Choy Li Fut... More like Choy Li FUN!!! I've taken many martial arts throughout my life and my…read morelessons with Nick have been the most rewarding. I highly recommend training at the Choy Li Fut Academy.

I got a few private lessons from Sifu Nick, i'm sore all over and in major pain and I can't wait to…read moredo it all over again. In the introductory lessons, he taught some basic choy lay fut forms which evolved into some great use cases for street applications. Would recommend Choy Lay Fut Academy to anyone looking for martial arts classes in which history and practical usage is emphasized.

Initially, I was going to two different places to learn tai chi a week. But after experiencing…read moreEnguerran's teachings, I knew I had found the real deal and decided to stick with his classes only. I was looking for something that goes deeper than merely memorizing and going through the motions- here, you learn the inner core movements and principles that are subtle to the eye but everything to the power and practice of tai chi/wudang/chi quong. He is detail-oriented and always make sure that we understand how to do the movements properly and its many variations... No matter what skill level you are, whether you've done martial arts before or have zero experience, I guarantee that you'll have much to learn from his teachings. It can be challenging at times, but Enguerran's infectious energy and enthusiasm always makes it a fun environment. My favorite is when we have a new student because that means we get to practice the basics, and you can never practice the basics enough! His classes are far from being monotonous so you are never bored.. he mixes it up and will introduce a fun new style that are oh so interesting- I pretty much view them as treats! Highly recommend if you're not looking for just a class, but to have this extend into to your everyday life, grow your awareness, stay grounded, improve your health and balance. This is very much a family vibe as you get to know everyone and progress together. Honestly, don't think you can find a more authentic teacher around here, he is passionate and willing to share his knowledge that was passed onto him by his master. Give it a try, first class is complimentary. After that, it depends on how many times you want to attend per week, but prices are more than fair. Cheers!

In only a very few months training under Enguerran I have experienced a step change in my Tai Chi…read morejourney, which spans over 25 years. Enguerran is clearly a very skilled practitioner of martial arts and associated healing skills. I highly recommend anyone interested in growing their knowledge and capabilities to connect with Enguerran and to explore opportunities to learn from him.

My son Ryan has been going to NRK Karate in San Marcos for one year now. This place is more than…read morejust a martial arts dojo -- it is a school of life. It instills core values, builds strong and resilient minds, and provides life coaching that stays with the students far beyond the mat. The instructors are not only highly skilled in martial arts, but they are exceptional mentors who genuinely care about the personal growth of each student. They foster discipline, confidence, and respect in an environment that is both nurturing and empowering. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any parent looking for a place that combines physical training with meaningful life education.

My kids and I train at this dojo and it's been an awesome experience. You truly do become a part of…read morea family when you join NRK. Renshi McCammon and his senseis have created an environment where each person learns respect, honor and discipline, while having fun.

A friendly and inviting environment for my children. All the kids who train here seem to really…read moreenjoy the instruction. They are confident, strong, and talented, regardless of their skill level. It's a warm and nurturing environment for kids and adults alike. I recently started taking Krav Maga classes and am really impressed with how talented and engaging the instructors are. They take the time to work with everyone individually and make it a lot of fun. In a short period of time, I am prepared for whatever the world may throw at me.

Great place for #karate and #Krav Maga. I just warned myself some medals at the 2023 AAU tournament…read moreat #UCSD. That was exciting and fun. Training here is fun, I feel like I am always advancing and there is always new technics to learn.

World class tai chi and qi gong. Master Han and Jane are gifted practitioners and teachers. They…read moreare brimming with love for their students, and know how to teach no matter what your level is.

Hands down the best Chen Taijiquan in San Diego, California and likely the nation!…read moreI'm not speaking in hyperbole. Master Han is the designated representative for Chen Family Style Taiji Quan by the governing body out of the Chen Family. I have been attending for 6 years now and have markedly improved the 8 skills. I can't recommend Taiji enough as a Lifelong Mind-Body Unity practice and this is the best place to receive this treasure. Not only is the Taiji top quality, the Golden Rishi Qigong technique is more than incredible, something worth spending thousands to learn, but you get it for the low monthly tuition. Just try it. Please!

We tried a couple of different gyms for my son as a next step after doing Kidstrong for a couple of…read moreyears. From the moment we walked through the door we have been nothing but impressed with the coaches, professors, and really everyone at Alliance San Marcos. For the kids, they do an absolutely mind bogglingly amazing job of meeting each child where they are and never holding any one of them to an expectation that is too high for that individual. The skill, knowledge, patience, and sheer situational awareness to be able to do that with a full classroom full of 3-5 year olds doing something as complex as jiu jitsu is astounding. Coach Nick was Sage's first instructor at Alliance and a favorite of mine - his passion and patience are visible in everything he does. Everyone does an incredible job of breaking the skills down in a fun and digestible way for the kids and they are clearly learning and retaining! I ended up joining the fun as well and as a 37 year old out of shape dude I gotta admit I was in my head before my first time on the mat wondering "WTF am I thinking starting something like this at this stage of my life?" But the crew and the members are SO welcoming and remind me every day that we all started at zero. The community is amazing and the culture is friendly and supportive no matter your skill level. If you're like I was and thinking you cant possibly.... trust me, this is the place to put those doubts to rest!

BJJ is more than a martial art. It is a lifestyle. It is a community. As they say, "It takes a…read morevillage." Alliance Jiu Jitsu San Marcos is that village where you will have and get the best guidance as you go through this journey. Whether you want to train and learn one of the best martial arts developed, compete in tournaments at the highest level, attain mental balance while at the same time improving and maintaining healthy goals. Have your children and teens learn discipline and become more confident while at the same time having fun in a positive and supportive environment. This academy has everything covered that you could ask for. Professor Vini has built a brand-new academy that is safe, clean, and supportive. Do not be afraid. The hardest part is taking that first step. If you have the slightest interest in starting, you should come in, watch a class, and talk to Professor Vini. I can guarantee that you will see his passion for the art and the success of his student's individual goals. I hope to see you on the mat!

Peter Wu is a wonderful teacher. He is knowledgeable, skilled, and kind. I highly recommend him for…read moreall levels, ages, and abilities.

This school has helped my back immensely in the 3.5 months I've been here!…read moreDuring my forties, I injured my back repeatedly. 3 years ago at the age of 48 I finally had an MRI. I have mild to moderate wedge compressions on 8 vertebrae and 4 disc bulges, one of which became a herniated disc about two years ago. Physical therapy and chiropractors seemed to aggravate the herniated disc. I ended up in severe pain after those sessions with limited mobility for weeks. Additionally, since the herniated disc, I've lost significant muscle mass (especially in my legs as I was no longer able to bend down and had severely limited mobility for months). The herniated disc also caused sciatica, which would cause muscles in my leg or hips to tense up to where I was unable to bend them, numbness in my upper left leg, and occasionally extreme nerve pain in my upper left leg. Enter Balance Martial Arts and Shifu Peter Wu! Although I had hoped that the Tai Chi would help with my posture and provide some improvement, Shifu Peter Wu taught me several Qigong exercises which have had an enormously beneficial effect on me. Years of being in a desk job created a slight, but noticeable hunch in my back. When I was younger (30's), the only way to fix it would be visits to the chiropractor, however the fixes would only last days. After practicing one of Shifu Peter's Qigongs for a few weeks, I was able to resolve that issue for over a month now with occasional practices of the exercise. I was never able to fix that on my own before! Additionally, the standing exercises he has taught me, has helped strengthen my lower back and hip girdle significantly. That coupled with seated Qigong with postural corrections, and some other exercises he taught me, I've eliminated most of the pain in my lower back. The stances from the standing exercises and Tai Chi have additionally started building up my leg strength again. All of this has had a significant increase on my mobility and energy levels. After years of "good and bad days", where good days meant only mild pain, I now see a light at the end of the tunnel! Now my good days mean no pain and I have increased range of motion! This has only been with 3.5 months. I can't wait to see how much better I'll be in another year. Shifu Peter is one of the few people who's had an opportunity to train in Chen Village (the birthplace of Tai Chi), as well as at the Shaolin temple. His teaching style is great, supplying me with new information and refinements in every class, and he is extremely supportive and flexible in showing me exercises to help improve my practice, and to help me along with my back. There's still a long road ahead of me for fixing all of the issues in my back, but I haven't had this much success in any other methodology I've tried, let alone in such a short period of time. I can't give enough accolades to Shifu Peter Wu and the practices that he's taught me!

So it's a nice enough facility, and the owner is legit and also very nice. That being said, they…read moreare geared to the small kids, like 5-7 at most. My daughter first discovered karate and this school at someone's birthday party, and wanted to join. She was almost 9 at the time. We gave it a year but here's our takeaways: 1) classes aren't enough about promotions. Advancing colored belts and stripes require certain skills and to perform those skills in front of the master. But little to no time in a given class is spent on those skills. They play. They have fun. They run around. Maybe 5 minutes per 40 Minute session is spent on promotable skills. And if your child dare take a test and fail, no help is given to improve, and retesting is like pulling teeth. (Note as we were leaving they changed testing to only once a month on a day we couldn't attend, so was our final straw for leaving the school). 2) membership is flexible, you pay one fee per month and go whenever you want. Which is kind of nice, but it makes class sizes fluctuate wildly from as few as 5 participants to as many as 40. And larger classes rarely have more than one instructor. Leading to organized chaos and back to point 1, No skills being taught or learned. 3) we joined because our daughter was being bullied at high tech (whole other story there, don't go!) and wanted to feel like she could defend herself, mostly against boys who were physically abusive. Maybe it comes later but self defense and acts which build confidence, in my opinion, weren't touched in an entire year of classes. Luckily we moved her to a new SMUSD school which actually had anti-bullying policies, and the problem went away. 4) on the bullying, it happens here too. Little cliques of 5, 6 or 7 year olds who have their purple belts, feel emboldened to pick on, trick, etc white belts. Those with stripes belittle those without, and the cycle continues for every step up. Would expect more from a karate studio. Probably related to a lack of supervision as noted in #2. 5) business is run like it's 1980. No online portal, no way to pay bills easily or setup recurring payments. Invoices are an envelope with an amount, receipts when given are handwritten and vague, cards are charged 3% convenience fee (even debit). School tries to host events, but unless you get the right flyer the right day you have no idea. No online presence, no socials, etc. Conclusion, if you have a 4-5 year old boy, and you want to go 5 times a week for cheap, and don't need a business with an online presence, this might be a good fit for you. Not really a good fit for anyone else if you ask me.

I wholeheartedly recommend Orion martial arts. Master Laura runs a tight ship with her classes but…read moreis very flexible with respect to scheduling for the parents. Our boys started in the special needs class and then moved into the mainstream classes after a few years. Our daughter joined as well and even achieved her black belt. It was an amazing experience for all 3 of them. They learned discipline and hard work but never felt intimidated in the classes. The instructors are all professional and helpful. I can honestly say that it was a healthy and productive environment for all of the students.