I first became a student at Sanford's Martial Arts in 1999. I was 10 years old and my father had…read moreunexpectedly passed away. In the same year we had moved to Soquel with my twin and I starting at a new school. In a year with many unknowns, Sanford's Martial Arts quickly became the community we so desperately needed. I credit this dojo for helping me gain the confidence to navigate difficult life changes and the self discipline to persevere, even in the face of adversity. I continued with my training for many years and even became an instructor. Now my 5 year old has been training for 2 years and I cannot give enough praise for Sanford's Martial Arts youth program. Your child will learn about respect, courage, self discipline, morality and YES, they will learn self defense! As a family owned and operated business established in the 80s, the dojo culture is one built on a foundation of respect, community, and inclusivity. This place feels like home to my family and me.

My son has been practicing karate here for 1.5 years. Truly, I cannot say enough good things about…read morethis program. First, the instructors are amazing. They know where every kid is at skill-wise and are so reassuring and supportive when the students are learning new techniques. Second, mat chats! In every class an instructor takes 5-10 minutes to talk about different subjects like bullying, strangers, trusting your gut, respect, or self discipline. The students get adult role models, aside from their parents, to teach important life skills. Lastly, the dojo feels like an incredibly supportive and safe place to be. Amazing staff, movie nights, karate with mom or dad days, so many fun activities! I'm very thankful for Sanford's and watching my son build confidence here.

I've known and trained with Sensei Merek Dorf for many years. He's very patient and supportive of…read morebeginners. The dojo might be small but its members are dedicated practitioners. They have a direct affiliation with Japan and study a rare style of kenjitsu called Ryushin Schouchi Ryu http://ryushinshouchiryu.com If you're looking for an authentic dojo and legit instructors this is your place!

Sensei Preston offers an authentic expression of Okinawan karate, having studied under Grand Master…read moreShoshin Nagamine himself. As a student, I not only learned the physical, but much more importantly, the cultural and mental aspects of karate. Classes are intense, focused, and after a year or two, I was in such good shape, I could run for an hour and not even be winded. I was a student for several years before I got sidetracked by work obligations... I miss it very much, and intend to return to classes the first chance I get. If you want an authentic, and complete, karate experience, not just stripped down physical martial arts training, then there's no better place to get it than the Santa Cruz Matsubayashi Karate Dojo. Sensei also offers classes for children. My kids were students for a while (they also got side tracked) and enjoyed it very much. I'm hoping to return them to classes soon.

Sandro Batata BJJ changed my life! Having never trained any martial arts before, I was hooked from…read moremy first introductory class with Julio and quickly discovered my passion for BJJ that I hope to continue for as long as I can. From day one I felt like part of the family and was continually pushed to work harder and progress my BJJ game. Each class has a proper conditioning warm up, followed by thorough and detailed instruction on the move(s) of the day, and finished with intense, competitive style training. Julio always takes the time to answer any questions anyone has, re-explain techniques when necessary, and gives on-going advice on techniques, position, and opportunities that arise during training. Having sadly moved away from Santa Cruz and having to switch to other gyms, I can confidently say that I owe the basis of all my knowledge and progression in the sport to Sandro Batata BJJ of Santa Cruz and its instructor Julio. Thank you for everything!

Great place to train! Julio is the head instructor here and is hands on with technique. He…read morecompetes at the black belt level himself so he is up to date on the latest techniques and moves. Awesome environment...with some top level students from white to brown. They also have a few world champions at the academy in Gi and NoGi. The kids class is always packed and a lot of the kids do really well in competitions also! With all the options available these days, this is a great place to start your journey and get real authentic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Julio doesn't water down his teachings, that is why all the students here do really well. Keep up the good work!

If you are looking for a fun, educational, and supportive martial arts school, you have found it!…read moreWe absolutely love it here. My son has been attending for years, and during that time, we've made so many wonderful friends. The atmosphere strikes the perfect balance--it's focused on teaching kindness, respect, and discipline, but in a way that keeps things engaging and genuine fun for the kids. I highly recommend it!

This place is just amazing! The curriculum, the instructors, the way the classes are structured and…read morethe flexibility they provide in terms of class schedule - amazing! Our daughter tried somewhere else first and hated it. We thought she would never go back to MA until she experience Innovative Martial Arts through a friend's B-Day party. She asked us to sign her up right away which shocked us give her previous experience in another SVL place. She is now green belt and still lovin' it! Bottom line: this is THE place for martial arts in Scotts Valley/Santa Cruz. Nobody gets remotely close to it! This is IT!

I trained a martial arts program called Limalama at Synergy Dance Fitness in Aptos starting early…read more2018 until the class shut down in November 2025. While I can say the program started out well the first couple years but after instructors and ownership eventually changed just about everything went downhill from there on. Here's the problems I faced that destroyed the quality of the program: Class went from training 3 times a week to 2 times a week but still charged $100 per month Scheduled class time would randomly change At one point they tried to charge students for belt tests even though we were previously told that would never happen Belts were rewarded as a way to keep students hush and cover the low quality of the program No organization for class structure or training material The program never had sufficient equipment Half of class material was training that could be done at home without help I was charged as a student for several classes that I taught when the instructor was absent. When I asked they basically said the class doesn't bring in enough money and tried to deny that I taught enough classes. Instructor was constantly absent Instructor would arrive late and leave class early Instructor would occasionally cancel class and claim there would be a makeup class but would never follow through Instructor had very little motivation and no concern for teaching material Instructor did not have enough training experience to lead a program Instructor would reject any idea to help make the program better Instructor would complain about formality of students while not respecting formality himself

I've been taking the contemporary dance class with Cambell at this studio for about half a year…read morenow. The atmosphere is so fun and creatively charged -- it's the kind of space where you immediately feel free to express yourself and explore movement without judgment. I didn't have any dancing experience prior to this class and Cambell has been such an amazingly supportive and inspiring instructor! She choreographes beautiful moves which are both elegant and intentional. Some of them challenging but that's also what I like about this class -- I get to learn and push my dancing boundaries. She's very supportive and takes time to explain and answer all our questions. We always start with a thoughtful warm-up and stretching session to prep our bodies and prevent injuries, which I really appreciate. It sets a grounded, focused tone for the rest of the class. The group vibe is super positive too -- everyone is supportive and uplifting, and there's a real sense of community.

A great place for your kids to get their energy out while learning important skills like…read moreself-control and improved fitness. My son really benefitted from the summer camp activities (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=718624776931153&set=a.495141399279493) that kept him engaged and motivated.

My two sons and I have been studying at Laird's for a few months now and I have to say this place…read moreis amazing. Master Laird is incredible with young students as well as adults. He will make sure you do the best you can and then push you to get better. I spent several years looking at schools and instructors and am delighted to have found Laird's. Highly recommended.

My son has been going here for a couple of months, and we love it! Mr. Symons is a very strict, but…read morepositive teacher. He demands a lot from his students, but he also tailors his expectations to the age of the child with which he is working. In a very short time, I have watched my son reach a higher level of confidence and discipline (he's 7 y.o). The reason I didn't give FMA 5 stars is that the facility is a little run down, and in dire need of some cleaning and organization. I'm sure it's difficult for a small business owner of a large space such as that to both run the classes and stay on top of the facility maintenance, but it would make the school a much better place to train. Overall, I highly recommend FMA for kids Tae Kwon Do classes.

This review is for the new studio on Water street. It is plain but clean and functional and has a…read moregood working heater, which warms the place up on cold winter mornings. Though the name is 'Family Martial Arts' the main emphasis is on Taekwando classes. This is a Korean martial art that emphasizes kicking along with the hand strikes. Because of the kicking emphasis there's also a strong flexibility component; they do a lot of stretching. I joined this studio after checking it out and enrolling my twins. The boys like it because there are kids classes offered every day (the monthly fee covers as many classes as you want to go to) and all the different teachers have their own strengths, which really keeps things interesting for them. For example, they say the Monday/Wednesday teacher is great on teaching the kick techniques, the Tuesday/Thursday teacher adds in a lot of grappling training (jujitsu), the Friday teacher has them do a super intense fitness workout. They like all the teachers. All the teachers demand a high level of discipline and respect, but are also very warm in their attitude towards the kids. The kids classes typically have two instructors, so the kids get a lot of attention. I started going to the M/W morning women's class just because I don't really get any exercise and it seemed like 'why not'. They offer a good family discount and I thought I'd give it a try. The class is very small, and we get a lot of direct instruction; help with technique, etc. It's a nice combination of stretching, aerobic workout, and martial arts technique. Who knew it could be so fun to punch something? (I've never even done a gym kickboxing class, so it's all new to me.) Basically, I give the place five stars. It is an equally good workout for kids or adults. The only classes I haven't been to are the general adult classes, but I'm sure they're good.