Iron Dog Institute

(10 reviews)

8.1 km

This is a great place to train. The people are amazing and make anyone feel welcome. The classes…read moreare great and support anyone from beginner to advanced. It is a gym that simply feels right, a gym where you know you can count on the person beside you.

Amazing gym, family focused, clean with great staff. all levels help one another, from just for fun…read moreto tournament focused they offer classes and training for you. Reasonably priced. Focused on safety while maintaining proper technique. Family owned and ran. Gym feels like extended family. Positive confidence building atmosphere. Highly recommend!

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Ares Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy

4.6

(28 reviews)

9.0 km

Very friendly staff, they really work with the clients. I took my grandson and he enjoyed it. I as…read morea grandmother simply couldn't afford it. But regardless if you have the means I highly recommend it. They have all age groups. As we were leaving I seen the adults coming in and waiting for children to be done.

I am a cherry white belt and have only been going here for about two months. Since my start, Jeremy…read morehas been by my side mentoring myself and all the others who come to train. His direct, no BS coaching is exactly what I need and is helping me grow every time I roll. All the instructors are great here and make you feel like part of the family. If you are looking to get started but are hesitant because you are the new guy, don't worry!!! I'm the new guy and I always am welcomed by all levels. Nothing but great people, great times and lots of sweat!!! -Dakotah

7pm class

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Oakdale Mixed Martial Arts Academy

4.9

(20 reviews)

12.8 km

They are an amazing gym that cares wholeheartedly about their clients and the community.read more

Great place Tom is amazing people are welcoming and friendly. I would recommend this place to any…read morefriends or family.

My oldest Gson with Grandmasters Flávio Behrings,Tom Theofanopoulos & Mario

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Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy

(6 reviews)

4.1 km

My three kids have been training here for over 5 years, and it has become like family. Karl and…read morethe coaching staff are knowledgeable, professional, and have always treated everyone with respect, dignity, and a sense of family. My kids have developed a self confidence and awareness that I don't think you could get anywhere else. I disagree with the negative reviews on here, as it seems both one star reviews are from people who gave up too quickly. Bloody noses happen. It's a contact sport for godsake. And kids can be bad, don't blame the coaches for that. I would highly recommend the gym to anyone interested in jiu-jitsu or just wanting to develop some self defense skills. You will not be disappointed. Thank you Karl for doing such a great job teaching and coaching my kids! M

We signed our 6 1/2 year old up for Jiu-Jitsu. The whole process was extremely easy. From the…read moremoment I made up my mind, we had a trial appointment same day, our son was able to have his first trial class, and he liked it so much that we signed him up on a monthly basis. Bryce made everything very easy. And on the second day the coaches already knew our sons name. We already felt like part of the team. This is a professional business who really cares about the children, and making life easier. Thank you so much.

Fighter Fit Boxing

4.7

(22 reviews)

7.7 km

Great Place, Great People…read more Coach is highly experianced. If you follow the coach's guidelines. You will get the desired result.

Great trainers that make the workouts fun and challenging,nice place to get in shape and train like…read morea boxer would train without the head shots definitely would recommend trying it out

Fight Night heavy bag challenge

Fight night

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Modesto Power

4.9

(17 reviews)

4.0 km

My whole family has been going to this gym for 3 years and I have never felt more welcomed and…read moreappreciated to be apart of the growth that is constantly going on here. We have become family. I personally have tried every program and have been treated with nothing but patience yet discipline because that's what a gym truly needs. I strive to continue to grow and so does my family! If you are looking for something to bond with your family and build new hobbies this is your go to place.

I was searching around to get my son signed up for jujitsu classes and i came across Modesto…read morePower. Chewy helped us out when we walked it. He was So friendly and welcoming. My son has really enjoyed the class and coaches hes had so far. I think this is going to be a perfect fit for us. It's been such a great experience all the way around. I would definitely recommend this place.

Performance Lab

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Sensei Studio

(3 reviews)

7.1 km

Sensei Studio has incredible atmosphere and the instructors are talented and invested in their…read morestudents growth. Tony, the owner is a great guy and took the time to answer all my questions about the school.

Sensei Studio provides a welcoming environment for anyone who chooses to pick up BJJ or boxing. I…read moreknow this because this is my family's home away from home. Our kids are happy every time they walk through the doors... there are no egos. Family friendly. Bully free zone. Ego free zone. Female respected zone. Drama free zone. The leadership is legit. They have the years of experience, knowledge, and passion. Most of all you can see they have love for JiuJitsu and it's undoubtedly making a positive affect in the students.

Sensei with the children of Sensei Studio.

Gym entrance closer

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JG Academy

(3 reviews)

7.4 km

Great teachers in a beautiful facility. I took beginner lesson. I would love to continue learning…read morethis amazing art. I love the way things are broken down and each move and exercise has meaning to it instead of repeating warm ups and exercises without knowing what they are really for. Best place to learn BJJ.

I signed my daughter up almost a month ago and she loves it. The coach's are super cool and very…read moregood with the kids. I'd highly recommend this facility to anyone looking for a good jiu jitsu gym.

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Logo

Freedom Park

4.2

(27 reviews)

0.4 km

Nice park love it here clean and well maintained my kids love it here great for bringing the kids…read moreto get wet or play

Very nice, clean. You can tell it is a nice place... surrounded by solid. single family well-kept…read morehomes. Restrooms are better than at an average park.

Notice the MISSING Swings on the right that should be hanging and the black POTHOLES on the ground

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Freedom park we can around 3 and it was full of kids and mommies

Sunshine Rafting Adventures

4.6

(284 reviews)

28.4 km

Sunshine Rafting is ALWAYS a 5 star experience! All the staff we encountered was friendly, patient,…read moreand willing to answer all of our questions! The water itself was at a good flow and not freezing. If ya go, make sure you bring your water guns!

Had way too much fun out in the sun--perfect mix of excitement and chill time on the water. The…read morecrew was awesome and kept the vibes high the whole trip. Definitely a go-to spot for a fun day outdoors. My homegirl's birthday trips here are always great memories! Can't wait to run it back!

Family fun!

Rafting

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Empire Pool - Stanislaus County Regional Water Safety

(24 reviews)

4.5 km

This is a very nice pool to bring your kids to! My grandsons love playing here in the summer! Very…read moreclean, they have free lifejackets to borrow, lots of lifeguards watching over the kids. Its a very inexpensive way to keep the kids cool, have some fun during summer! The only reason I cant give it 5 starts is because my daughter booked a private party here and they double booked, we ended up having to share the rental with another family and that turned out to be a BIG MESS.

Very clean, can be rented for private parties. So fun. Great location They also supply life guards…read morefor your safety

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Jacob Myers Park

(61 reviews)

8.1 km

Amazing place very nice of you. You can sit there for a long hours. It's just a crowded because…read morepeople like that means a lot.

This is a very lovely park, especially during the sunset ! It's also quite big and so if you're…read morewalking leisurely around it, you can spend a good chunk of your day there. There's pretty trees, some groves of trees even, and also a river + a gazebo by the river. It's a good place to walk, run, bike around, and maybe utilize the picnic tables for. My husband and his brother have even done photoshoots here before, showing that this is a pretty place to go and spend time at !

Another view of the train tracks over passs

Stanislaus River looking east from boat ramp

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Picnic area

Caswell Memorial State Park

3.3

(126 reviews)

22.4 km

Our family had a campsite here this week - in June. We've been camping all over the Eastern Sierras…read moreand Yosemite, so maybe we're used to nicer campgrounds. It took a LONG time to get entrance into the park - like a 20-30 mins. It had potential but some problems that need to be addressed. No camp host on site, which I think is why the restrooms aren't cleaned regularly. The bathrooms are also quite the walk from most campsites. Also know it'll be warm and buggy in June. There are lots of invasive vines in the oaks, so you can't really admire the trees. Bring bug spray and your floats. Our kids liked the slow float down the river in their inner tubes.

40 minutes to get through the front kiosk on July 3, but it's a holiday weekend. They make you sign…read morea waiver to follow rules, charge you for extra car. Nice little river area but lots of mosquitos, small sites, charge for the showers. We booked two nights, left a night early - bathrooms were disgusting, p*ss everywhere, people had phones plugged into chargers in the bathrooms, and one site set up a full PA and karaoke stand which they blasted non-stop and off-key the first night until midnight. Had little kids with us otherwise would have just rolled with it. Giving the park 2 stars because while the river is nice, the experience was brutal and trying to get a refund has been a headache.

Greenery could use a trimming...

Campsite 35

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Lots of trees for privacy spot #49

Art, Equine and More

(7 reviews)

2.8 km

I can't rave about this place and Cheryl enough! I am from out of town, and instantly felt at home…read more Cheryl was an incredible instructor and her horses were wonderful! I haven't been able to ride for the past year, but Cheryl made it possible for me to get back in the saddle! If you're looking for a comforting, friendly, professional environment, this is the place to go!

My daughter loved her experience at this day camp. We did the "horse and more" two day camp. She…read morecame home so excited and filled with new information and joyful experiences from the day! She told me how very kind and fun Mrs. Brown (owner and lead teacher) was! It was obvious that the camp was well organized and executed (and as an elementary teacher, I can spot a well run children's event from a mile away)! We will definitely be returning. Thank you for opening your home, Cheryl!

Playing badminton and volleyball with the Family.

Meet the family.

Christian taking a ride.

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Mavis Stouffer Park

(24 reviews)

17.7 km

This is the biggest general park in Ripon. It is a pretty large scale park with an upper and a…read morelower area. The upper area has 4 horseshoe pits and bocce ball courts. There is a small kids playground by these courts. Another part of the upper area consists of a large lawn area, which is plenty big for several different sports. There are two baseball diamonds and a medium size playground. The bathrooms are located by the baseball diamonds. Near this area is also a butterfly garden. When you walk to the lower area, there is a large gazebo which is nice for parties. There are two volleyball courts that consist of sand. The remaining area is fairly large and consist of lawn. The park parallels the Stanislaus river and there are several access points to enjoy the water. This park can get fairly busy on the weekends.

We love this park, easy tree shrouded trails to the river where you can swim or just sit in the…read moreriver. When the water is low it only comes up to your knees in most places and deep areas up to your waist. This part of the river is mostly sandy instead of rocky. The city keeps the park well maintained and there appears to a community center along with public restrooms, a butterfly garden, a large gazebo area and a volleyball area. Went on Labor Day and was surprised there were no crowds, especially since there is no entrance fee. You can either park in the park and walk to the river or you can park in a city parking area with paved trails leading towards the river. No BBQ grills or tables near the river but they do have lots of garbage bins so bring your dog, camp chairs and a picnic basket and soak in the natural beauty.

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5 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Chryssa V.

10 years ago

I have been training with Steve for quite some time now and I don't think 5 stars is a high enough rating. Since training here I have definitely become tougher, stronger, leaner and more confident. But going to IDI is so much more than that. I've met some great people and training (and sometimes sparring) partners. Everybody here works on making each other better and improving as a team and Steve makes a great team leader. I've brought friends and family to learn combat sports here, whether it's to learn about specific fighting systems or for self-defense. Personally, my favorite classes so far are Muay Thai, SEAMA and Combatives (& Self-Defense) that I can take after I get off of work but there's so much more offered that I wish I could do it all! Like I said, I wish I could give Steve and IDI more than 5 stars on Yelp! Really can't recommend this place enough! read more

Angela B.

10 years ago

My 13 year old son loves this class! As parents dealing with our son being bullied. He needed to build his confidence and be able to defend himself. By going to Steve's class he has gained confidence, strength and shed some weight. He looks forward to class which is pretty awesome. My son states its hard work but has so many rewards! Highly recommend this class for anyone! read more

Ben C.

1034

8 years ago

Coach Steve has been a great mentor and friend. I've trained there for three years and there is always something new to learn. I wish I could give the gym five stars, everyone is like family there. Stickfighting, Cagefighting and personal protection under one roof. If you want to be Batman or the next MMA star this is the place to go! read more

Hani M.

10 years ago

EXCEPTIONAL Certified instruction in Indonesian and Filipino Fighting Systems, JKD Concepts, Muay Thai, BJJ, MMA, Krav Maga, CKM & Combatives (H2H & weapons training). read more

Eric H.

105

8 years ago

Really Knowledgeable, great workout, great place to go. Smaller classes so you get more one on one training. This place is the real deal

Iron Dog Institute - muaythai - Updated August 2026

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