From the first week we stepped into Blazier Elementary we started hearing about Sensei Chip and…read moreAustin Karate for Kids. It was all glowing reviews from parents, teachers, and especially his students. My daughter started at Austin Karate for Kids this summer (June 2013). From first hand experience, I can tell you, it is everything we had heard and more. The first few months were physically and mentally challenging as my daughter began training her body and mind in 2 hour long classes. Those classes ended with a tired, sweaty, and happy child. Sensei Chip has been there every step of the way from encouraging her keep trying when she is struggling to celebrating her successes. She's no exception, he is just as supportive of each student in his classes. His students know that Sensei Chip truly cares about them and he often becomes an integral role model in their lives. He holds all of his students to high, attainable standards and the tenants of Shotokan Karate are expected as part of daily life, not just in the dojo. We really like that belts are truly earned and it takes about a year to progress from white to yellow in most cases. In these short few months, we've seen the obvious physical changes but we find that the kid that has never been able to sit still, is starting to. Her focus, persistence, patience, and confidence have all increased in noticeable amounts. She walks taller and raves from the rooftops about Sensei Chip, karate, and the sense of community she has found there. We can't recommend Austin Karate for Kids enough. If you are looking for a dojo that truly teaches karate and the life skills that it brings, you will not be disappointed.

We are big fans of Austin Karate for Kids! My family has been participating in the program since…read more2008. All three of my children have learned valuable lessons from Sensei Chip including: resilience, determination, focus, and the benefits of hard work. Classes are long and all achievements are well earned. We love the strong sense of community. It's been a great fit for us and would recommend it to other families looking for sound program.

Small classes and Saya Dan Is wonderful. My daughter loooooves going to karate here. My favorite…read morething? The studio is super-clean!

From the owner: Martial Arts for Everyone! We specialize in inclusive class settings for students with special…read moreneeds and disabilities. Classes are led by school owner and former Special Education teacher, Daniel Carroll. One World Karate is an academy style school that draws from the Arts of Bando, Tai-Chi, Tae-Kwon-do, Karate, and Jiu-Jitsu to instruct the students. We build physical fitness, discipline, confidence, and character.

I am constantly blown away at the community that has developed at Shaolin Do of Austin! The Masters…read morehave gone out of their way to provide a wide array of online classes so that we can all continue to learn our Kung Fu and Tai Chi, and I know that they have more in the works. If you are looking for a place to learn martial arts, get in shape, or just meet some amazing people then this is the spot for you!

A welcoming and friendly environment. Inclusive to beginners & advanced levels. Kids & adults.read more

My son has been going there for a month now and really enjoys it. The instructors are nice,…read moreencouraging and really take the time to answer. Any questions you have about the program and go above and beyond and making sure that your child learns and what they need to know to become a great martial artist. I highly recommend checking in this place out if your child is interested in learning kung fu

Birthday Party Review…read more So much fun! So easy for parents! Wonderful teachers and volunteers! I can't say enough good things about Master Gohring and his team! My son and his friends had so much fun!! We'll be back for classes. Thank you, Rebekah, for taking such good care of us!

Instead of writing a "review," I am copying part of an email I recently sent Elite Martial Arts in…read moreSW Austin, TX bc we are just so pleased to have found them: "...Your dojo has been a shining light for us. I know I've said it multiple times, but I wanted to express it again - I only wish we had come to your dojo when we moved to the area years ago. You have something very special. From each of the very dedicated staff & student volunteers, to the way you emphasize technique, encourage the development of strength & power in fun, competitive (but not-harsh) ways & games, expect & follow-through with respect of all, focus on the positive, have high expectations, challenge everyone to work for the "clubs," & explain the "why" behind the directions (like, "break outward with your hand bc it will block your opponent's possible punch" etc). Thank you for making your program financially affordable. Thank you for explaining things in simple, understandable ways as well as demonstrating them yourselves. Thank you for giving students a voice. Thank you for allowing student volunteers to help - it gives the kids someone to look up to & envision themselves one day being able to do that. Thank you for repetition so that new skills/information are learned & old skills/information retained. Thank you for allowing my son, who has found a positive "passion," to come to your dojo so many days a week & multiple classes a day. We appreciate all of you & value your hard work, commitment, & time. Gratefully, Jenny D.

We have been coming here since my son was three. We moved away for a year and the entire time my…read morechild wanted to go back to the REAL martial Arts class. He loves his teachers, Mr Herman, Ms Sarah and of course Sensei. Their way with the children is so amazing, helping the overactive ones focus, bringing the shy ones out of their shell, and doing it all while having fun. I love how they respectfully interact with the kids and at the same time teach them manners, discipline and focus. If I could give them 100 stars I would. They earn it every time, we've never had a less than stellar experience here

I've been here 11 months, and I have to say that my experience at AFKA has been life changing. As…read morea girl, there's nothing more empowering than being able to spar and ground-fight with the guys. I never had upper body strength, and now when I fly on planes, I have little trouble lifting my 40 lb bag into the overhead bin. I feel safer when walking alone. I know self-defense skills, and I have the strength to back it up. I was upset by reading Lauren's review, and I recall the day she tried our class. I'm not going to go on a tl;dr tirade, but basically, martial arts is not for everyone. It's a contact sport, and the conditioning for your body is different than other sports. Yes we do sit-ups. Yes we do light contact sparring. Yes we do groundfighting, and you may just groundfight someone twice your size! We are very combat focused. If you can't handle lots of abwork, then try one of the many other fitness options offered in Austin. Each of our instructors have years of experience in various martial arts. I have complete faith in them. They are in tune with what is correct and proper technique. Training goes nowhere if you are injured. However, I stress that martial arts training is different from other sports you may have tried.

I've been taking tai chi classes at Austin Kung-fu Academy for a year. Santanu Rahman is an…read moreinstructor with infinite patience, brilliant teaching strategies, and good humor. Santanu challenges and supports all students' growing abilities and always has a new idea for teaching that is individualized to each class and to each student. Santanu is a master of the martial arts and he is also a master of communicating steps to growing your own practice. In addition to regular class times, Santanu holds "office hours" to help students individually. Santanu is one of the best teachers of any subject I've experienced, and I've experienced a lot of teaching in pursuit of my doctoral degree. In classes for students new to tai chi, Santanu strips the tai chi moves from the overall form to give you a good gentle work out. After students are comfortable with the individual moves, Santanu puts the separate elements together into the first third of the Yang 37 form. Once students master the first part of the form, the workout beginers' class splits into an advanced class that learns the whole form. As the advanced class learns the final moves of the Yang 37 form, Santanu introduces individual elements using a broadsword and gradually unites those moves into the broadsword form. Finally, Santanu has created a series of videos that work with his teaching. If you look at a commercial tai chi video the instructor always faces you. When you try to move with the video instructor you have to move in the reverse direction to get into the correct positions. This mental reversal is confusing for beginners. To address this problem in Santanu's videos he is facing away from the student and looking toward a mirror. In this composition the student watching the video is in the right alignment with the teacher and can see both his front and back. Pros: Brilliant teacher who provides individual extra teaching and videos for outside practice. Cons: None

The people and environment are very welcoming what I love most is that you never leave without a…read moresmile, great place for the kids + affordable prices!!

I started training at Sun Dragon just over two years ago. I was overweight, prone to panic attacks,…read moreand had not taken control of my life in any way. It was intimidating at first - I learned to move my body in unfamiliar ways, and was introduced to a lot of people when I was actually pretty shy and unnerved. Fast forward two years - I've lost 70 pounds, I'm an upper intermediate student, and I can't wait to get to class four days a week. I have taken control of my life, taken responsibility and accountability for my personal health, and have learned the power of meditation through karate and how to channel my healing into this physical art. This isn't your typical dojo - we are not a combat spot - oriented school. We are an all-inclusive community with students of all genders, religions, sexualities, physical fitness levels, formative experiences, and ages. We do learn martial arts and we do learn how to spar, but we also learn martial arts as a form of meditation, and how to use the principles in karate to improve our everyday lives and the lives of those around us. I'm a lifer now, and my best friends all train with me and understand me. This is my family, and I'm forever grateful that my friends ushered me in the door two years ago.

AKA is the best! Regardless of your age or skill level, Austin Karate Academy will welcome you with…read moreopen arms, and give you a heck of a workout! I've had to dig deep and push myself harder than I ever have before, and I've made a lot of great friends along the way. Especially as a young adult, there are a lot of distractions in life, but the instructors and students have helped me develop my focus and better myself as a person. Tang Soo!

We've had a fantastic experience at AKA. A neighbor has been going there for several years (she is…read morenow a black belt), so we knew they were good people. Signed my 8yo son up almost a year ago, and I joined a few months ago. The instructors are fantastic -- they really push and challenge the students, but in a very respectful way, never condescending. They will particularly challenge kids who are not listening or behaving respectfully, but again will do so in a respectful way. At the beginner level, it's mostly kids (I believe that's the case at most studios) with a handful of adults, but don't be fooled into thinking it's going to be easy! They do a great job of catering to a range of skill levels in the class. As someone in his mid-40s, I get a great workout and have increased my strength, flexibility, and stamina even in just a few months. The main instructor (a 3rd degree black belt) has an INCREDIBLE amount of energy and passion and really gets everyone fired up, and he knows every student by name, and greets them by name as they enter the studio. I highly recommend AKA, for kids and adults alike. It has been a great journey learning karate with my son and being able to practice together outside of class. Several of the adults there also have kids in the studio and they joined because they've seen the quality of the program over the years. Join AKA, you'll love it!

Kula Karate is awesome! I've tried a few but Kula is definitely THE BEST program I've found for my…read morekids. It's helped them to develop leadership skills that will equip them to be successful throughout their lives. All 3 of my boys are Kula Ninjas; the oldest has been going for 7 years now. The instructors are always excellent - I trust them completely - and the boys take away valuable lessons every day. Great for building focus, coordination, teamwork, good sportsmanship, healthy habits, strong values and character - all while exercising and having fun!

Great after school program - very convenient. Lots of variety in the classes. Always fun.read more

Sensei Chip is a great instructor and allows all ages and abilities. He focuses on respect,…read moretechnique, and skill, not a bunch of belts that don't mean much. When you earn a belt in his class, you know he thinks you're ready. Both my son and I signed up for the class and have been attending for a year. We have both advanced and gone to tournaments (something I would have said was flat impossible 18 months ago) and done well.

Sensei Chip is a wonderful instructor. I am very glad that my daughter has begun going to this…read moreclass (north location) in addition to the classes held in the south location. She has grown as an individual physically, and in terms of cognitive development (focus, concentration, attention etc) since she began learning karate from Sensei Chip in September 2013. Sensei Chip is dedicated to his children; he puts his heart and soul into training his kids and making them the best they can be. He is a no nonsense person, who calls it as it is. He does not like to waste time or fool around in his class. His honesty and diligence in training his kids is wonderful to see. I could not be happier with the classes and/or my daughter in Sensei Chip's class. He is dedicated, hardworking and it shows. Take a chance, visit his south or north location, you will not be disappointed.