Now that my son has advanced to the Black Belt Club, I wanted to share some feedback regarding the instruction quality. I believe the classes would be more productive if Master celina were more directly involved in teaching, especially since she selects the teachers. Unfortunately, the current teachers and assistants, particularly those teaching the Wednesday 5:30 PM class, do not seem adequately prepared to work with children. The lack of correction and engagement has been noticeable, and many of the children quickly lose focus. It feels as though the instruction style is more suited to adults than young students, which is frustrating given the level of commitment and cost involved. I'm sharing this in the spirit of support and improvement, as we truly value the program and want to see the children thrive. read more

Understandably so, everyone's experience with a business varies. However, in our opinion, MAA San Ramon deserve at a minimum this 5 star rating based on OUR experience. Master Celina Hespen and the other instructors appear to be skilled and of course, patient... not just with our child, but as we observed, with the other students as well. We transitioned our then 6yo son to MAA San Ramon in mid-May because the original studio he was taking basic martial arts lesson from was in Castro Valley (CV) and we live in San Ramon. - We initially enrolled our son in the CV martial arts because it was his classmate's Dad's studio. Unfortunately, due to the CV studio's location, our son was only able to attend on a Saturday and when we have weekend plans or he's sick, he was unable to make up the missed class on a weekday due to the classes' availability. After exiting the CV martial arts studio, we began our search for a new martial arts studio closer to home. We saw a Facebook ad for MAA San Ramon and after browsing their website, we selected a $25 special (3 classes plus a uniform included in the package). We selected this offer because we weren't sure how our son would take to the instructors and the regimen. Lo and behold, our son loved it! Although he was 6yo at the time, Master Celina felt he was ready and would do well in the Basic Class for 7+ year olds, and you know what? She was absolutely right! Our son not only thrived with Master Celina, but he truly flourished. He was able to participate in more than one class a week, and he followed instructions, routines, etc. well. Master Celina and the other instructors also made sure to correct in a firm but appropriate manner all of the students when they weren't paying attention, not following instructions, not being respectful, etc. We simply can't say enough great things about MAA San Ramon, Master Celina, Master Nathan, Master Zaak, Master Alexander, Master Sammy (pardon the spelling if it's incorrect), and all of the remaining staff who are in some type of leadership program (we think it's called the Certified Instructor Training ("CIT") Program). Also, we recently had our son's 7th birthday party here with approximately 34 participants, and all of the 1st grade kids loved the activities (a few of the kids were in higher grades who don't go to our son's school, but they also loved it). The parents were also impressed with MAA San Ramon and we are more than happy and proud to have been a small part of it. The kids had a blast and even spoke about the party at school the following day. Surprisingly enough, even a few 2nd graders and Kindergartners from school heard great things about the activities from the party (we're honestly not sure how that happened). MAA San Ramon kept the energy up, the activities were fluid, and pizza/cake time after was a blast :) Needless to say, we're extremely happy with them and it sounds like Master Celina is a new owner of MAA San Ramon (and MAA Pleasanton). We're adding this tidbit since it looks like the other Yelp reviews are old and has outdated information. read more

My daughter and I started in MAA, Karate for her, Krav Maga for myself, since 3-4 years ago. It has been a quite positive experience. The training has toughened my daughter quite a bit. She is on track to be able to defend herself. Not yet, given her age, but on track. Regarding some of the not so positive reviews below, I respectfully disagree, not with the facts, but with their perspectives. yes, I have not seen kids not able to be promoted (sorry for the double negative). However, I am not so concerned because I want my kids to learn how to protect herself, not about life is fair, which never is. Once I have seen a group of students from another school taking some photos in a public setting and was appalled by the moves of some of their black belts. Yes, their form might be great, but clearly they were NOT taught with self-defense in mind. I am sure they have practices very hard but the skills won't be very useful when things get tough. Another nice thing about MAA is that they offer Krav Maga by great teachers. If you only want your children to have a solid foundation for self-defense when they are young and get them trained for real once age permits, this is a great place for a natural transition. read more

Unfortunately I have to change my review of MAA to 1-star. My son had to leave this studio about a year ago. There were extenuating personal and family circumstances that caused him to stop attending. Just recently several existing students have told me that the owner (Pfingsten) is using my son by name, as the example of a "quitter". Not only is this disrespectful, it also goes against everything that should have been taught at MAA which includes no bullying or name calling. Up to now I had the utmost respect for the studio even though we were no longer attending and was supportive during the times when they were going through issues. Can't recommend any longer. read more

Do not sign your child up here, there are plenty of other places to choose from. I will say that my son did love the classes, however, this place is only interested in money and how to get as much out of you as possible. The review down below by Mrs. S is right on the mark with how they run things. They make money by promoting your child up to new belts, whether the child is ready or not. I love my son but sometimes he just didn't have the moves down and was confused. That didn't matter to the school they just kept giving him new belts.....mainly because that meant I would be paying them more money. They have a package where you pay $1000 and thats supposed to last nine months, but it's only good for three belts. Well they had my son through three belts within four months and guess what that meant now they needed more money because the $1000 was only good for nine months or three belts. At my sons third belt promotion, he kept telling me he wasn't ready and couldn't remember all the moves. His teacher told him he would do fine and at belt promotions, my poor son couldn't do the moves. I felt so bad for him. They of course passed him and said it's time to pay for the next set of belts. I walked out and never went back! read more

First of all, let me say that this is my first review ever and was prompted by the very negative review of the Pleasanton Martial Arts America (MAA) Center. Needless to say, I think that guy was smoking crack and I needed to set the record straight. Second of all, let me give you my perspective for writing this review. I have participated in martial arts for the past 18 years (4th degree black belt in kendo) and I am the father of two girls (4.5 & 3 years-old). I think I am speaking for a large number of folks who have been looking for a worthwhile activity for their young children. How many of you parents have signed your kids up for classes only to be disappointed by the crappy, uninterested high school aged coach, the monstrously large class, or the complete lack of curriculum or structure? You can't see me, but I'm raising my hand. Although my kids mostly had fun, they could have had the same fun at the park without me flushing hundreds of dollars down the toilet. Out of all the classes I have signed up my kids for (swimming, soccer, basketball, ballet/tap), taekwondo at MAA is hands down the best one. The instructors (Celina Hespin, Jesse Rosales, and Heather Flynn) are all enthusiastic, knowledgable, and most importantly, great with kids (even unruly ones). Let me tell you about my first experience at the San Ramon MAA. My 4.5 year old daughter and I came a little early to watch the older kids practice. We saw Ms. Flynn overseeing the class and the senior students helping the junior students with their forms. With some coaxing, even the shy senior students were doing a decent job of teaching. When it was time for my daughter's age group, Ms. Flynn introduced my daughter and the ground rules (courtesy, self control, try your best). The proof was in the pudding when one of the kids, who was either a punk or had some hyperactivity issues, started acting up in class. Now if it was any other class, the mob mentality would have kicked in and the entire class would have been in chaos. However, Ms. Flynn pulled the student to the side and talked with him about following the rules. When he had settled down, she integrated him back into class. Almost immediately, he started acting up again. Ms. Flynn pulled him aside and said that since he wouldn't listen to her, they would talk to his mom. The mother was very embarrassed and offered to take her son home. Ms. Flynn said that wouldn't be necessary. She told the mom what she expected from the student and asked her to tell her son that. By now, the son was bawling. After the mother repeated Ms. Flynn's instructions, her son promised to follow the rules. Ms. Flynn brought the student back to the class after he had settled down and he was the model student for the rest of class. All this happened with the rest of the class proceeding as if nothing had happened! I think the course content and curriculum are exactly what a parent wants to see. Each class starts with circle time. From there, the kids work on basic skills (blocks, kicks, punches) with reminders not to use them except in extreme circumstances (strangers, violent bullies). There is typically a block on safety (what to do if a stranger grabs you, what to do if a stranger grabs one of your friends, etc). I honestly don't know what the heck that other guy was talking about when he said his kid didn't learn any martial arts for the two years he took classes. Was he expecting his kid to turn into Bruce Lee or one of the Gracie brothers? What I see are kids developing self confidence, self-discipline, and decent hand/eye coordination that can be carried on into other aspects of their lives (sports, school, interaction with others). Two teenager taekowndo black belt students are in my Krav Maga class, and both of them handle themselves quite admirably around the adult students. The complaint about just having a belt handed to you every couple of months regardless of how good you are? This is true for the younger students. As long as they make a good effort and listen to the instructors, they will earn another colored stripe. I actually agree with this because it helps keep the children goal oriented. MAA definitely does not hand out black belts indiscriminately to the older students. It's almost like Boy Scouts with the different leadership classes and projects they have to do. Now I know it sounds like all butterflies and rainbows, but it does come at a cost. The monthly rate for one student is not cheap, about $130. This is for twice a week classes. The good thing is that you have nine months to get in 6 months worth of classes. If you go on vacation one week, you can take one extra class two weeks in a row to make it up. Or you can go to any one of the other MAA centers around the Tri-Valley who have different class times. All in all, worth the money in my book. My apologies for turning this review into War and Peace. read more

Great school for kids! They focus as much or more on respect, discipline, self-control, and good behavior, as on the martial art itself. I've seen both Celina Hespen and Jesse Rosales (sorry if I misspelled your names) teach classes to our kids, and they are really good at working with kids - patient, skilled, stern when they need to be, and most obviously interested in the well-being of their students. I haven't seen an adult or teen class there yet, but if you are looking for a martial arts school for children, this is it. read more

The kids do have fun and the instructors are pleasant and keep the kids on point but that's where the goodness ends as the main goal of this place is money. I have taken many types of martial arts classes over the years and have never seen a place that is so money driven. All businesses need to make money, but not like this. In the beginning classes, they teach mostly the same few techniques each day. The kids go up in rank not based on proficiency but how many times they have been there. They do have belt promotions that you pay an extra $50 for (if I remember correctly and on one of your child's regularly scheduled classes) but for every belt promotion I had seen, they test the same techniques every promotion. It doesn't matter what belt level your child is testing for, every kid gets tested on the same techniques. Previous to the "Testing" they make sure to spoon feed the kids what they will be tested on. No one fails that I had ever seen. So you are paying an extra $50 for a $2 colored cloth belt. After you child has been there for a specific period of time, nothing to do with skill level, they invite them to the "Black Belt Club". The BBC comes at a price. I believe it was $750 to join the club on top of the regular monthly fee. They give kids some safety gear and a new uniform and a bag. About a $100 worth of gear for $750. Also, I have an issue with all the safety gear. If your child ever gets into a real scuffle, they will get a big surprise when they get hit without the safety gear. If you are looking for martial arts that teaches kids to effectively defend themselves for a decent price, look elsewhere. read more

Felt like I should write a review here, seeing as I attended classes her for many years (though, it has been a while). This is a review for the young adult type person. First off, if you're looking for an MMA hardcore type atmosphere, this isn't your place. Anyways, I took classes at MAA schools for 8 and a half years (the first 4 in Hayward/Castro Valley, the latter 4+ years at this school in San Ramon). They are a local Tae Kwon Do chain, with schools all over. For the most part, their primary specialty is with children, and they do a great job at that. They definitely instill great life lessons from an early age, even to the point that they talk to parents about the childs personal lives to see how they are doing, and find ways to better the kids. From an adults point of view, they are a school of sorts that they focus more on getting into shape, and learning to lead a good life. Their big focus in general is learning traits to become a better person in your overall life. They have some awesome instructors, classes are usually moderately sized, and overall it's usually a fun atmosphere. They teach well, and are always there to help if you're struggling with certain techniques (whether you know it's not right or not). Overall, if you're looking for a place that will help you get into shape without pushing you way too hard, or you're looking for a place that will teach you some good self defense techniques, I'd definitely recommend it. If you're looking to get into incredible shape or looking for a sparring heavy location, it's probably not the right fit for you. read more

The instructors here are terrific for kids!!! I put my daughter Fatima who is only 4 years old in the class...she's a very shy girl, but she loved it. For girls I'd recommend first having a 1 on 1 session with Ms. Hesband....then have her take classes with her and eventually the male instructor (Jesse) who is also realllllly good. This is totally worth the money esp to develop confidence in young kids and in particular young girls. read more

My 2 sons (now 8 and 12 yrs old) and I have been going here for over 2 years. This is a great place for the entire family. The instructors at this location (Celina H. and Jesse R.) are excellent with children and teach them so much more than forms, sparing, or weapons. They teach them how to be good responsible people with a positive winning attitude. They cover many martial art disciplines for all ages, so there is plenty to choose from and to learn. They will let you try it for free to make sure it is something that your child will enjoy and benefit from, so check it out for yourself and ask the other parents while you're there. You'll see what I mean. You and your children have nothing to lose and everything to gain. read more

Our longtime friends hosted a birthday party for their young son at this martial arts school and it was a unique, active celebration. The party opened with the kids taking off shoes and socks and practicing kicks on a bag. Once critical mass had gathered, Jesse got to teaching the kids the basics of respectful listening and of course some rudimentary kicks and blocks. It was fun to watch my daughter hold her own with over a dozen boys by running, doing jumping jacks, and attacking or defending against a ball and soft paddle. In the last forty-five minutes, the kids and parents enjoyed delivery pizza and then birthday cake. Setup and cleanup was covered by MAA staff so my friends could enjoy snapping pictures and chitchatting with the other parents. The party concluded with each child breaking a board by kicking it. My daughter talked about nothing else for the rest of the weekend. read more

Went for the summer school. The price is very affordable, but first the children watched a movie when they arrived. And the mat is not very clean and it requires children to remove their socks, so my son got a few scratches when he run on the mat. The good thing are the staffs are very nice and the children are having fun. read more

I have noticed on many reviews that some people are calling this school a karate school or karate classes. What they teach is not karate, karate is a Japanese martial art. This school teaches Tae Kwon Do, which is Korean. I get so irritated from people calling Tae Kwon Do karate. They are two different styles of martial arts from two different parts of Asia. I don't know if the instructors are calling it karate or if it is ignorant parents who are calling it karate. Also if you take karate or any martial art in the home country like Japan or Korea, it will take you a minimum of five years to get a black belt. These other martial arts studios hand out black belts like candy. I have experienced this myself. It is morally wrong for these schools to hand out black belts in two years. It is also wrong to give a eight year old a black belt, they are too young. If you were to go to a Tae Kwon Do school in Korea you would spend at least five years getting your black belt. Ask the head master, he will tell you I am telling the truth. read more

Wonderful martial arts school for people of all ages. I just enrolled my 5 & 3 year old children and they absolutely love it. The teachers are all amazing with the kids and teach them so much more than just karate. The first class they took, they learned how to deal with bullies at school. They teach the children to be confident, respectful and how to protect themselves. This school is worth every penny. read more

My 7 year old daughter and 9 year old son love it! The instructors are great with the kids and are very attentive. They memorized my kids' names right away and make an effort to connect with everyone in the class. I can't recommend MAA highly enough! read more

It's a nice place especially for beginners. After awhile teaching gets slow. We've been there for a year and it's the same skills over and over. They do belt promotions based on time not skills. They do it every two months for $50. But when you watch them, kids with all these belt colors are just almost doing the same thing. Aren't they supposed to be promoted because of their skills not because they've been there for 2 months? And of course, they let their "black belt students/intern" teach. I'm no karate kind of person but I'm sure I can kick their butt anytime. I'm expecting teachers who are professionals, who actually has been doing this for awhile. read more

My son has been going here since 2015 he absolutely loves coming here! He has met and made many new friends and has now advanced to red advanced belt . The tournaments and seminars they provide have increased his self confidence and has urged him to keep on going with this and get his black belt,he now wants to join the demo team and he has gone to every single tournament this year I also find that he takes his skills and uses them at school and how to show self control especially when some kids try to taunt him&attempt to get him angry I feel so much better now that he knows how to follow all his tenants and understands what they mean The instructors are absolutely amazing ! Nice but tough when they need to be He has also exhibited some of his skills at other sports especially football he dove to make a tackle and he could've broken his neck but he tucked his head and did a proper forward roll (exactly how he was taught in class) & saved him from serious injury His teachers and myself have seen an improvement in his behavior in class at school I highly recommended MAA give it a try for a couple weeks and you will see amazing instructors and how much they care for their students and truly want to see them succeed in so many ways! read more

Great place to learn Krav Maga (Israeli self defense). My husband and I have been going for about right months and have loved it. Due to our holiday insane schedule we asked if they would freeze our membership and restart in January and they were more than willing to help us out. read more

My son has been taking karate twice a week since October and he absolutely loves it. All the instructors at Martial Arts of America are excellent with the kids. They take the time to show each student how to do the moves. I have truly enjoyed watching my son improve on his skills each week. If your child is wanting to take karate then this is place you want them at! read more

I signed up my son for some karate classes at Martial Arts America. Mr. Joe, his instructor, was amazing- my son had a lot of fun and is enjoying his karate classes. read more

We were very disappointed with Martial Arts America. To summarize: If you want to pay a lot of money for your kid to play around and learn that money can buy anything in life, try MAA. If you want your kid to learn a martial art and the value of hard work and dedication, go else where. We started our son at MAA SR around 5 yrs old. He did love it and, admittedly the instructors are good with the kids during the classes (hence 2 stars). Because of this, we signed up for a six month commitment. Unfortunately it took us about four of the six month session to realize that this place is all about getting money from the parents and not about teaching the kids martial arts. We should have heeded the other reviews that mentioned this. Our son barely learned anything in four months but was still given two belt promotions. This wasn't great, because you essentially buy the kids' belts instead of them earning them, but he was having fun so we let it go. What made things go downhill for us was when another boy who started at the same time and was at the same 'skill level' as our son, was invited to the 'black belt club'. We realized there were no criteria for this invitation other than the willingness of the parents to pay. I had to explain to our disappointed son that there was not a good reason for his friend to get this before him. It would have been ok if his friend was at an objectively higher skill level, but this was not the case. We then realized that this 'club' -- that they advertise to kids by promising to let them use weapons, which they have no business using at 5 and without the strong basic skills -- is just a ploy to get more money. It is nearly a thousand dollars to sign up because they require you to purchase new equipment from them for 'safety reasons'. Other martial arts places don't have this requirement. Anyway, a few weeks later without consulting us first, they also invited our son to this black belt club. This is when we left, even though we had two months remaining in our prepaid session. We found another true Tae Kwon Do dojang that actually teaches the kids the martial art. They still require a fee for belt promotion, which is fair, but the kids only earn the promotions when they work hard and demonstrate that they know the skills. Our son had to start two belts back at the new place because of his skill level, or lack thereof, after MAA. If you want a great place, try MACH MA instead! read more

My son and daughter had a birthday party here this past September. They are both September babies about two years and two weeks apart. I dread having to do two birthdays in such a short time span and deal with the high pitch screaming of many kids six and under. So yes, I am a lazy and no good for nothing mommy looking a lot for the convenience factor when planning outings and events. Martial Arts America and especially Jesse Rosales there made it easy, fun, and inexpensive. It was nice that he also had an assistant there on that day to help out with the kids. They let me combine both my kids' birthdays on one Saturday. If I remember correctly, we had 20 kids that they entertained for two hours. The birthday package includes cheese only pizza or pepperoni pizza (they purchased ours from Domino's so it's not super low end like Little Caesars) and drinks (Costco/Kirkland brand sized mini waters). One hour was slated for warm ups and to practice basic martial arts drills, 1/2 to 45 minutes for eating, and the last 15 minutes in showing off to parents what they had learned which consisted of them karate kicking a wooden board Kung Fu Panda style. Some kids took more than one kick to own the wood, but Jesse was smiling and encouraging the whole time. He made it fun for the kids, and everyone had a blast with his drills, humor, and other tricks. When you walk in, the guests' parent(s) can do a drop off or stay the whole time. They let us bring our own food to feed the parents who wanted to stay, and we could bring our own birthday cake as well. They provided the pyrotechnics or candles and lighter. Everyone had a blast from the adults and especially the kids. As a farewell parting gift, everyone got a free uniform and one month of karate lessons via email. A note to parents who want to plan a karate party for their son/daughter or both that they should ignore filling the on-line form as most likely you will never hear from them. It's better that you contact the person working at the location that you want the birthday party held. When I went on-line, MAA never got my guest list form so I emailed Jesse Rosales who was the contact and party host at the MAA location in San Ramon. He responded fast and politely each time. Never did he express what an annoying mommy I could be worrying about this or that concern. He answered every question, and he sent out all the rsvp's via evite as MAA dropped the ball and did not do this a month ago when I filled out the form. So again, you might want to contact the person at your MAA location directly. They have many locations in the Bay Area, and they are one of the few karate places that I found to hold kiddie birthday parties. When the birthday party wrapped up, some parents stayed a little over a hour longer beyond the birthday party package time limits to chat, eat some more, or take some food with them. Jesse never complained to us about all the people overstaying the time limits. Overall, Jesse was just an awesome instructor and person to deal with. He has a knack with kids and clearly loves what he is doing. And we were so impressed with his service that we tipped him. read more

I was in town for work for only a few short months but was able to attend the Krav Maga classes taught by Celina. Truly fantastic, Celina knows her stuff and is a clear and engaging instructor. Classes were fairly small so every student for some individual attention, and lessons always started on time. Would absolutely reccomend this place to those interested in martial arts, whether new or continuing training. read more

My son - a student black belt - has been going there for six years. He's learned discipline, confidence, stranger awareness, respect, self-control and self-defense. Also learning that if he sets his mind to something and works hard he can achieve it. He's also had fun along the way! The first time we took him there, in kindergarten, he was asking to go back again the very next day. Always a good sign. read more

My son has been going here for almost a month now and he looks forward to his classes each time. Kids have a great time along with learning martial arts. They also encourage respectful behavior, good manners/ habits. Miss Sammy handles the kids beautifully. read more