I didn't know anything about martial arts when I choose Atlanta Budokan for my son's Aiki Jujitsu…read moreclasses. I just wanted a martial arts class in Acworth. At four years old he is a bit young for martial arts, but I have been amazed by how much he has already learned. The instructors are so knowledgable about what is age appropriate for him to be picking up, and the atmosphere of the classes is very positive. The older students are always so kind and willing to help work with him. I am excited to watch him grow and learn in such a great environment. I was so impressed by what I saw in his classes, I decided to take kickboxing myself. Like my son, I started at the "bottom" of the learning curve (but not the youngest, ha!). But just like with his class, I got such great instruction, and the support from the other ladies and guys in class was so positive, I didn't feel out of place. Instructors modified everything to my level as I was learning. I am now the most fit I have ever been in my life. And the stress relief from hitting the heavy bags if worth everything! If you are looking for Aiki or Kickboxing in an extremely family friendly environment in either Acworth or Smyrna, Atlanta Budokan is an excellent place.

My jump into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was an anti-climatic one: I needed a new hobby, saw their "30 Days…read moreFree" sign while driving by one day, then literally made a sharp turn in to register. Jiu-Jitsu ended up literally changing my life. I've always had an interest in martial arts but BJJ evolved me in ways I couldn't have imagined. For about 20 months before I started at 4.0, I was a lazy sack who planted myself in front of Netflix every night. Walking upstairs was a chore. I was *embarrassingly* inactive. After training under the coaches at 4.0 Martial Arts for a year, I *won* the Silver medal in my very first Newbreed Brazilian Jiu-JItsu tournament. I had NEVER, ever played sports in my entire life so this blew my mind. Coach Daren (as well as Coach Charles, Edward, and Aaron) helped me realize and discover my athletic side. I would not have been able to win that tournament without them. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be intense but it is incredibly fun. Not only has it helped me lose weight and become more athletic, I am also much more positive, outgoing, and confident. I was incredibly lucky to have found this gym first. PROS: - Very friendly, chill atmosphere. In most cases, I would have been really intimidated by how athletic everyone was when I started ... but they are a rare combo of passionate and laid-back. If you want a place full of meathead douchebros, 4.0 isn't for you. Everyone is nice and encouraging here. - Coaches with talent AND teaching skills! Up on the top shelf at the gym, you'll see a truckload of trophies and competition belts and awards from Daren. All of the coaches are amazing grapplers but they are also great at solidifying concepts in your head. - Great support network! No matter what your intentions are behind BJJ, they will support and encourage you. They will not dilute their efforts with you even if you choose never to compete. They are always there to answer questions! I'll send off videos of myself during a match asking for feedback and I get a long, detailed critique almost immediately. Now, if you ARE planning to compete, be prepared to get your ass handed to ya .. they will make sure you're well prepped .. LOL CONS: - Bring back Friday classes! :) I also think a no-gi class would be fun too. If you've been playing with the idea of taking up a martial art, I cannot recommend Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at 4.0 Martial Arts enough. As one Shia La-Beouf stated, "DOOO ITTT!"

My kids have been training with Coach Daren for several years. He has such a great rapport with the…read morekids and really keeps them excited about learning and growing; and not just in their jiu jitsu but in their academics and other activities as well. The kids work for their belts, and it's a huge accomplishment to go up a rank which I really appreciate. But it's not just for kids! I started training with the 4.0 crew a couple of years ago and am now taking the fitness classes as well. Between Coach Daren and Coach Charles there is so much expertise and they both have a great teaching style that I really like. In jiu jitsu understanding why things work and all of the details is a very important aspect and they do a great job imparting that knowledge. I love training at 4.0, the guys there aren't just "people at the gym," they are friends. I recently started the fitness classes and I really like them too! At 4.0 there is a huge focus on form and doing things right. You get pushed hard, but not to the point of injury. I know several people who have started crossfit-style workouts only to injure themselves weeks later so I really appreciate the attention to detail.

About FlipCity South Flip City South like all non-essential business it closed in March when the…read moreschools closed. However, FlipCity South continued to charge me for lessons in March, April, and this month. I have attempted to call (left messages), mailed a letter and had the registration removed. The took $120 from me! I would not recommend this business especially if you are a working parent.

Very impressed. Took my daughter for a trial class to work on her tumbling skills for cheer. I…read moreinquired beforehand and asked questions. I had seen several videos online and wanted to give them a try. I was greeted as soon as I walked in the door. The staff was very professional - everyone to the owner down to the coaches. It seemed like everyone treated the students and parents as family which I loved. The amount of talent that I witnessed was amazing. There's plenty of parking and several class offerings. Check them out!!!

I have a child that has been attending martial arts classes at Umas (United Martial Arts Systems)…read moreand its a good fit. I'm reviewing this based on the younger 5-8 age group Little Dragons and Junior Ninjas, but not teens or adult age groups. And I won't be commenting about competitive sparring & tournaments because this hasn't been an option yet. I don't know the actual martial arts style, but I assume it is Japanese based (not Chinese Gung Fu, Korean Tae Kwon Do, or Filipino Kali). The atmosphere for this school is friendly & nurturing. This is not a school that teaches students to be hostile & aggressive, nor is this the method they teach. Students are taught to use self control and be respectful to the instructors, each other, and the people in their lives (e.g. parents & family, teachers & schoolmates, etc.). The main instructor is Mr. Miles. He and the other instructors are dedicated and well experienced. The lessons teach students to give it their all in class and if something doesn't go their way to keep trying. The great thing here is Mr. Miles applies this to real life by having students continue this mindset at at home & in school. Umas is a great place for your youngsters to work on self discipline, work on self control, & teaches mastering something is not the end but continues on.

I signed my child up for Karate to put her in an activity. The amount of time the children spends…read morein class is too short not only that I recently switched jobs and my hours have changed so I'm unable to take my child to practice anymore and it's just me, a single parent. I was told to email management about my situation just to be told no. I contact management again and explained everything and the only way to cancel would be if I moved 25 miles away or of a disability. I'm so pissed because things happen all the time unexpectedly and I definitely wasn't expecting to change jobs and I'm willing to show proof of new employment but no one is trying to hear what I have to say. They're only concerned with getting payments. If I wouldn't known that when I first inquired about the lessons, I WOULD'VE NEVER SIGNED UP because things happen. This program is not for parents who don' have helping hands to help with taking the child to practice.

I have been training with Master Cheng for 5 years on and off and wasn't comfortable with virtual…read moretraining during Covid so stopped and am 60 years old. He would not let me do Kung Fu until he saw I was in shape and ready for the intensity. So I have been doing Tai Chi seriously again for past year and practice almost every day at 6:30 am. I have 1 private session weekly with Master Chong and he's definitely old school but what he teaches is very authentic. I can see how people l can get turned off by the cost and sometimes bluntness but you get what you pay for and need to understand that he comes from a different era and culture. Many real masters won't even teach students until they prove they show enough desire. I have seen schools that are like factories and Master Cheng is picky, and not for everyone. If you need a lot of hand holding then I would go elsewhere. I started Kung Fu after waiting like 5 years and I could never have handled it until I was in very good shape and got more advanced with Tai Chi. Kung Fu is great and painful but much different than Tai Chi. I do both now, with Master Cheng but it's tough and it's small classes with very individual focus. I like the old school authenticity, but can see how some would not feel comfortable but you don't go there for belts and tests. If you want to learn from Master Cheng then trust the process and realize that you aren't going to get a warm and social experience like at other schools. The language barrier can create some frustration but they are good people and it's like going to a doctor, which I am, and all my referrals liked the training immensely and I feel that you need to be flexible and agile when working with Master Cheng. He really won't work with people who aren't serious about training. I can go on and on, but I am empathetic to some of the negative comments, but his style isn't for everyone. I hope this is helpful since Tai Chi has truly changed my life in many ways and Kung Fu is very exciting for me now! Hope this helps! David

I stumbled across these reviews and I feel I have to share my perspective. I think Master Cheng's…read moreTai Chi instruction is the best I have encountered. I have studied Pai Lum, Hung Gar, and Tai Chi off and on for about 29 years (I'm 47). I have left the hard styles behind and I have no interest in competition; for the sake of my aging body I just want to learn Tai Chi, but I am only interested in instruction that incorporates the fundamental martial art with application, correct postures and alignment, etc. I have a schedule that makes regular class attendance difficult, so I cannot describe the group classes. I have been scheduling private lessons periodically for a couple of years with Master Cheng. While the progress is slow as I am a not a great or even diligent student, I believe this is authentic, valuable instruction and it's benefited me greatly. It's not easy to get comfortable with paying for a class you can't observe, and perhaps if I hadn't coincidentally known a former student of theirs that I could talk to, I might have walked away with a similar impression as the negative reviewers. I think I can see where they're coming from. This is not an easy path to take (either signing up, or the training!) It's something of an old-school tradition, I think, to not make it particularly easy for the student. As someone who dabbled in instruction a long time ago, I learned that if you bend over backwards to teach martial arts, you'll get a lot of casually interested students who won't progress or stick with it. If you know that you really want to learn traditional Tai Chi, I think you can get it here. I hope this review is helpful to someone.

Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art form started by African slaves who weren't allowed to practice…read moreself defense so they disguised training by combining it with dance-like movements, acrobatics and music. I can't lie, I was drawn in by the cool factor! I saw a really sultry couple in white pants, corded belts and t-shirts who looked like the of Beckhams of Brazilian hotness! I asked, "how can I be down" and learned about the free beginners open house. What a breath of fresh air it was! The Scene It's a large gym type room with a padded floor. By the end of class, it was hot, sweaty and everyone had dirty bare feet. Still worth it! The Sounds Mestre Fran shouts in Portuguese with a cute, enthusiastic sidekick interpreting for him. He engages you with his eyes and smiles! The Peeps They're as diverse as a UN meeting ranging from the scrawny to the brawny! There was a mother/son duo and a retiree. The ratio of nerds to hot jocks was about 8 to 1. Most of the 'beginners' were already in uniform with impressive names like Cobra and Flame. Every person I met smiled and nodded "Ah-shay." I even learned the special handshake/dap with a pound! After singing, laughing and sweating together I felt like I'd made friends. I wanted to shout, "Where are we going after this?" But they awkwardly waved and got into their cars.. The Class We started out doing 'ginga', a slide motion where one leg and one arm at a time rocks back and forth. A chocolate dread head with abs tried to show us newbies over and over and but we failed miserably. Then Mestre Fran demonstrated it and we fell into rhythm. Once we mastered that move we lined up in rows of four participants each to start the real hard stuff! We did kicks, lunges and some turned cartwheels (I did a modified spin move). We then paired off and learned to squat and protect ourselves. At the end we were all in a circle chanting and singing in Portuguese. There was even a sermonette! Mestre Fran had a tambourine and we got louder as the circle got closer.. The Verdict It was exhausting, exhilarating and really, really fun! With Afro-Brazilian dance, music and instruments, Capoeira Maculele workouts make you feel like you're part of a cultural community. There's even an outing to a Brazilian restaurant in the works! I wouldn't recommend it for the rigid, the divas or the injury prone (arthritic knees and wobbly ankles need not apply). But if you're open-minded, have a sense of humor and don't mind a good sweat, you'll fall in love. Ah-shay!

I brought my little brother to the Tae kwon Do classes here in Stockbridge at first everything was…read moregreat the staff were nice even the owner Troy B until today since 2:22 I've been calling to wonder what to do in the situation that I would be taking my little brother out of taekwondo I didn't get no response so I left a message by 3:43 PM. I called again no response then I called just an hour ago at 7:52 PM I get a response. It is Troy B. He answers with an attitude yelling at me saying that I've been calling four times and that he doesn't have time to talk to me because he is busy with his class in a awful attitude and hangs up on me. My little brother doesn't go to his classes for free. We also pay there's no reason for him to yell at me know anybody else for him as the owner should respond with a good attitude and say I'm sorry we have been busy. that's the reason why we haven't been able to answer you. I'll give you a call back in a little if that's OK with you but no, he decides to yell at me like if I'm one of his students so if he yelled at me, can you just imagine how he is with his students! It is unbelievable!! +1 (404) 512-9882 as you can see same number!!

I love how my kid comes home knowing something new and i love how they teach and how he imporving…read moremy child

I've had a great experience with my son, and later with myself at Atlanta Judo Midtown. The…read moreteachers are very attentive to the safety of the children and maintain an appropriate balance between fun and respect in the kids program. The mats are supported by springs and are relatively gentle for even a older guy like me. The instructors are very knowledgeable and friendly. The club itself has a fun community feel to it.

This is the only place close to me that does Judo I love Judo because it isn't about force but…read moreusing your entire self to fight efficiently and the senseis here do a great job of instructing master Jigoro Kano would be proud.