I hate how the people are so mean and rude and also why to they just have to have bad service like…read morewhy?!!!!??

Elite Taekwondo Center is one of the Bay Area's foremost taekwondo studios, headed by one of the…read morecountry's most distinguished instructors, Grandmaster Kwangil Bae. If you're looking for quality instruction, ETC is a no-brainer. Grandmaster Bae is a world-class instructor, athlete, and international referee. He was recently appointed Head Coach of the AAU National Poomsae Team and is always up-to-date on the latest rules/regulations due to his connections at Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul). As such, you should expect only the highest level of instruction, as well as incredible opportunities for growth that can't be found at other Bay Area martial arts studios. Joining ETC (or GM Bae's other studio in Palo Alto) is akin to attending a top university like Harvard: you get as much out of it as the effort you put in, but your ceiling becomes much higher due to the availability of resources. For reference: I began training with GM Bae in Palo Alto as a blue belt, having transferred from another studio. Under his guidance, I reached the rank of 3rd-dan black belt, won medals at NorCal State Championships and the US Open, became a nationally-certified referee, and attended seminars led by world champions. GM Bae has an innate talent for teaching, and he has both an incredibly nuanced sense of the rhythm and aesthetics of poomsae (forms) and an intelligent understanding of sparring tactics. He designs exercises and describes physical motions in a way that is informative and easily accessible, and he truly embodies the spirit of taekwondo as not only a sport, but also a lifestyle. Elite Taekwondo Center offers classes for all ages and types of students, from beginners to nationally-ranked competitors. In terms of teaching style, GM Bae instills a strong sense of discipline and respect within his students, yet always makes sure to treat us with genuine warmth and care. There is a palpable sense of community and respect within the studio that has been crucial to my personal growth, and as an assistant instructor, it has been a pleasure to see even the youngest students mature into sharp, talented individuals. I really can't stress enough how valuable of an opportunity it has been to train with Master Bae - he is truly a one-of-a-kind instructor.

This place is the real deal. I consider myself lucky to have found them and for them to allow me to…read moretrain here as opposed to the opposite. Everyone here is super friendly, encouraging and engaging. My GF and I are both white belts (I've done a karate / MMA style for a year or so 35 years ago and Shaolin Kung Fu for a couple years 20 years ago) and this is my GF's first time trying Martial Arts. Most of the students are higher level, but we find this to be a plus as we are always learning. We have a new student joining us (we are about 2 months into it) Monday and are also excited for them to join us. This is a small "family" dojo. You will not regret the measly 130.00 for their 8 lesson introduction series (seems they may have a family discount for groups, please check with them). Although they allow sweats for the introduction series, personally I prefer training in a Gi and you can get great introduction ones on Amazon for 80 bucks or from the Sensei for about 70 at the school. Please, don't come here and dilute my training time :D

Love this school. The high ranks keep every lesson fun and safe. There is always something new…read moreand practical. This school practices traditional Danzan Ryu jujitsu, the stuff Samuari used for hundreds of years. It has taken me years to find a school as fun as this after studying under Prof Castoldi and Prof Cahill. Good for all ages and abilities. My family started lessons!

The two shifus put up with a lot especially from the younger kids but they're patient and…read morestructured. Also handsome according to my mother in law. Decent price and if you can make earlier weekday or late weekend classes it's not too crowded. Sometimes in the summer it's like 4 kids in a class. They basically do like 15 mins of conditioning/warm up and then the rest of class practicing motions. My younger one hates repeating the motions and just wants to punch things but he does a pretty good job.

Amazing shifus that teach exceptionally, very clean place and pretty big. The uniforms and shoes…read morefit very well with many sizes and the payment plan is really nice.

This is my first time bringing my children to this karate class, and I was surprised to learn that…read morethe lesson takes place in a separate room where parents are not allowed to watch. My children are only 4 years old and are still learning English. I do not understand why I am not allowed to see what is happening during the class. As a parent, I believe I should be able to observe my young children, especially when they are in a new environment. If space is limited, the facility should find a way to accommodate parents rather than completely preventing them from watching. I find this policy unreasonable and disappointing.

Okaigan Karate has been one of the best things we could have done for our daughter…read more Before we began there, our daughter, still 4 at the time, would struggle to be in activities on her own without one of us there by her side at all times. When we began Okaigan, we were hesitant about the policy where no parents are allowed inside the dojo during class times but the instructors explained to us very clearly that doing so would not only be a distraction to our daughter and other students but would also prevent her from developing confidence and independence. They were very helpful and clear in explaining what happens in class, what we could expect as far as the challenge for our daughter in being on her own, and ways they work with the kids to help comfort them. Within a few classes, our daughter was not only comfortable in her karate classes but to our surprise, in ALL of her other activities. We no longer had to sit by her side and watched over the next few months as her confidence and independence grew. It's been a year now and she loves her karate classes. She works hard for every belt and they're not definitely not bought or given to them. It's clear they have to be earned. She loves the instructors there, we're amazed by how much she has developed over this time, and it tells us a lot that out of all of her activities, karate is the only one that she has wanted to keep pursuing consistently.

Great Martial Arts Academy! I joined about one and a half years ago, and I'm learning fast. Highly…read morerecommend for people wanting to learn Taekwondo.

My son has been learning here since a very long time. Master Hong & Instructor Chloe are amazing…read more Master Hong is always kind to all the kids and parents. He has a lot of patience and respects everyone. He also teaches kids how to become a good citizen and a better human being.

My daughter has been a student at Dreamkick for 4 years. She has progressed well. She is not on…read moreteam (because we have too many other activities), but we are happy with her training. She maintains flexibility, discipline and skill. We are not Korean, and that has never been an issue- they provide worksheets for the exams with terminology that is easy to follow. We like Dreamkick so much we are happy to drive to their new location even through Cupertino was very convenient initially. The Grandmaster, Master Rosa and the student instructors are wonderful.

Dream Kick Taekwondo has been an absolutely outstanding experience. The instructors are highly…read moreskilled, professional, and genuinely care about every student's growth both inside and outside the dojang. Grand Master Jang and the entire team create a positive, encouraging environment that helps students build confidence, discipline, respect, and perseverance.

Everything about this studio is managed badly. We have the studio on Thursday nights, and there is…read morealmost always no one around to let us in. We always have to get in through another studio at the back and open this studio from inside. When I checked to see if anyone from the management is around, there is no one available, nor is there a phone number that works. They are awful. The studio itself is nice, but they have a very flimsy separator between the 2 studios. If there is music playing in the adjacent studio, we have to shout to get our voice across. For the amount they charge for the studio, I wish they were better at managing stuff like this. It is not acceptable that you are not reachable to paying customers who need your assistance!

Master Shudong Li is a wonderful teacher. Not only is he accomplished, but he is truly dedicated to…read moresharing taichi and wushu with adults and children alike. Considering how busy his teaching schedule is, and how many years he's been teaching despite his relatively young age, it is a marvel how he is fully "present" in each class and makes every minute worthwhile for the students. You never get the sense that he is jaded or stale. Mater Li is inspiring, explains and demonstrates clearly, has a great sense of humor, nudges the students toward constant improvement, but never humiliates anyone or puts anyone on the spot. He is, of course, most comfortable with Chinese, but always follows up with enough English to get his points across. I have checked out or experienced other taichi and wushu classes, for myself and my child. Some teachers are arrogant and intolerant; others mistake abuse for setting high standards; still others are given to hype or overemphasize competitiveness. They don't bring out the best in the students. In terms of the positive energy generated, and the teacher's own sense of ethics, I would say Master Li's school is absolutely the best in this area.