I had just realized that my daughter, a new kindergartner, was getting home from school full of…read moreenergy and needed a constructive outlet for it. I hadn't given it any serious thought yet when I came across an advertisement for Elite Chinese Martial Arts Academy in a glossy circular I was leafing through as I ate a bowl of cereal. Why not call and find out what it's all about? I left a message and got a call back quickly and was invited to come let my daughter try a Tiger Team class (for the pre-K through early elementary ages) to see what we thought. My daughter loved it, and still loves it two months later, three times a week. Elite Chinese Martial Arts Academy is, as the name says, a Chinese martial arts school. Kung fu, tai chi, Chinese kickboxing, and weapons training for adults are all part of the curriculum. There are classes all through the week for young kids (Tiger Team), juniors (older elementary through teens), and adults. Sifu Reynolds, who operates the school and teaches the Tiger Team classes on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, is a young man himself and the kind of All-American good guy you feel you could naturally count on to do the right thing in a crisis. (Sifu, I learned, is a Chinese word meaning master and is a title of respect for a student's kung fu teacher.) Beginning students can join in from their first class. Sifu Reynolds makes sure to give every student the necessary attention for them to assimilate and advance. Everybody learns (even the parents watching) and all the kids have fun. The Tiger Team classes are only 30 minutes long, but wow! do they ever accomplish a lot in that time. They warm up, stretch, and do some strengthening exercises like push-ups and sit-ups. New students quickly learn common exercises like the Monks' Punching Drill and Punch, Palm, Hook. Over the course of a couple months, students learn a full set of stances, blocks, punches, kicks, and defensive maneuvers like how to escape from grabs and holds. In addition to general fitness and kung fu skill building, Sifu Reynolds very thoughtfully and effectively teaches the children respect for their peers and adults, self confidence, discipline, concentration and focus, and good manners in social situations. I feel like we're getting a lot more out of this program than we ever expected, and it's totally affordable. My daughter has made a lot of progress in just two months. She's much more focused and coordinated now than before we started. Knowing what I know now, if it ever came down to a choice between keeping my cable service or continuing at ECMA, I'd cancel the cable in a heartbeat. Other details, let's see ... There's a seating area for friends and relatives to watch classes. Uniforms are provided. They offer a deal where the whole family can join the school for a fairly small incremental price over the cost of a single person (my daughter is begging me to start classes). There are social events sometimes, like the kung fu Halloween party for kids coming up my daughter is so excited about. They sometimes have free public workshops like keeping safe from bullies, and paid workshops like Hsing-I Chinese mind-body boxing (no idea what that is, to be honest). There are other martial arts schools in the area teaching other styles, and no doubt many of them are also very good. But before there was anything else, there was kung fu. And this particular school of kung fu has been a great benefit to my little girl. An added bonus for us is it's right around the corner from where we live. Couldn't be happier.

ECMA in Pomona NY has been a blessing for me over the years, keeping me in tip top shape while…read moreteaching me life saving techniques if I were to find my self confronted by violent situations. Everyone there is kind and courteous, setting the standard of mutual respect between students. It is this atmosphere that has made Shaolin Kung Fu my favorite martial art form. Tai Chi is also available at ECMA 3 times a week, and a variety of seminars in Kempo, Suai Jiao, Hsing I, Wing Chun and many more to help round out your practice.

The culture here is extremely toxic, there is sadly mean girl behavior from the students and staff…read more We unfortunately found Coupe to be very far from inclusive and encouraging, specifically issues with an advanced teacher and what we feel is her inappropriate management style of interactions with students. My daughter was targeted for ridicule, getting yelled at constantly to the point of tears before and after class. I sat outside the class one day and I heard for myself how disrespectfully this teacher spoke towards my daughter and I pulled her from the class that day. The director dodged my calls and chose not to respond to any emails which is a cowardly and careless way to direct a dance studio. There is also the nepotism that the director feeds into and the dance moms and kids are well aware of. Coupe only cares how much money you will throw at them with no regard for dancers self esteem or creative development. I would urge you to not send your child here, especially if they are neurodivergent, there are many great studios in this county and this is an area kind environment for young dancers.

All 3 of my daughters took dance lessons here from the time they were about 3 until they were 18…read more These were the most fun years of our lives. The teaching of ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip hop, musical theatre, theatre dance, etc. is most professional and tailored to meet the needs of all ages and stages. Every teacher is well qualified to instruct children. There is a nutcracker performance yearly that in my opinion is as good as a NYC show. Two of my daughters participated in the performance for years. Nutcracker has left us with some of the best memories. Even though my daughters are all graduated, I still make a point to see the Nutcracker in December. The studio is large, but no child gets lost in the "shuffle." Everybody's important. We visited the new location last year - what a gorgeous facility!! The end-of-year performances are always stellar - so much planning and excellence are poured into the weekend-long event. There's a theme to the end-of-year performance, so it makes it all the more fun. There are always well-crafted props, and the best thing is you only rent the costumes for an extremely reasonable fee.

Reports of the lifeguard staff being disrespectful to members, calling one adult member a b*tch and…read morefollowing them around the pool as they swam laps. Aggressive and intimidating behavior was raised to management along with reporting the behavior and it causing anxiety, and the incident has yet to be rectified. This raises many concerns for adult and child safety among staff.

Now considering that Nyack is an old comfy town, having a YMCA is amazing! Took a tour today to…read moresign up and it was what we expected. It's in an old building with character and beautiful wood everywhere. They have a good size basketball court and swimming pool. They also classes that are included in the membership and you can't go wrong with the pricing. A family of 4 is about $84 dollars a month and if you break that down it's about $2.80 a day. Go and sign up have a spot for your kids to come and burn some energy. The staff is really cool and friendly.

Triumph is well respected in the community, so much so that their students perform at CitiField…read more There are two other Triumph locations in Tenafly and Boundbrook that are very popular as well. This is a brand new location, new everything! Blauvelt's lead instructor, Master Lee, is an excellent instructor for kids to the point that my 5(M) and 7(F) year olds want to attend every day. We've been to other schools in the area and Triumph is the only one they want to return to. This speaks volumes of how amazing Master Lee and Triumph Program is. As a parent who personally attended Tiger Schulmann's in Naunet through my brown belt, I can confidently say Triumph is leaps and bounds above any other school.

This is a horrible camp. The conditions are unsanitary and counselors being harassed is not taken…read moreseriously . The children are not supervised safely and the food is not prepared in a sanitary manner. The office staff and directors are rude and treat parents like they are doing you a favor by you sending your child there . worst camp and after school programs in the county.

Great family friendly environment with Camps, early education, Senior programming, fitness center…read more We truly enjoy the people here and the wonderful staff that continue to enrich everyone's lives. Something for everyone here.

I have trained at a few gyms and NVBJJ is my new home. Professor Carl has a structured curriculum…read moreand shows advanced techniques since he is still training and learning with top level guys. The crowd here is competitive and will get you where you want to be.

Professor Carl Massaro is easily one of the greatest instructors I've ever had. I know it seems…read morelike a polite thing to say about your professor, but Carl Massaro is the REAL deal. High level instruction in a beautiful facility conveniently located in Northvale, N.J., combined with instructors and coaches who go above and beyond at a moments notice. Regardless of what your goals are, this is the room you WANT to be in. Renzo Gracie Northern Valley has become a home away from home for me, and my training partners have become family. I love and believe in the art I learn, and it's all thanks to prof. Carl and the staff at Renzo Gracie Northern Valley.

Bill Stevens Karate is an excellent place for kids and adults to learn martial arts. My daughter…read moreand son have been coming here for quite some time. I also attend BJJ classes here. This family/community-oriented place teaches martial arts while reinforcing life lessons (ex., confidence, positive attitude, humility, etc.). There are many reasons why my wife and I chose this place. We chose this place primarily because Master Bill Stevens and his staff are great. They keep kids continuously engaged throughout each lesson. Another big plus is that his schedule is flexible, and he offers a wide variety of class times, which makes it easier for my wife and me to schedule lessons, given our busy schedules. Aside from this, I like the location, the app, and the place is clean. He periodically hosts Game Night on Friday, allowing my wife and me to grab dinner without the kids. Lastly, Bill is easy to work with and talk to if something unexpected arises. I recommend you check it out.

Bill the owner and Sensei is an amazing teacher and human being! He is very honest with his…read moreteaching and works with everyone on a personal level. If I could give more than 5 starts, I would. By far, the best Karate school in the area.

Sensei Justin has been absolutely incredible for our daughter. She is naturally very shy, and we…read morewanted to find something that would help her build confidence and come out of her shell. She had the option to choose from five different activities, and she chose karate. We were already so proud of her for making that brave decision, and finding Sensei Justin made it even more meaningful. From day one, you can tell he truly cares about each child individually. He takes the time to connect with them, encourage them, and tailor his lessons so every child feels included and capable. His positive and patient approach has made such a difference, and it has been amazing watching our daughter grow more confident with each class. We genuinely could not have found a better sensei. We are so grateful for the environment he creates and the impact he is having on these kids, not just teaching karate, but helping them believe in themselves.

Sensei Justin is doing a wonderful job with his kids and classes. He keeps the class fun but they…read moreare all learning and doing lots of activity too. If you're looking for a karate-based martial art school for your kiddo, I highly recommend.