AFTA Combat Martial Arts is HANDS DOWN the BEST martial arts school in the Stateline! Dr. Master…read moreJoel Bowling , multiple Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee who founded the school in 1984 and developed the amazing Tatakai system, revolutionizing the world of martial arts to meet the the REAL demands of a modern society, teaches his students wholly, mind, body & indomitable spirit, enlightening them with the ability to handle life's obstacles with a discipline and focus that they may never have developed without the proper mindset. Other schools advertise fun and ninja(?) Training, Offer bogus "Bruce Lee" training or basic "sport" karate, but AFTA advertises and DELIVERS Real world martial arts combat self defense training! Others claim to be "the serious choice", but AFTA is the ONLY "no joke" "no nonsense" school you can depend on consistently for ALL of your combat martial arts training and educational needs!

Would have given ZERO stars if it was an option. Do NOT sign your child up for martial arts lessons…read moreat AFTA Martial Arts in Rockford IL. The owner of this establishment, Joel Bowling, has no business being around children. Joel thought it was appropriate to teach a class of 5 year olds about murder, kidnapping, rape, and date rape. He also accused my 5 child of being developmentally disabled or "retarded" as he called it when my son couldn't understand what he was trying to teach. Joel Bowling is severely over weight and cannot even properly interact with the children he's trying to teach. Nor do I think being a severely overweight martial arts teacher teaches anything about self-discipline. I pulled my child from his classes only after a few lessons, and he's still trying to get me to pay for the full year contract. Save yourself and your child the abuse and take them to a REAL martial arts establishment.

No Joke is the best place for MMA/BJJ/boxing!! Phenomenal with kids and great gym for adults. Vinny…read moreis the perfect mix of chill and having expectations. I love the diversity of all the people that go there too. Professional, welcoming and fun!

I've been going here for years and never had a bad experience. There's a variety of classes to fit…read moreinexperienced and experienced fighters, and you can learn/practice valuable skills while getting a great work-out. The staff are very friendly and give great suggestions. I would highly recommend No Joke!

David's an excellent instructor, reasonably priced, excellent to work with. Would highly recommendread more

Let me first state the reviews before mine are from a previous owner who apparently was quite…read moreunscrupulous. This is not the same group or the same management. I've talked extensively with the current owner David Walker as well as trained with him for the last few months. My children have also trained with him for the same amount of time. Two coworkers I've known for almost a decade have trained with David as well. His training is tier one as the classes are a good mix of intensity, technique as well as background information as to why you do what you do. I leave each class as if I have learned something new I can apply as well as improved my skills on previously learned material. So, the training is A plus and better than any other martial arts groups I have trained with in the past. David is excellent with my kids who look forward to class each week as well as excitedly show me what they have learned as well as beg me to show them what was done in my class. It is a great time for them to work on discipline, confidence and mindset as well as balance, flexibility and strength. This is the best extracurricular investment I've made for them. Lastly, I want to say David is a man of integrity and encouragement. He has kept his word and made sure I've maximized my learning opportunities. The folks in the class are terrific and some of the more experienced students have been extremely helpful in keeping an eye on me and correcting things when David is with another student. I wish I had found this group earlier and started sooner, but as David says "We're starting now." Join us.

Holy cow! True traditional kung fu with a lineage to follow all the way back to Wong Fei Hung…read more Sifu Andrew Kong is the real deal, true martial arts for both mental and physical training.

I got to have the pleasure of having a private Kung Fu lesson with Sifu Andrew Kong. Wow! What an…read moreincredible experience. I've taken other martial arts classes before. This place truly is authentic Chinese Kung Fu! I was impressed by the long history that runs through this school. Master Kong is son the the world famous Grandmaster Buck Sam Kong. I will definitely be looking forward to returning again.

They require a person immediately sign a one year contract. Even after our contract ended and after…read morespending thousands of dollars a year, they attempted to take an unauthorized amount on an unauthorized day because they try to get as much money out of a person before they leave. I seen a totally different side, of Kim, after I finally got them to refund my money. She literally took off her jacket and got right in my face. She could have ruined her boss's business had she gone any further. Her sweetness as about as real as her eye lashes.

From the owner: The best Martial Arts school in Belvidere, passionately teaching Taekwondo Classes for almost two…read moredecades. We are dedicated to the success of you or your child and pride ourselves on the quality of our teaching.

My 15-year-old son has been attending Star Studio for 2.5 years and loves it. We could never get…read morehim to stick with a sport before he started here. He is very motivated by Master Ben. As a parent, I love that he is learning discipline, respect, and good morals in addition to the obvious other benefits of martial arts (flexibility, coordination, self defense, confidence, etc.) Master Ben has very high standards, but he is fair and really cares about his students. I enjoy watching my son improve on a weekly basis.

My niece goes to this studio and loves it. She has become so dedicated! It's also an amazing place…read morefor her to meet and talk with other kids, spend some energy, all while getting to do something that helps her coordination and learn some discipline! It's made a great impact.

The owner Master Gonzalez is such a top notch instructor. He produces national level champions. He…read moresurrounds himself with excellent support instructors. But most importantly he is just a really good guy who is fortunate enough to teach something he loves. Thank you Master G for all that you and your instructors have done.

I have literally never written a review before, but I wanted to say that this place is awesome…read more - the building is clean and cool looking - everyone is very nice and welcoming - everyone seems to progress quickly. Even the people who haven't been doing jiu jitsu for long were difficult to submit. - I wanted to say something negative about this place to make this review more believable, but I can't think of anything of substance.

One free lesson and I was hooked! I stepped onto the mat the first time and I was TERRIFIED. The…read morecoaches and classmates were all so warm and welcoming that feeling quickly disappeared. They met me where I was at and made sure I felt safe and welcome. I walked out of that first session feeling calmer, more centered, and more empowered than I have in a long time. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Hart Jiu Jitsu.

This dojo is unique sensei is more than a sensei he is everyone's father been there for 53 years…read morethe oldest dojo in Rockford sensei is the ONLY person in the state line area that trained under shihon sukiyama in Chicago most Dino's have one teacher here sensei with 7 other sensei instructors who were trained by sensei an they all have been with him between 20 to 35 years to put this is few short words explaining how this dojo is. One big family practicing martial arts my two children have been there 6 years now an are black belts the cost 40.00 a month no contracts no hidden fees you can train up to 6 nights a week call 815 965 7575 ask for sensei Allen this place is the best

This is by far one of the best dojo's, if not the best, in this state, if not this country....or…read moreeven world. The instructor is such as awesome man and teacher. He gives his everything to this place and wouldn't give it up for the world. Keep on trucking Shihan Francis!

This place is the real deal. If you want to be a real martial artist and hone your skills both…read morephysically and mentally look no further. I was a student here for 10 years,and I can tell you that Scott Francis and his assistant instructors are professional, highly skilled and caring. They actually care not only about teaching students punches and kicks, but about their whole success in life both in and out of the dojo. That is something that you just can't buy elsewhere. Not to mention the amount of training you can get for the money is worth significantly more than what the monthly fees are. There is always someone willing to offer additional help if you have difficulty or help mentor you through the martial arts. I struggle to express the value of this establishment. It's off the charts! I can not recommend Dojo Dynamics enough.