We are so grateful for California Defense Academy (CDA)! Our kids have been going here for a couple years now and have grown tremendously in confidence, discipline, and self defense skills. All their instructors are welcoming, encouraging, and coach and motivate with positive reinforcement. The owner and head instructor, Ericka, is an incredible leader. She not only focuses on the physical aspect, but also on respect, situational awareness, and mental toughness. What started as a "let's try this program for the kids to learn self defense techniques" has evolved into a community of friendships and a place that our kids are excited to go several days a week. Thank you CDA! read more

California Defense Academy - Fitness & Instruction Near Me - Murrieta, California

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We just started here as an extracurricular activity. The set up was so easy with super friendly staff that help you feel welcome and understand the program. My children enjoyed the trial class and are excited to go to classes every week! they get to learn new skills and meet new friends! I'm excited to watch them grow in character development and physical strength/agility. The academy teaches them respect and self defense. There is a good balance between teaching and having fun. read more

California Defense Academy - Fitness & Instruction Near Me - Murrieta, California

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As a newcomer to martial arts, my experience at CDA has been phenomenal. From the very first day, I felt welcomed and at ease even though everything was new to me. Ericka is an excellent instructor -- inclusive, high-energy, encouraging, and VERY knowledgeable. She always goes above and beyond to teach/inform/encourage. I have done several of her women's seminars as well as some of the beginner classes. Krav Maga at CDA is fun, exciting, a great workout, and a nice way to meet new people. I definitely plan to sign up for the unlimited membership down the road. Six stars!!! read more

We enrolled our 4 year old after seeing them at a booth during a local event. She LOVES the classes! Monthly fee is reasonable and they make it fun but structured for this age group! read more

My 5-year-old daughter absolutely loves the Krav Maga classes at California Defense Academy. The instructors are caring and dedicated, and she's learning so much in a fun and engaging way! read more

We love California defense Academy! They are such a warm and welcoming studio. My son has grown so much in confidence and skill. It has been wonderful to see him feeling more confident and feeling stronger in his body and mind. I plan on signing my other two kids up as well! We would definitely recommend! All the children or students that go are also so kind and welcoming. This truly reflects to me the values that this Studio teaches their students to embody. read more

Awesome environment! Great discipline and structure for my daughter. We love all of the instructors and look forward to the future. Thank you CDA! read more

California Defense Academy - Fitness & Instruction Near Me - Murrieta, California

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We attended a different Krav Maga studio for three years and are so glad we made the switch to CDA. The instruction is top notch and we love the real life scenarios. The instructors explain WHY they do certain moves and explain things so well. Our kids love it! They have a blast and work HARD! read more

California Defense Academy is amazing! We take our 3 kiddos there! We love that the environment is super positive and helps instill confidence as well as respect. The instructors are knowledgeable and engage amazingly with our kids. Our kids are 9, 7, and 3 and they look forward to going to Krav Maga every day! They are affordable and our kids are learning a lifelong skill that will benefit them immensely. read more

My son started classes here in December and he loves it. There is a great homeschool community that attends during the AM hours which is a huge plus for us. He is learning self defense, confidence, and he's having fun. The staff is wonderful and very supportive of the students. I highly recommend this studio. read more

California Defense Academy is a great place for anyone to learn self defense, no matter the age. All students are educated, motivated, challenged physically and mentally. If you are looking for a local, safe and family oriented location to take your kids or learn yourself. I highly recommend you contact California Defense Academy. Ericka, the senior black belt instructor and her team have vast experience teaching and working with students of all ages. I highly recommend taking classes at California Defense Academy because it will help you boost your confidence, physical strength and alertness in case you are ever in a situation where you need to defend yourself or your family. read more

Ericka and her team do an amazing job training and motivating kids to do their best. My son is growing exponentially with each passing class he attends. Truly grateful to find such an amazing place that's helping my son develop important skills in self defense along with discipline, confidence and kindness. read more

Wow I'm impressed, these guys do so much for their students and the families. I'm very happy with our choice to train with California Defense Academy (CDA). I've been looking for something for my son to do to bring him out of his shell. CDA is perfect. They build their students up all the time. They really have a strong community to help the kids be their best! I love the activities they have on top of their classes. My son has been in the 5 year old class and I have started taking the adult class. Thank You for being so awesome! The whole team at CDA is awesome. I can't even single one teacher out. Thank you guys for helping us achieve all we can!!! CDA 1, 2, YOU ROCK! read more

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Great place to go to for real life self defense. I love that they teach scenarios that you may actually find yourself in and rather than focus on individual techniques they focus on principle based training ensuring that you can defend yourself even if you find yourself in a situation that you've never seen before. Not only that but they cover all aspects of going home safe including: not getting yourself in that situations by deescalating, verbal boundaries, physical boundaries, exit strategies and more! For the kids they even cover topics such as describing a person, bully prevention and more. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to increase their ability to defend themselves or for a productive way to get in shape 100%!! read more

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Absolutely a 10/10!!!! Highly recommend!!!! Our 3 year old son has been in the program for about 2 months now and we have witnessed tremendous growth from when he first started. We really appreciate that the program isn't about strictly fighting because it incorporates teachings about how and when these techniques should be used in a fun and meaningful way for the kids. Instructors are very patient, kind and helpful but still know how to establish a structured environment in the midst of pure toddler chaos... it's actually really impressive to watch. We are excited to see our son continue to develop through the program and grows to love it more then he already does. read more

California Defense Academy - Fitness & Instruction Near Me - Murrieta, California

Ms. Ericka is a great instructor. My daughter is 6 years old and just started her class and loves going. Ms. Ericka is so nice and very kid friendly. She gives great instruction in each lesson along with good life skills and habits for kids to know. She thoroughly explains and breaks down the moves she teaches. I have seen other instructors elsewhere really skimp in this area. They just flashed the moves they expected their students to learn. As parents we feel very confident in her as an instructor and know our daughter is in good hands. Totally recommend this Krav Maga class for kids! read more

California Defense Academy - Ms. Ericka teaching my daughter how to do a push up. - Fitness & Instruction Near Me - Murrieta, California

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I came in for a free trial to see if my girls would want to start Krav Maga and as soon as they met Ms. Ericka they wanted to keep coming. I love Ms. Ericka and how she is with my kids and the whole class. I love her instructions and that she takes her time to go to each child and helps and explains if they are having trouble with a move and her positivity and energy she brings in each day. Thank you Ericka for your great classes and the growth you've given my girls in just one month. Thank you! You ROCK! read more

As always, we enjoy the classes with Ms.Ericka and Mr. Antonio! My daughter has been in the program for a little over two months now and has improved not only her balance and physical skills, but also her focus and general well-being and attitude at home and at school. We are so thankful for CDA, and all of the skills and general life lessons learned through the program. With gratitude, Hollie and her parents read more

California Defense Academy - On our way to class! She's always excited to see her instructors and friends! - Fitness & Instruction Near Me - Murrieta, California

Ms. Erika is the best! She trained my son for 6 years. He is a totally different kid from when started with him. He's confident and doesn't get so frustrated all the time anymore. He just got his JR Blackbelt. I recommend her to anyone. read more

Excellent The most serious school with the highest technical level. For those who are really interested in learning. And all with a very good atmosphere. 100% recommended read more

California Defense Academy - Krav Maga - Fitness & Instruction Near Me - Murrieta, California

California Defense Academy is run by one of the most qualified instructors I know! Ericka is one of the few women who have achieved their black belt instructor level certification through Krav Maga World Wide. Beyond being extremely qualified to teach Krav, Ericka builds a growth mindset within her students in addition to building a community where all people grow and are accepted. Ericka's instruction is explicit, systematic, and uses a gradual release of responsibility approach (I do, we do, you do); therefore the most inexperienced individual can become skilled at Krav Maga. Beyond the credentials and teaching approach, training with Ericka is one of the most positive experiences I've had! She pushes me to work harder and do my best, despite feeling unable. If you want to be apart of a community, get in shape, and learn self defense; look no further! read more

My children and I recently attended a community self defense course at CA Defense Academy. Erica and Orian led the class and the facility was very clean. Along with Krav Maga based self defense classes they also offer gym equipment and a full schedule of classes. But to keep my review based on the course I took, I loved it! The instructors were knowledgeable and taught us skills to deal with real world hostile scenarios. I felt so empowered after leaving the course. Empowered to use my voice, stay vigilant and more prepared for an attack, should it happen. Thanks to the instructors for doing what you do! read more

Erika is a amazing teacher and she give back so much to her students. This course teaches real life scenarios. In the real world you need to know what to do and children need to know how to defend themselves from those so much larger then themself. That what separates this from so many other martial arts. She combines her skills and teaches a topic each month such as Anger Management, Focus, Independence ect... Not only that she create a scene of community by having field trips once a month which several family member her in different skills jujitsu, kickbox champion, karate, moo yea do ect... they never did this. CDA also has online app with video which you can practice at home vs going off memory and he can come more than just 2 times a week to classes. I suggest you do a trial class and you will love it and this is a sport that can save your or your child's life so worth the investment. read more

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We attend private classes with Erika as a family of 5. I'm incredibly thankful for the amount of actual practical skill set that my family and I are learning from Erika at CDA. The confidence that my kids are gaining through these classes I wouldn't change for anything. Erika puts you write at ease. She is energetic, very knowledgeable, and gives you the confidence to continue to keep challenging yourself to overcome your obstacles in self defense. We are so thankful for all the knowledge Erika at CDA has given us. I know my family has the ability and the knowledge to "go home safe" from the incredible training and skill set California Defense academy gives us! Sign up today it will be the best decision you ever make for your family! Knowledge is power to go home safe! The more you Krav Maga through California Defense Academy, the more you can leave empowered and equipped and ready for anything. read more

Wonderful, knowledgeable, and friendly instructors that taught my 12 year old some truly valuable skills. I also appreciated how clean the gym was. Definitely recommend! read more

Instructors are amazing!! My kiddos are something else but Ericka and Mr. Antonio are super patient. Classes are fun but the kiddos do work on their techniques which are broken down so the kiddos can remember. We highly recommend CDA. read more

We highly recommend CDA, Erika is fantastic with the kids plus they have so much fun while learning survival skills in every class.

Fantastic school with great people! Highly recommend Ericka and CDA for Krav Maga self-defense instruction for anyone and any age. Ericka and her team are very personable and create a very positive learning environment. read more

My teen daughters were under the instruction of Miss Ericka for two years. She is so knowledgeable, driven, upbeat, and caring! Every time we walked into that building, she made us feel noticed and loved! I know she has been training in Krav Maga for the majority of her life, and she takes trips to attend schools to improve her skills and leadership. As my girls aged up, Miss Ericka taught them to be leaders amongst their peers as well. She was constantly pouring into the students, and gave more than 100%. read more