My son has taken lessons here for almost 2 years and absolutely loves it. It's a serious school…read morethat isn't too over the top - the kids have fun and learn a lot!

I've been studying martial arts for more than 35 years. I can say with confidence that Steve…read moreNugent's Karate Institute(SNKI) provides a level of instruction that is second to none. It all starts with Grandmaster (GM) Nugent by setting the tone that quality, professionalism, respect and attention to detail are of utmost importance. GM's instructors are the best around. They all have been handpicked by GM Nugent to uphold his standards. Those studying at SNKI learn effective self defense and the additional benefits that studying martial arts brings. It's difficult for most people to know how to pick a good martial arts school for themselves or their children. This problem is easily solved by joining SNKI. Among the thousands of martial arts schools which deliver varying degrees of proficiency and results SNKI is light years ahead. SNKI is literally in a class of it's own.

I am 58 years old. I have been involved with martial arts since I was 8 years old. I have been to…read moremany schools over the years. I have been to some mediocre McDojo's and I have been taught by some of the best teachers in our area. I have to say that Pence Self Defense Academy is the best school that I have had the pleasure of attending. They have all the amenities that a good school should have but what separates them from their competitors is their uncompromising love of the art that they teach and the passion and dedication they have in passing the art along to the students. They love what they do and it shows. We have a lot of fun in the process of learning and the classes are open to everyone in a friendly and non judgemental environment. They offer anyone a free trial period. If you do not believe my review then try it out for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Great Academy for young and old ran by incredible martial artists my grandson is7 years old and it…read morewas the best thing for him .

Best karate class I've seen! The instructors are students themselves and under the instruction of…read moretheir respected teacher Rocky, they pass knowledge on. The environment is welcoming and everyone has a place. Parents are allowed to be spectators, fresh coffee is brewing and a table full of communal healthy treats are present for all. I love it...

Prof. Rocky DiRico is an amazing, gifted instructor, as is his son, Sensei Chris DiRico. My…read moresix-year-old son has responded to both instructors and it has done wonders for his self-confidence (we are still working on self-control). I can't say enough good things about this school. The instructors are positive and spend time both on physical awareness and forms as well as having a responsible, respectable character. The classes are set up in such a way that the lower belts learn from the higher belts and everyone develops respect for each other. My son is eager to attend his classes each week.

Great school to learn martial arts. They have classes for all ages at different days/times…read more Staff is always very friendly and knowledgeable about martial arts! It is great to see the kid's progress week to week - month to month!

Engaging instructors, community events, monthly themes facilitating learning on and off the mat.read more

this place is NOT COOL. my kid went here 1 year ago and all he did was punch air and random things!…read moreThis is carate not yoga class. Not cool

Mr. and Mrs Calahan and the experienced staff are a real class act, they care about the students…read moreand do a great job with Kids and Adults alike. The best for miles around.

My son has been attending Elite Freestyle Karate for ~4 years or so. He has progressed from a…read morewhite belt to a purple belt over this time period. While the belt progress is great, what's more is the mentorship he has received from the staff. We started with Sensei Nick, who now teaches at another location (Arlington?), I believe. Senseis Henry and Jasmine are our most recent instructors. All 3 have been amazing to our family and to our son. Sensei Henry in particular has taken our son under his wing and instilled confidence in him (which has been the primary purpose of us doing karate). The instructors are really great about keeping the kids focused and keeping their attention, but also making karate fun and educational. Our son was recently invited to join black belt club, which is an additional 10 minutes after each class but they get to learn how to use additional equipment like kali sticks, nunchucks, and do some light sparring. There are a lot of extra things that EFK does too, like bootcamps and tournaments. You can opt in to whatever you'd like. A big thanks to EFK (including leadership, Shihan Gary and Sensei Ryan) and our amazing instructors (Sensei Henry and Sensei Jasmine) for providing such a great and positive experience for our son.

I am deeply disappointed with the business practices here. My son trained here for over 4 years,…read morebut our experience ended on a terrible note. Upon leaving, we were hit with over $800 in cancellation fees. It feels like they care more about profit than the kids. What's worse, they are now encouraging children in class to promote the dojo at school for sign-ups. It seems more like a marketing machine than a place focused on teaching leadership. If you decide to sign up, read the fine print very carefully--do not get locked into their contracts. This final experience left a black mark on the last 4 years. Not recommended.

My son attended this studio for about five years, and I wanted to share our experience for parents…read moreconsidering enrolling their children. I'll start with the positives. The instructors are energetic, genuinely care about the kids, and do a great job creating a fun environment. They also emphasize discipline and respect, which is one of the main reasons we kept our son enrolled for so long. Unfortunately, after five years, I don't feel like my son truly learned karate to the level I expected. As a black belt myself, I was surprised that many students in the advanced classes had not mastered basic techniques that I was required to learn before advancing. Even some black belt students did not know how to properly tie their belts because they had never been taught. The studio has a sign that says, "A black belt is a white belt who never quits." While perseverance is certainly important, that philosophy seemed to carry over into belt advancement. My impression was that consistent attendance was often valued more than mastering the required material. I attended several belt tests where students struggled with the curriculum, were coached through the test by an instructor, and were still promoted despite not demonstrating proficiency on their own. Another downside is the constant upselling. There always seemed to be another optional class, event, seminar, or program that required an additional fee. While none of these were mandatory, the requests came frequently, and the extra costs added up over time. Overall, I think this is a studio that does an excellent job helping kids build confidence, discipline, and have fun. However, if your primary goal is for your child to develop strong martial arts skills and earn promotions based on mastery of the material, our experience suggests this may not be the best fit.

I had a very bad experience with this school and would strongly advise against sending your child…read moreto this school. The first problem is that they require a 3 month notice period if you plan on withdrawing from the school. Effectively, this means that if you plan on discontinuing with their karate classes, they will continue to charge you for an additional 3 months. When we signed up, this point was non-negotiable with them. During the summer months, my children spend most of their time with outdoor activities (tennis, swimming, baseball, etc) and we wanted to put their class attendance on hold. When I called the school to put their attendance on hold, they informed me that they could not put my payments on hold. As an alternative, they suggested that I pay for the summer months (June, July, and August) even if they did not attend class and then they would not charge me for Sept, Oct, and Nov. In December, I would continue paying as usual. Believing that they were an honest business, I agreed to this and paid them for June, July, and August. However, when September rolled around, my children no longer wanted to attend class. So, I informed them that my children would attend Sept, Oct, and Nov (which had been paid for during the summer) and then discontinuing classes. According to the instructor, however, this was not possible because they have a policy that says that if a student discontinues attending classes, the hold time is forfeited and I would not be given a refund. Quite frankly, I did not want a refund. I wanted my children to attend class with the hopes that they would change their mind. I even told the instructor that if he could convince my children to continue classes, I would be happy to continue with their school. In fact, by sending my children during Sept, Oct, and Nov, I was giving him the opportunity to motivate my children to come to class. However, he did not want to consider this option and chose the unethical route of charging me for services he did not want to render. Beware of this karate school. They are crooks... Unfortunately, I cannot give then zero stars because Yelp's system will not allow me to do so. They do not deserve the one star they received.

We love Alan Kessler's. We have been going for a year now and my Daughter still loves the classes…read more This is a great karate center for kids and adults. For kids I really recommend the karate Pals program.

This is a great dojo! My Daughter has been taking classes here for two years. They offer morning…read moreclasses for preschool/K kids which works out great for us. The instructors are wonderful with the kids and the class sizes are small. The preschool/K class has both a karate class and an activity session (craft, storytime, food project etc.) I come from a martial arts household, my Mom taught Judo and my brother is a black belt. I wanted the very best martial arts instruction for my child. I also wanted a safe and fun dojo with a family feel. I believe I have found that with Alan Kessler's Karate Center. The dojo is very welcoming to newcomers, give them a call and ask to try a free class or two. Let me know if you have any questions!