Oh where do I start? Hang in there with me, this is sure to be a long one. My family of 5 all…read moreattended classes at Long's Shotokan for nearly 5 years. I took every adult class available; my kids took every kid's class available. 3/5 of us obtained shodan black belts under Mark Long over the course of the 5 years. All of that said, we had never been at another dojo so we were just rolling with the blows, not knowing that dojo life could be any better. Now that I have left, I know it can be infinitely better. Firstly, before testing for my shodan black belt, we each had "interviews" with Mark Long where he asked us one thing we liked and didn't like about either the testing process or the dojo in general. I told him that my dislike would be the many inconsistencies; i used his schedule as an example because it changes, unannounced, at least twice a year. The last schedule change cut classes down to 30 minutes, half of which is spent listening to sermon-like lectures and not working out. I was well aware of the dojo's Christian stance from the day I joined, as there are crosses and bible quotes hanging in the lobby, so that is not the issue here. The issue is that I was paying nearly $300 a month to learn self defense, not go to church. And okay, his rants aren't always religious themed, sometimes they are so far off in left field that I truly can't follow. Onto more inconsistencies though, to obtain your shodan black belt there is a grocery list of requirements you must meet to be eligible for testing. Some of these include: must have a yellow belt in aikido, must have an orange belt in judo, must have attended 4 tournaments, must pass the physical endurance part of the test (50 pushups, 50 situps in 3 minutes, followed by 50 jumping jacks and 50 burpees). I have witnessed many tests where the testers did not have these requirements met and were still allowed to test and pass. Just this past summer, I watched a man test for his Nidan (2nd degree) and pass without knowing the nidan kata or his self defense. I started to realize that he is running a belt factory. When I came to this realization I feared that perhaps I had been a product of the belt factory too, but I put those fears to rest when I remembered that on my own Shodan test, I was pulled into the office by the black belt board and told that I was "out-performing the rest of the students" and to "share some of my enthusiasm with the other students." sorry/not sorry, I took my training and testing very seriously because my entire reason for training in martial arts was to learn self defense to protect myself and daughters. It is VERY serious. But onward, my family is a mixed (caucasian and mexican). Over the years, Mark Long made multiple underhand racist comments towards my daughter and my husband. Another former black belt of his went on to work on the Border Patrol. He came to visit family and came into the dojo to train. Mark Long put him and my husband to spar one another and thought it was hilarious to announce that the Border Patrol Agent could beat my Mexican husband & send him back home. Let me add here that my husband was born in the states, this is his home. This exact same sparring match happened the next time that black belt visited too. (I am good friends with that black belt and even he has expressed the distaste that left him with; he felt extremely uncomfortable with it and considered walking out each time.) He would often make "Mexican hat dance" jokes to my daughter's footwork. He once did the Hitler hand salute while talking about Trump, in the dojo, during business hours. One of his other black belts told him that was inappropriate and he laughed it off. At a different time, he was talking about rolling a magazine on an airplane with the intent to beat a Muslim man because he feared he was a terrorist... he made a joke about terrorists yelling "aloha snack bar" before committing terrorist acts. He also called my very dark skinned daughter "Brown Bug" for years, when she repeatedly told him that she didn't like that name. He played it off as a term of endearment, but now I truly question that. When I went into the office to cancel our payments and leave the dojo, he had the audacity to question my husband's citizenship and say that perhaps he was here on a work visa. Again, I add that he was born in the states and we have been a member of the dojo for 5 years... he knew my husband was American. In the same conversation he listed off HIS black belts, "I have Mexican black belt; black belt who is a black guy, I have black belts that are gay, trans, etc." Which really threw me back because who keeps track like that? And portrays them as HIS? It's extremely disturbing. He told me 6x in an hour, "if you don't agree with me, get out and never come back." this is proof that you are not welcome there if you do not share his ideologies. The list goes on but it appears I have met the max character amount for a review and I cannot continue.

I started taking my oldest son here 7 years ago. He just passed his jr black belt test. I hope to…read moresee him be a leader and help teach others. My younger son just passed his brown belt test. I am looking forward to him hopefully getting his black belt in a year. I am very happy with this school. Besides karate they do kick boxing, sparing, judo, aikido, and weapons. I would recommend coming in for a free class.

AKKA Independence is beyond awesome. My 10 year old daughter tried it out. On the way to the first…read moreclass (which is free) she was in tears because she was so nervous. At the end of class that night she was smiling ear to ear. She is now a white belt and loves going to class. We have been going 2-3 nights a week for 2 months and from day one to now, she's more confident in her self, she's confident in her abilities, and loves showing big sis the moves she's learning with the AKKA team. My only regret is that we didn't start classes way sooner. It's never too late though! Thank you, AKKA!

A great place to learn martial arts, self-confidence and self-respect. The people are friendly. The…read moreinstructors are personable and helpful. This studio is very family and kid friendly. I'd recommend anyone looking for martial arts training to give the studio a call to get more information.

Sensei Rodrigo and the entire team of instructors are truly amazing. They create such a positive,…read moresupportive environment where kids feel valued, encouraged, and celebrated. My son absolutely loves coming to class and looks forward to it every week. We've seen such a boost in his confidence, discipline, and overall happiness since starting here. So grateful we found this dojo. highly recommend to any family looking for a place where their child will thrive!

My son started taekwondo when he was 5 years old, in the Little Tigers program. We had tried other…read moremartial arts studios before and Master Henrich was by far the best instructor we had seen. He ran the entire class of 7-9 5 year olds all by himself. Other places had barely been able to contain smaller classes with more adults helping. He is able to keep the kids entertained and engaged while still having them learn the fundamentals and basics of taekwondo. All of the black belts/instructors have immense patience with all the students. They take time with each person to make sure they understand the techniques and skills they need to learn. My son and I now both take classes together and it has been an amazing experience to be able to learn side by side with him and watch him grow. I couldn't imagine a better place that I could have started this journey with my son, and we will continue for many years to come.

Can't say enough about this place. My daughter has been going there for a little over a year now…read moreand Master Henrich has taught her so much and helped her grow. I've seen other, similar places that focus on fun and games. Henrich's emphasizes discipline, focus and integrity, but he also clearly cares for everyone who walks through his doors.

With out a doubt the most knowledgeable Kung Fu teacher in Kansas City, expert or new student has…read moreprograms for every level.

Aparently, noone has left a recent 2019 review for this school and instructor. granted, this…read moreinstructor may have a lot of knowledge, but he belittles his students. After taking classes with him for 4 months, He told me that he hated teaching the style which he had me sign up for. I also have a daughter which asked me if she could take lessons together. We both signed up for 2 classes a week. His assistant which was assigned to teach me frequently did not show up for classes. After the this month of this, when it was time to pay for the next month of classes, I kept my daughter's classes t twice a week, but lowered mine to once a week, since I had been paying for classes but not getting them d/t instructor not showing up. When I lowered my class time he told me don't bother with him anymore and it would be a waste of his time. It was a waste of my time taking off from work and paying for classes, and driving 30 minutes to his school, only to find out that my class would cancel. Advertising and getting paid for classes you don't offer can constitute as fraud, but I never brought that up. Also, there were other people taking classes at the same time, but the main instructor was teaching them since they had been with him for over a few years. This was very disappointing. The most disappointing part in all of this was that my daughter worked her butt off, only to be turned away since the instructor wanted to throw a fit. This does not show integrity nor a good moral compass. He also has sudden mood swings-some days he is okay to be around and others he will belittle those around him. Until he gets temper under control and show some integrity, we will not go back. Prospecting students- You have been warned!

I've been in the education industry my entire adult career. I've got to tell you this is an amazing…read moreto learn a martial art. The instructors keep the kids motivated. My son was 8 years old when he started He is soon to be 12 and will acquire his black belt 1 month after his birthday!

You will not be disappointed by this school. When you have an amazing instructor there's always…read moregoing to be amazing students. That sentence describes Action Martial Arts. I'm a student who's been to several different schools, so I'm aware of what to look for. Master Rulon is kind, passionate and very instructive all at the same time. She's able to build relationships with her students that helps them succeed, which is what she wants for all of them. If you're looking for defense, discipline or just some action, Action Martial Arts is the way to go!!

This is a great place to learn about Japanese arts, both musical and martial. Sensei Neil Segal has…read morebuilt a warm and welcoming space where you can train in a healthy, respectful, and uplifting manner. Sensei Segal has a genuine love of aikido and a passion for sharing aikido with everybody. This is a special place where you can study aikido as much or as little as is right for you. You will get great training, both practical and theoretical. Aikijuku Dojo features world class guest instructors as well as a dedicated and talented group of local teachers. You can focus on the physical aspects of aikido to build your strength, flexibility, and spirit. And you can use aikido as a gateway to explore the unique and fascinating Japanese worldview. Great training, a warm and friendly group, a comfortable space, and the mysteries of Aikido. What are you waiting for?

It can be hard to explain the experience of Aikido in so many words. With the expert teaching of…read moreNeil Segal who has a long legacy in the martial art, every training session transports you into a focused experience of connection and reflection. In my short time at Aikijuku Dojo, my strength, perception, and flexibility have greatly increased. It's been wonderful to explore the pacifistic and protective nature of engaging with an attacker in a way I didn't know I could. My 6 month experience with their community and practicioners could not have been more positive.