Aikido Shusekai is by far and away one of the best places that I have ever found myself in my life…read more The environment of the dojo and the structure of the training are mindfully engineered to foster learning and growth. Not having decades of experience or claiming any vast well of wisdom to draw upon myself, I cannot qualify, thusly, claims that I have heard stated by others who DO possess more experience. Sitting on the bench outside before class one day, I remember a senior student - a black belt herself, who has been studying Aikido for many years - telling me how lucky SHE felt to be able to train there. She said that we were all receiving "gems of Aikido" through our training. At the time, I thought I knew what she meant: the training was great, and I had learned a lot already myself! But as each week passes, and more lessons are taught and learned, I realize again and again how valuable the lessons I am learning here truly are. I recommend this practice, and particularly THIS DOJO for any and all people! The program is structured such that all new students get lots of face-time with the more advanced students during practice. This really helps accelerate learning, and helps to ensure good practice. I myself have experienced the teens and adults program, and can personally attest to the benefits of training here. The people are amazing, one and all, and I truly feel privileged, honored, and humbled each time I step on the mat to train with them. Head Sensei Nick Walker is an amazing teacher, and guides us all with great patience, wisdom, and intelligence. The training is always challenging, and always worth it. I also highly recommend this dojo for kids! Dojo Manager and skilled practitioner herself, Sensei Azzia Walker, runs the children's program at our dojo. Having had the privilege of learning from her during the teen/adults classes, I can attest to the fact that she is also an incredibly gifted teacher. Having had the privilege of training with a couple of her advanced but younger age students during the teen/adult classes, I can attest to the fact that they know there stuff! I coach girls volleyball and girls basketball (middle school level). If you are a parent reading this because your child is interested in martial arts, I implore you to come check us out. We are having several promotions for young students looking to start training with us, and our exciting new All Girls Program is kicking off! Our hopes that we may be able to provide opportunities for all who may be interested. I love Aikido Shusekai, and I hope that many more will be able to come and share in the bounty of the experiences to be had along the journey that is training.

After researching and visiting some aikido schools in the area and I decided to attend this school…read more The place has a great learning environment. It's subtle but I feel an inner zeal to learn from instructors who have dedicated their lives to the beautiful art of aikido. Most impressive thing is that Nick sensei sub-communicate a balance between softness(suppleness and yielding) and alertness while teaching aikido techniques, which is pretty rare to find. Instructors share all their wisdom and years of experience with aikido for you without holding anything back and you can use it anyway you want in different aspects of life. Students train with other students from different age groups and gender which is deeply interconnected with the balance between suppleness and alertness. It's cause while training with different people during the classes, one naturally finds a balance between the two. Since aikido is considered as the most spiritual martial art and this is reflected while training here like learning without words, conscious breaths, introducing gap between thinking while bowing etc. Although they seem to be way too traditional sometimes with some of the things they sub-communicate to the students, still it's a good school. Along with that it's Pretty spacious. Also you can find many hot girls in nearby dance studios.

This is a great traditional dojo with really nice members that go out of their way to help you…read moretrain in the tradition of bushido! The sensei is a sixth dan and knows his stuff. I didnt have the feeling i was in one of those franchised karate dojos for kids but rather an authentic japanese dojo with spirit and soul connected with the four elements. I signed my son and my self up and will look forward to training here in the coming months!

Long time student…read more Jim Alvarez is a great teacher. His lineage is solid in both aikido and shinkendo. The teaching is well presented Students are kind and welcoming No contracts, just pay and train Pricing is reasonable Clean facility. Clean restroom Kids program is well thought out. I strongly recommend this art and dojo

Practice Martial Arts is the absolute BEST martial arts studio in the Bay Area. My 14 year old son…read morestarted with Sensei Armenak in Marin County from the age of 4, and refuses to go anywhere else and followed him up to Petaluma. My husband has also recently joined. Sensei Armenak is the best instructor. He has amazing martial arts teaching capabilities. He is the kindest and most knowledgeable person that we know in Martial Arts. The qualities that make a good instructor or Sensei are knowledge, passion, communication, morality, care and respect. Sensei Armenak is all of that and more. The greatest teachers are the ones that have knowledge and passion AND can communicate them to his students. I give Sensei Armenak and his martial arts studio 5 stars out of 5!

I have been working with Armenak for about a year now learning various boxing styles and martial…read morearts techniques. He gets top marks from me for being knowledgeable and friendly, and progressing skills and techniques safely and efficiently. His level of expertise is obvious in the way he patiently develops your progress with various drills and means to enforce proper movements and skill. I've also observed him working with young kids and he has a very good way with connecting with them. Practice Martials studio is also a great place to train if you're not into a loud, high pressure, competitive atmosphere with someone screaming in your face. If you want to learn self-defense and confidence, come here and train!

I started this program years ago as it was free as part of the MSAC membership. Great workouts,…read morepractical self-defense and a great time training mind, body and spirit.

As a martial art enthusiast, I was looking around for a good dojo to start up my training for black…read morebelt. I looked around at a few dojos in Berkeley and Oakland, but didn't find a place that I felt would give me the training I wanted. After the first class with Sensei Grant Butterfield, I knew this was the place for me. I've been training with him for 2 years now and feel my balance and focus has improved tenfold. It's a great class for students of all levels of interest in the martial arts. Each class is unique and the black belts are very good at instructing all the different levels of colored belts. Come to a class and learn basic self-defense techniques and work your way up to Kata & Kumite Sparring. It's an excellent cardio workout and I always leave class feeling stronger.

Sumido is a highly recommended instructor. He's patient, engaging and manages his class extremely…read morewell. The class and Capoeira in general has a great blend of martial arts skill, discipline, acrobatics, music, singing, Brazilian culture and fun. Our son has been his student for 3 years and loves this class. Not only does he learn these amazing skills, but he gets to use it to challenge and play Capoeria with his mates. My son has taken many classes, kung fu, soccer, baseball, gymnastics and this is by far his favorite. It's not just a class, it's a community and a cultural experience. Try it!

Amazing instruction as a Martial Artist I strongly recommended professor Sumido as a Capoeira…read moreinstructor-As a brazilian I found out that this place is legit and I strongly tell everyone to go there and practice Capoeira with the best!

I've been practicing Kempo since 2003 and I absolutely love it, as is evidenced by the fact that I…read morecontinued to practice it after moving back to the Bay Area from San Diego (where I was introduced to Kempo). As a martial art that focuses on balance and natural body movement, it's excellent for anyone and everyone, regardless of size, shape, or physical ability. The Peninsula Dojo is headed by Karahashi Sensei, who is truly terrific as a teacher and just a generally great guy. The dojo is small, so you can get a lot of personal attention, regardless of what level you come in at. You can also come by and check out a practice prior to joining: no pressure! I'm really glad I found them.

(Disclaimer: I'm biased because my spouse is the branch master)…read more Shorinji Kempo is really a great martial art. They are not run for profit (anywhere, worldwide), and their practices are accommodating for all ages and fitness levels. It is Japan's most popular (most widely practiced) martial art. Shorinji Kempo is a self-defense oriented MA, with emphasis on cooperation and mutual respect. It encourages discussion on the philosophy behind the principles, as well as individual persistence. Techniques include the basic punches/kicks/blocks, but also include a focus on tumbling, grappling, and pair forms.

I didn't have any martial arts experience when I walked into this dojo over a year ago. I signed up…read morefor the Intro Class series, which was $50 and included 4 special classes and a "gi" or uniform, and discounted dues if you register (a great bargain). The instructors talked about the history and philosophy of Aikido, started teaching the basics (stance, footwork, blending exercises), and gradually built things up into a full technique. The atmosphere was very welcoming. I remember feeling a slight panic when everyone started to pair up on my first day, but then a smiling black belt came sliding into view and coached me through all the steps. It was the people (and the cool moves) that kept me coming back. I didn't think I'd be able to roll, but now I'm doing dozens of them each day. I'm not very good at dancing, and am terrible with my feet, but now it seems I have some basic footwork patterns etched into muscle memory. At first, I was overwhelmed with all the strange sounding Japanese names, but now I have a very clear catalog in my head of the different attacks, blends, techniques, and variations. I credit a lot of this to the beginners or "basics" classes held on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. They are incredibly valuable for the new student. Now I find that I'm really taking advantage of what the dojo has to offer. It's a lot, and it's affordable! Unlike other dojos, the Sensei here are all volunteers, people with a passion. You get to learn from 6 or more instructors, of very high rank, with decades of experience. In addition to the beginner or basics classes, there are regular classes (can be quite intense), a special "ukemi" class (rolling, falling, and how to stay safe when you receive a technique), and classes on weapons: the "bokken" (wooden sword) and "jo" (short staff). If you really want to dive in, there are a total of 10 classes each week. Students at the dojo train hard, but they also like to have fun. It's not unusual to grab lunch or dinner after class, and there's a movie night once a month, where a martial art movie is projected onto the wall. There are also a number of potlucks to celebrate special occasions. So if you're looking to develop yourself (physically and mentally), learn techniques that can be applied in a self-defense situation, and connect with a great community, this is the place to be. But be forewarned, you might end up spending the next 20 years trying to master the subtlest of nuances!

I trained here from 1990 to 1994 and it is a testament to the quality of Aikido and instruction…read morethat most of the teachers and several of the students continue to be here for the last 20+ years; and more since they were here many, many years before I started. Enduring and endearing people. There is no other dojo that I would recommend more highly.

We LOVE Studio Naga! My 4 year old started training here a few weeks ago and it's been an extremely…read morepositive experience. The teachers are exceptional at what they do-- paying attention can be challenging for a 4 year old, but my kiddo has been able to navigate his training with ease and confidence thanks to his two incredible teachers. Every instructor I've met clearly loves their students and their discipline. And the community they've built is honestly inspiring. Although we're still relatively new here, we've felt instantly welcomed, without any undue pressure to participate in the studio-organized events (like community service projects or potlucks. Although we've found we've wanted to participate in everything because we just love everyone!). A few specific things that stood out to me soon after we joined: - I have a name that's pretty hard to pronounce and remember, yet since we've joined, every instructor I've met has remembered me and my family and greeted us by name. A little thing that means a lot. :) - On Juneteenth they hosted a circle where all the students sat together to learn about the holiday's history, and discuss how to be supportive community members. I noticed that the younger voices in the circle were listened to and respected just the same as the older ones. Then everyone split up to pick up trash in a local park, and they reconvened for popsicles and games. In an environment like this, it's no surprise to me that many folks who join Studio Naga as young children continue to train here well into adulthood. - Their value of empowering students to support and teach each other is very evident. I noticed that even after just a couple classes my son started patiently teaching his younger sister very much in the style of his Studio Naga teachers. Amazing. Said 4 year old just walked by and asked what I was typing about. I told him, and asked if he wanted to add anything. Here's what he said, word for word: "I love my martial arts class sooo much! I wish I could go there all day. I really love Studio Naga. I do love it, and I hope you can come here, so if you want to email then tap on email and then the email will send it! Bye! Done." TLDR: send your kiddos here (or attend trainings yourself!) if you want an empowering learning experience in a strong community.

Studio Naga is a diamond - they treat everyone as a total individual and with great respect. Not…read moreonly do they teach excellent self-defense skills, but they do so while also building strong community. It's truly a multi-generational environment. We've had two kids train here, and it's been amazing for each of them to be supported and trained in such a welcoming and diverse setting. Highly recommend, and they also make it easy to just check them out