Sunnyvale MAA is so much more than a martial arts after-school activity for our family. It has…read morebecome a true community that we are incredibly grateful to be a part of. From the very first visit, something felt different here. Nearly three years ago, I had explored another martial arts studio in Sunnyvale, and the experience felt impersonal and it just didn't feel like a place where my kids would truly belong. I didn't experience any of that at Sunnyvale MAA -- not on day one, and not now. What sets this place apart is the people. The instructors and the entire team here genuinely care -- not just about teaching technique, but about every single child as an individual. I have two kids enrolled, and I'm consistently amazed that all of the instructors know little details about both of my children, even the ones who haven't directly taught them. That level of attentiveness and personal connection is rare, and it speaks volumes about the culture and team have built here. My oldest started hesitantly, he told me he only wanted to make it to his second belt. That was his ceiling. Fast forward almost two years, and he is now setting his sights on black belt. That transformation didn't happen by accident. It happened because the instructors strike such a thoughtful balance of discipline, encouragement, and genuine support. They push the kids to grow while making sure they feel safe, seen, and celebrated along the way. Watching his confidence soar has been one of the most rewarding things I've witnessed as a parent. And the impact is contagious. My youngest spent nearly a year watching her brother thrive on that mat, and she couldn't wait any longer, she recently joined the Little Dragons program and absolutely loves it. Seeing both my kids light up when they walk through those doors, excited to see their friends and their KJNs, says everything. The community here is welcoming, inclusive, and warm in a way that is hard to put into words but impossible to miss. If you are on the fence about enrolling your child, come watch a class. You'll feel it immediately, and so will they.

My daughter started at SVMAA when she was 5, in the Little Dragons class. We initially enrolled her…read moreto help build her body confidence, and now, four years later at age 9, she's gained so much more: confidence in herself, perseverance, and discipline. She's now part of the performance team, where her teachers continue to push her growth not just in martial arts skills, but in teamwork, mental resilience, and leadership. The care that the owner and instructors put into their school is clear in everything they do. The teaching is structured and challenging, with high expectations, yet always warm, kind, and adaptable to each child's needs. The curriculum and expectations are clearly communicated, and the class schedule is very flexible, with multiple sessions offered for each level throughout each day to ensure that each family can choose the schedule that works best for them. I'm so grateful for SVMAA. It's an incredible community that has brought out the best in my daughter.

Founded by Shihan Isao Wada in the 1970's. Classes taught by Kyoshi Jay Castellano.read more

This is honestly as good as it gets for karate in this area. I only trained with them for the…read moresummer while my karate teacher was away but I loved this class. There are a lot of children and a lot of black belts. The teacher is a 7th degree black belt and I am so happy I got to train with him while my sensei was away.

I cannot recommend KravZone highly enough, especially for parents looking to enroll their children…read morein Krav Maga classes. My experience with their kids' program has been nothing short of exceptional, hats off to the incredible instructor, Travis! From day one, it was evident that Travis was not only highly skilled in Krav Maga but also knew the knack of teaching and working with children. Whether a child was struggling with a technique or excelling at it, Travis was present very watchfully, providing guidance, support, and positive reinforcement. One of the things that stood out to me the most was Travis's ability to create a supportive and encouraging environment for the kids. Moreover, he has a unique talent for breaking down complex techniques into simple, easy-to-understand steps, making it accessible and observable for children of all skill levels. What stood out to me in particular was his own values, principles and attitude which in my opinion are of paramount importance especially while teaching life skills to others. Beyond his technical expertise, Travis also instilled important values such as team work, discipline, respect, and self-confidence in the children. Through his teaching, my child not only gained valuable self-defense skills but also developed a sense of empowerment and self-assurance that extends beyond the mat. Beth, who is also an instructor and helps with the front desk, is extremely patient and helpful with any questions and a great teacher herself from the classes I've observed! If you're considering enrolling your child in Krav Maga classes, look no further than Krav Zone!

My daughter and I really enjoy doing the Krav and cub classes. My only complaint is that our class…read morestarts late almost every time and the time does not get made up because another class starts right afterwards. I do agree that it's good to warm up before starting classes but I feel that there might be too much time running back-and-forth. Occasionally it feels like a way to keep us busy while they are speaking to other people. We've had a couple classes with Beth, she is very nice and patient with the little ones. Travis was our main coach for a few months and I can tell the older kids work better with him. They only have beginner and advanced classes. It would be nice to have an intermediate class as well. I think in general more classes would be helpful as you cannot graduate to certain belts unless you are taking two classes a week. We signed up for a year and will plan to continue for as long as possible. I do recommend this place. * updated to add that now that school has started, they just brought in another trainer (Shlomi) to teach the older kids since the class size has doubled. He is very good at teaching new techniques properly. I feel that he is the best match for my yellow belt 8 year old.

My 5-year old son has been curious to practice Karate and this school has been amazing. John Sensei…read moreis an experienced teacher who has a knack working with kids. My son naturally felt the inclination to attend class 2x a week consistantly which I thought was interesting for a younger fellow. I see the kids learning and enjoying themselves for many years and beyond here.

If you're considering a physical activity for yourself or your kids, or if you are serious about…read morekarate and want to raise your level, this is a fantastic option. Sensei Jon is a 7th degree black belt who has studied karate in Japan. He has advanced Phys Ed qualifications and besides running this dojo, he also teaches at Stanford. He has decades of teaching experience, a lot of energy and infectious enthusiasm and is just an all around positive person. He's really good at encouraging class participation, throwing new challenges at us to keep our skills growing, making us think and coming up with fresh themes and activities in every class. The general class is mixed level, and he succeeds in keeping it interesting for the beginners like me as well as the many advanced black and brown belts who also attend these classes. The overall atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming and I always feel at home in this group of people. The dojo is spacious and well equipped. There's also a good quality video feed for remote classes, which are very useful for times when you can't make it in person. My two daughters have been with this dojo for over a decade: the younger started in first grade and is now a senior in high school. Both of them rose from beginner to brown belt in that amount of time. They told me the children's classes are similar to the adult ones but with more fun game type activities and less focus on self defense applications. This isn't only for learning karate itself, but also positive attitudes and study habits. A couple of years back, after seeing my daughters benefit from these classes, and getting on in years and needing to focus more on my health, I decided to start myself. I saw it as a physical activity that would cover a balanced combination of exercises without being too boring. I've never been athletically inclined and wasn't expecting to get good at this or enjoy it, but it's definitely surpassed all possible expectations and I've learned many basics and feel inspired to learn more. The health benefits have been major and obvious. It has helped me improve my overall fitness, played a big role in my lifestyle changes that allowed me to overcome issues like high blood pressure, and given me greater stamina and agility which are very noticeable whenever I do anything physical. The Monday adult classes, taught by black belts Mark-san and Chris-san, are a great time to get more individual attention and work on application ideas and fine points of technique. I never want to miss these classes and feel they have contributed a lot to my improvement.

Karate is like swimming. You don't swim to race. It's the transcendental experience of connecting…read moreyour body with water that makes you swim. Yes, it has all the nice side effects of health, weight loss and stress relief. The most beneficial is the way you get to know your body, and hopefully your mind. If you would like to have a new experience Karate Shorin Ryu Sunnyvale is a great place to start. You may achieve a calm mind and learn self defense as well but you'll no doubt love the experience of learning a new skill. Sensei Jordan is extremely committed to Karate and will help guide you through the learning process and introduce you to thought leaders in this space as well..

Sansui Jordon is very well organized and very patient with kids. My 7 year kid has been going for…read morethe past two months now, and loves the class. Very friendly environment.

My daughter and I have been a part of this school for more than 4 years…read more We are brown and brown 1 belts now. I am super happy that I decided to start learning martial arts at 37. It was one of my dreams. My husband and I are glad that our daughter has a community to learn from and grow. I hope she will be a black belt one day and won't stop. It is not about achievements or sport in general, it is about inspiration to be successful in life. The teachers in the Santa Clara school are amazing and dedicated, supportive, and strict when it is needed. Highly recommend! If you are serious and want to learn, and do not seek a quick result. It is a path.

I remember doing some Black Belt training there a couple weeks before 2nd degree test on May 2018…read more It was a fun experience training there, along with the old Campbell school (massive fan installed on ceiling) a couple months before June 2016 test. I did not remember much, though we did our Choo Moo 4 and West Coast Forms outside in the back (we had to memorize our rows and columns to avoid ruining the black belt show when we perform). I also made some new friends while training. One of them was Leslie representing Berryessa team, a cool and energetic fellow. We both tested for the same belts.

Since long time my neighbor Yusuf and I wanted to register our kids for Aikido classes. My son is…read moreonly 5 years old and my neighbor's daughter is 4 years old. We both were not sure whether it's a right age to start. On first visit, our kids were attending classes with all other kids of higher age. Experience from first class was not very good. I guess because kids were not in proper uniform and also difficult for them to attend class along with bigger kids. We accepted Dennis's proposal to have separate class only for our two small kids for next few weeks. Both kids have learned good things in past 4 weeks. But I feel both are still not ready to understand various self-defense techniques. We decided to take a break and start again after few months. Dennis, Jonathan and other instructors (I forgot their name) were very careful while teaching/handling both small kids. I enjoyed all my visits and got to learn few things along with my son. I would like to thank Dennis and all other instructor for their great work. I will strongly recommend this place for learning Aikido.

Bottom line: Great place to Learn Aikido…read more I love this Dojo. EVERYONE is friendly and willing to help you learn and train. There are a lot of advanced students around every class to help the newbies, and everyone is willing to help, explain, be as patient as needed - and do it all cheerfully. The Male/Female ratio is also good - a woman training here will not feel out of place and an exception. The facilities are good - actual dressing rooms for Males and Females, and a bathroom, spacious and clean training area. Sensei Dennis is a 7th Dan (7th level black belt) and his expertise and knowledge shine through - and he's not just good at Aikido, but also at teaching it. On the days he is not teaching himself he has assistant teachers who are all advanced Black-belts (including his wife) and I find having several perspectives into techniques helpful. Note there is a dedicated class for kids, and pretty young ones. While I do not have a child enrolled, my class some days is just following the kids' class - and they seem to have a blast. Finally a word about the particular style of Aikido taught here - Kokikai. I have trained in other Aikido styles, and have a background (YEARS ago) in Karate. From what I see, Kokikai has a practical, martial art orientation, unlike some Aikido styles that become almost a dance, with practical application almost a side-effect. Bottom line : You'll like it here. They give a free trial lesson - go and see for yourself.