Exceptionally good training . I have trained in various styles in different cities over my adult life 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 read more

I've been training here for 6 years and I still look forward to each class. Ive done martial arts my 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). read more

Urban Combat - Reality Based Self Defense - Multiple attacker night! - Self-defense Classes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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Our family moved away from Menlo Park this past month, and I knew I needed to update my review to reflect my experience here. For 8 months I've trained at Urban Combat, and not only can I say that the instruction is stellar, but the people have become like family to me. Due to the small class size and the built-in mentality of mentorship from more advanced students, I felt like I was part of a community who not only cares about self-defense, but cares about building up the people who train here. For example, when a student has a competition coming up, or when I had a certification I was hoping to test for, the class learns the material alongside their classmate to help them prepare. As far as self-defense is concerned, the curriculum is thorough and engaging. Brian covers everything from home invasion, weapons defense, situational awareness, striking, multiple opponents, and everything in between. I loved that the class built in strength and conditioning as part of the program so that I was getting in a solid workout as well. As our family relocates, I will be looking for a new place to train, but the bar is high after my experience at Urban Combat. If you're looking for solid self-defense training and a great time, look no further. read more

Very empowering session on women's self defense. My daughter and I will approach different scenarios in a new way. Not only did we learn self defense tips but also how to apply different techniques in various vulnerable situations. Thank you, Urban Combat, for offering this valuable course. Just in time for my daughter to go off on her own to college. read more

Brian is pretty close to the real life Batman, and Willie, who runs the studio during the day, could be Robin! Brian's other assistant instructors Mike, Henry, and Joe, all have extensive martial arts experience and knowledge themselves as well. People need to know what they are training for. For the most part, the Martial Arts Industry is split into 4 camps: the traditional arts like Taekwondo and Karate, combat sports like Boxing, BJJ, Muay Thai and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), martial arts for entertainment and show like Wushu (what Jackie Chan and Jet Li were trained in and perform on the movie screen), and Reality Based Self Defense such as Krav Maga. Sometimes there is an overlap between the camps, but most of the time there's not. Brian is unique in that he does have a traditional martial arts background so he definitely retains the "Honor and Respect" aspect of martial arts that's missing in combat sports, but takes the best aspects from the combat sports world and his knowledge of human psychology and criminology as well as his work with law enforcement to create his Urban Combat System, which is in effect, MMA for Real Life, not inside the "Octagon", but outside, where most of us live. His classes are truly unique and one of a kind! I've been a student of Brian's off and on for about a decade (unfortunately more off than on because of my schedule), and what and how he teaches is truly original! Most of us civilians aren't training to get into the UFC and become MMA champions (there are places for that) but train to feel safer, more secure, and more powerful. Nowadays, many people go into combat sport "gyms" or traditional martial art "schools" wanting to learn "self defense", but end up learning the wrong thing. What works in the dojo, boxing ring or "Octagon" CAN work in the street but can ALSO get you injured, arrested, sued or even killed if done in the wrong environment or situation. That's where Brian and Urban Combat comes in. He's unique in that he teaches about the Criminal Mind, what predators look for and how they think, and how NOT to be a victim. He teaches his students in effect, to be their own Superhero, for themselves and others! His curriculum includes unique lessons like how to get out of zip ties and handcuffs if you are ever in the unfortunate situation of being put in them involuntarily, weapons training, scenario based training like what you would do in a active shooter situation (which unfortunately is becoming more common), home invasion preparation, as well as first aid training, along with standard empty handed MMA training such as (long and short range) striking techniques and grappling/submission fighting, but modified for street scenarios. For example, he actually has an air mattress that he pulls out on occasion to simulate being attacked in bed! I've never, ever have seen that in any jujitsu/wrestling/grappling school environment, which seems so logical because in real life, attacks are not going to happen in the cushy confines of a dojo or wrestling mat, but in places you would least expect like your own bed! A very unique aspect of his teaching is that he uses actual surveillance footage of real life crimes that have happened and give lessons on what the victims did right as well as wrong and how we can learn lessons from others' mistakes. Students also re-enact scenarios to do things "right", which unfortunately in real life you don't get second chances to do. For the past few years he's been hosting both Womens' and Kids' Self Defense Seminars upon request, and they are fantastic primers and great courses on how the historically more vulnerable people in our society can better protect themselves and become less easy prey for the evil predators out there. For the Kids' Seminars, he teaches the kids about "Stranger Danger" as well as many anti-kidnapping strategies. For the Womens' Seminars, he teaches the ladies about how predators think and what they look for when looking for victims, as well as many strategies (mental, verbal and physical) that women have available to them to overcome and defeat potential attackers. He partnered with my local libraries last year (2019) to host his Womens' Self Defense Seminars free to the public in honor of Women's History Month, and the feedback turned out so well that he's about to do it again next month (March 2020) at even more library locations this time! He makes uncomfortable topics fun,interesting, educational, and potentially life saving! Whatever class, course or seminar you can take with Brian and his team, I can't recommend him enough! He is truly a one-of-a-kind instructor, and training at Urban Combat is truly a one of a kind experience! The only regret you'll have is asking yourself how come you didn't learn from him sooner! read more

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This review is for October 2018; I just never got around to writing it until now. Brian the instructor is more than qualified, and well-versed in a diverse number of styles. One thing I'll never forget is how his hammerfist hits like a truck when holding pads for him. It literally feels borderline superhuman. Similar to krav maga, these classes feature a variety of self-defense situations, including defense against weapons. So that's a good thing because the types of situations you can train in a month is probably more than you'd get at a typical martial arts gym. There is some pressure testing, not enough of it in my opinion, and doesn't happen every day, but at least it happens. One of the senior students seemed a bit frustrated whenever I beat him at something, perhaps because I look young and people assume I have little experience, but he was very kind and helpful and I actually looked forward to seeing him in class because he would take the initiative and spar with the techniques with real resistance even when Brian didn't explicitly instruct us to. That helped me a lot. One day I came to the gym and we had to train outside with a reduced curriculum because of the women's self-defense class. We then helped those students by simulating some resistance during their drills. I didn't mind this that much, but it did impact our training and it came as a surprise as we weren't told about it beforehand. To be fair, it's possible I just zoned out and missed the announcement, but at least one other student also seemed surprised. During this women's self-defense class, they learned how to fight against various scenarios such as being dragged through a doorway, etc. They also learned to get back up from the ground while we pushed them around with pads. After class, one of them made a remark to me which I initially didn't think much of, but gnawed at me later on. She said, "You're strong!" At the moment I just took the compliment in stride and credited my training, but when I got back to my car I realized it could be a problem with the self-defense class. I am actually very weak for a man. The reason she thought I was strong was because I gave the students a harder time and pushed them to their limits before letting them back up. We were all using only about 20% strength because the idea was to let the student finish the drill eventually with no losing condition. I think some of the students in the women's self-defense class may not be aware of how big the difference is between the drills they did versus a real attacker. In general it is actually a good class with interesting drills, but I think it could be improved by giving a short speech about how the simulation of resistance during the drills are not remotely close to a real aggressive attacker, or include a bit of real grappling sparring where they're able to "lose", to avoid giving students a false sense of confidence. read more

My team took a class today and it was awesome! Super helpful and practical. Very helpful to form the right mindset of fighting back by understanding the fact that 3 out of 4 fought back escaped. The instructors are very professional! :) read more

I came to Urban Combat after a decade of training in civilian combatives such as Krav Maga and Russian Systema. Trained at Urban Combat for four months. Ultimately decided to go back to the civilian combatives world, yet in no way shape or form because I didn't like Urban Combat. What is practiced at Urban Combat is a well-balanced mix of MMA-style conditioning, striking, wrestling, weapons work, elements of police work, and other reality-based practical aspects of self-defense. Scenario-based training is realistic and pervasive. Brian is awesome and caring instructor, and role model. Everything he said and did during these four months made perfect sense to me. What I found especially valuable was Brian's focus on teaching to respond at a proper power level, based on quick assessment of a situation. However, I felt that Urban Combat best target audience for the classes I attended were younger people, who prevail in violent encounters not only through superior experience, understanding, and technique, but also through superior physical prowess. In my opinion, for people over 50, who can't count anymore on the superiority of their agility, strength, and endurance, other types of training might be more appropriate. If Brian develops a self-defense program optimized for older people, I'll be among the first to sign up! I highly recommend Urban Combat to younger people! Especially to current or soon-to-become college students. Even more so to those who haven't learned martial arts or self-defense before. You'll get up to speed on the most important elements in a safe, smart, and fun environment. Parents, if you are concerned about safety of your son, and especially daughter, who are leaving your warm nest to study far from home, please consider Urban Combat. If your child can't go there regularly, at least consider self-defense seminars, which are short, sweet, and to the point. read more

bruised knees, war wounds, and great times thats what its all about here. I love it! The instructor is really cool. I had to pair up with the guy so I can say he definitely knows what hes doing to be able to teach this class, holy moly. great teaching and great way at putting certain activities together to help us learn in a fun way. It can really help break the ice in martial arts for alot of people by being in this class. they just make you feel real welcome like that. I could see myself using some of these moves taught here if I were in a roman army fighting a bunch of people. I had an easy time learning things which are a little hard to get at first at alot of places so this place must be good. The music so far is alright, it did kinda have some of that boot camp appeal to it. I look forward to the many new things to learn here. Nice atmosphere, great class, very easy to learn by the way its being taught, hey theres also an ice cream place next door . I love it here. The water is pretty good too read more

I recently took part in their 2-hr Women's Self-Defense Seminar. The instructors were great and took us through simple hands on moves, videos of scenarios and how we can handle those situations differently, and awareness of our situation. There were ladies of all ages and physical ability there, we all left feeling more empowered and had fun! read more

These guys are amazing. They hosted a free 2hr women's self defense seminar at my local library and it was super helpful. No fluff, just the basic and intuitive things to keep in mind. I'm very thankful to them and highly recommend. read more

Every girl needs to take a self defense class, period. It seems absurd that this basic stuff is not taught in schools, but sadly it is not. I took a class this morning with 4 girls, after getting an invite from a good friend. It was just 45 bucks. I can't believe what a good deal that was! Brian taught us a lot of ways to keep an attacker from even coming near us, and he also taught us a lot of hands-on defense moves that showed us how to keep from getting into a situation where a perpetrator can take control of your life. I assumed the class was going to be all day (I have another friend who took an all day class) and was surprised by how much I was able to learn in just 2 hours. The class was from 830-1030 AM today (Sunday). I asked Brian if there were more classes offered if we wanted to learn more detail (like those kinds of jiu jitsu type moves like my husband watches on MMA) and he said he does weekday evening classes where you could learn a lot more. The part that was the most enlightening was, Brian showed us videos of several women who were caught on video, being attacked. Some got away, some were raped and got away, and some were killed. In all of these instances, he teaches you ways that you could avoid a situation like that, by making it clear to your perpetrator, that, basically, you're not somebody he should f*** with. He taught us defensive moves to keep from getting into that situation where you'd be completely helpless. Women have a lot more power than they realize, but if they've never been given options of exactly what to do, they basically freeze up and can't think of anything, and can easily let themselves be controlled. And they can easily wind up beaten, raped, or DEAD because of this. I really think this kind of thing should be taught in EVERY school in the US. There is no reason why ALL women shouldn't know about life saving skills like Brian teaches. Want a freebie? Here is a video that shows you how to defend yourself is someone pulls a knife on you: http://www.urbancombat.us/online_training/ But keep in mind, the BEST way to defend yourself against a knife, is don't let yourself even get into that position where someone gets close enough to pull a knife on you at all! Don't let yourself even get on the ground in the first place! Brian shows you some great ways to keep that from happening. He also goes over his recommendations for pepper spray. I was surprised when one of the gals in our group asked about pepper spray and he was like, I LOVE pepper spray. I thought he'sd all about kicking and punching, but he is basically into things that work fast and make sense, and pepper spray works great to ward off an attacker, but you have to use the right kind. There are many types of pepper spray that can be hard to use and grab and activate, but there is a particular brand he recommends that is super easy to use. He explains the proper way to use pepper spray, in the course. It can be tricky because you don't want your perpetrator using it on YOU! Can't recommend Brian's self defense course enough. I feel like I just got $10,000 worth of info for less than 50 bucks. As soon as I can afford it, I'm going to take his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class too! read more

This is a phenomenal class which I would recommend to anyone interested in learning some self-defense. The instructor, Brian, knows what he's doing, is truly committed to what he teaches, and also has a great sense of humor. Each class is different, going over unlimited possible scenarios such as defense against a gun or knife, facing multiple opponents, what to do from various compromising positions on the ground (getting comfortable with intimate sweaty contact with your new friends), even such things as confrontations with aggressive dogs. The class usually consists of warm up, variable amounts of conditioning and cardio, and partnering with different individuals to practice techniques. Brian and more experienced members of the class come around to coach you. Sometimes we end with a game with the class split into two groups pitted against each other, which just makes my day. It's a fun, non-judgmental atmosphere to learn practical self defense. read more

Bought a gift card for my adult son for his birthday, he loves the work out, training and the staff! Great program!!

Brian is a fabulous instructor. I first took the one time women's self defense session, which was a good refresher on things to remember. In addition, there were introductory skills that we practiced. There were several assistants on hand as well, so all of us had several opportunities to practice. I was so impressed with the class that I organized a class for my daughters and their classmates/friends. For that class, we had a group of 12 girls, ages 10-13. Another fabulous experience. I would highly encourage girls in the early teens to take the class. read more

I started taking classes here for an upcoming trip to South America. The classes here are great and definitely very female friendly. We learn a lot of techniques to fight off people who may be stronger and larger. I also really like the environment - even though there are more men than women in the class no one is intimidating or unfriendly. Actually the whole class is like a group of friends which is important in creating a safe environment when you're engaging in close physical contact with other people. I've brought in other girlfriends who have equally enjoyed taking classes. Some classes will be more of a work-out while other classes are focused on self-defense scenarios such as kidnapping or weapons. There is a free 2 week trial period so you can drop in the classes and see how you like it. The first few classes are a little intimidating - Brian (the instructor) will try to create real life scenarios which may include people yelling at you or grabbing at you. But as you develop your skills and build your confidence soon enough you'll be able to stand your ground and fight back! I feel a lot more confident in my ability to defend myself after taking these classes. read more

I booked the 2 hour Women's Self-Defense Seminar with 6 of my friends, and found the class very valuable! Having had a female acquaintance attacked in an attempted kidnapping in downtown Mountain View, I wanted to heighten my awareness and self-defense skills. The class runs through different scenarios, and how to defend yourself and fight in various attacks. In addition, it gave me a new perspective on being more alert (QUIT staring at your phone when you walk!),and much more confident dealing with suspicious individuals. The instructors were professional, and we all found the class super informative. It left us all feeling confident in our skills and better prepared to protect ourselves. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Class! Grab some female friends and take this class, you won't regret it. read more

I can't believe this place only has one review! At least it's accurate :) Urban Combat has changed my life too. I moved into the city on my own and wanted to be able to protect myself. Not only am I learning all about this, it's building my confidence every time I step in the studio. Brian and his team are so knowledge and dedicated to help every person who comes in. This goes for big, small, female, male - whoever you are, you will get a lot out of these classes. It's an easy-going group of people who will teach you everything you need to know to defend yourself and others. read more

Awesome women's self defense class- great instruction and hands on scenarios with tools we can all use to protect ourselves. I highly recommend this class to all women! read more

I've been training in different styles for more than 30 years, and these guys at Urban Combat know their stuff. In addition to the super practical and quite simple techniques, these are a great bunch of guys and gals. Head instructor Brian Strathadee and the crew of high-level students are extremely personable and welcoming. Highly recommend Urban Combat for anyone looking to learn practical self-defense, get a great work out, have fun, and meet some nice people. read more

I recently attended a free class at the Millbrea Library, and I have to say it was worth my time! I learned so many new moves that are simple enough to apply to any situation. I was a little intimidating going into the class, but I left feeling EMPOWERED and CONFIDENT! This was a great class for beginners and very informational. Our instructors were so hands on and great when we had questions! I loved everything about this class and everything I got out of it! I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn how to protect themselves! read more

I teach armed self-defense classes as a profession. This means that I also take all kinds of other instructors classes all over the country all the time. This. Brian Strathdee's Urban Combat program is hands down by far the best, most realistic self-defense program that I have ever experienced, and the price for a month is less than what I've paid before for a single seminar. His motto is "Perfect intent is better than perfect technique". While getting all the postures and punches just so is great for self-buiding in the traditional martial arts, it does very little for you on the street when you need to move fast, talk smart, and keep your head in the game to improvise, adapt, and problem solve! This is what his classes are about. Being able to understand, through video case study what is the real danger, and how to mentally, then physically prepare for it, and then how to improvise in role-play scenario exercises. In the real world, bad guys come in groups, they come armed, and they take you by surprise when you are at your weakest. Oh, and believe you me, there are bad guys whether you deny it or not. There's no point in training to stand and spar--fight from your back if you fall! In real life, you may get injured if you're ambushed first. Train to understand the compromise: Its okay to trade a broken arm to protect your head from a fast moving baseball bat. Pain is simply data; fight through it until you have found safety for you and yours. These classes train you to think, adapt, and problem solve through any emergency. Instantly usable knowledge, learned by "Doing", not just seeing or hearing. Give it a try. What do you have to lose? At worst you get a workout and take home some free life saving knowledge. At best you find yourself a new community, post-trauma support group, training buddies, and have FUN! He also does very reasonably priced ($45 a head?) seminars for your group if you have some friends from school/work/church etc that can benefit from a 2 hour self-defense class. Pepper spray, gun defense knife defense, sexual assault awareness, anti- carjacking, anti- mugging..... read more

Great, empowering class. Even if you think you know how you'd handle yourself in the face of an attack or better yet to not get attacked I highly recommend this studio. Just completed a two hour course and it was really empowering. The instructor is excellent. Took my two daughters and would tell all mothers with daughters this is a must do! read more

For the ladies: You need to train here, at least for a few classes! Excellent studio! Classes have all levels of students, (some with martial arts training, some totally amateur, like me) so it provides a good variety of people to train with. The owner makes sure it's also a fun atmosphere, so there's no crazy drill sergeant screaming. The classes will kick your butt in a good way. Furthermore, as a woman, the classes were invaluable in teaching real life tactics to get away from harm with as few scratches as possible and stay alive. Class ratios tend to be more men than women, but that's quite useful, since (no offense, guys) women tend to get attacked by men more than other women. Even if you can't be a regular, you can always drop in when you can. I know I'll go off and on for refresher training. read more

Update: Almost 3 years in and the class is still very fun and enjoyable. I continually learn new things and am challenged with the workouts and techniques. read more

This place is awesome. I took the 2 hour self-defense workshop and left feeling like every person needs to take this class. It was SO helpful, instructive, and empowering. Brian and his team are amazing. No joke - this class could be life saving. read more

This is the most AWESOME class that you will EVER experience! Brian and his assistants made the class exciting, relevant, truly educational and just downright FUN! I went with a group and we all walked out of there feeling completely empowered by our new-found knowledge. If you are looking for an incredible place to learn self-defense - you found it! read more

I took their women's self-defense course last November with seven girlfriends. We studied incidences of real attacks, which was hard to watch, but incredibly helpful in understanding how to protect oneself and reducing the fear associated with attackers. This was followed by a series of exercises to build the "fighting back" muscle memory for situations where someone gets in your face or tries to harm you. You get to practice on several heavily padded male volunteers. I agree with the other reviewer that this is a must-do for women in the area. You will build a sense of empowerment and better awareness to prevent and respond to threatening situations. I used the verbal response techniques I learned recently in downtown SF when a man got in my face, and it totally worked! read more

This place is the best. Brian runs the studio and he's a true master at what he does. He shows you practical ways of how to defend yourself in any scenario and unlike most teachers I've had in the past, actually works with you until you're in command of each defense. I've only been coming here for a few months now and learn something new and useful every time. It's important to me that I know how to protect myself and my family. I also get one hell of a workout and a great stress reliever at the end of the work day. The class is excellent for all skill levels and a nice bonus is having a chance to work with Brian's black belts in the class who are also always willing to help. I would recommend Brian and Urban Combat to anyone without hesitation. read more

(Reposted from the hosting studio, United Studios of Self-Defense Menlo Park) I took adult self-defense classes twice a week here for about six months, and I found Brian to be a phenomenal instructor for material that can be personally challenging. He is ALWAYS friendly and respectful, and is careful to match everyone to their proper challenge level. He's also got a dry sense of humor that's really refreshing. The space is also spotless and well-equipped with training tools. The group atmosphere is similar - always friendly and respectful, no macho stuff, but focused on quality work. And you WILL work hard if you want to! Brian's classes typically include a metabolic conditioning workout (cardio + bodyweight strength training) that will help you get stronger and accustomed to rapid bursts of energy. After the workout, the real fun begins. I won't spoil any surprises, but suffice to say that Brian's classes often alter the environment of the studio to go broadly and deeply into a full range of realistic self-defense situations. Fun stuff. Bottom line: if you want to learn to protect yourself and your loved ones from physical harm, Brian is a great choice. read more