After taking both kidlets here for Open House day last month, we unexpectedly signed up both of…read morethem for a two month trial. I talked with some of the other parents and one who had been going here for two years with his daughter. He mentioned that they had tried 2 other Jiu-Jitsu locations before his young daughter felt at home here. From the moment you meet Sensei Stephane Dore, you know you've come to the right place for little kids. He's warm and inviting and my kids (4 & 7) were immediately at ease with him. I was surprised that he jumped right into teaching flips and falls for the introductory class at the open house - impressive! Parking is limited (Riel Industrial) but not impossible - be sure to park in the allowed areas. I like how the big roll up industrial doors allow for lots of fresh air and light in the dojo - and the mesh netting to keep out bugs is a nice touch. I had initially only thought about signing up our older child but with a 50% discount on additional family members, I quickly hopped on board and gave in to my pleading 4 year old for the Little Kids Ninja Class as well :-) I'll be sure to write an update in a few months time...

The Trophy Wife and I saw that St. Albert Jiu-Jitsu was offering a free class for kids. Since our…read morechildren have mentioned an interest in the martial arts for a while now, we quickly took advantage of the offer and enrolled our seven-year old daughter and four-year old son in the session. Stephane, their instructor was absolutely fantastic with the kids! He showed them breathing techniques and got their blood pumping by showing them how to fall properly ,holds and grappling maneuvers. They even had a little grappling session at the end of the class! Even though there was only eight kids in this particular session, Stephane had another instructor there as well, to help out with not only the demonstrations, but also so all the kids got some nice individual attention. Both Stephane and his colleague (I am so sorry that I didn't catch his name) had a wonderful demeanour to them and they treated all the kids with respect and in turn, they seemed to treat their instructors the same way back. We liked the atmosphere so much that we signed up both of our rugrats for two months and they were both ecstatic! We'll see if they keep up the interest in their lessons come November. Regardless of how our own kids' martial arts interest turns out, if you are interested in Jiu-Jitsu, you can't go wrong with Stephane at St. Albert Jiu-Jitsu.

I went to Neil Dunnigan's School of Karate back in 2000, when my girlfriend and I were thinking of…read moreenrolling her little 9 year-old son Josh in karate classes. At the time, the boy was a hyperactive, rambunctious little kid, temperamental and emotionally charged, and for his age and small size, pretty strong. He got into a lot of fights at school with other children. His mom and I thought it was a good idea to put him into something like karate, something that would give the child some discipline and instil within him some "focus" and stability. In addition to being a very naughty boy, Josh lacked a sense of confidence. He was a shy, nervous little kid, but full of energy and pent-up aggression. My girlfriend heard about Neil Dunnigan's School of Karate and asked me to call for more information. I was pleasantly surprised that Neil Dunnigan himself answered the call, and invited me to bring the boy to the school for a "meet and greet" the following evening. I have to say Mr. Dunnigan was very mannerful and friendly on the phone. Because of this, I didn't hesitate to accept his invitation and bring little Josh the next evening. Yelp readers will appreciate what I have to say next about our meet-and-greet, not only because of what happened to me right before the meeting, but how well Mr. Dunnigan was able to handle a very awkward and uncomfortable situation. About 20 minutes before arriving at the school, my girlfriend's little son viciously kicked me in the groin as I was trying to restrain and discipline him. Fortunately, I didn't live far from the school at the time (a short 5-10 minute drive), and I was still able to make it to the meeting with Mr. Dunnigan. I was in a lot of pain and almost decided to cancel the meeting, but I still went (the boy didn't go). Can you imagine? It was really awkward! Me, a fully grown adult man getting kicked in the "you-know-whats" by my girlfriend's naughty little child, and I was still going to meet the guy at his karate studio! I was in no shape to talk or sit still (my um, balls (testicles) were aching like hell), and I felt uncomfortable and very awkward. Despite the situation, Mr. Dunnigan made me feel at ease with his sense of humor and friendliness. I remember sitting in the chair moaning and thinking "Oh my balls! My balls! My aching balls!!" I couldn't sit still, not even for a minute. When I told Mr. Dunnigan that getting kicked in the groin was "horribly paralyzing" which made me drop to my knees "in an instant", he said to me with a chuckle, "Yep, that's what a kick in the groin does." I chuckled in kind, though I have to admit, it was half-hearted because I was still in excruciating pain. No wonder they teach "the kick in the groin" in self-defense/anti-rape classes! The boy applied the tactic on me very well. Agh! On the serious side, Mr. Dunnigan was able to answer all my questions calmly and clearly. He told me all I needed to know about their children's classes and scheduling, and how karate could instill self-confidence and self-dignity in the boy while teaching him self-defense at the same time. I came away very impressed with the meeting, but even more so with Mr. Dunnigan's calm, friendly, and respectful demeanour. No wonder his school has been around for more than 30 years. I sense a great dedication from the guy and his ability to serve Edmontonians in the true karate tradition of commitment and honour. I highly recommend this school to anyone who is seriously thinking of enrolling their child in martial arts. I did, and my girlfriend's young child (um, the little ballbreaker) really benefitted from it.

I've been bringing both of my children here now for a month at the recommendation of my neighbour…read more(her husband and children go here as well). We had previously tried out Jiu Jitsu two years ago at a different St. A dojo and did not have a good experience. At first, I was a little apprehensive to give it another try and the prices at Arashi-Do are higher than the other dojos I had looked at but decided to give it a go because my son's best friend wanted to sign up at the same place together. You can contact them via facebook, email, or by telephone. I initially sent in an email with questions about the program and received a telephone call in return from co-owner, Monitor Stephenie, and I was put at ease. Monitor Stephenie and Professor Tyson (married couple) co-own this franchise location and run the dojo together. They are fabulous - I cannot say enough great things about them. I've got one kiddo in Mini Monkeys (30 minutes 2 x a week) and one kiddo in Junior Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (45 minutes 2x a week). You pay the same for your membership whether you are in the 30 minute, 45 minute, or 60 minute classes - that I don't like but that's more to do with the franchise and the way Arashi-Do is set up than this particular location set up. The gym itself is bright, clean, spacious, and well-ventilated (I have not overheated as a parent sitting on the sidelines once). There are change rooms with a curtain as well as a washroom. What I'm really liking about Arashi-Do 1) that it's got a well-defined children's program and there is a difference between the mini monkeys and JBJJ. 2) Professor Tyson is phenomenal. My 9 year old daughter is completely comfortable with him and my 6 year old son thinks he is the bee's knees. Monitor Stephenie is fabulous, super kid friendly, approachable and easy to talk to. They really have a great balance as Professor and Monitor. Another neat thing is that they take their belts, stripes, and grading SERIOUSLY. The Master flies in from Brazil once (maybe twice) a year for all graded exams. Professor Tyson does regular stripe and colored bar tests but I believe the belt colour exams only occur when Mestre Sylvio da Matta Behring, 8th degree coral belt, visits. You can read more about their program on their website: http://arashido.com/programs/brazilian-jiu-jitsu Again, so happy to have found a dojo that works for our family and everyone feels comfortable and safe in. Discipline is foremost here but everything happens in a really structured and kid friendly manner. I'll definitely do an update in the future!

Great studio! My kids have been in the Muay Thai program for 2 years and love it. Professor Tyson…read moreis great with the kids & has a wealth of knowledge to share. The space is clean, bright & comfortable. We have really enjoyed it & would recommend it to everyone to try

This is my goto spot when I am up in Edmonton. Mike is a top notched teacher and is competition…read morecertified. He is a true BJJ black belt. This school has a lot of classes so you can stop by and get a roll on about any time of day. Good programs in Muay Thai and the kettle bell training class is a work out!!! Good stuff! Ill be back for sure!

Amazing instructors and students. Great selections of programs, excellent location. I only wish the…read morefloorplan/layout was a little better but for the price it's hard to beat. Love this place!