The Martial Arts Experience

(7 reviews)

9.6 mi

I really appreciate ECMA, their teachers are professional and great with the kids. We have 2…read morechildren participating, and there are always enough instructors to give them attention and correct them when they're doing a move wrong or need help. I also feel like it has given my kids more confidence, they are always so proud of themselves when they get a new stripe or belt. They also teach the kids to be responsible for themselves. For example, if you don't take care of your belt and your stripes come off, you have to back to the first stripe. My kids are very serious about taking care of their equipment. They know they worked hard for that stripe and want to keep it!

We really like Ellis County Martial Arts. My daughter loves this place and they teach respect for…read moreothers, patience, focus and best of all self defense. I feel so grateful that we found this place and we highly recommend this to anyone!

Separate karate classes for kids at Ellis County Martial Arts in Waxahachie, TX

Women's Self Defense 2 - Ellis County Martial Arts, Waxahachie TX

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Red Oak Academy of Martial Arts

0.6 mi

The instructor's are great with the kids and offer practical real life applications in self…read moredefense. The kids learn discipline and are encouraged to develop a healthy form of respect for themselves and others.

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Shumba Combat Sports Academy

8.6 mi

Shumba Combat Sports Academy is a fantastic gym to learn and train Brazilian jiu jitsu! In the…read moreranks of the most knowledgeable, technical, personable people I know, Thompson is the Best of the Best! No one will want to see you succeed more than Thompson and he pushes you toward achieving your goals not just in the sport, but more importantly in LIFE! If you are a seasoned grappler looking to cross train, new to the area and looking for a home gym, or a brand new beginner with a desire to train in martial arts, Shumba is the last stop in your search!

From the owner: We cater to all levels of your Jiu-Jitsu journey and your personal goals. We are a tight knit team…read moreand help each other to excel, on and off the mats.

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Lone Star Martial Arts

4.2

(5 reviews)

10.3 mi

This is in regards to the Lone Star Martial Arts Summer Camp. At first it sounded like a good,…read moreaffordable option for summer care for our boys (6 & 4), but things that concerned us kept happening. Here's some bullet points about our experience: - "Water Time" meant taking the 20+ kids to a private residence to swim in the pool. We don't know whose home it was, or where it was. - my wife picked up our sons, and saw no adults in the room. She gathered their stuff and left without checking out with anyone. (other reviews also mention the scarcity of adult supervision) - Movies and TV are left to mind the children, (which is fine in moderation, but my niece watched 2 netflix movies yesterday and the LSMA website says "no screentime") I did not want to leave this review - just wanted a partial refund for the 3 remaining days that we would not be sending our boys back (they already had our non-refundable registration fees), but the owner Mr Hodge (who would not give me his first name), was adamant that they don't do money back, and then hung up on me. Which makes sense, because this place is a racket.

My son has been coming to Lone Star since last summer. He participated in the summer camp and…read morestarted to learn karate. He loves it and has learned so much. The instructors are awesome and so patient with the kids! They are great mentors and you can tell they want each kid to succeed. They have different class times throughout the week to help parents get their kids there on time. Great place to learn karate!!!

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Mr. Hodge with student

Poteet Martial Arts

(4 reviews)

9.5 mi

I started here in the summer of 2020 at age 59, knowing NOTHING about Taekwon Do, Martial Arts,…read moreetc. I just wanted to attain some self-defense skills. Well I've gained that, and much more. I became a part of not just a gym, but a family that cares for you helps you work at your own pace. Not only is there the TKD classes, but I've done kickboxing class, bootcamps, sparring seminars, and now boxing classes. I've participated in my first TKD tournament, and survived! I'm a blue belt/red stripe now (3rd Gup), testing for red belt in April. I'm on pace to acheive Black Belt in about 15 more months.

I did my first review 4 years ago and even all these years later I recommend Poteet Martial Arts to…read moreeveryone!! If you are looking for a great place for everyone in your family this is the place to be.

Mrs. Poteet Coaching at the World Championship

2019 Team USA members

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Mr. Poteet Coaching at the World championship

Gracie Barra Cedar Hill

9.1 mi

I visited here while traveling to Hutchins for work. This school is very new, and they have a great…read moreprofessor in Professor Arnaldo Rivera. The atmosphere here is great, and the instruction is top notch. I highly recommend this Gracie Barra location

Emma won bronze in her first ever no gi tournament

Silver for our Jayson

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DeSoto Karate & Dance

4.9 mi

This is a great facility and the prices are reasonable. Currently we have a child enrolled in…read morekarate and we're the benefits . They take their time and exhibit a lot of patience with the kids which is not always easy to do. Spacious and thoroughly well kept. There a different days the classes can be scheduled and the Wednesday class was the right selection for us and our schedule . The instructors are knowledgeable , genuine and have a sense of humor . Seating for the adults is provided. They wills sometimes provide popcorn and small treats for the children as well . Overall satisfactory experience so far!

Help yourself or your child to become a better person through the character development inherent to traditional karate.

Desoto Karate and DeSoto Dance Academy

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DeSoto Karate--Traditional Karate for a Modern World--We help children and adults to be more confident and comfortable in all situations.

Cedar Hill Lagoon

8.7 mi

Huge fans of The Lagoon! Highly recommend getting a season pass which gives you access to members…read moreonly swim time. It does get crowded, but the staff are always friendly & helpful. They also work hard to keep the area clean! Our kids absolutely love the slide & lazy river.

The Lagoon just opened this Summer of 2023 and I'm happy to say the experience here made my summer…read morecomplete! I have been at the pool the last 3 weekends (4 Xs total) this Summer and it is truly 5 stars! The check in is super easy. I paid $5 each time (a discount for C.Hill) residents as well as your guest. They do take cash or card which is convenient. The line is never long, really non existent most of the time. Parking is a breeze especially if you get there for open swim which begins at 12 noon. The majority of the lounge chairs are shaded and you don't have to worry about anyone taking/moving your belongings as you enjoy the water. The lazy river is extremely clean and well kept and the floaties are in abundance and FREE! Everyone is respectful in the pool! At any given time there can be newborn babies to the seniors and every age in between so being courteous is just as important as having fun! The music is great too! They play EVERYTHING including Spanish songs on Cedar Hill Tunes. There is one lazy river, one slide which is so much fun and never a long line, as well as a larger pool that is wheelchair assessable too. It was in this pool that my BF taught me to swim this Summer so the Cedar Hill Lagoon will forever be memorable to me! They also have about 7 cabanas that you can rent out for your private event. The bathrooms have great air flow and are pretty well kept with no trash on the ground an I definitely appreciated the cleanliness. They also have showers too. The lifeguards are also professional and they appear to have fun too. There is food available if you get hungry. A CH police officer does make his/her round at the pool too so it definitely makes you feel safe an at ease. I hope the Lagoon continues to be a fun, clean, memorable place for my future summers!

Brisket nachos, pretty good

Lazy river and slide

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Paradise Springs Water Park

3.5

(30 reviews)

32.8 mi

Why 4 stars? Because it's a nice in-between option if you don't want to go into full Great Wolf…read moreLodge mode. --- --- --- We were heading up to DFW to pick up a puppy and wanted to give our 6 year old son something a little fun to do for coming along the 7-ish hour round trip ride with us. He loves waterparks more than anything in life, but we've already been to Great Wolf Lodge on multiple occasions, and we preferred to book with Bonvoy points over shelling out the cash for GWL. Plus, we didn't have a ton of waterpark time on the schedule - win, win, win. One thing that was frustrating is that there was zero record anywhere on the internet of the height requirement for the slides here. Well, internet, I'm here to save you with the answers. We have a son that was 43" as of this visit, and he would be crushed to get his hopes up about doing these slides, only to find out that he's not allowed to. There's one big water "castle" with 3 slides. Those requirements are 42". We actually came here a couple of years ago and he definitely did those slides then, and he was most certainly not 42" then. So I'm not sure if they just changed these or they just weren't enforcing the rules in 2023, but they definitely were measuring him on this visit. Then there's one bigger water slide that's stand alone. The requirements are that you have to be 48" to ride freely, but 42-47" is ok with a life jacket. And then the same restrictions apply to the zip line where you can jump in the water after hanging from several feet above the water. The annoying thing about this was that we were there early in the morning and were the only ones doing it. Yet the lifeguard literally measured my son each time he walked up, despite the fact that he was literally doing it over and over again with no one else around. Make it make sense. Overall, this is not the most amazing waterpark you'll find. But when you book with points, all you have to pay is the resort fee and for parking. It's pretty good bang for your buck when you think about it in those terms.

I booked 5 day passes for my family through ResortPass and spent over $350 including parking. My…read morefamily was visiting from another country, and this was their last day before flying home. We specifically planned our day around visiting the water park and arrived around 1 PM expecting to stay until closing. Unfortunately, the park was closed around 4 PM due to approaching weather. While I completely understand that safety comes first, what disappointed me was how ResortPass handled the situation afterward. Despite the fact that we lost most of the experience we paid for and had no opportunity to return because my family had already left the country, ResortPass only offered a 50% refund. They based their calculation on the park's total operating hours rather than the actual circumstances of our visit. Parking costs were not addressed, and the fact that future tickets would be useless to us seemed to be ignored. After further discussions, the only additional compensation offered was a 20% discount on a future ResortPass booking, which provides little value considering the situation. Customer service was polite, but the final resolution felt disappointing and did not reflect the unique circumstances of our visit. I expected a company that values customer experience to handle this situation more fairly. Would not book through ResortPass / Paradise Springs again based on how this issue was resolved.

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Valerie W.

4 years ago

This family dojo has been a great place for my youngest son, who is in their little dragons class. He gets very excited to go to class! My oldest needs a lot of work because he has trouble paying attention and he also lacks coordination - his doctor recommended he take martial arts. He has received a lot of patient, one-on-one instruction time during class and we are seeing improvement! read more

The Martial Arts Experience - martialarts - Updated August 2026

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American Karate Academy Cedar Hill

4.5

(6 reviews)

My daughter likes it so far , the teachers are friendly (in a good way) I did a little research I…read moreknow to learn karate you have to be able to LISTEN ..it's going well .. it's going to be our 3rd class.. but I recommend this place ! I can't wait for what the future holds for my daughter ! Her confidence will go up the roof !

My daughter has been going to AKA Cedar Hill for several years now. She has learned a lot during…read moreher time there. The coaches, instructors, and owners are always available and very helpful and patient. She has become so much more confident and more outgoing since joining the school. Everyone here is interested in safety and allowing the students to grow into themselves while being disciplined. Being as they teach a combat sport with self-defense, the instructors never let any situation get too far a long and always preach control and kindness for everyone. I would highly recommend this academy to anyone that may be interested in testing the waters. I believe they still offer the 2-week trial with a purchase of a Gi.

Tx Black Belt Academy

3.3

My son has been a student here for (almost) one year and we love it! We briefly attended another…read morekarate academy prior to Texas BBA but they lacked the structure and open environment that are features here. The kids learn discipline and karate skills in a fun environment. One of the things that I really like is their method for advancement. Since it takes a while to move up belts, the kids can earn stripes in between belts in order to keep them motivated. The only "negatives" would be that some classes are taught by younger black belt students and they sometimes have trouble keeping the littles in line. But the adult instructor is usually nearby to assist when needed. Definitely give them a try if you're looking for a safe (and indoor) way to keep your kiddos active.

I took an MMA class here and was really disappointed. It's mostly just cardio with not that much…read moreactual MMA training. You mostly just do cardio excercise with a lower portion consisting of learning how to kick and throw a punch. I would of like there to be more of actual learning how to fight, rather than just doing cardio. I could do cardio at home for free, but if you want to learn how to actually fight, I would not recommend this place. Plus the class is only 30 minutes long.

Magness Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

4.8

(15 reviews)

This gym feels more like a family than a gym. I haven't personally taken classes but my husband…read morehas. Just sitting on the sides, it's clear this gym is more than just a gym. It's a home. The people are so nice and friendly. There's so many kiddos in the kids classes and they're just as friendly and talented. The parents and spouses are so kind and welcoming. The coaches are so knowledgeable but still soft, warm, and inviting. I cannot recommend this gym enough for any age - toddlers through adults, and beginners through experienced athletes. There's something here for everyone! Morning and night classes. Gi and no Gi. Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu. Oh and there's a bakery stand from one of the members - fresh bread, cookies, and cinnamon rolls. There's even a cooler with frozen açaí bowls for a perfect after-roll snack. So grateful and blessed we're apart of this family!

Pros: some friendly members. Intense environment…read more Good workout. Cons: zero fundementals taught No warm ups Owner seems to favor experienced members only. They literally taught two moves that were for newbies and would not let me learn the advance move and moved to live rolling.

Lone Star Institute of Taekwondo

3.7

One of the most amazing groups of people you could ask to train with/under. The owner is always…read morewilling to work with you, and he takes a personal and true interest in his students lives. As a beginner adult, I was hesitant to start training, but I have received nothing but respect and commitment from this school. This school is like a family, and I am proud to call them as such. Don't let one negative review fool you. Check out their FB page for tons more honest reviews.

One disgruntled student who couldn't follow the rules should not steer anyone away from this…read moreamazing school. This is a top tier school. Students are taught the tenets of taekwondo, how to apply them in their lives, and the highest level of self-defense in the DFW area. Nothing campares to the quality of the instructors at LSIT. We are like a family.

Song Choe College of Tae Kwon DO

I studied under Master Cho back in 1976-77 as a kid growing up in Irving. In my mid 50's, I still…read morerecall some of the interactions and have had only positive to ever say about my experiences. This school changed my life!

I studied with Song Choe himself back in the early 70s. My grandson is now studying (a different…read moreacademy) and he was showing me his moves this morning. It really threw me back and I started searching for Song Choe. I was saddened to learn of his passing so early in life. He was a virtuous soul and strict instructor and not only taught the art, but also morals, honor, integrity and God. I'll never forget "toenail inspection" wherein we lined up and Song Choe would walk by and check your toenails. If they were too long, he'd mash your toe with a cane! He would yell "You cut you toenail! You cut somebody!" Well, after i saw the first toe smashed, I made sure mine were perfect LOL! Unfortunately, I had to stop going due to life but my brother continued to achieve his 1st dan. The point is, although I can't speak of the college as it is today, I know that Song Choe's legacy is still very much alive and well. I have deep respect for him and I know his successors do too and are passing on his teachings, not just the art, but leading a clean life as well.

Dallas Tae Kwon DO Center

Master Bell learned the art of Ji Do Kwan Tae Kwan Do in Korea, so nothing about this school is…read morewatered down. Everything that I learned here has given me a good foundation for other arts and disciplines.

American Ninjutsu

Great school where you can learn a lot…read more I've learned striking, ground fighting, stealth, situational awareness and of course self defense. Aside from that they teach Japanese weapons, stealth and survival!

Spanish Schoolhouse

4.4

(7 reviews)

I cannot say enough wonderful things about SSH. My daughter just graduated from pre-k after…read moreattending SSH for 3 years, and I am more than confident that she is ready to thrive in kindergarten. It was super important to me that she attended a Spanish immersion preschool program, but SSH is so much more that that. Every single staff member is so kind and caring! They pour so much love into teaching their students, and it shows. I am so sad that our time here has ended - but I will definitely be enrolling my daughter in the after school program and summer camps for years to come! I highly recommend SSH to anyone who wants to make a meaningful and beneficial investment in their child's future. Gracias por todo!

I'm reviewing this Spanish Schoolhouse location after only 6 months of having my 2 year old attend,…read morebut we absolutely love it already! Her teachers are super sweet and you can tell just adore all the kiddos in their class. She has made some friends and always mentions them when she's at home. But what's even more exciting is how much Spanish she's already learned in the short time she's been coming! The director and the rest of the staff does such a great job, I'm so excited to have her continue attending for the next several years!

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