My teacher/mentor for 35 years. Best Tae Kwon Do instructor in Oregon, maybe even the United…read moreStates. I started in Tang Soo Do at age 9, then Hapkido & Judo age 17, Then Tae Kwon Do age 22. Ive had many teachers before him, and many after. Ive met martial artists teachers and masters from around the world in my 49 years experience, (5 disciplines, 9 weapons, 27 black belt students) Grandmaster James H. Lee in Eugene Oregon is the best Tae Kwon Do teacher in America today, PERIOD, and is far too under rated because of his humility. Thank you Quajangnim. Here video proof of his greatest student, who isn't as humble: https://youtu.be/BLwPdoN8SGE?si=F3ceB_lJ5ZH8vBHA

Great grand master Lee is wonderful with my son as well as the other children. The 5 Tenets have…read morehelped my son's attitude and overall sense of self. I'm very pleased and happy that my son had the opportunity to attend his classes while we were in the area.

Great dojo for kids and adults. My 7 y.o. studies karate and…read morejudo under sensei Alan Best. Sensei best has a great balance of patience and high expectations with the kids. I've seen my young one grow in discipline and technical competence under Sensei Best's instruction. My oldest son and I attend the teen/adult Judo class and it's awesome. It's a heck of a workout. The instructors are highly proficient and good at teaching what they know. From teenage girls to old guys like me everyone is treated with respect and a growth mindset. Very kind and supportive culture which is important when you are choking and throwing your classmates.

Best Martial Arts Institute is, in my opinion, the finest martial arts studio in Lane County. They…read moreoffer a wide variety of martial arts classes, from aikido to judo to systema to the more traditional karate and taikwondo, and their instructors are without peer. Sensei Alan Best has been teaching martial arts professionally for over 20 years, and his instructors are all highly qualified. Sensei Jay Kufner deserves special note, as he teaches some of the best kids classes I have ever witnesses. Furthermore, he is able to bring his knowledge of other styles (eskrima and capoeira, for example) and incorporate them into the more traditional adult classes. Yes, the classes are hard, but in a very good way; you will sweat, you will learn, and you will have a great time doing so. If you are looking for a great workout, want to learn a new skill, or are just looking for a fun new activity, I highly recommend giving Best Martial Arts Institute a try.

I took my 4 year old son to one of their free classes to see if he would like it. My child is shy…read moreand it was a brand new environment he was standing offish and mainly watched instead of jumping in with the other kids he then was essentially kicked out of the class and I was told to keep him with me when he wanted to go try again the way it was handled was extremely unprofessional and made my son feel very sad. If you are going to be open to small children you need to do better with small children who are timid. Very disappointing experience.

Great environment and a lot of laughter and serious calisthenics. Taekwondo is my passion and I am…read morereally thankful I get to be part of great community and their time and energy is so valuable.

I recently retired... and wanted something to do that would give me lots of exercise, and possibly…read moresome skills too. I found Core Star Center through searches, and since they teach both taekwondo and yoga... I signed up. Great group of students here. The higher belts work with new people and the lower belts, and everyone has a lot of fun. The owner and head black belt is great too, very easy to get along with. Highly recommended for any age group...

They present various arts. Guro ferd is a patient instructor. He answers all your questions and…read moreassist in all facets of his kali training. Try it out and see for yourself. THIS IS NOT A MCDOJO GIVE it a try you will get something the first day. Very reasonable fees also.

Great instructors and phenomenal program. Highly recommended. Studio moved to Southtown next door…read moreto Southside Marine.

From the owner: "Character driven, Level Based, Fitness System."…read more We offer 2 FREE intro classes always! Our Back to School special for the month of August & September (New students only): $49 for one month includes free uniform.

Full disclosure: I was invited to attend a training session at Krav Maga Oregon: Salem by a…read morefriend, who is a Krav Maga instructor and was teaching a class at this location. I am quite sure my experience could be coloured by the fact that I am fond of her as a person, so I will do my best to be objective based on environment, what is offered, and surroundings. Also, I work in the public safety field, so I have been through numerous self-defense courses and various organized physical activities. This facility is small, essentially one medium-sized room with some roll-up doors that lead to the alley outside. The floor is the typical soft mat that runs from wall to wall. It is very stark, very basic, and there's not a lot of clutter. There are a number of round weights to attach to bars, but they are not very heavy...I believe they only went up to 7 pounds. The reason for that is the Krav Maga system utilizes repetition and motion, rather then bulk weight. The class I attended was more of a cardio/physical conditioning class than a combat tactics class. The acoustics made it slightly difficult to hear the instructor, because of the high ceiling and the open doors, but the sound system for the music was top notch and kept things pumping. The class lasted a little over an hour and was very physically intensive. There was a brief warm-up phase that involved the usual calisthenics, followed by almost a solid hour of low weight exercises in a variety of positions, i.e. standing, sitting, and lying down. You can go at your own pace and with your own weight, but she was quick to make suggestions on when to raise or lower your weight limit, to try and achieve better results. The class was relatively small, with only about eight people, and was very jovial and boisterous. There was a lot of bantering back and forth between the students and instructor, and joking, which kept the energy level high. I noticed they had water and energy drinks for sale, but the price seemed a little high. The classes themselves appear to have an enrollment fee of about 80 bucks, with a monthly fee of 125, going down about fifteen bucks when you sign up for three, six, or twelve months. There also appears to be a discount if you pre-pay for a block of time in advance. I was also told they offer "punch cards," where you essentially pay $120 for ten visits, which obviously works out to 12 bucks a visit. Honestly, that's about average for self-defense or martial arts classes in the Salem Area that I've seen, although a little high as most of those offer some sort of personal, one-on-one training. This is also not a training facility useful for small children or adolescents. It's my understanding that during the combat training, it can be quite painful and very direct. The purpose of this Krav Maga studio is self-defense and is very strongly directed towards military, police, corrections, and other public safety officers, although useful to everyone. It is not a "get fit and have fun" kind of discipline, although that happens. It's really aimed at practical usage, so be aware that that is the mentality and the environment to expect while there. Overall, I'd recommend it if you were serious about learning a proven fighting style, don't want to prance about in a fancy robe, don't care about getting a bunch of coloured belts, or don't want to pretend that a six year old kid with a higher belt level then you is hurting you when he kicks you in the leg. Hai-ya!

I train at KMOR whenever I'm on vacation in Salem. Normally, I train in southern CA. Every school…read morehas its strengths and its own personality. I always appreciate the hospitality at KMOR and the top-rate instructors who are active professionals in law enforcement. Class size is generally small. Usually six or less. The small class size can be a great advantage, however, because the instructors can pay attention to the details of each technique. Many KM schools have such large class sizes that technique and proper instruction suffers. But that's not the case at KMOR. The facility is well maintained and clean. But this might not be the place for you if you don't care for dogs. The owner's dog is a frequent, albeit friendly and well-mannered, visitor. Personally, I don't mind it, but I know my husband would never train here for this reason. The only disadvantage of the school is the limited training times and lack of advanced classes. Right now, the school only runs levels 1 and 2 KM classes.

Great instructors who make it interesting and fun for the kiddos. Family owned business with really…read moredown to earth folks. Highly recommended!

Thanks for your comment on my review. You are not the individual in question. The interaction…read moreleft such a bad taste in my mouth that there's probably no way I'll ever do business there, and this will be my final interaction. Best of luck with the dojo. I think you probably provide a good service. I just wish your people could be more friendly with neighbors. Maybe they were having a bad day, but they didn't have to take it out on me. Really horrible. Just awful. Very rude and disrespectful.