Having grown up all his life with his Kung Fu at Shaolin Temple in Songshan, China since his…read morechildhood as a student, as a teacher, as a national troupe performer and as a many gold medalist, he teaches his students with great discipline but child friendly manners. No flashy kick boxing kung fu to please children, but this is a real kung fu practice which requires certain postures such as low horse stance and bow stance to master each belt form. This is not a combating kung fu at all, and very disciplinary martial **arts**. Really they are indeed artistic in forms and movement. Of course, children don't really think that way. In response to the negative review below regarding the teacher, I truly feel sorry that the child and parent left with unhappy experience. But I can say proudly that Master Yan is fabulous teacher in his teaching. Sometimes adults or parents judge or expect things and that influences children's experience, and I think it is important to trust your teacher and communicate with your teacher. A few years ago it used to take 5-6 months or longer to get a new belt test depending on which level each child was, and occasionally it was frustrating for parents or children, but Master Yan had good reasons. Nowadays, it seems that he changed his tactics in how soon each student gets a belt test. And that is fine. Teacher is observing closely and doing his best in his teachings. If you are frustrated with his teaching, communicate until you get answered but do not expect what you want for your child. And yes, Master Chang is fabulous, too. Being an adult Kung Fu student myself, I can tell each Master Yan and Master Chang has each own virtue. Master Chang is a great addition in teaching more aggressive training etc., but Master Yan is very skillful in teaching every little minute step of movement in a way each student can understand. I think this comes from Master Yan's background of teaching hundreds of children at Shaolin Temple in China. This is really clear for me because I take lessons from both teachers, not just watching my child's lesson. For adults, I recommend this instead of Yoga! The practice involves "chi" - breathing in and out deeply as you move. It was a new discovery for me.

I wanted to take a Qi Gong class and made several efforts to inquire about instruction. No one ever…read moregot back to me. Very disappointed.

I love The Open Matt!! Since coming here just over a month ago, it's like inheriting a family. Matt…read moreis so easy to work with, you feel comfortable right away with his aura and calmness and his eagerness to teach and talk with you. Small classes and personalized help with your needs and desires to be there.

Located in the sunny Oakland embarcadero it is an easy location with plenty of parking. Matt Lucas…read moreis the head Sensei but this is not your run of the mill Dojo. It's not the sort of place that is concerned with hierarchies or belts or uniforms etc. You will get a thorough & challenging workout without any macho bravado. The intention here is to create a place for people to practice. The development and maintenance of your personal practice is the priority and there is a great community of people who share and support each other in that. I love that Matt approaches martial arts and yoga from a health perspective. His knowledge is vast and his 30+ years of hands on experience give him the unique ability to see where you are in your health & fitness and tailor the workout to fit your needs. He is a walking encyclopedia of fitness knowledge but you might not guess it from a passing glance since it's all packaged in a humble and extremely funny personality. My practice has reached a whole new level in the year that I've been here. I've discovered muscles I didn't know I had. I've discovered the therapeutic benefit of punching & kicking pads and the important feedback that comes from making contact. My balance has improved a hundred fold through regular YAMA practice (yoga-as-martial-arts). I've learned some life saving lessons in self defense and am retraining my nervous system to relax in stressful situations. The stuff you learn here extends into all areas of your life- it is Empowerment training at it's finest! Oh, and btw, the living room here doubles as a sweet & intimate music venue for local artists to share their music. There is also a community garden out front and visitors are often asked to share in the bounty... This place rocks! Come have fun and get strong in the process! The Open Matt kicks ass!

I want to say something about my teacher, whose name I know in English as Patty Li. I've been…read moretaking the Friday taiji class at the Berkeley YMCA for about a month and a half My name is Rick, and I have neuropathy in my hands and feet, but Patty who I met at the Y suggested that I come to the Friday Taiji class. I use a walker for balance, and sometimes need to lean against the wall so I don't just tumble over But Patty invited me and I came. Since I started the class I have noticed a marked improvement in my balance, my strength and my ability to focus my breath and my attention in my body Patty is an incredible teacher, a master of her arts, who has been doing martial arts, since she was a child in Beijing. I didn't know any of this when she invited me to class. Most people when they see me and my walker write me off as being unable to do things, but Patty didn't see any of that, she just saw another human being with a willingness to learn, I think she's incredibly perceptive person. So I started coming to the class and have only missed once in about two months I've been going to the Y every other day for swimming and some weight training, but Friday has become my favorite day I do the taiji class at 10 AM, and then I follow it up with a swim It was very clear to me from the beginning that Patty is an incredibly disciplined person, but what I really love about her, is her grace, and the humor with which she teaches... in other words she makes it really fun. Regardless of different peoples capability in class, she works with each of us so that we can become stronger, more balanced, and more able to practice this beautiful moving meditative art form She is a treasure, and I am blessed to have her as my teacher, and the YMCA is blessed to have her as part of this community 老师，谢谢 Thank you teacher

Are you a parent looking to encourage your kids (especially Chinese-American kids) to start martial…read morearts? Have cash to spare? Great! Are you an adult who learned some wushu as a child, fell out of practice through your teens, and want to pick it back up as an adult? Try a drop-in class for $35, and then see if you want to continue here. In my case, after two classes, I found another school to practice with. I hesitated leaving a poor review because why bother with all these 5 star reviews stacked against me? But I remember why I use Yelp: to consult legit reviews before I spend money on any establishment. Hence, I feel the need to pen this review, especially if there are fellow adults considering wushu here. That one review that says Wushu West takes adults seriously and caters to them too? Maybe that used to be the case, but from my experience, not anymore. Flashback time! My brother and I were wee elementary students enrolled in Wushu West. I remember enjoying the class. For unknown reasons, my parents stopped enrolling us. However, that experience (along with kung fu class in Chinese school) built the foundations of kung fu stances, kicks, and flexibility that I have carried on to this day. My biggest regret was that I never advanced far enough to work with weapons. Fast-forward to present day. I am a young professional who can do pullups & deadlifts. For several years, I kept eyeing Wushu West through the internet, promising myself I'd go back. Stars aligned, and I made my first visit back with a drop-in class. The class was filled with kids younger than me. Where were the adult students that were said to be attending this class too? For a good half hour, Shifu Patti (mind you, I'm only calling her Shifu out of respect) lead the class through warmups, which frankly feel like a huge waste of time, something that should be done before class starts. It's just jogging, jumping jacks, some kicks, and LOTS of stretching and counting in Chinese. I'm here to learn, not to do warmups that I can do by myself. Even when you're doing wushu exercises (various kicks, spins, stances, etc), Shifu doesn't lead them. It's her kid students leading the exercises. They go so fast, I can't keep up with forms and sequences I'm supposed to maintain and follow, so I flounder along while watching with a mix of admiration for the kids, and frustration that I can't keep up nor am I taught properly on how to keep up. Yes, the cool student leader will stop and walk through it with you a few times at most, but then it's on to the next cool move...that I can't keep up with. Meanwhile, Shifu sits on the sidelines. I came back one more time to see if it was an improvement from the first class. The oldest student I saw here was a man, but everyone else was a kid, with the eldest one maybe in high school. My gripes: 1) Shifu does NOT take into consideration my experience and skill level. I am either doing kiddie exercises or floundering with being unable to keep up with advanced moves. 2) My second visit here, I was assisting moving furniture, when my shin slammed into a wooden part of a furniture. It hurt like a MF-er, to the point that I felt the impact down to my shin bone. I had a deep cut on my shin. Although it clotted quickly, it swelled up to a huge bump. Shifu kept repeating, "It's just skin, you'll be fine," when I told her that I could feel the pain in my bone too. Way to be sensitive. 3. Shifu had me sign a release form after I was hurt. Whenever I sign anything, I take a photo of it on my phone so that I can have the form for my records. Shifu Patti gave me attitude and said, "We don't do that here, you don't need this record." I explained I do this whenever I sign a form. She said, "Why do you need a copy of this record? It's no one's business." Excuse me, this is MY BUSINESS. As a customer, it's my absolute right to take a photo of anything I sign for my records. She gave me major attitude. I really could not believe I had to argue for a copy of my records. 4. When I said bye to her (after she had a conversation with a kid's parents and nicely said bye to them), she wouldn't look at me and then barked that I can't pay drop-in prices anymore, I have to commit to a monthly plan if I wanted to continue here. I simply asked her to remind me of pricing, and she just waved me off, snapping, "You already took a photo, isn't that what you took that for?" Bless San T for his Yelp review from 2013, when he said, and I quote: "when it comes to business and money, she is downright horrible. and cheap...the way you run your business is part of the practice.  And you can't ignore a shady businessperson no matter how great of a teacher they are." I wonder how many other people have left with a bad experience, and just don't want to write Yelp reviews. Maybe my parents took me and my brother out of this class because of their experience with Shifu Patti. I'll never know.

Pease note the school has moved - for more information, contact Sifu LeBlanc at gleblanc888 at…read moregmail dot com.

Direct, efficient, and simple--that is the heart of Wing Chun. It also best describes Greg…read moreLeBlanc (and what I will try to be with this review). It has been my experience with several kung fu systems, that there are a lot of people who claim to teach authentic kung fu, but many, perhaps most, fail. They simply don't have the skills, communication, and authenticity to do so, Greg LeBlanc has all of these. Wing Chun, when done right, is not flashy, but is highly effective and extremely powerful. LeBlanc Wing Chun Kwoon has a very inviting atmosphere, utilizing a "Hong Kong" style of teaching. This allows each individual direct attention, and individualized rate of growth. There are no fancy uniforms, titles, no long contracts, and the facilities are clean and practical. Greg LeBlanc is always open to answering questions, and encourages students to "Make Wing Chun work for you, not for you to work for Wing Chun".

I have been training with Master Young for some time now. He is a very patient, professional…read moreinstructor who cares about his students. He works hard to make sure that you really learn the forms properly. I think his classes need to have more students so that sparring becomes part of the curriculum as well. His prices are also very reasonable.

Master Young is an outstanding teacher who teaches not only self-defense, but character…read moredevelopment, respect, and discipline. He clearly enjoyos working with young children as well as older children and adults, and is patient and kind, while at the same time expecting high standards. His studio is pleasant and comfortable, and parents and caregiviers are welcome to observe all classes.

As someone who studied karate in Japan for several years, I appreciate traditional martial arts…read moreinstruction. Stiles Sensei is a traditional Shotokan master. His classes are a good workout, fun and his depth of understanding of techniques and ability to communicate is unsurpassed in my experience. He teaches adults only. Join us.

If you are looking for a Shotokan Karate dojo in the Bay Area, you will be well served to train at…read morethe JKA of San Francisco. T.J Stiles is a truly excellent instructor - a fifth degree black belt, with over 20 years of teaching experience, he comes directly from the Mori Sensei lineage of JKA and practices the traditional Japanese Karate Do. He is very technical and explains technique, body movement and application extremely well and really helps you identify and overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. I have tried other dojos in SF, but this has been the best by far in terms of serious practice, proper technique and true karate spirit! I highly recommend.

I've been training with Ed since about 2005 so you could say I'm hooked! Systema is very…read morefree-form and unconstrained in comparison to many traditional martial art systems. No belts, no rank, no beginners vs experienced students. Everyone who shows up learns practical applications for self defense and health. Learn more at www.norcalsystema.com or just come out and check out a class or three!

We've been attending this Judo club for the past 2 1/2 years, and I can confidently say it's the…read morebest investment we've made for our kids. The program is top-notch, with little kids practicing three times a week and older kids practicing five times a week. It's been amazing to watch our children grow in both skill and confidence through the sport. The coach is exceptional -- highly skilled, patient, and genuinely invested in each child's development. He foster a positive and encouraging environment, helping kids not only learn judo but also build discipline, respect, and teamwork. My kids have gained so much from their time here, and we've seen improvements in their fitness, focus, and overall attitude. Whether your child is a beginner or more advanced, this club offers the perfect balance of challenge and support. Highly recommend this judo club to any family in the Bay Area looking for a structured, fun, and impactful sport for their kids. It's been an incredible experience for our family! So thankful for coach Mr. Munkhbayasgalan. We are so glad he is teaching and guiding my kids to learn judo.

Mongolian Judo!! As far as I know this is the only mongolian Judo in the United States. We were…read morelucky enough to be invited here for a Saturday evening Judo work out. What an amazing workout. My kids have been doing Judo for years, and this was the toughest workout they've ever had. Dordjerem 'Mugi' Munkhbayasgalan is a 4th degree black belt in Judo as well as a black belt in Jiujitsu. He trained with the Mongolian Olympic team and is an MMA fighter. It shows in how he drives the kids. The whole class was in taught in Mongolian. My kids had to just follow the other kids lead. It was exciting to watch. The class started out with Uchi Komis. Then some training techniques. After that, they spent 1 hour doing Newaza in 3 minute intervals. There were abit 30 kids and my kids were out-matched. The Mongolian kids worked my kids into the ground. They showed perfect technique and barely worked up a sweat. After Newaza, the class did Randori for 1 hour. Our kids were pouring sweat. It was truly amazing to witness. At the end of class, they dropped ropes from the ceiling and kids climbed. A nice touch was after class, all the kid sat around and talked or played for 30 minutes. My kids really enjoyed that. I must say, if your kids are driven and want to be the Best, Mugi will get them there.