This sort of classic, traditional martial arts system is a very rare thing these days. Not focused…read moreon tournament competitions, or the latest style du jour; traditional martial arts training (karate, kung fu, hapkido, judo) with an approachable teaching method. Chayon Ryu means, 'Natural Way System' - we should move in ways that are bio-mechanically friendly & efficient for humans to move. This reduces the chances for injury or long term wear & tear on the joints, and maximizes the speed & power one can develop. There are many students and instructors here who have been training for 20, 30, 40 years and their health & mobility reflect this. This is a place to train to improve the quality of your life, rather than win trophies or bar fights ;-)

I have been a student of Chayon-Ryu for over 25 years. I feel very certain that this school…read morehelped change my life for the better. This is a traditional martial arts school - not a club or a place to hang out and try a few tricks/techniques. Injuries are very rare as students and instructors treat each other with respect and patience. I started studying Chayon-Ryu when I was in high school as an almost desperate attempt to end the bullying I experienced for most of my childhood. Chayon-Ryu instilled valuable skills, confidence and life-long friendships into me. Train for more than a couple of years and the benefits, beyond learning how to kick and punch, will pour forth into your life. And if you have any children interested in learning karate, Master Sean Kim is FANTASTIC. I have never seen someone so great with kids. He is super patient and is so good at teaching the youngest of the students self-control and discipline. Try a few lessons out and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

My daughter has attended this dojang for about two years since she was 6 and we'd still be going…read morehere if we didn't need to move. But move we did... so it's about time I leave a review. It's located on Bellaire next to Pollo Campero in a slightly run down orange retail center. It's hard to miss once you see it. They do have a shared parking lot with a handicap spot right in front of the dojang but parking can be tight during busy times like belt tests or larger classes. They offer a 1-week trial period, which is ideal. In my opinion, trial classes are mandatory before joining a new dojang just to see if it's a good fit but if it's only one class, it's merely a peek. One week - if you can make it to multiple classes - will give you exposure to most of the other students and instructors you will meet and is more accurate. There are several martial arts places in the area, but this one won based on value but also the atmosphere. They offer unlimited classes for the monthly membership cost as long as you attend the classes for your age group (ages 4 and up), they don't pressure you to compete and has a more supportive and relaxed feel so you can go at your own pace. The classes aren't very crowded either so you sometimes get more attention to work on things you need to work on. You have the option to apply for a belt test every 3 months so that's not rushed either, so this place is definitely not a McDojo. They do provide a handbook that outlines all the testing material for each belt so you're not going in blind and they'll focus on testing material leading up to it, helpful for the students that don't attend as many classes. The other students are pretty good sports overall. Females are in the minority and my daughter is small for her age but she never really felt left out by the other boys. Master Derek and the other instructors are knowledgeable and personable. They teach WTF taekwondo here from stances, kicks, blocks, punches, and poomsae to footwork, breaking, kicking combinations, self defense, and sparring (though no weapons so far). They also teach the five tenets of taekwondo. I even joined the adult classes when I had time though very casually (more for exercise) and I didn't feel pressured to go any further (though there's always encouragement). It was fun and Kim's Olympic Taekwondo felt like a second home with how often we were there. Both my daughter and I miss them but there were some pretty great memories. Fun fact: Master Derek has a background in physical therapy so that's a plus while practicing a contact sport... especially once you pass a certain age. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking to learn taekwondo, whether or not you're a beginner. Or at least try out a few trial classes to see if you'll love this place as much as we did.

I am a proud student of Kim's School of Tae Kwon Do for nearly 2 yrs. Master Kim is one of the most…read moregenuine and kindest people I have ever met. Her knowledge of Tae Kwon Do goes beyond measure, but her attitude and persistence in her teachings and encouragement is second to none. Although, I consider myself a well-rounded athlete, I have never been pushed both mentally and physically as much as I have here. What I love most about the school is that each instructor has learned under Master Kim and developed his or her own unique way of leading a class. The school not only challenges me physically and mentally, but it is fulfilling in a cultural, social, and therapeutic way. I highly recommend this school to any ages and all levels!

Awesome school ....small classes and the instructor focuses on detail. It's one of the most quality…read moreschools in Houston. Perfect for learning self defense or fine tuning your skills.

Great place and great instructors! I went to Third Ward before my bjj tournament to ensure my…read moretechniques were par. The instructors were able to give me great advice and showed me proper etiquette while rolling. I was even able to use the teachings instantly during the tournament and ended up taking home 2nd place out of 18 people in my first bjj tournament! Bjj has changed my life and has made me more confident now more than ever.

Pablo Silva is one the GREATEST coaches one can ask for. This facility offers world champion level…read moretraining with several decorated jiu jitsu practioners. From ages 3+ to 75, this place is welcome to all levels and will elevate the way you train and compete.

This review is for the kids program…read more My 6 year old son has been TRAINING here 3 times a week (for a year) and has loved every moment. I want to emphasize the TRAINING aspect vs. simply playing around with other kids and doing exercises for a class with 10 minutes at the end of real stuff as is the case with most extracurriculars for kids this age. This is not the "Rex Kwon Do" style studio that I have seen elsewhere that is geared for young kids. There is no background music. There are no songs or rehearsed oaths. Pablo does not wear a motivational speaker headset with mic. This is honest to goodness BJJ training with some games thrown in for good measure. At Pablo Silva BJJ each age/skill level follows a somewhat standard methodology. You can see this in the Saturday classes where a broad range of ages come together and do warm up exercises/drills as a cohesive unit. This helps build rapport in the school and an overall sense of family. Additionally, Pablo's name isn't just on the building, he is personally involved with the training of the classes and instruction. We have been blown away by the professionalism, the cleanliness of the facility, and quality of training/care that is taken with each child. I feel safe, my son feels safe. It is a nice change of pace to see the kids challenged at an individual level and feel a true sense of pride and accomplishment when they do well because they truly earned it. This has helped my son with his interpersonal skills, increased his confidence, and helped with body control/motor skills. He is genuinely getting a workout in each class, which is not something I can say for any of the other sports we have tried or are currently doing (i.e. baseball/soccer). In summary, the time we spend here is not wasted. We never discuss skipping a session because we don't feel like going. It is a place we want to be and enjoy going to. As a parent, nothing else has come close to feeling as "worth it," especially when you get to see the real sense of pride in your child's face when they know THEY have applied what they have learned and beaten their opponent. It's the epitome of a 1 on 1 sport, and there are up days and down days, but such is life and I'll take that variability over the alternative.

Sifu Alex is an excellent Wing Tsun practitioner. His skill level is quite high. More…read moreimportantly, he is an outstanding teacher. He is patient and doesn't seem to mind repeating one more time the thing he has already told me several times. At some point I get it and am always grateful. Classes are small with emphasis on lots of personal attention. He genuinely cares about his students and gets visibly excited when we are excited to learn something new. There are many lineages of Wing Tsun. I won't knock any of the others but will say WT is solid Wing Tsun. Techniques always conform to basic principles and everything you learn will be explained in reference to these core principles. It is a great system being taught right here in Houston! Blows my mind. Thanks Sifu!

I have trained with Sifu Alex for a couple years now. His skill is rivaled only by his ability to…read moreteach. This is the real deal right here. I highly suggest you take advantage of the free week offer and see for yourself.

This is a traditional kendo dojo that has great instructors. Coming from a martial arts background,…read more I can tell when the instructors know their stuff. This is definitely the case here. They really focus on the basics or kihon which is essential in building a foundation in Kendo. Also, I would say that the floor in this building is a very good floor for Kendo as it encourages proper footwork.

Been a student for 5+ years. Great place to study Traditional Okinawa Goju-Ryu. This is…read moreKarate-jutsu, not Karate-Do like the other guys. We teach self-defense, not how to win trophies. Okinawa Karate center is authentic Okinawa Goju-Ryu. Kyoshi Mcmains pushes you to the limit EVERY practice and he also teaches practical techniques. He also teaches Hokama Family Kobudo and is authorized to teach Yamanni Chinen Ryu Kobujutsu. Great school, again don't get fooled by those McDojos out there...come to an authentic Okinawa Dojo, Kyoshi Mcmains has over 45 years of experience.

Our sons both studied and earned their black belts at the Houston Karate Academy. Their program is…read morerigorous and includes sparring, which not all do. They teach discipline, mental and physical, respect, and how to handle yourself in an actual fight. However, most importantly, they teach how to be strong while also learning to avoid conflict whenever possible. Respect, de-escalation, actual fighting skills and disciplined preparedness are probably the the phrases that come to mind first describing this dojo.

HKA has the best kid and adult programs including for special needs. Grandmaster Cunningham is…read morededicated to providing a safe and respectful class for all students. My son was a student from the age of four and is now an adult blackbelt as am I. This school had a positive impact on us. Also, when my son was bullied at school it gave him the confidence and skill to defend himself without being confrontational. We highly recommend HKA.