My 9 year-old son has this to say about Sensei Ford and Kaizen Dojo: "I love it! Sensei is great!…read moreHe's fun and nice, but he's also still a badass! I like his jokes! He's a good Sensei and I like going there very much!" I couldn't agree more! Very thrilled we found Sensei Ford and his impressive dojo. He's a natural teacher, leader, and clearly enjoys sharing the art, sport, and spirit of karate with all the kids. He keeps both the kids and parents engaged with the occasional joke or well-placed movie quote. And yes, he *is* a badass! I hope my son stays with karate at Kaizen Dojo!

Great dojo to train for self defense. Learn at your own pace by age and ability. Safety first,…read moregotta glove up to punch.

My daughter recently started at Machida Karate Academy in Lomita, and I couldn't be happier with…read morethe experience so far. From the very first class, the instructors made her feel comfortable, supported, and excited to learn. They strike a perfect balance between discipline and encouragement, firm when they need to be, but always positive and patient. What really stands out is how intentional they are about teaching both skill and character. My daughter is already showing more confidence, focus, and respect at home, and she looks forward to every class (which says a lot!). The lessons are well-structured, engaging, and age-appropriate, and the instructors truly take the time to help each student improve at their own pace. The academy itself is clean, organized, and clearly run with a lot of pride. Parents get a great view of the classes, and it's easy to see how much care and attention goes into each session.

My son joined the Machida Karate Summer Camp. We had been wanting to sign him up for some kind of…read moremartial arts class, but he really wasn't interested. When I read that the camp also offered crafts, self-defense, and playtime, I thought it would be a great introduction for him. After the camp, he said he wants to go again next year, and this is the only class he wants to continue! Now he's officially enrolled twice a week. To be honest, I wasn't really considering karate and was leaning more toward other martial arts. But I really liked how they teach self-defense, run the class in a disciplined and organized way, and emphasize respect. The teachers are firm yet warm with the kids. I also love how they mix in play, it helps the kids feel connected, and united. That was exactly what my son needed. :)

The Location is hazardous ( air quality and soot ) and it shares a space / interior wall with a…read moresmog testing facility. The outer building, door and windows are covered from the adjoining smog business where the soot from the exhaust of thousands of vehicles is caked onto the building. Too bad because this academy sounds good on paper.

I've never, ever left a bad review, and I slept on this review for over a year as i didn't want to…read morepost it but I felt obligated to now. I've been training martial arts over 25 years and the only problems I've ever had have been with the IMB Academy. The head instructor Steven is a nice guy, but he simply has no business being the leader of such a school after the great Richard Bustillo passed. He's apathetic/oblivious and poor at communication and follow up. The final straw for me was when me and my training partner had a scheduled call to discuss our training and Steven completely flaked and never called. I then emailed him to tell him I'm done, and of course he didn't care or inquire as to why I'm done, especially after I had been so dedicated to the IMB. Look elsewhere if you are a serious martial artist and avoid IMB at all costs!

I started training at South Bay Shotokan right after the pandemic ended. I studied three different…read morestyles of martial arts before 2020. I've always wanted to be a part of a discipline that has a strong connection to its Eastern origins. After two years of training, I can say that this style of karate is the best that I've ever been a part of. I have never felt like I was being mistreated or in a manner that doesn't allow me to improve. I am allowed to ask questions. I do get corrected if I am doing something incorrect just so I can understand the application and how it can be applied. I should mention that this dojo includes members that have a direct connection with Tsutomu Ohshima, the founder of Shotokan Karate of America. All members of this dojo are great to train with. There is no ego. Nobody is there to show that they are better than everyone else. It's a great learning environment. Please know that this isn't a McDojo of any kind. If you're thinking of signing up to become a black belt in 6 months, then this may not be the right place for you. There is no color belt system, so there may be some frustration being a white belt for at least the first couple of years. But there are also special training moments that can help the student strengthen their physical and mental capabilities. Taking part in these trainings along with attending classes on the regular, advancement in rank can and will be achieved. I cannot recommend this dojo enough. If you're looking for a legitimate form of karate that will help you not only develop strong techniques in self defense, but it will help one improve on many other areas in life. You'll get back what you put in! As of March 2024, the dispensary that was next door has relocated. This has created a much healthier training space.

Great place to learn a great self defense martial art. It has change my life forever. Learn to face…read moreoneself with strict eyes.

Our two children have been training under Master Choi and Master Megan for over three years, and…read morethey have grown tremendously, not just in Taekwondo skills but also in character. The lessons they learn on the mat carry over into everyday life, which is priceless. This is more than just a martial arts school. It is family-friendly, with decades of history in the South Bay, founded by Grand Master K.S. Choi and carried on by Master Danny Choi. The masters know every student by name, making each class feel personal and welcoming. The school offers elite-level competition training as well as regular classes for all students. They host school-wide events like holiday potlucks and "parents night out," and are active in the community with annual tournaments and student demos at local schools. If you want the best martial arts school in Palos Verdes and the South Bay, with high-quality training in a family-friendly atmosphere, K.S. Choi Taekwondo is the place to be.

KS Choi was a very welcoming studio (if it were Japanese martial arts, I guess you'd call it a…read moredojo) that is spacious and well lit. The students seemed amazing as the teachers seemed to know how to work with the youth (young kids / children to older teens) effectively. That is always an important characteristic. If investigating martial arts schools, I'd definitely say check this place out for consideration. We visited KS Choi and the place was hard to find because for some odd reason, the outdoor complex it's located at does not have them listed on the directory or map. Maybe because they have their entry on the side road not internal main corridor they might not technically be a part of the complex... but if they are, they should definitely talk to the shopping center management to get better signage and support on the directory and map for customers to find them.

The Sifu is actually from Hong Kong and teaches authentic style IP Man Wing Chun. He's also a very…read morenice great guy. It's a very family friendly and fun environment with low key people. There are no egos or attitudes here. Everyone is so friendly, nice and very welcoming. There is no flashy, Hollywood kung fu stuff here. It's just basic and real self-defense wing chun techniques in a family environment. The BEST part is He also teaches you the real life applications and concepts not just the forms and drills as most schools do! I've been in other Wing chun schools around the U.S. and here locally but most of them just teach the forms, do some drills and maybe chi sao but you won't really learn how to apply it in real life situations. We also learn some take downs and other techniques.

Master Young Yee trained me from a child when I was in high school. At that time in the early…read more1990s, my best friend Gizelle and I were two of the only girls interested in Tae Kwon Do. I joined because of her, but when she quit, I carried on. Master made me do elephant walk, etc. to discipline me. I needed it, believe me. I attended the location on Hawthorne Blvd/Torrance Blvd. I would go buy albums from the record store before practice. Every time I entered for practice, I bowed to him respectfully to the left of the entrance where he sat at his desk. Then, I looked to the wall up on the right side to look in awe of the photos of him in mastery poses or jumping off roofs. There were also plaques there and honorary names of students who had completed degrees. I wished that one day my name would be there. Master Yee observed every single student in detail and adjusted their stances. We had to yell from the bottom of our stomachs to ward off the mean people. We were trained not to be afraid. Our poomsaes had to be perfect. Over and over again we stretched, looked in the mirrors for correct stances, and sparred with small and very big challengers. It was so much fun. When my mother and father finally came and saw me get my black belt, I was so proud. Then, when I walked in later on, years later, I looked up to the right and saw my name on the wall. Now, I am 53 years old. Once in a while, I get into my Tae Kwon Do mentality, and it keeps me going. THANK YOU MASTER YOUNG YEE.

After training at UC Berkeley until my Red Belt, I wanted to continue my Tae Kwon Do training since…read moreI was thisclose to my Black Belt. Also, it would be a great way to continue working out. After doing some extensive online research, I chose Young Yee Martial Arts. Why did I choose this school? For a couple of reasons: 1. I thought it would be a great opportunity to train under a 9th degree Grand Master. 2. It's fairly close to my apartment, about a 15 minute drive. 3. It had a nice website and a great review written about it. 4. Grand Master Young Yee gave me a discount! Compared to my training at UC Berkeley, the training here is a lot less vigorous. The concentration is not on sparring but rather on form, technique, and philosophy. Also, it's a totally different atmosphere since most of the students are little kids rather than college students. It took a lot of getting use to but it's a great experience. The main downside of this school is that it lacks participation in competitions. After injuring my ankle last year, I decided that I would rather teach students than compete for my own personal health so it doesn't bother me. Also, with so many students, it's hard to separate the belt ranks so a lot of the training is general. This means that the higher belts do not have a lot of time to work on advanced techniques as they have to do basic techniques with the lower belts. Also, the testing fees may be a bit pricey compared to those at UC Berkeley but I hear that it is pretty average among private martial arts schools. The main upside is that Grand Master Young Yee is very knowledgeable and has a lot of experience under his belt. He knows how to work with children and has a great sense of humor. Also, despite his age, he is a very mobile. I might be a bit biased because I am now a black belt and a part-time instructor at this school. However, I believe that this is a great place to learn Tae Kwon Do, especially for someone who may not want to enter competitions so soon. I don't know how long I will continue to help Grand Master Young Yee teach but as long as I'm there you should all check it out!

Love this gym always makes me work hard and stay focused my coach was now UFC fighter Gregory…read moreRodriguez Robocup he was always respectful

I tried this spot out last night for the Muay Thai class. I have never taken a Muay Thai class…read morebefore and made that very clear to the front desk and to the instructor. They were so patient and went above and beyond to make me comfortable. Fight training of any kind can be very intimidating, especially when. you look around the room and everyone looks like they know what they're doing. I was made to feel very comfortable and safe. As far as the class went, it was RAD! The instructor had me focus on myself and my form. He never put me in any situation where I wasn't ready for. In fact he gave me drills to just keep practicing and then would come and check on me and when I was ready he gave me a new move. I really appreciated the patience and the immediate safety/comfort I felt.