I was a student for three years at Zen Budokai until my health and financial situation no longer…read morepermitted me to take classes. During that time I achieved my blue belt. Classes are small, with lots of personalized attention. Both Professor Tim and Sensei Ned run classes well, come up with great drills, and always have insightful feedback about ways to do techniques better. The other regular students were also fantastic. As (usually) the only woman in the class, and a small one to boot, I was initially worried about not being taken seriously. However, the feeling in the class is very fraternal. As soon as students have their first belt, they take turns teaching students at lower levels. In this way, students are familiar with and feel responsible for each other's progress. It also keeps techniques you learned a while back fresh in your mind, and you keep improving them as you teach them. I never felt uncomfortable and made friends with several classmates. No macho BS. This is not Brazilian Gracie jujitsu, and not focused on competition, but a smaller school focused on effective self-defense, perfecting techniques, avoiding injury and mutual respect. If you are not familiar with jujitsu, it's good to note that unlike karate or kung fu, which are striking arts, jujitsu focused on close-in fighting, mat wrestling, throws, holds, escapes and joint locks. I chose it because as a small woman, I'll never have the striking reach of a larger opponent. Any tussle I get into will wind up with someone trying to pin or hold me down. Thanks to my classes at Zen Budokai, I know how to deal with these situations. I hope that if someone attacked me, god forbid, I wouldn't panic and freeze, but would know that I could escape and incapacitate my attacker. Once I got good at some throwing techniques and learned how to use weight and leverage to my advantage, I could throw a 250-lb classmate over my head. I'm 5'2", 120ish lbs. That's just kinda cool. I would recommend classes at Zen Budokai to anyone interested in learning self-defense techniques in a respectful, encouraging and fun environment. I hope I can one day return to the school myself.

I was a direct student of the founder, Raymond "Duke" Moore [RIP], at the original dojo on Market…read moreSt., 1962-1974. I respectfully & wholeheartedly commend Tim Delgman, Irving Lee. Doug Haight, Clint LeMay and Scott Moresi for continuing and promoting the rich philosophy and traditions of the martial arts presented to us by Moore Hanshi. Apply yourself to make the most of this experience, keep an open mind and ask questions. This is where I started. "Minimum effort, maximum efficiency".

Best Kung fu school around hands down.Ive been a student under Sifu Master Schauer for 9 years. We…read morefocus on all aspects of Kung fu .Great place to build a man or women to the highest degree . Vic Rael

I have been a student of Master Schauer's for nearly a decade now, and have continued to study with…read morehim even after moving to the east bay. Master Schauer's classes are based on traditional kung fu systems but also include grappling and kickboxing. I highly recommend this school for anyone looking to get in shape and enjoy the health benefits of traditional kung fu training as well as practical self defense. I usually take the weekend classes which are held outside in golden gate park and can last for hours! Highly recommended.

The Aikido Institute is an amazing place to practice aikido. The dojo is a great community centered…read morearound learning in a safe and dedicated environment. The senseis are of high levels and the students from every horizon of life. I've practiced aikido on and off in different countries and both teachers and students rekindled my love for the sport through kindness and dedication. Classes are composed of people of different ages, men / women, teenagers, adults. Very family friendly. There are kids classes on weekends before the adult class. It is also easy to access and park around since the parking meters have been disabled in the area, and there are plenty of public parking spots thanks to the various churches around.

The Aikido Institute of San Francisco is a great family dojo…read more The instructors are kind and patient when teaching. The scale the type and level of teaching to fit the age and level of the student. If the student is younger or less experienced they are treated in a more gentle manner and instruction is more focused. If the student is experienced, instruction is better described as traditional. Additionally, the instructors always ensure that younger students get picked up by a guardian. The dojo itself is a tad small, but it can accommodate approximately 15 students per class comfortably. Any more students and everyone is pressed for space.

I'm so glad to have found Soko Joshi. It is such a joy to be in the class and learn from sensei…read moreWilina.

I have been with this judo club for a year and the sensei / teacher (Wilina) and her students have…read morebeen truly welcoming, kind and knowledgeable. Unlike other judo dojos that are geared primarily around competitions and only teach a few techniques very well, this dojo is focused on giving instructions on all of the techniques so you get to learn a lot more than at any other place. Practice is conducted in a way that is respectful and unlikely to lead to injury. They also allow potential students to sit in on a few classes to learn what judo is all about before enrolling. Wilina and the other black belt students who help out are all volunteers and they're doing this to pass on the judo tradition that was started by Keiko Fukuda (who used to be the highest ranking woman in judo globally). You can tell that they truly care about the practice of judo, each other, as well as all incoming new students. I would highly recommend enrolling if there's interest!

These guys are the real deal…read more One of the things I like most about Combat Krav Maga is that there are no egos and no need to prove anything. You have people from all walks of life and different ages training together, and after spending some time here, you quickly realize how much knowledge and experience is in the room. Joel and the team focus on practical, real-world self-defense. The training is challenging, welcoming, and very different from a lot of martial arts schools that focus more on looking impressive than being effective. What really impressed me was seeing how skilled everyone is. There are a lot of experienced people training here, and it's a reminder that experience, technique, and good instruction matter far more than appearances. If you're thinking about learning self-defense, come visit, watch a class, and talk to the people here. You'll quickly see why so many students stay for years. Highly recommend. These guys are the real deal.

Tried out the women self defense class. Very informative. Instructor was very patient and showed us…read moremany practical useful techniques. Will definitely come back to learn more

Taking Tai Chi classes from Sifu O'Connor and he really takes the time needed to focus on the…read morefundamentals, which is critically important in any martial art class. He's careful to teach how to avoid "tai chi knee" and break down the forms both into their components and explain/show how the fundamentals are present in every movement. The school is new to the area so the class sizes are still small and you get a lot of 1:1 attention. Location is great it's an easy block or two from Van Ness station.

This is an excellent school for learning the principles of tai chi, as taught by the classics. The…read moreteacher, Martin Inn, has produced two editions of the tai chi classics, and in his teaching, he refers to them consistently. Learning from him, one always has the sense that he is simply a vessel for the tai chi tradition. At the same time, it is clear that his knowledge is based on a steadfast personal exploration of the principles of tai chi. I myself have studied at this school since 2005. Before then, I had spent three years practicing yoga. I decided to switch to tai chi for many reasons, and 12 years on, I feel it was the right decision. It has given me more awareness in my physical movements and perhaps in my sense perception. Most importantly, it has taught me how to relax. To truly relax is much harder to do than you might think. You'll start by learning the form from a senior teacher. Doing so will take 6-10 months. During this time, you will face physical challenges, most significantly building up strength in your thighs. You will discover the paradox of relaxation: that the more you relax, the more leg strength you require. If your hands are habitually cold, you will find that taking this class will warm them. You might note this phenomenon with interest. After you learn the form, you will join the main class. You'll be attending the class 2-3 times a week, each time going through the form twice and then taking a lesson on one specific point from Martin. From this point through the next few years, you will, as a beginner, move your body externally--that is, using your muscles--as you have done your entire life. Gradually, you will learn how to relax. Each stage of relaxation will open up new levels of understanding and create new physical challenges. Eventually, after at least a few years, when you relax to do the form, you will begin to feel the stirrings of something new within your body, probably first in the arms. It will feel as if a subtle fluid is moving through them, making them lighter, animating them. This, presumably, is chi, or at least one form of it. You're still a beginner, but you're beginning to understand what people mean when they talk about chi. With continued practice, you will continue to relax and start to realize the significance of a phrase from the classics: "The mind moves the chi, the chi moves the body." In other words, you can move your body with chi (as a beginner, very slightly) instead of with muscles. When practicing the form, your body acquires more of a floating quality. Very interesting. Of course, you are still a beginner. Perhaps at some point you will join the push hands class and see what it is like to try to push with Martin. You'll experience the difference between a martial art based on strength and speed, like karate, and a martial art based on softness and energy, like tai chi. Perhaps you will reflect on the significance of this difference for understanding nature and evaluating human behavior. Learning tai chi from an experienced teacher is a fascinating journey. Martin is an excellent teacher, and also a demanding one. Lay your ego at the door. You will get as much from this school as you are willing to put in.

I highly recommend this school for anyone interested in studying T'ai Chi seriously. It is a very…read morevibrant school, teaching beginners and advanced students, and has been in the same SOMA location for over 20 years. Martin Inn (owner, main teacher) is very accomplished both in the health and martial aspects of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. A shortened, 37 posture form in the Yang family style, as modified by Ch'eng Man Ching is taught in the school, as well as a sword form and San Shou. So there's lots to learn and it's a real workout too!

There was a time when the instructor, Shihan Wayne Shockness, was a generous, understanding, and…read morealso physically skilled martial artist. I quit this April because he became very unprofessional, was fooling around a lot instead of actually teaching, was verbally abusing and cursing at me to give him money for his personal expenses such as food, medical bills, etc. after I already paid the $250 a month dojo fee, was abusing me because I did not meet all his expectations for personal favors such as helping him move and set up furniture at his apartment, and throwing insults me with baseless allegations and projections of what he is doing, because I didn't meet all his selfish requests for money and personal favors that have nothing to do with Karate. He verbally abuses people for selfish gain and returns favors with disrespect, cursing, false accusations, and verbal abuse. When I gave an example of a time when I was always available for him, by buying him medicine and masks when he was sick, he said: "No you did not. I called you to buy me medicine and set up my chair. After you brought me the food and medicine, and did the bedsheets, and I needed you to set up the chair you left and I am standing there. You went and did whatever. It took me three hours to put that chair together." Shihan continued, "I said I will never ask you for help again. That shows your bad attitude." On December 21, 2025, Shockness asked me, "Can I have $20?" I said I could not and needed to take care of myself. He persisted in asking and insulting me. "Can I have $20? You need to stop being cheap." As he persisted, I would just respond to him in the same way and he would disrespect in the same way. After a pause, Shockness continued. "I have big problems. God. You are disgusting. You know that? You bitch about spending $20. I have people who actually care about me. They spend hundreds of dollars on me for a new TV. Unlike you, I actually do have students that care about me." I said his type of humor does not get old on me. "You need to stop being so cheap and selfish. People are going to hate you and resent you. Seriously? You think this is a joke? You just want to take." By saying the following, he is trying to propagate an upside down reality that I am somehow the "selfish" one. He curses and uses insults that are projections of what he is doing onto me, which mental health experts describe as narcissistic, emotional manipulation, and deflecting of the offender's character defects to the victim. "Your heart is void, It is not about the money, you dumb piece of ****. I am showing you how to be a good person. You are rude. You are disrespectful. Change your attitude. You bitched to me once that you spent $30 on food. Neriah and Helen spent hundreds. They never once came up to me with the same disrespect." Shihan Shockness's inappropriate behaviors include abusive speech, cursing, raising voice aggressively, abusing people for for selfish gain (money and personal expenses), repeatedly making unwanted requests for money and personal expenses even after answering some requests, lying, falsely accusing, distorting events to project "selfishness" onto me when he is clearly the one who is self-centered, refusing to make things right with people who were victimized, and stealing (refusing to give back $250 for cancelled classes). Shihan Shockness's inappropriate and blatantly abusive behaviors are completely contradictory to the core values of Shotokan Karate, which include respect, discipline, and integrity. I encourage him to take this opportunity for reflection and growth. Care for Shihan, but do not invest in his self-indulgence. He takes no responsibility for his immoral and abusive actions, and refuses to reconcile despite me reaching out to his friend and him. Instead, he pressures his dojo members to disassociate with me through unfriending me online. I wrote this review as a last resort.

The sensei is Wayne Shockness, a practitioner under Shotokan Karatedo for more than 35 years, and…read morehe's currently one of the few 6th degree blackbelt instructor, under the SKIF association, in the west coast. The program offers 7 classes a week, on Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sats. I've been a long term student of this Dojo for 10 years. All I can say is that Sensei Shockness had helped me to grow and become a strong individual through the philosophy of Budo. This is a traditional Japanese Shotokan style karate dojo. The classes are designed to really push you to the limit. The trainings are tough, but you get a great sense of reward afterwards. If you want to have a strong focus, build your mental, physical, and spiritual strength, this is the place to be. Quitting will come up to your mind many times during the training, but not to quit is what pushes you forward. The Dojo welcomes people in all ages! The dojo is new at this location and it's truly for everyone: students in all age group are welcome with the youngest student just 6 years old. Everyone, of course, has to sign a waiver form for liability matters, but that's standard protocol.