If you have children and haven't been to SBG SoCal, check it out!…read more We have toured all the major jiujitsu studios in Pasadena and none can match it in cleanliness, teacher:student ratios and quality of instructions. Coach Marco and his team really know how to teach and empower kids. Not only do the kids learn jiujitsu and other martial arts, they also learn life lessons. Marco has been a life coach for my son. Teaching him about humanity, friendships, bullying and respect. And it's super clean which I appreciate. If you are searching for a jiujitsu experience with both quality instructions and amazing instructors that care for your children, then check it out. I've learned how to properly execute gentle, yet firm, parenting, just by watching Marco in action. I also want to add that Marco and his team are heroes. During the Eaton Fire, they were helping displaced kids, housing them at the gym, and subsidizing dozens of kids' jiujitsu membership because of their loss. Kindness at its finest. A++++++

I've been to many gyms in my life all ranging from mma to boxing to jujitsu & I always noticed a…read morecommon theme with these gyms. It was either favoritism or egos in the way. When I first arrived to SBG they welcomed me with open arms & they honed in the fundamentals of MMA & Jujitsu. The experience & environment at the gym is unlike any other gym that I've been to. They treat you like family & let you go at your own pace when it comes to learning. The classes are filled with intense fun & are structured. Just within a year I've seen huge improvements in my Jujitsu as well as MMA skills. The coaches are fun & don't take themselves so seriously like other gyms do. They make you feel like you're part of something bigger! The gym is always clean & blasting good music lol. They treat everyone the same & there isn't any egos or bad vibes there. We just recently competed & we did better than anyone could have expected. Coach Marco is truly one of one & without him & his amazing gym we wouldn't have the skill set that we have now as a gym. If you are thinking about trying it out or looking for a new home. Try SBG So-Cal ‼

Excellent, age appropriate instruction. The teachers seem to genuinely enjoy working with children…read more My son is 6 and hyperactive and they are very patient with him. They relate instruction to real life scenarios, explaining how techniques can be used to protect oneself but ALSO how to know what situations are appropriate to defend oneself. I highly recommend their services.

I'm not going to lie, Kenpo has become my favorite part of the week. It keeps me active, learning,…read moreand adhering to a schedule, all things difficult for a freelancer. I really enjoy how Master Rick Jeffcoat has set up the learning style here. I've tried Kyokushin Karate and another Kenpo studio before, but I've come to enjoy Kenpo as a style of martial arts that is adapted more for quick self defense and serious situations in the modern world. Personally, I love the language of Kenpo as it makes the most sense to me. I greatly appreciate Master Jeffcoat's immense knowledge and perfection in the art, and he and the other black belts are all fantastic at answering questions and explaining and teaching techniques. It has become one of my longterm goals to become good at Kenpo, and I hope to achieve that here with this great community.

We love it here! It's clean and Grandmaster Soke is so patient to newbies (like us). We get a good…read morework out in and I get to have this experience with my mini me. If you're thinking about joining, don't hesitate! Join with your mini me

It's a great place to work out and learn martial arts. There are both karate and judo classes. All…read morethe trainers are very qualified and professional. Grand master Soke Kubota is a living legend. I think this is the best martial arts place you can find.

Completed karate exams today…read more The dedication of the staff is demonstrated when three sensei and two sempai (all black belts) show up for one white belt testing! Most dojo (schools) would not even bother. This dojo is dedicated to the proper training of every student, no matter the rank. Quality vs. Quantity!

This is a great place to study traditional Shotokan Karate. The senseis are knowledgable and very…read morepatient. Probably the most reasonable rates in the San Gabriel Valley. Most of the senior practitioners have been attending for many years. I would highly recommend this dojo for kids as well as adults.

Totally traditional and legitimate Japanese Shotokan Karate is taught here. If you are looking for…read moreauthentic Shotakan taught by qualified instructors, then this is the place for you! The dojo is spacious enough to hold 50-70 students easily. Everyone is helpful, respectful, courteous, non combative and absolutely devoid of ego, an oddity these days in the world of martial arts. I would highly recommend this place, especially since they offer free trials!

From the owner: Welcome to JKA Los Angeles Karate Club. We are only one…read moreofficial JKA shotokan certified dojo in Southern California. We have Free Trial Class every Wednesday at 5:30pm in Temple City and Mon. and Friday in Whittier dojo. Please join us. We also have Zoom online class on Saturday beside in-person class on Monday and Friday. We have dojo in Whittier (7205 Greenleaf Av #A2, Whittier, CA 90602) as well. Please contact us for more information.

Kim's Hapkido is an awesome place! My son started at the South Pasadena location when he was 5. But…read moreafter only 3 months, the Covid pandemic shut down everything. Afterwards, at age 8, he had his second start and has been learning Hapkido for nearly 4 years now. He enjoys it a lot. This school is a wonderful place to learn self-defense, develop self-confidence and how to stand up to bullies, practice discipline and respect, and forge friendships. Master Kim and every single instructor are great with the kids (and adult students, too!). Hapkido as a martial art combines kicking, striking, throws, grappling and joint locks into a very effective self-defense system. While these techniques might seem scary and, as a parent, one might be concerned about injuries during practice, there is no reason to worry at Kim's Hapkido. The entire team of instructors is patient and skilled, and safe instructions have priority. In all the years watching my son practice, I've never witnessed an accident or unsafe instructions, including during the sparring sessions. Kim's Hapkido employs a neat belt system, with about 13 different belt colors and stripes from white to black belt. While these many steps are more than what you typically have in other martial arts, they provide an effective motivational tool to keep attending practice. Achieving the next level belt color is based on performance and an official exam (with board breaking!), and each kid is immensely proud when they are awarded the new belt. No belt is given merely based on the time spent in the dojang, but rather is awarded based on the merits of having learned the respective set of techniques. By now, my son has climbed up the belt ranking by 10 steps, and each successful passing of a belt exam represents a wonderful highlight that nurtures his self-confidence and personal growth. The adult classes at the South Pasadena location usually are 8-15 in size, whereas the kids' classes are larger, depending of the day of the week. However, in all classes there are always multiple black belt instructors available; therefore the teacher-to-student ratio is excellent; during the detailed technique portion of the class, safe and personalized instructions are assured. My son attends practice 2-3 times per week (depending on his soccer practice), plus 1 sparring session in addition. The sparring sessions are restricted to intermediate + advanced students and require the wearing of well-padded sparring gear (hitting the head is prohibited!). The gender distribution is about 50:50, and it is great to see how girls hold their own during sparring; a valuable lesson to learn for the boys! Another clever concept is Master Kim's Star Program, where kids can earn small, star-shaped merit badges for their uniform, based on achievements outside of Hapkido (such as in school or church or another sport). Some of the kids wear over a dozen of them as a proud display of their varied accomplishments during their young lives! This is one more example of how thoughtful this place is with regard to instilling a sense of achievement in its students. Despite its location in the heart of South Pasadena with its high rental costs, Kim's Hapkido has managed to keep its membership fees fair and affordable, which I appreciate. The studio is nicely spacious and there is a designated seating area for the parents in case they want to stay during class and observe (or read a book). Parking is easy and free; there is street parking along Fair Oaks Ave, dedicated parking behind the studio, and a large lot behind the Canoe House across the street.

This place was a surprisingly good find. They really know how to treat kids. Everybody seems to…read morereally like it. They have a good system of continual progression. Prices are very fair.

We couldn't be more grateful for this place -- and for Mark Arnott, who has built something truly…read morespecial here in Eagle Rock. My son is AuDHD and has historically struggled to push through hard things. In just four months, the transformation has been remarkable. He's learning to understand his body, building real resilience, and beginning to grasp what it means to both give and earn respect. That growth doesn't happen by accident. Mark runs his dojo with warmth, kindness, and genuinely high expectations. Simple things -- like his habit of telling students to say hello to someone they don't know -- go a long way toward building a real sense of community. And it shows: the parent couches are always full, and it's become one of our favorite places to connect with other families. My son is progressing beautifully in his skills, but honestly, what he's gaining beyond the mat matters just as much. We're so glad we found this place.

What an amazing and well-equipped dojo! I've wanted to study karate since I was young, and I'm…read morefinally getting around to it very late in life. I'm not a hardcore athlete by any stretch of the imagination, so I was looking for a new sport which would be fun and one where I could learn at my own pace, while also teaching me new skills and providing a good workout. Arnott Kenpo has totally delivered on these objectives. While I'm just at the beginning of my martial arts journey, I can see myself sticking with Kenpo for years to come. This is not an angry, tough-guy dojo. Mark and his fellow instructors make learning kenpo fun, exciting and understandable. If you're looking for an exercise in measuring relative testosterone levels, look elsewhere. However, if you want to try a wonderful dojo where you and/or your kids can learn a terrific martial art (Elvis did Kenpo!), gain confidence, and get a great workout, then I wholeheartedly encourage you to visit Arnott Kenpo.

Our chlidlren Lucas and Elle have been taking karate lessons at Champions Karate Monorovia for over…read morea year now. The karate lessons are great, but they learn so much more, and the positive impact it has made in both their lives. Needless to say there has been a huge void for our kids not being able to attend their classes for the past 3 months. But, that all changed this week with their reopening. They have gone above and beyond to set up all of the safety protocols to provide a safe enviroment for everyone. Our children just finished their first week back at class and are looking forward to next week. Thank you!!

My two boys have been gone to this wonderful karate place for almost one Year!…read moreIt was surprised to me that they've never say they don't want to come here!!! I think they like this karate place more than the IPad! Haha I am always busy as other working mom. But I try them to come to here as many as possible for a week. Because they really enjoying and exciting. And which also make me really happy too!!! At the same time ... they learn self control, defense and get tired very time(sleep well^^)!!! The staff are nice and seems like they are enjoying what they are doing. Definitely I highly recommend this place!!!

My kid (7) has been training at Jeff Speakmans Kenpo 5.0 Monrovia for a little over 2 1/2 years…read more She has not only made tons of progress in her art, self confidence, and discipline. She has made a ton of friends and incredible memories. Sensi Berj, is patient, knowledgeable and an incredible martial artist with the credentials to prove it. We had looked at plenty of studios before we settled here and we have never looked back. From day one we knew, this was exactly the atmosphere and people we wanted teaching/training our little one. It's 100% more than just a karate studio, it feels like one big family.

This is my utmost honest review of a place. My kids joined this dojo, were students for under a…read moreyear. I had them join to build their confidence, gain physical ability, and learn self discipline. That is exactly what we got. I am appreciative to Sensei Berj. We came in very honest with what my intention was for my kids. It wasn't abt competing, belt color (although it does help with the kids when the earn the next belt). I wanted my kids to enjoy this experience. We previously went to another TKD dojo. They didn't even take the time to learn my kid's name. Too many kids, not enough instructors. Here at Kenpo was a different, delightful experience. The group was small, Berj takes the time to get to his students and their abilities. He truly wants to see each child succeed. That is rare in today's world. Most places are abt payment. This place is abt seeing the student thrive. The only reason we stopped was because of schedule conflict with other activities, and we weren't really into competing (which I'm pretty sure would've been fine to continue without competing but we just decided to stop instead). Again, I'm appreciate to Sensei Berj. Thanks for building their confidence and overall well-being. Keep up the good work .