My partner loves this karate dojo. The facilities are clean, and the Shihan here is spectacular. It…read moreis friendly to both beginners and highly trained individuals. The prices are fair, and classes are offered on all week days. I highly recommend this karate dojo!

I was trained with Okinawa Karate and Shihan Arakaki for less than a year but I was absolutely…read moreimpressed with the technique, support, sparring time, & teaching styles of Shihan Arakaki. Not only did he teach us the effective way to defend ourselves but also the how and why behind it. His words and advice are memorable and applicable to life. I've moved out of state a while ago but still remember the great time we had back then. I'd definitely sign my kids up for it if we were to live in town. I've seen several youth that were trained since they were little and grew up to be fine young people. Highly recommend Shihan Arakaki and the dojo to anyone looking for a great place for you or your loved ones to be trained in Karate. Life-changing experience for sure!

This is the best place for anyone wanting to better themselves. The staff are amazing people who…read moretruly care for their students and the sensei brings his A game everyday and his constant service is made up of the highest quality. Thanks!

My wife and I have been blessed taking gentle yoga classes from Joe Perry. We've been attending the…read moreMonday 8:30 class for several years, from our late 70s into our early 80s. Because of this training we stay strong and flexible and move around very well. Our other aged friends aren't getting around as well as we do. Gentle Yoga is our secret!

I love it because sensei McKay is there and all of the sensei's that are there are really great…read more It is the best!

This is such a great program!! Such a positive environment!! We just signed up for a summer…read moreprogram and literally had to force one of our sons to go in the beginning. It has only been a few weeks, but we have been so impressed!! One son wants to go every day of the week now. The other one, who was resistant in the beginning, smiles all the time while in class. He even volunteers for demonstrations. It has really boosted his confidence, which was a main hope when we signed up. Instructors are great! I can't say enough good things about it!

My son And I love it here! It's close by, and in a good part of town. I love that they teach…read morerespect and morals as well as moves. My sons attitude is getting better since he started coming here. Thanks!

Shawn Hugh is not professional and he doesn't listen to your customers. He seems to be unfair and…read moreonly think his way is the right way. He seems like he knows what to do when it comes to teaching but I did not have a good experience with him at all. I'm sorry but he was not all that he is cracked up to be!

High energy, well organized martial arts program. Primarily taekwondo with some kick boxing mixed…read morein. Have been very attentive and kind to our kids. Well attended which can sometimes make you feel lost, but they remember every kid's name and make a point of connecting with parents. Moved from a competitive program in Boston and happy with our experience to date

Great place for hyper kids to wind down. We needed somewhere for our 5 year old and he loved itread more

My daughter is 4 years old and expressed an interest in doing Karate. I'm not sure where she…read moreoriginated it from...perhaps Mulan, but we decided to help her pursue it. I visit several studios and found that some of them lacked any kind of personality. My daughter is extremely out-going, but still would benefit from a smile and some gentle guidance in a youth class. I was also turned off that many studios require long-term contracts. Given my daughter is 4, I want her to continue with what she is enjoying and has an interest in and don't want to force her to keep going if she decides it's not for her. Utah Self Defense has been amazing. I actually found it when another studio recommended them because they don't cater to young children. Their prices are extremely reasonable and there's no contract. Shihan Carlos and the office manager Morgan are really friendly and have been great with getting my daughter acclimated to Karate. She's excited to go and when class is over, she doesn't want to leave. That says a lot to me about how they are treating her. The class is demanding and structured but the instructors are friendly and give guidance firmly but with kindness. I also like that the owners make it feel like a family, hosting holiday parties and other events where kids and parents can come meet each other and connect around the common interest of Karate.

I have been thoroughly impressed with USDF Black Belt Academy and would recommend it very highly…read more It's staff is knowledgeable, skilled, and genuinely care about every one of their students. The instructors have a love and passion for what they do -- and that love and passion is clearly conveyed in their instruction. They teach not only karate skills but also life skills. Before a student can advance a belt he or she has to meet with the head instructor and confirm that the student is doing well in school and doing what they are supposed to be doing in their home life. Notably, USDF has been very supportive of not only my 11-year-old son but also my 9-year-old daughter, who doesn't even take karate but who they nevertheless support in her separate dance activities. USDF is like a family and they care for their students as if they were family. I would encourage anyone looking at putting their son or daughter in karate to give serious consideration to USDF. It is the very first place I would put my kids. Period.

Our grandson has been attending Utah Karate Institute for 3 years and just completed testing out on…read morehis Red belt. We have very impressed with teaching provided and level of respect that the students have here. Highly recommend this for any age 8+.

I'm not sure if my minion is prepared to defend himself quite yet or has attained the ability to…read moresnatch flies out of the air with a set of chopsticks, but he has picked up some skills at Tobin's. When we first signed him up I didn't know what to expect other than him learning to disarm a group of bad guys with a popscicle stick. His Kung Fu would be strong. So here's what I've learned so far: 1.) It's not Kung-Fu. It's Karate. Don't ask me what kind as I'm not in to the lifestyle enough to know the difference. He wears a karategi, bows on demand, and is learning some pretty cool moves that, while they aren't up to Karate Kid standards, are impressive. Especially for being a little guy. 2.) This place demands respect. The kids ask permission to enter the mat, leave the mat, and are expected to give their instructors all of the respect they deserve. It also carries in to their personal lives as they can earn ribbons for their belts based on good grades, respect for parents, etc. The munchkins take this serious and i have seen them remove ribbons as well. Participant trophies do not apply. 3.) They truly care about your kids. I was impressed that all of the staff and instructors quickly learn names and treat the kids like real people. It's good to see the littles treated with the same respect they are expected to give. 4.) Date nights. These are pretty cool. For an extremely small price (I think $15) you can drop the kids off one Friday night per month for a few hours and go on a date. It's cheap, you can trust them, and you don't have a neighbor kid rummaging through your bedroom while you're gone. I really have nothing to compare this place to. I like them for the reasons above and a bunch of others not really worth typing about. They are making a difference for my little one and I like the confidence and agility his is gaining through their program. We're still working on the popscicle stick trick.

Want to know how good this place is? The school is in Clearfield and I live in Draper! I drive an…read moreentire hour to get there and an entire hour to get home. Why? There really isn't another one of it's kind in Utah. It is obvious from the moment you walk into the place that the kids are taught this art well. Black belts look like what black belts should. This definitely isn't a McDojo! The kids are expected to show respect to instructors, parents, and each other. This shows through and through in the way they are instructed to address each other. And despite this strict regimen it is obvious that the love and care for the kids themselves is of the utmost importance. They have a lot of safety equipment and kids are not allowed to perform various skills without the safety equipment on or around them. They also have adult classes. I haven't watched many of those but if they are at all indicative of what I have seen with the kids classes, they are sure to be run very well. Oh, one more thing, they must know what they are doing because they have dozens of world champion martial arts instructors and students there. Hard to become a world champion without at least some success at your craft.