First and foremost, this place is VERY inclusive of trans, queer, and non-binary students! I know the name says "women's," but go to their website and read their gender policy, there is most likely a place for you if you aren't a cis male. Second, they are super accepting of low-income students! They never turn people down for scholarships or inability to pay, and they offer work-study opportunities. They also offer childcare while training!!! I did a Try-A-Class night back in November 2017, when I was feeling out-of-shape and emotionally overwhelmed by the state of the world. I needed something that would combine physical activity with mental/spiritual growth, in a non-judgmental environment. I loved it so much, I decided to sign up for the Beginner's Cycle (a month-long training series) in January 2018, and I have been training there ever since. When I first started, I was in a rut working at a dead-end job and lacked the confidence to move on to something better. Within 7 months, I had scored my dream job. Coincidence? I don't think so... training here really will boost your motivation and self-esteem. They offer a lot of opportunity to belong to a community that at times feels like a family, but there's also no pressure to get involved outside of attending classes. And no previous martial arts experience is required! read more

Seven Star Women's Kung Fu is a great place to make new friends, get/stay in shape, and learn life long skills. I've never been the athletic type, but I still enjoy both the physical and mental challenge of kajukenbo/kung fu. Everyone is incredibly supportive and it great to train with such a diverse group of women. Seven Star also offers scholarships and free child care and is 100% for women by women. read more

After stumbling across Seven Star on the internet, I decided to give the "Try A Class" night a chance. I had nothing to lose, right? Well, I was instantly hooked and signed up for the 8-week beginner's cycle before I left on that fateful first day. I've been training for about four months now, and I love it! The instructors are wonderful and the other students are all super nice. It's a very welcoming environment for beginners -- especially those of us who have otherwise busy schedules that just want to fit something fun in between work and home life. It's a magnificent learning experience, and a good workout that beats the hell out of going to the gym! read more

I've now been training for about 9 months, so I figured it is time for an update! I am still addicted to kajukenbo and completely happy with Seven Star. The teachers are fantastic and the community is amazing. The women who train here are some of the nicest, most interesting women in the world! I'm mostly updating this review to share some new info about the school. Starting this year, in addition to the 8 week beginner's cycle, Seven Star will also be offering 4 week self defense classes, meeting once a week. It is a great way for women who want to learn self defense to do so if they don't particularly care about learning martial arts. The 8 week beginner's cycle splits time between martial arts and self defense. The school also has a fairly new ASL interpreting program to help enable deaf women to train. They are always looking for new ways to enable women to train, so if you have a particular need that is not yet being met by the school, you are welcome to talk to them about starting up a new program. They still do try a class night a few weeks before each beginner's cycle, which is a great way to try it out once without any sort of obligation to come back. You are also welcome to come watch a class, you just have to schedule a time with the head instructor, whose email address you can find on the website. Women as young as 13 can take the beginner's cycle, just FYI. Maybe see you there sometime! read more

I was inspired to join Seven Star after meeting a few of their awesome students and teachers at the 2016 Pride Parade. I started with the beginners cycle and was instantly hooked! Seven Star offers a welcoming community and a safe place to learn self defense and kung fu. I always feel challenged and the experience thus far has been highly rewarding. I greatly recommend Seven Star to anyone that identifies as a woman; whether you're looking to learn self defense, kung fu, build strength and confidence, or all of the above! read more

I can't recommend Seven Star highly enough! Many friends have taken self-defense workshops and had very positive experiences. I've been training here in Kajukenbo (Hawaiian mixed martial art) for more than 5 years. It's a good style for self-defense and women-identifying/gender-fluid folk, the community is amazing (friendly, welcoming, diverse, supportive), and training is good for my mental and physical health. read more

Wait a second! What's a man doing reviewing a Women's Kung Fu class? Because on the third Sunday of the month, they conduct Open Sparring, from 11:30-1:00, open to any style, any gender, so long as you have a minimum of 3 month's training... for the amazing cost of $5.00. No, that's not a misprint. $5.00. The school itself is by women, for women. I could not have felt more welcome, nor was I the only man. They teach Kajukenbo, an eclectic style (Karate, Judo, Kenpo, Boxing) that is no slap-dash Johnny Come Lately, but comes from Professor Adriano Emperado in Hawaii from before statehood. Free Sparring rounds are 4 minutes, split into 3 minutes, and then a check to see you and your sparring partner have kept to your agreements; if so, you finish the bout. Agreements? This is unique in my experience. You and each sparring partner agree upon amount of contact, acceptable targets, etc. Every time you switch partners, you make new agreements. I think this is a marvelous custom. It promotes safety and a camaraderie, an acceptance of your partners as human beings, not just competitors. I intend to come back on the 3rd Sunday of each month. I cannot personally speak to the classes and training, but haven't the slightest doubt about their worth from my observations of the Sifu and the students. See for yourself. *Since writing this I have been back. I stand by what I've said. :-). Thank you Sifu; thank you, sparring partners. read more

I started the beginners' cycle because I wanted to learn more self defense. To my surprise and happiness, not only did I learn self defense, but I found an incredibly loving and supportive community. The Seven Star folks have boosted my confidence, taught me to think of myself as worth defending, increased my physical strength, focused my mind, and given me endless tools for personal growth. I never believed martial arts was all it said it was until I met this school. I have taken a couple of other styles in the past -- kenpo karate, poekolan kung fu, tai chi -- nothing compares to the practicality of kajukenbo and the support of this amazing group of folks. read more

I'm not in great shape so starting at Seven Star was intimidating at first but that quickly went away. In my 6 mths at the kwoon I've learned how to use my voice, that it's ok for me to take up space, and some really beautiful martial arts. I greatly appreciate that the training is as varied as the people who attend coming from all walks of life, backgrounds, ages, and abilities. At Seven Star I feel safe, empowered, welcomed, and like a bada$$. read more

Seven Star is an amazing community of women committed to training in martial arts. I have trained in many places and never found a school that was so good at combining martial traditions with with making training meaningful to modern women. read more

Great place to learn self defense. The teachers are very patient and work with you. Ditto to what Kelli and Grace said!

I stumbled upon this women's defense course based upon my trusty yelpers' great reviews and Google. I wanted to be proactive before moving to a new city by myself, so why the heck not? Michelle and her team are so helpful and empowering. Her workshop is the most bang for your buck because most places will try to lure you in with a membership to be the next karate kid. Seven Star is a non-profit, so there's none of that business, her workshop is straight to the point and offers you the basic skills you need. I live on the Eastside and trek all the way to the Central District because truly, this place is one of a kind. I highly recommend taking a workshop or come to an open house and try a class! read more

I'm still training - and doing some teaching - and now get to take advantage of another awesome thing about Seven Star: the commitment to making classes available to mothers. I trained up to about week 36 of my pregnancy and always felt safe with my partners. With the kid on the outside, I've done modified daytime classes with babe in arms or asleep on the sidelines. Soon the little one will be big enough to leave with 7*'s on-site childcare, an amazing benefit that the school organizes when moms need it. I cancelled my gym membership because I knew I'd never make it back there before the kid is in school, but I never had a moment's doubt about being able to continue kung fu. read more

I've been training for less than 4 months, but I honestly don't remember what life was like before I started Kajukenbo at Seven Star! Like the other reviewers have said, the instructors are fabulous, and the women who train are awesome, and we're all so different! What's more, Kajukenbo, being a mixed martial art, offers something for everyone: self-defense techniques, choreographed punch attacks and grab arts, sparring, and beautiful forms. On a personal level, practicing Kajukenbo allows me to condition my body, improve strength, balance and focus, and to be creative with my body and mind. I also feel more self-confident and grounded. Special workshops offer opportunities for group meditation, sparring (in a controlled setting), learning from guest instructors, etc. Social events through the school are FUN! Teachers and fellow students are really supportive - this is an environment in which everyone's individual pathway in training is respected. read more

When my teenage daughter wanted to take a self-defense class, I found Seven Start Women's Kung Fu on the internet and decided to attend a Try-A-Class night. It was so much fun that we both signed up for the 8-week beginner's cycle and have now continued on and have been training there for several months. The training is amazing - it's fun, challenging and everyone is respected and accepted for who they are and where they are at. There are no 'egos' at Seven Star and I think it would be impossible to feel intimidated or inferior in any way (and for a Martial Arts school, that is saying something!) The instructors, who are all amazing, have done an excellent job of fostering this environment and all the women who train there are also amazing, both as martial artists and as people. There is such a sense of community and inclusion there and we feel so lucky to have found this place. Do yourself a favor and at least check out the new 4 week Self-Defense classes or the 8-week Beginner cycle. The self-defense skills that you will learn in either program should be mandatory for every woman and even if you decide not to continue training, you will learn skills that could save your life someday. Excellent, excellent school!! read more

I've been training at Seven Star for about two years, and I'm having a great time. It's great exercise, both physical and mental. And the community of women there is very supportive and encouraging. You don't have to be super athletic to start training. There's a beginner's cycle that's twice a week for eight weeks, and you get a good idea from that if you'll like to go on. If not, you'll have gained some self defense skills and had a good time getting your exercise. Try it, you just might like it. read more

I felt very awkward and nervous about trying something so new to me. But try-a-class night is free so I went. Then everyone was so welcoming, I learned so much, and I had a lot of fun. I kept going. Everyone is super supportive and class takes into account that people have all different types of bodies and backgrounds. Seven Star has been an incredible addition to my life. read more