love this place! the instructors are all so friendly and helpful. I initially came with my…read moreboyfriend because he wanted to try muay thai and i wanted to do the fitness classes and now he wants to do fitness and I want to do more fighting haha. Just got the membership for fitness classes and it is VERY worth it :)

I have been coming to ASD for over 10 years. Last year I tore my left hamstring off the bone. I had…read moresurgery and rehab. Then I started coming back to ASD. I listened to my PT and doctor and started slowly. The coaches worked with me and gave me modified movements. Everyone was so helpful and encouraging. Now a year later my recovery has shocked my doctor. I'm in better shape and stronger than I was prior to the accident. Everyone at ASD will welcome you and treat you like family. They want you to succeed and be your best you.

I don't write many 2-star reviews, but I think this experience warrants it. I took the firearm…read moresafety class with Brian, and unfortunately I can't recommend it. Brian was unprofessional, rude, and had a habit of belittling students. He made the learning environment uncomfortable by embarrassing people rather than constructively correcting them. While I understand that it's not an instructor's job to be friendly or to "hold our hands," there's a difference between being direct and being outright disrespectful--and Brian crossed that line. In terms of content, the class was heavily skewed toward theoretical discussions, such as legal frameworks for self-defense and broad topics on conflict and society. While some of this information was interesting and well-explained, it dominated the day, leaving little time for actual hands-on firearm training. The balance between theory and practical instruction was way off. Additionally, while Brian welcomed questions, he often responded by making students feel stupid instead of providing clear, direct answers. This approach, combined with his condescending attitude, discouraged people from asking questions at all. A firearms class should foster confidence and competence--not intimidation. I gave it 1 extra star because instructor Spencer was amazing. Overall, I did not gain much practical, in-depth knowledge about firearms or safety. If you're looking for a class that prioritizes hands-on training and a professional learning environment, I'd suggest looking elsewhere.

While I do think Brian had knowledge to share, the way he goes about sharing it was fairly off…read moreputting. He prides himself in using a "Socratic method" of teaching by responding to students' questions with another question. Even if he considers himself some sort of philosopher I would personally appreciated it if a simple question from a student such as "how does this work?" could be addressed more directly instead of being answered with "how do YOU think it works?" Simply said, it would have been a more efficient and pleasant experience for everyone if he could just put his narcissism and fragile ego aside. All in all, I have some gratitude towards Monarch because I did learn something over the course of my time there. However, since then I've moved away and sought training elsewhere I've realized that there are many training centers and instructors out there that are much much better, both in teaching methodologies and credentials, especially you're willing to leave California.

Exceptionally good training . I have trained in various styles in different cities over my adult…read morelife and can confidently say that this is the best overall training that I have found Effective and reality-based but without the edge some places have

I've been training here for 6 years and I still look forward to each class. Ive done martial arts…read moremy whole life (Karate, Boxing, BJJ) and none of them are like Urban Combat. This place is focused on real life and how those arts come together with actual common sense for dealing with potential situations. The classes include fun workouts, lessons in various martial arts / weapons, and film study on real situations. Brian is an amazing teacher - hes not lecturing from the sidelines, he is right there with you showing you how its done. If you are interested in learning actual self defense strategies separate from traditional martial arts - this is your place. Its a bay area hidden gem! Note - this place is in the Karate studio (parking in the back).

Its been a while since I went to ASD for KM but I recently spent a day in the Specialist III…read moresession and it was great... Awesome, in fact! Makes me kick myself for being away for so long. Ev is great as usual... He spends time with each individual to ensure that they understand the techniques and the principles behind them. This training helps deal with potentially dangerous real-life situations and how to evaluate, mitigate, and effectively neutralize various threats. My favorite is dealing with multi-attacker situations. Once its broken down to basic principles, its almost common sense, in a way, on how to address the multiple threats. I highly recommend Vanguard Krav Maga and this Specialist training to anyone regardless of age.

My wife and I took the Specialist I class today. It was very informative and useful. My wife had…read morenever had any training of this kind and by the end of the day she said she had learned new skills that would help he out if she was ever in need. I have taken Krav Maga classes and some of the material was new to me. We are both muscle tired but very happy we took the class. Ev the teacher is very patient and hands on helping. I would recommend this class for anyone regardless of age.

I've been going to this gym for a few months , and just cancelled my membership. The whole reason I…read morejoined was because of how they promote themselves on social media. They make it seem like such a welcoming, supportive, safe space for girls, but my experience has been the complete opposite. Almost every interaction I've had with the staff has been rude, unprofessional, and uncomfortable for absolutely no reason. The girls that work there constantly have attitudes, act bothered when you ask questions, and are honestly just very unhelpful. There was even a time I asked for help using a machine because I genuinely didn't know how to use it, and the staff member got visibly annoyed even though she was literally just sitting on her phone doing nothing. That's honestly what most of them do every time I go in sit around on their phones but then act irritated when members need help. It's disappointing because I really wanted this to be a gym where I felt comfortable. I don't always feel comfortable at regular gyms, which is why I was excited about an all girls gym in the first place. But somehow I've felt more welcomed and comfortable at regular gyms than I ever have here, which is honestly sad considering what this place claims to stand for. If you're looking for a supportive "girls support girls" environment, this is probably not the place. Super disappointing experience overall.

Did a morning workout at pink lab. As a woman, I loved all the pink in the room and the decorations…read moreare so cute. The concept of this gym creates a space for woman to workout and feel confident. I usually do not feel comfortable when I go to a gym and it is crowded or I have to wait for a machine. But here, you can walk in and it feels like the gym is yours! Staff is friendly. I would come back to workout here again.

Our child went to WVMA. All of the instructors were great,…read morebut the place just got more and more crowded. There are just way too many kids in a class for the size of the place. SUPER crowded! And the more and more crowded it got, the more and more chaotic the floor got and that led to less and less instruction for the kids. I wish it didn't get so bad, because we really liked it there! They desperately need to limit the class size!

Love the discipline. The teaching of morality and respect are great ideas that have longevity and…read morebenefits. The spiritual aspect is most important.

Family vibe! high level instructions! very passionate coaches who want to see you succeed!read more

Amazing environment! They really helped improve my skills and made me more confident!read more

Classes are good, they're about an hour each. Did a six week membership for $500 ish; feels like…read morethey push the membership onto you instead of trying out different classes first. Not my favorite gym but got the job done.

Well, things have really taken a turn here.... For the GREAT. As mentioned in my previous post my…read morekids still do wrestling here. All the coaches are great but big shout out to Jacob Palomino and Ray Jimenez. Jacob dedicates so much time to these kids not only teaching the classes but doing privates. The same with coach Ray, except this guy brought the organization that every team needs. He will hand out a schedule of events during every season so parents know which tournaments Smash plans to attend. Coach Jacob and Ray are truly amazing and the kids love them because they truly care for the kids and have great energy. Now, I have been a fitness trainer for 5+ years and recently left my previous gym to get more involved at Smash SJ (where my kids have been). On top of being a trainer, I also keep up with my workouts. I have been in bootcamp classes, TRX, personal training, strength training, some kickboxing, jiu jitsu, etc... I started to take Smash's fitness classes; Bootcamp, Strength and Conditioning and Kettlebell. Their selection is endless. Every coach knows what they're doing and they know how to motivate you. However, a big shout out goes to the kettlebell coach Ash. This guy truly knows the mechanism of the human body and has a great vibe and energy. Now on to the great part, for me. After joining Smash, and getting to know their program, the opportunity arose to teach a boot camp class and am also doing personal training there. I really cannot begin to express how much I love it. To put it simply, Smash is the perfect definition of a family environment where everyone truly cares. Thank you to the Smash Family!