. The connections of this school is great and vast. With a well-trained staff and strong student-base, it's no surprise that members of PAMA win gold medals at tournaments. Many can talk the talk, but few can walk the walk.

I went to this school 10 years ago. I miss it. This is a traditional martial arts school with an…read moreingrained background in Chinese culture. While never like a military/gung-ho jock regiment, they do instill a sense of discipline in their lessons as a way to focus on every detail. Anyways going here really helped my fitness, agility, and confidence despite my health-related shortcomings. One time I broke my arm in an accident outside of class - I actually rehabilitated it right away going through the various forms I learned in school. And although I never got a chance to use my gungfu outside of class, I felt prepared. I wish they had a class up here in the North Bay although they do have a sister school in San Francisco.

I stay with this school for 5 years now and it's not a surprise I am giving it 5 stars. There are…read moreenough kungfu schools in Bay Area to choose from, many of them are very good, but I choose to stay at this one. I came from tai-chi practice in a very traditional way - follow your master under a tree in a park, try to copy, ask questions respectfully, practice often. So I liked the way this school is organized. The main idea here is very simple - everybody has it's own way and speed of learning. Your body and mind need to take time and to pay in sweat to process a new stuff. Once you absorebed enough of it, you can move to the next level of complexity. Then repeat the cycle. If you want to learn some flashy wushu forms then it's probably a wrong place for you. But if you are willing to invest time in understanding and learning traditional kungfu then you are welcome here.

Before you go: bring sandals!! Only bare feet are allowed on the Judo mat. Help keep it clean for…read moreeveryone! I came to try an Adult class on Monday night. Monday is skills, Wednesday includes some sparring. Sensei Chuck was very welcoming to the new people even though everyone else in the class was already experienced! For our first lesson we were also able to borrow gis and belts which were very clean. Chuck gives clear instructions with an emphasis on safety. He made sure that we were throwing and falling safety. You can tell that he is dedicated to making the class a safe place to be in. Overall, I learned a lot from my first class and felt very comfortable with the instructor and students despite having never tried Judo before. I will come back again when I need a good workout, and I highly recommend anyone who is interested give CJ Judo a chance!

Chuck and Shozo know there stuff. Speaking on the Adult class, It is a judo class with a BJJ…read moreatmosphere. What do I mean by that? Well....Everyone is super friendly and welcoming! There is no tension, everyone wants to roll, and it's a productive environment. Sensei Chuck is very humble too. He introduced himself just as Chuck :). It is in the Same building as Crossfit, so if you do Crossfit, you must do this. This is a good way to get in shape while learning a good skill at the same time.

Have been going here for months and I can say it's an amazing experience all around! Instructors…read moreare friendly and welcoming, they accommodate on your needs and will teach you useful stuff

If you are looking for genuine self defense and a great work out if this is the place! Professor…read moreBono is a rare gem who is genuinely in it for the love of his art and his students. The training here is hands down the best you'll find. If you are serious about self defense that is both practical and effective than Kajukenbo is the style and this is the school!

We've had such a wonderful experience with Maloney's Martial Arts and I truly can't recommend them…read moreenough. My son attends classes twice a week, and what stands out the most is the balance they maintain between discipline and encouragement. The instructors are incredibly patient, structured, and genuinely invested in each child's growth--not just in martial arts, but in confidence, focus, and respect. What I really appreciate is how consistent and thoughtful the teaching approach is. Classes are well-organized, and there's a strong emphasis on life skills--self-control, perseverance, and responsibility--not just physical training. You can tell this is more than just a class--it's a community. The environment is welcoming, and kids feel supported while still being challenged to do their best. I've seen a noticeable improvement in my son's confidence and discipline since joining. If you're looking for a place that truly cares about your child's overall development, this is it.

My daughter joined Maloney's martial arts when she was in 2nd grade after trying another martial…read moreart class. Mr. Maloney and Mrs. Angelica both are very patient, positive and encouraging. They don't just teach karate but also long lasting life skills. Here is what Maloney's martial arts means to my daughter in her own words "When I first started, I thought that karate would never come in handy especially because of the safe community I was living in. But after a few classes, I realized that it wasn't only for self defense, it was also to learn to be kind to others, to yourself, to be calm and learn to control your body. These characteristics are what Karate is made of and mastering them can help you so much throughout life. Karate is not just about a black belt but it is about what you learn to get to that stage."