This review is belated, as both my son & daughter are now in their mid twenties, having received…read moreblack belts in their early teens. But I want to share how much this place meant to us and the positive, loving attitude that it has. My son is in his first teaching position, & after asking him what he thought his influences were he said "Tae kwon do". It didn't surprise me, but he had a lot of other influences besides that. Having a situation where teaching is part of learning & age is not a factor is really unique. But it wouldn't have been a part of our lives if it weren't for Gregg & Michelle. They make it what it is. Amazing and welcoming. A blessing. Keep it going guys, you are helping create good people in our world.

Gregg and Michelle are amazing folks! They are kind and welcoming to people of all ages and…read moreabilities. I'm impressed by the way they teach self-discipline, martiAl arts, and fitness simultaneously- all while having fun. Our son loves this place and we do too!

My daughter has the privilege of attending this incredible Dojo. The Sensei's are so attentive to…read moreevery child's needs and bring a variety of teachings that are focused on balancing both the body and the mind, which was really important to us. Rising Tide Karate has given my daughter tools to be more disciplined, boost more confidence and the ability to face social challenges that may arise in school. It was such a great experience for my daughter and we can't thank them enough for all that they do for my child. We are so grateful that the winds have brought us to Rising Tide Karate.

Great family atmosphere! I wanted to find something for my son and I to do together. Couldn't be…read morehappier. Everyone at Rising Tide Karate has been very welcoming and helpful.

We have been attending USMAC for two years as a family. The instructors and atmosphere are always…read morewelcoming and respectful. I really like how they are able to teach our kids, keep them engaged, focused and challenge them. Outside of class USMAC embodies the spirt of community and they participate in numerous events throughout the year. They set a great example for our children and we are always excited to attend class!!

From my son...he loves it. Do wish it was just a little less $$ but have been getting more involved…read moreand really appreciate Master Andrew and team for their commitment to character development.

Originally opened as "Skyward Karate" ,the first official Karate Studio in Yelm by Steve Handlan, a…read more2nd generation, Ed Parker Black Belt. Mr. Handlan acheived 4th Degree Black Belt under Sr. Master Joe Palanzo. After teaching in Yelm for over 10 yrs. Mr. Handlan and wishing to seek a different path, sold the dojo to Wayne & Rhonda Steinman of Yelm. School teaches original Ed Parker Kenpo Karate under the tutelage of 4th Degree Black Belt Wayne Steinman. Excellent environment for learning, and caters to children. Instructors are charismatic and entice students to want to learn more. Best School in town. Building is owned by Yelm Kenpo Karate, so they won't be closing any time soon. Highly Recommended, can trace heritage back to founder of art, Ed Parker.

Instructor is very patient and gets down to my kids level. Highly recommend.read more

We did a birthday party for my daughters here and it was awesome. Zach was great and made sure all…read morethe kids had a blast. In fact, they had such a good time that some of them cried when it was time to go. From our side, it couldn't have gone better. Paramount took care of everything but the cake so we didn't have to worry about setup or clean up. Zach also cut the cake with a katana which was pretty cool.

This is our story. We joined Paramount in mid Feb. The…read morelocation was perfect, it was literally 1 minute from our home and we were already on a tight schedule so the 4:30 class was manageable. When we signed up with Lee she was awesome! My little was comfortable with her from the start! So I was sold. We, like most families are on a tight budget but my little needed something like Karate to grow, learn, and socialize with other littles. So I put it on my CC and set up payments. Now for the down slide... Not long after we joined we found out that the lease was up and that they would be moving. So we hung in there worried and awaiting to see where the new location would be. My husband and I had to request to leave work early from our employers to attend class (and were still late). He commutes from Lakewood to Lacey (in JBLM traffic) to preschool which was 2 minutes from where Paramount was, and I commute from Tumwater to Lacey to preschool. My point is with the new location at Black hills Gymnastics does not work for our family. Although it is not far our commute went from 1 minute to 15-25 one way. We specifically picked Paramount because of its location and 4:30 class. We don't have the luxury of changing our work schedules to accommodate this new location. We have never been able to make the 6 o'clock class due to our tight schedule. So, I read the contract and saw that it was with ASF and that I should contact them. So I did. They advised me that if I got a letter from Paramount stating that they moved and not us that we could get out of the contract. It was new belt week and I literally had knots in my stomach. I was terrified to talk to Lee. So my husband said he would talk to her. During their conversation Elizabeth was listening in and interrupted my husband. He said that she was pretty rude and disrespectful and stated absolutely not. We will not give you a letter or let you out of the contract. This baffles me... he came to our celebratory dinner for my little getting a new belt very upset. Needless to say the celebration wasn't all that it should have been. We signed up for the other location... we were not made aware that they would be moving and somehow now we have to pay for classes that we cannot attend?? I'm literally in tears. So my little will not get to attend Karate anywhere because we can't afford to pay two places and were barely able to pay one. I just want to make all the families aware that when you sign with them it's seems to be all about the $$$$ and not my little or family. I will be telling our story on Yelp with ASF and Paramount and any other site that will allow us to inform others of what feels like a scam.

Master Bob is truly amazing! He connects with the children, makes it fun but also provides…read morestructure. I love his teaching style.

My son has thrived so much under the tutelage of Master Bob. I have seen so much improvement in his…read moreskills the last few months, and I am thrilled at what Tang Soo Do is doing for my kiddo. Master Bob is so patient with the kids, but also doesn't let them walk all over them. He is so good at finding the balance between fun and discipline! My son asks to go to Tang Soo Do everyday, which I think speaks volumes to the quality of the classes being provided. Check it out!

1) Yellowbot.com "Buyer Beware"…read more I was a member of this gym for almost 2 years. I took all of the different types of classes that were offered here- muay thai kickboxing, karate, and juijitsu. I even enrolled my two young children into their children's martial arts classes. For a long time I was very happy with this place, and can concur with the quality of the classes offered...however, the reason I definitely do not recommend this place to anyone, at least not to any women, is because of one of the owner's- Brian Johnson, who runs this business with his wife, Dani Johnson. Almost from the beginning of my membership here, I experienced what I felt was excessive and inappropriate attention from Brian Johnson. He made some advances towards me that made me uncomfortable and that were not reciprocated. He attempted to interfere with any interactions I had with other male members and/or instructors. He very loudly made false accusations towards me in an apparent effort to alienate me from other members. He openly spoke about other members private lives. When I did not reciprocate his apparent extramarital interest in me, he made up a false accusation against me and prematurely terminated my membership. When I attempted to speak with him about things, he threatened me with what he called a "dossier" that he had been apparently compiling against me. Brian Johnson is a former part-time, Tumwater, WA. police officer. Personally, I think it behooves anyone who encounters (former) law enforcement people to tread very carefully with them. Throughout my membership here, I almost always felt as though I were being avidly watched. While I truly learned a great deal of different martial arts, altogether, it was ultimately a very negative experience for me because of Brian Johnson's inappropriate behavior towards me. I strongly suggest whomever goes here to never leave any of their personal electronic devices unattended and to always lock up their belongings, which few if any members actually do, that I observed. Posted on February 25, 2025 & Last Modified March 06, 2025 Brian Johnson's Academy of Karate & Kickboxing Reviews 1) Yellowbot.com "Buyer Beware" Academy of Brian Johnson Karate & Fitness "Too bad I can't give you ZERO stars. Your customer service is crap. Your 6-month contract is a bullshit 7 month contract. You have inadequate facilities for women. You let people not in classes interrupt ongoing classes. You have no respect for the people who PAY you to go there. Your ignorance is unsurpassed. The fact that your unclean equipment gives people skin rashes is disgusting. It's..." -Ed McCormack 7/17/15. Yellowbot. "This is a very bad business. They are very unprofessional and not good with kids. They even have temper tantrums. You will be stuck paying on the contract for a year no matter how unhappy you are." -Yellowbot "Warning, do not sign the contract, they tell you false lies to get you to sign. This is a dirty business." -rateitall 5/30/2008 "Poor customer service, poor quality instruction, this business is in it for the money, it won't last long. It is a very negative environment. I would never recommend anyone signing your kids up here. What a waste of money. Prices are low, but you get even less of what you pay for." -rateitall. "Buyer Beware. This is a bad place for kids. There are a lot of scary people in there. It is a money hungry business." -Yellowpages. 4/7/2008 "Negative professionalism" -Natalie Martinez "This guy is completely unprofessional and likes to threaten people after assuming that they hang up on him." -James Dillman "My girlfriend attended the Academy of Brian Johnson and after the free week we decided to enroll her. It wasn't long before the older gray-haired instructors started staring at her and it made her extremely uncomfortable. Like licking their lis and putting out their tongues sort of thing. I've heard negative things about instructors there abusing their power to get with the people who go there so we decided to have her quit. On top of that the floors were very dirty with body hair on the ground and it smelled like stale socks. If you are a man maybe it's for you, they seemed to have a lot of people sparring and stuff, buit I'm not sure if the coaches are even qualified instructors in any shape or form. For a 7 time karate black belt master the owner didn't have any trophies, medals or belts of his own to speak of. Or any schooling or paperwork behind his credited instructors. Very suspect and a school that has a very sexual innuendo type thing going on. Very suspect. " -VerView, AntiPopThought, 1/16/2018

I've been training Muay Thai/ kickboxing here for a little while now and I love every minute of it…read more Knowledgeable coaching staff and friendly people.

I've been following this studio on instagram before they even opened but was too shy to book…read more Finally booked an intro class with Sarah, and she was great! Very welcoming, but clearly serious about the teaching and education of Pilates. The class was informative and thorough. It's been a few days and I'm still feeling that good kind of sore. The studio was super cute, very clean, and had a minimalist aesthetic. Everything felt intentional. I'm mad at myself for taking so long to take a class. I'm already trying to figure out how to fit more classes into my schedule and excited to try other instructors as well! Also, the price here is unbeatable compared to other studios!

As soon as I heard there was a new Pilates studio in town, I jumped at buying a couple classes…read more I've done Pilates over a decade ago and it is fantastic! In that decade, I've turned into a dough girl but still lift at the gym so the fat has something to sit on. Oh. My. God. I just had my first class with Michele. A beautiful young girl with the voice of an angel, but she'll kick your butt. Muscles long since strained have now felt the resurgence of what I used to call "exercise". And you can't even get frustrated because she's so nice! I bought a three class package, which I'm glad I did cause I'll tell you firsthand, this place will challenge you more than any gym class or trainer in any gym out there. If you've ever wanted to challenge yourself, gain mental clarity on where your fitness actually is, or you are just getting bored that someone might hit "alarms" because you're old and grunting is a sad side effect of working out, TRY THIS PLACE OUT. 2026 may not be the year for a new "you", but you can at least get closer to where you need to be.