Let me start by saying that if I could give more than 5 stars to a place, this would be it. Shifu…read moreChris and his wife manage and instruct students in this family-owned dojo. Shifu (master in Chinese) Chris is an excellent teacher. He has been doing martial arts for almost his own life, and he is very knowledgeable. He had spent 13 years in China working with different masters. As a result, he is an expert in different styles of martial arts such as Chinese boxing, Kung fu Shaolin. Following his mission to keep Shaolin kung fu alive in the US, he started this dojo in VA. Currently, they offer two free sessions to let people experience the school before joining. I joined this class after participating in two free sessions. The environment and students in the dojo are great. Everybody is friendly and respects each other. From a covid standpoint, everybody wears a mask throughout the class, and there are sanitizers for both hands and equipment. Each session includes warmup, practicing the basics, form, partner work, and meditation at the end. Shifu Chris changes the structure of the class and always has new activities and challenges in each session. After two months of going to this class, I already feel really accomplished. I am able to do basic techniques and self-defense. It had even effects on my day-to-day life and helps me to be more focused. I recommend this class to whoever is looking for martial arts or even looking for a fun and effective workout class.

Wonderful experience, great exercise, friendly classmates. The sessions have everything I enjoy --…read morestretches, warm ups, boxing, defense, individual and partner work, meditation, some qi gong... lots of variety and progressive mental/physical challenges so you're never bored and always growing. I started this class three months ago feeling very out of shape -- and as a total beginner to martial arts. Now, I feel like I have energy enough for classes, plus I'm starting to hit the gym more too and feel less stressed during the work week. It's definitely the kind of work out that isn't a chore -- it's energizing. Come take the two free lessons and try it out for yourself to get hooked too. Shifu Chris and Weiwei, who assists, are patient, thoughtful teachers who care about culture, health, and overall wellbeing. Class is always a positive, welcoming environment.

I was a student at Potomac Kempo (PK) for about 4-5 years, and I was sexually assaulted by one male…read morestudent and sexually harassed by another from this dojo. These incidents took place before covid. They were not ok then and they're not ok now. But I would not be writing this review if an adult instructor at the PK Kingstowne dojo had not been arrested for multiple counts of "carnal knowledge" of a minor a few years ago. Worse yet, there had been problematic behavior involving another teenager at this dojo and I can draw a direct connection between that and the above incidents. In 2019, an adult instructor and a teenage female student at this dojo began interacting under questionable circumstances in a questionable manner. Both denied any wrongdoing, but the behavior was highly inappropriate regardless. I insisted that PK address the situation. Although management ultimately responded with the requisite seriousness, it took repeated prodding by multiple adult students. Afterwards, I was vilified by a gaggle of paid and volunteer instructors across dojos. It should go without saying that no minor should be spending time alone with his/her adult instructor at odd hours in odd places without parental knowledge. Just as important, even if nothing happens initially, something is very likely to go awry if the adult and teenager continue to put themselves in situations that offer opportunities to slip up. This is basic knowledge you'd expect from anyone in an authority position over minors. Unfortunately, multiple PK instructors betrayed an appalling degree of ignorance, if not outright recklessness. A gossip factory thrived, and the resulting culture fostered an environment hospitable to sexual predators. In late 2021, after multiple PK instructors had vilified me for over two years, the previously mentioned instructor from the Kingstowne dojo was arrested for sexually assaulting a male teenage student. I had moved out of the Northern Virginia area by then due to a family tragedy, and I've not had time to write this review until now. What I'd like to see first and foremost is accountability for reprehensible behavior and changes made to prevent future sexual harassment and assault. In particular, I'd like to see the following written in black and white as PK employee policies AND conveyed as mandatory requirements to every paid and volunteer instructor at formal training sessions. 1. No adult instructor, from any of PK's dojos, should be spending time alone with a teenage student outside of the dojo, under suspicious circumstances, in an inappropriate fashion. PK should not assume that an instructor understands what "inappropriate" means and hence must make sure each instructor is properly educated. 2. No adult instructor and teenage student should LOOK LIKE they're dating, involved with each other romantically, or engaged in inappropriate physical interactions, even if no actual physical contact is taking place. 3. No adult instructor should go out with or have sex with a teenager even after she or he reaches 18. Every parent who sends a child to PK would instinctively know why such behavior is totally unacceptable, even if it's not illegal. I have no evidence that this has occurred at PK, but I did find it disturbing that some of the instructors appeared not to have the slightest understanding of this basic concept. 4. Any instructor who violates the above policies will be suspended or prohibited from teaching. 5. Any instructor who seeks to thwart PK's enforcement of the above policies should be suspended or prohibited from teaching. Instructors who have engaged in such behavior in the past will be required to sit down with a senior member of PK management and will be informed, in no uncertain terms, that their past behavior will no longer be tolerated. If PK were to enact these changes, I will delete this review.

I can't comment on the quality of instruction - but given that they don't post anything about the…read moreschedule or pricing I thought this may be useful for other people to know. The cost is $240 a month. So if you can only come one or two times a week, this is definitely not the dojo for you. There are no other pricing plans. Just for comparison - if you train at Capital MMA, you pay around $180 and get unlimited crossfit, muay thai, boxing BJJ. Here you get karate. Hope that helps.

We cannot say enough good things about Taekwondo Masters. From the moment our son started, we knew…read morewe had found a special place. Master Jun and his entire team are incredibly knowledgeable and possess a unique ability to teach high-level skills while keeping the classes engaging and fun. Beyond the physical kicks and forms, the discipline and focus our son has developed are remarkable. It's not just about martial arts here; it's about character building. Master Jun leads with such patience and expertise that the kids naturally want to give their best effort. If you're looking for a school that balances top-tier instruction with a supportive, high-energy environment, this is it!

I was a student here for as long as I can remember and I look back at my time fondly. I know work…read morehere and having the same person I used to look up to be my boss is pretty cool. I think this place is great for family's and a good place to leave your kids to be taken care of.

As a child, my father was always very interested in Tai Chi so I've been familiar with the practice…read moresince grade school. In fact, my father would sometimes walk with us in the mall and stop mid-pace just to bust out a tai chi stance and movement just to embarrass us in the middle of the mall. Regardless of those family antics, I was able to develop as respect for the practice despite it not being an active part of my life. Fast forward to last month. I help to lead diversity and culture initiatives for our employee resource group at work and was brainstorming some fun and interesting ways that we could celebrate Asian Pacific American heritage. I thought tai chi on the rooftop would be interesting, fun and a great way to introduce the exercise to a young audience. I reached out to the email on the website and had the pleasure of connecting with Peter Schwartz. Although, the school does not consistently offer private classes, he was willing to work with me and was within my budget to lead a 1 hour class of tai chi at our office. Although the turn out was less than what I hoped, Peter was warm, knowledgeable, patient and literally went with the flow. Also, prior to arriving he was communicative and arrived on time, despite rush hour and a storm. Overall, I had such a great experience and would definitely encourage anyone to consider tai chi as an exercise that is accessible and inclusive to so many!

I'm a little old lady with an artificial hip and arthritis who moseys rather than walks and really,…read morereally, really hates to swim. T'ai Chi has turned out to be the perfect exercise. This School has proved to be just right. Free Introductory Class. Clear, precise, professional instructions. Bright, clean, friendly atmosphere. Reasonable prices.

While I don't know much about any other Karate Schools, I can tell you that Seichou Karate is…read moreabsolutely amazing for children. Richard Romero takes a fatherly approach to each child focusing on their mental and physical development. He teaches Karate and life lessons with a passion for making children better not only at Karate but life as well. Additionally, he doesn't give his students anything and makes them put in the work and truly earn their next belts. If you are looking to enroll your kids in Karate, you really should check this Dojo out. Richard Romero is exceptional and the reason we drove 20min plus several nights a week for our kids to attend. I really am at a lost for words on how lucky we were to find this Karate Dojo!

This past weekend we had an awesome birthday party for our now five year old son. He and all of…read morehis guests (and parents) were very impressed by the entire experience the dojo provided. Thank you. We are also thankful for the photos and all the other extra touches the staff and Shihan Romero provided. We will highly recommend the dojo to others.

If your looking for quality Tai Chi training in the Fairfax area I highly recommend checking out…read moreStill Water Tai Chi Center! After 26 years of training I still walk away in awe of Sifu Gilmer every time I train with him! Patrick Bast, 4th Dan DKI Ryukyu Kempo, 4th Dan Tomiki Aikido, 2nd Dan Kenkojuko Shotokan Karate

I took Still Water's Women's Defense Class with my 13 year old daughter. I highly recommend this…read moreclass, without reservation. Dante and his team taught the important life skills of developing awareness, examples of potentially dangerous situation, and how to get out of them. It was not only extremely informative, but also fun, and we left much more confident about how to deal if ever faced with such a situation. All girls/women from Middle School, High School, College, and adults should take this class. We plan to repeat at least annually to reinforce what has already been learned.

We've been going to Yoo's for years. The instructors are top-notch. They expect a lot from their…read morestudents. They're wonderful role models. They really emphasize the importance of respect, family, and hard work. Yoo's is competitively ranked nationally. Master Jon and Master Brad work with students to build their strength, endurance, and confidence. I highly recommend Yoo's. They offer a free trial so you can come in and observe the class and try it out before you commit. Come give them a try. You won't be disappointed.

I started training under GrandMaster Yoo in 1990. To this day, I take a part of him with me. He was…read moreinspirational in my life, teaching the highest level of discipline and respect.

Sensei Gary and his team do an amazing job! Potomac Kempo - Kingstowne's team of instructors are…read moreall committed, professional, kind, and knowledgeable. My son has been taking martial arts classes at this Dojo for over 6 years and he simply loves it there and looks forward to every class. It is apparent that he has developed a strong sense of belonging and is committed to continuous learning. Potomac Kempo provides much more than martial arts training. It provides structure and stability that can be so helpful toward personal growth. I have no doubt that these classes have helped tremendously with my son's development, and I credit Potomac Kempo with helping him to develop a strong moral compass, greater self-discipline, strong conflict resolution skills, and a high degree of empathy and respect for others. I have no reservation in recommending Potomac Kempo.

This is a great community, but only to the extent you want to spend A LOT of money to center your…read morewhole life around Kempo. I was a member for nearly two years with both of my children, and Sensei Gary is a good instructor but also very pushy constantly trying to upsell expensive equipment and special events at a substantial added cost. As long as you go along with it and keep shelling out more money, he is supportive of your training, but he does not like to take no for an answer. And be warned: if you ever decide to stop attending, he will charge you for an extra month after you've left as a penalty for leaving. Potomac Kempo's rates are already far higher than most other martial arts in the area, over $200 per month per person, and this school is clearly more interested in taking your money than in your personal well-being. Pick another dojo.