Great place! Coach John was very welcoming, the teaching was excellent and had a great rounds with…read moreeveryone. If you're in the area, stop being a slug and go train there. If you're visiting, stop being a slug and go train there! Beautiful space and mats, was told it was renovated from an old fire house, really cool looking.

What an amazing school, very welcoming. Professor Matthias very knowledgeable and listens to his…read morestudents. Welcomed me and another professor with open arms.

Courage Combatives is an excellent collaboration of mixed martial arts for self defense. The…read moreinstructors have a wealth of knowledge & truly care about your comfort level with the movements to improve your advancement. Questions are invited & welcomed. This is one of the best programs I have ever been involved with.

++1. A rare gem among the other karate dojo…read more This is one of the late traditional karate dojos around. If you're looking for a place to learn self-defense, this is the place. Unlike other dojos where you pay for your belt color, Louisiana Karate Association makes you earn it. There are no free things in life. I prefer earning my "stripes," especially if I have to defend myself against an attack. Sensei Mikami is one of the oldest and renowned instructors around. He was a former Japan Karate Champion back in his day...so you know his karate is legit. He focuses on physical and mental discipline. This dojo has a reasonable size class, so you know you'll learn and get the attention you deserve. The other karate students are experienced and really helpful when it comes to needing help. There is a waiting area for parents and guests to sit to watch. If you're unsure, it's a great way to see if this dojo is a good fit for you. So, if you're looking to learn how to defend yourself and get a good workout, this is the karate dojo for you in Metairie.

What made me join was because I wanted to learn better discipline to help me out with my…read moreinvolvement in other sports. I'd be saying a major lie if I said it hasn't helped me in that department. Sensei Mikami is not only the real deal but also a legend in Shotokan Karate. Physical fitness and self defense were some nice bonuses for me that I have gotten out of training here. All of his instructors (too many to name on here because they're all great) are well qualified and specialize in different aspects of karate so if for some reason there is a different teacher than who you are accustomed to having you will still learn something important while being here.

So glad to have my children learning about contributing to a community, behaving with integrity,…read morelearning with dedication and getting physical strength and self-defense training at Chayon Nola. I think it's very important to self esteem development to be involved in sports, but I feel that this dojang emphasizes goal-directed hard work, and builds on previous skills to help students advance. The environment encourages respect and is constructively critical, but supportive. Chayon Nola has been an important part of my kids' personal development, and I am so glad that we found it.

Chayon Nola has the best and the most passionate Sensei, Sensei Faust . My daughter has been her…read morestudent since 2020, she learned confidence, balance , strength, self estime , respect . Sensei Faust pushed her to be firm with discipline, teaches her self defense with no fear. taekwondo also helps her in other sports . It is an art and discipline. I recommande Chayon Nola 100 % to be the best thing happened in my daughter life.

Church's karate has been amazing with there day camp. The staff is nice and they are so flexible…read more Kids always have a great time.

My son, small for his age of 6, developed an awful habit of dealing with frustration by hitting…read more So, naturally, I enrolled him in a class that would make his strikes more deadly! Well, no. Actually, I discovered that other parents found help for their similarly-disposed children via the martial arts. Many said that the emphasis on discipline and focus was the reason. Others said it was their child's increased confidence. Whichever reason, they were saying it worked, so I was intrigued. But I was also cautious. I didn't want this to become another "you damn well are going to practice" struggle, ending with an unused violin in the closet. Or whatever the karate equivalent to that would be. I discovered the website for Church's Karate Academy, and the price and length of the trial package was fantastic. Low output of cash, two months, uniform included. After that, you enroll at the regular monthly rate, or you walk away. No strings. Not bad! I went to the studio with the intention of enrolling my son. So glad I did!! If you go to the website expecting to find information about the studio, please don't be put off. The website is flashy, but it's also a bit generic, offering reasons why studying the martial arts is a good choice but no sense of Master Church or his studio. Frankly, the website feels like more of a sales pitch than much else, but that is not how Master Church himself is. The studio works like this. Karate students are placed in a class group based on their age and expertise. Master Church holds classes for each of those groups five or six days per week at regularly scheduled times. You attend two of those classes per week, and he tracks this via an attendance card. You do not have to commit to particular classes. For example, if you can normally attend on Mondays and Wednesdays, but something comes up one Wednesday, you can go to the Monday and Friday class for your group instead. Or, if you split custody, perhaps it's easier for Mom to take Kid on Tues and Wed but Dad to take kid on Wed and Sat. No problem. No need to tell Master Church in advance. Just show up to whichever two classes per week for your group. So flexible. As for Master Church, enough cannot be said about how great of a teacher he is. It's obvious that he genuinely cares about and believes in them. In return, they want to do well and can't stand the thought of disappointing him. He's that kind of teacher. If you have ever had such a teacher yourself, you know their magic. He is firm, though, not a push over, and he has their respect for that. I eventually even enrolled a certain violin quitter, and she loves it. What's more? I honestly cannot remember the last time my son hit me, although I'm sure I'm just as frustrating as ever.

My Grandson Landen went here in 2022 and loved it! We had to leave for family complication. But we…read moreare back into it! Sensei Maben is very good and kind with the kids.

Sensei Burt does an amazing job with the kids, and every lesson ends with a positive experience…read more Whether your kid is 3 or 12, bring them to NOLA Karate!

On Saturday February 4, 2017, I had the pleasure of taking the Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit…read more(CHP) class with my dad. The course was taught by NOLATAC instructor Kenneth "Kenny" Fernandez inside of the St. Bernard Indoor Shooting Center. This nearly 10 hour class (including the shooting course) fulfills the mandatory requirement of 9 hours of classroom instruction necessary for a lawful citizen to apply for a CHP. This is a long day and I recommend that students bring their lunch, as we only had 30 minutes to eat lunch, as well as 2 separate 5 minute restroom breaks. This may sound extreme to some, but it was the goal of NOLATAC to provide a course that could be completed in a single day, rather than having a 2-day course. The classroom is set up with tables and has room for approximately 20 students. Thankfully, the chairs are extremely comfortable and there is a lot of legroom between rows. The classroom also features a Keurig coffee machine with at least a dozen varieties of coffees, as well as snacks, water and sodas. Kenny Fernandez is an excellent instructor. By law, he is required to cover a lot of topics. Louisiana Revised Statute was covered in depth through a series of lectures and videos, with emphasis on "Use of force or violence in defense", "Justifiable homicide", "Illegal Carrying of weapons" and "Statewide permits for concealed handguns; application procedures". Discussing law can often be mundane, but Kenny's approach includes a lot of relevant videos, slideshows and scenarios. To get his students thinking, a lot of "what would you do if" scenarios were presented and discussed. From the onset of his presentation and throughout the day, the importance of safety being paramount was drilled into our heads. Our particular class had a good representation of demographics to include both sexes, multiple ethnicities and ages ranging from mid-20s to mid-70s. Kudos to Kenny for being able to keep all of us engaged and keep us all moving forward through the class until it was actually time to shoot. Topics were covered in a way that even if a student had never touched a firearm, he or she would have a solid foundation by the end of the day. Some of the basics taught were firearm nomenclature, the 4 components of a pistol cartridge and the 3 causes of ammunition malfunctions. The essential 6 fundamentals of shooting (listed below) were explained in great detail, with significant emphasis on sight alignment and follow through. 1. Grip 2. Position (stance) 3. Breath control 4. Sight alignment/sight picture 5. Trigger press 6. Follow through We were taught that as CHP holders, "lethal force should be our last resort and we should exercise confrontational avoidance whenever possible; and our ultimate goal is to avoid a confrontation by not presenting ourselves as a target". Kenny was realistic in that he advised us that sometimes, good people are placed in situations where they may have to use lethal force to protect ourselves or the life of another. But he emphasized that "We do not make the decision to shoot someone. He/she makes the decision to get shot". Furthermore, we were taught that we shoot to stop the threat and we shoot until the threat stops. We received a lot of handouts at the beginning of the class to include: 1. United Stated Concealed Carry Association 2. Louisiana Open Carry Awareness League 3. The Louisiana Shooting Association 4. National Crime Prevention Council 5. National Rifle Association 6. Armed Citizen Educational Foundation 7. Pocket Constitution (my favorite) The actual shooting portion of the class took place at the very end of the day after all the academics were complete. The shooting portion, in my opinion as a somewhat experienced shooter, was not challenging. However, it served a valuable purpose for the newer shooter and met the requirements for a CHP. The course was a 36 round course with 12 rounds being fired at a black silhouette target from 6 feet, 10 feet and 15 feet. There was also a mandatory magazine change (for semi-automatic firearms) after each 6 rounds. Kenny was able to get us through the range portion of the class quickly and safely by utilizing some of the St. Bernard Indoor Shooting Center firearms instructors. I thoroughly enjoyed this class and I highly recommend using NOLATAC if you ever consider taking a CHP class. And if you do, I'd find out when Kenny Fernandez is teaching and try to get in his class.

I have attended the chp class on numerous occasions just for refresher knowledge in regards to the…read morelaws. For those that want to claim false facts in regards to the class or the instructors and say it's a racist class that would be a flat out lie and false. At the beginning of the class it is even states that the class will cover issues which have happened in the past and may be controversial, but only 100% of the truth in regards to the legal outcomes will be put out. There has never been any personal feeling or thoughts injected into the classes at anytime and it's always a great thing to hear people ask questions in regards to all situations and matter that is displayed during the course. Again the has never been any bias given in regards to anyone's race, color or sex during the class or in any of the items covered during the class. In fact if anyone is evening extra knowledge or guidance in regards to there chp permit the owner as well as the instructors are always available via email or even to the side during the class on breaks to assist. Great class and it's obvious due to the amount of other chp instructors within the state who have come and sat in the class as well as sought out additional knowledge for their personal classes. Even if you don't intend on getting your chp I highly recommend atleast at a minimum attend the course for the knowledge it provides

Hey y'all Aikido of New Orleans has moved!…read more Our new address is: Broadmoor Arts & Wellness Center, 3900 General Taylor, New Orleans, LA 70125 Our new phone number is (504) 380-9233 Yelp is being difficult in changing our info. Thanks

I became a member of this dojo in December, 2011, with no prior background in martial arts. Aikido…read morewas recommended to me particularly by a trusted friend in the security industry who has vast experience in self-defense. I opted for the beginner's package, which includes 2 months of dues, and a discount on the uniform. This proved to be a great introduction to this fascinating martial art. In two months' time, I had learned the fundamentals, and I shortly became comfortable enough to begin attending classes for all skill levels, while continuing to polish the techniques taught in beginner's classes. Aikido appeals to me because it is a martial art of peace, and the objective is to neutralize attacks through the use of throws, joint locks, and pins, so no one is injured. My monthly dues are affordable, and allow me to train at the dojo any day of the week, as often as I like. I especially enjoy changing the days that I visit, because each instructor has something different to demonstrate to me, and I feel that I earn a very well-rounded understanding of their teachings. I strongly recommend Aikido of New Orleans to anyone interested in self-defense, Japanese martial arts, or simply a great work-out.