The best decision we made for our kids!…read more We enrolled our children at Hiro Karate and it has genuinely been one of the best parenting decisions we've ever made. From the very first class, the instructors made our kids feel welcome, confident, and excited to learn. At the heart of it all is the Shihan, whose presence and leadership set the tone for everything at Hiro Karate. You can tell immediately that this is someone who has dedicated their life to the art -- and to passing it on the right way. The Shihan leads with authority but also with warmth, and the respect the students show is completely earned. Seeing our kids look up to someone of that caliber has been truly inspiring. What sets Hiro Karate apart is the incredible balance they strike between discipline and fun. The instructors have a gift for keeping kids engaged while instilling real values -- respect, perseverance, and focus -- that we see carrying over into school and home life. Our kids walk out of every class standing a little taller. The teaching style is patient, encouraging, and age-appropriate. No child is left behind, and every small milestone is celebrated in a way that builds genuine self-esteem. Watching our kids advance through belts has been such a proud experience for our whole family. The facility is clean, safe, and well-organized, and the scheduling is flexible enough to work around busy family life. It's clear that everyone here truly cares -- not just about karate, but about the kids as individuals. If you're a parent on the fence about martial arts for your child, stop thinking and just go. Hiro Karate isn't just teaching kicks and punches -- they're building character, and the Shihan's influence is at the core of it all. We couldn't recommend them more highly.

Hiro Martial Arts in Encino has been incredible for my son he started at just 3 1/2 with Shihan…read more(the handsome) in their HKD Hye Katch Do program and now at 6 almost 7 he's been training there almost 4 years. The dojo at 16736 Ventura Blvd is clean, welcoming, and buzzing with positive energy. Shihan and Sensei Marco are fantastic with the kids patient, encouraging, and experts at making classes fun while instilling discipline, respect, and self control. My son looks forward to every session, and we've seen huge growth in his confidence, focus, coordination, and manners, both on and off the mat. The kids' program is spot on for young ones, blending tradition with modern elements in a supportive setting. Friendly community, great parents it's real character-building. We're so thankful. Five stars highly recommend for little ones!

My two daughters attended TBK for years. Sensei Tara was amazing! She was a perfect balance of…read morestrict and nurturing. She observed what each of her students needed and taught them in a way that was best suited to meet their needs. My girls are both more confident, respectful, and athletic because of attending this dojo. I feel confident that they have the skills they need to defend themselves! We are blessed.

This is one of the oldest and most respected Judo dojo's in the country. I would recommend them to…read moreanyone in the local area.

Been here many times and each time I have fun and learn new things every time I really recommed…read moregoing here if you're planing to learn judo

You can now do Taekwondo, BJJ, Muay Thai, MMA and wrestling. This is truly a one stop place for…read moreall combat sports. They have MMA fighters to national champs here. Great place to train. Highly recommend.

My 6 year old is currently taking taekwondo here. The facility is clean. They are patient and take…read morethe time to teach the kids the moves. My son has a hard time focusing and they do a great job with him. I highly recommend them .

I trained in this style over 20 years ago and Sensei Kobayashi is the best around…read more Too bad the dojo on chatsworth closed !

I studied under Sensei Kobayashi 40 years ago. I was a little kid who grew up in a gang infested…read moreneighborhood. Although Sensei Kobayashi moved his dojo to another city and I was unable to continue studying under him, his life lessons stayed with me. He instilled discipline, self-confidence, respect and hard work. These life skills have lasted throughout my adult life and I am forever grateful for his teachings.

There haven't been many recent reviews, especially about tai chi specifically, so I wanted to share…read moremy experience :) I've been taking tai chi classes here for about a month, and so far it's been amazing. Somehow at the end of every class, I feel happy, energized and relaxed all at once. I took tai chi about 10 years ago (Wu style short form) so I'm familiar with some of the basic concepts and stances, but it's been a long time... so it's been great to get back into it. Sigung Carrie and Sigung Jennings are the best. They're patient, professional, funny and warm. They have a lot of wisdom to share, and they really help you to learn all the details of the form as you go through it. Each class is one hour, and there are two classes per week. We spend the first ~25 minutes of each class doing warm-up exercises (which really help you to focus and connect with your body), and then the next ~35 minutes learning the next part of the form. I feel that everything progresses at a good pace, so I have enough time to practice each move / stance before moving on to the learning the next one. One thing to note is that White Lotus shares a big open space (in the JAM facility) with other tumbling / parkour / tricking classes that are going on at the same time. When I first came in to observe a tai chi class, I was a little concerned because the other class that was going on on the other side of the room was pretty loud so I thought it would be distracting. But honestly, once I joined the tai chi class and started doing the exercises and focusing on the form, I found that I barely noticed the other class happening next to us. Maybe others would be deterred by it because they'd prefer a quiet and meditative space, but I don't find it to be a major issue since I can just kind of "zone in" on whatever we're practicing. Anyway, if you're looking to learn tai chi I think this is a great place to do it! I had tried other "tai chi" classes at yoga studios in the SFV and found that they were really just yoga classes with a few random tai chi moves sprinkled in, which wasn't what I was looking for. At White Lotus, you will learn the "48 Forms of Taiji." It's a great way to build strength, balance and flexibility (and improve your mental health, too, in my experience). Come check it out if you're interested... everyone is super friendly :)

I was taken here one night during open gym by a friend who does stunt work. Fantastic gym with a…read morevariety of equipment you won't find just anywhere else. My first impression of this place is very positive, it's like a giant playground for ninjas! ;) It might be a little intimidating at the beginning, with everyone flipping and flying everywhere but there is so much room to move around it's crazy liberating. First I worked on my punches, nice how they have little doughnuts around the punching bags for uppercuts. Then watched some of the guys do some freerunning, the moves they do are so sick! The fact that they are 6-pack fit with no shirts on has absolutely NOTHING to do with my staring *ahem* observance. =p It seems like most of the people here are courteous and friendly a few Bboys even taught me some moves. I learned some basic top rock, up rock, 6 step and baby freeze. The wall of mirrors help with self-adjustment of poses and let me know how goofy I look with my arm wave. =) At the end I tried out the spring floor, jumped on the various mats they have and flopped about on the trampoline. The only gymnastic move I could do is an awkward cartwheel to my right. My uncoordinated jumps across the large blocks were landed with heavy face plants and belly-flops. The large trampoline was thrilling with how easy it was to catch so much air. I didn't even try out the scaffolding they set up because my most recent attempt at a pull-up just had me hanging with my feel dangling for a few seconds. o_O; Despite all my shortcomings as an athlete, working out at White Lotus was pure fun and had me laughing and grinning like a kid in a candy store. I have to say the $5 fee for open gym was well spent, you can't even buy a bag of popcorn at the movies for that price. Funniest use of White Lotus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA4LcLvdNWk&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_759745

Awesome place! The…read moreplace has sparked a love for martial arts in me. I started last summer and have since become a regular in Karate and Budoshin Ju-Jitsu. I've fallen in love with martial arts so much I now try places and styles all over the greater LA area. That being said, this place is one if not the best and where I keep going back to despite other options. Even though I also train in kickboxing at another studio I prioritize my training here first. Lots of classes for all age groups and styles. I don't train in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu but I can tell you the instructors and students are great there and everyone has a great time. I train primarily in Shotokan Karate which is the most popular form of Karate in the world, taught by instructors who have experience competing in national and world tournaments and winning. Make me no mistake, this is not a McDojo that is just glorified day-care like some other places. This place is the real deal where you or your children will learn real martial arts and how to fight proper. But, in a safe and controlled environment where injuries aren't that common. There are adults who train here in addition to having their own children train here. In both BJJ and Karate, the instructors have also trained previously under some of the most influential people in these martial arts. Budoshin is the other martial art I train in here which is a contemporary style of Japanese Ju-Jitsu, it is acknowledged officially by the Japanese Ju-Jitsu association. Unless you count Waza this martial art doesn't involve sparring and is the most self-defense focused martial art. This style focuses mainly on joint-locks and similar moves for non-lethal take downs, also moves that are prohibited in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu. Many techniques are controlled drills on compliant attackers. All this considered if we did do full on sparring people would actually get hurt so there is more control and no sparring. Things like eye-gouging is taught here that would obviously not be allowed or utilized in a competitive sport setting. Unlike BJJ and Karate this is only for teenagers and older, no pre-teens allowed. There was a time where Kali was offered but was discontinued due to lack of interest. Kali is a Filipino martial art with a focus knife-flows, stick fighting, and in a nutshell, blade combatitives. If you are interested in it, the instructor Nick still teaches for free on Saturday's at a park and you can meet him here since he is a student of BJJ.

VMAC is the best karate place you will find in the valley. My son has been learning karate 2-3…read moreyears. And I must say, it's been a wonderful and rewarding experience. The senseis are so devoted and take the discipline seriously. If you want your child to be challenged and grow, this is the place but if you're the kind of parent who wants a trophy for just showing up, this is not it. The senseis are disciplined, honest, respectful and fair. My son has learned alot of skills and values from VMAC. The prices are also reasonable compared to other places. We also love the families and have created good friendships and a community. My son even loves showing up by himself. I no longer have to remind him. Thank you sensei Eiko, Taichiro, Manny and Jon! You're doing amazing work!

Team Karate Centers has been an amazing experience for our 6 year old son. He absolutely loves…read morecoming here and genuinely looks forward to every class and earning his next tip. The instructors are what really make this place special. They are patient, encouraging, and know how to challenge the kids while making them feel proud of their progress. We have loved watching our son grow in confidence, discipline, focus, and perseverance. They teach so much more than martial arts. The kids learn respect, resilience, and the value of working toward a goal, all in a positive and supportive environment. Our only wish is that they were open seven days a week because our son would probably be there every day if he could! We are so happy we found Team Karate Centers and highly recommend it!

I have Trained with Team Karate Centers since 2007 it's a great environment for everyone to learn…read morekarate teaches respect discipline they welcome everyone there the door is always open to everyone Sensei Fariborz is well known for his school welcomes everyone. He welcomed me back to the school. All instructors are kind make class fun but you learn a lot in class