Wushu Central is an incredible organization and one of the best programs you can get for your kid,…read morefor both obvious and non-obvious reasons. Like in any martial arts school, your kid is going to get plenty of physical exercise, practice coordination, agility and self-defense, but this program offers so much more. First and foremost, the instructors are *incredibly good* at working with kids, including very young kids with all of their quirks. The lessons are always engaging and fun (kids really enjoy them), while successfully teaching not only physical skills, but also important life skills. Very young kids will learn and get used to following instructions (which is one of the most important early skills), and older kids will work on developing grit, focus, growth mindset, helpfulness and respect, and other desirable qualities. The program is brilliantly designed to be engaging and motivating in positive ways. Very importantly, while Wushu Central teaches martial arts, they do not teach aggression -- in fact, there's a lot of emphasis on NOT hurting others. Moreover, every session there's a 5 minute "circle time" where coaches and kids talk about safety, good behavior, how to be a good member of society, and other goot skills and traits. Our son joined when he was 4 and a half. We loved it so much that after only a month we decided to buy a lifetime membership, and it's paid off spectacularly well. Almost 3 years later he still loves these sessions and is very invested in his progression. In fact his interest in this class never dropped, which is almost unheard of at such young ages, and he's the sort of kid (a geek) we didn't expect would enjoy martial arts. The entire time we've had nothing but good experience. Sifu Troy and the instructors are all incredibly kind, humble, professional and passionate about the art. In fact many of them have been practicing at this very institution since they themselves were small kids -- a testament to the vision and the incredibly remarkable job the founder David Chang has done since he started the program decades ago. This place deserves nothing but praise and the highest possible recommendation.

Kung-Fu Kids in Palo Alto has such a vibrant and fun atmosphere!…read more I trained and took classes under Sifu Troy, who is the head instructor here. He played a huge role in transforming me from a shy, soft-spoken kid, into a confident (and very loud now) leader! His patience and compassion is unmatched, being able to connect with all children and students. Sifu Troy always knows how to keep classes fun and effective, where we learn real skills in an engaging way!

Come visit and join @ Caio Terra Academy BJJ we look forward to learning Jiujitsu technique togetherread more

I've been a student here for over a year, almost exclusively in the morning (6:30am) gi classes…read more I've had an incredible experience and deeply appreciate the people and curriculum here. I was previously at a different academy which was very "loose" in terms of the teaching style. Whereas at CTA Palo Alto, the week's lesson plans are posted in advance and linked to helpful videos from the online curriculum. It's rigorous and structured in a way that has helped me progress much more quickly. The house style is technical and detailed, which means it's a bit harder to learn, but more likely to work in a real world setting and against higher belts. Everything makes sense and is explained very clearly. The instructors are open to questions and give useful feedback during class. There's a great community vibe and I respect and enjoy the people I get to train with here. I recently started my son in the kids program and he's loving it too!

My 5-year old son has been curious to practice Karate and this school has been amazing. John Sensei…read moreis an experienced teacher who has a knack working with kids. My son naturally felt the inclination to attend class 2x a week consistantly which I thought was interesting for a younger fellow. I see the kids learning and enjoying themselves for many years and beyond here.

If you're considering a physical activity for yourself or your kids, or if you are serious about…read morekarate and want to raise your level, this is a fantastic option. Sensei Jon is a 7th degree black belt who has studied karate in Japan. He has advanced Phys Ed qualifications and besides running this dojo, he also teaches at Stanford. He has decades of teaching experience, a lot of energy and infectious enthusiasm and is just an all around positive person. He's really good at encouraging class participation, throwing new challenges at us to keep our skills growing, making us think and coming up with fresh themes and activities in every class. The general class is mixed level, and he succeeds in keeping it interesting for the beginners like me as well as the many advanced black and brown belts who also attend these classes. The overall atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming and I always feel at home in this group of people. The dojo is spacious and well equipped. There's also a good quality video feed for remote classes, which are very useful for times when you can't make it in person. My two daughters have been with this dojo for over a decade: the younger started in first grade and is now a senior in high school. Both of them rose from beginner to brown belt in that amount of time. They told me the children's classes are similar to the adult ones but with more fun game type activities and less focus on self defense applications. This isn't only for learning karate itself, but also positive attitudes and study habits. A couple of years back, after seeing my daughters benefit from these classes, and getting on in years and needing to focus more on my health, I decided to start myself. I saw it as a physical activity that would cover a balanced combination of exercises without being too boring. I've never been athletically inclined and wasn't expecting to get good at this or enjoy it, but it's definitely surpassed all possible expectations and I've learned many basics and feel inspired to learn more. The health benefits have been major and obvious. It has helped me improve my overall fitness, played a big role in my lifestyle changes that allowed me to overcome issues like high blood pressure, and given me greater stamina and agility which are very noticeable whenever I do anything physical. The Monday adult classes, taught by black belts Mark-san and Chris-san, are a great time to get more individual attention and work on application ideas and fine points of technique. I never want to miss these classes and feel they have contributed a lot to my improvement.

I went to this school 10 years ago. I miss it. This is a traditional martial arts school with an…read moreingrained background in Chinese culture. While never like a military/gung-ho jock regiment, they do instill a sense of discipline in their lessons as a way to focus on every detail. Anyways going here really helped my fitness, agility, and confidence despite my health-related shortcomings. One time I broke my arm in an accident outside of class - I actually rehabilitated it right away going through the various forms I learned in school. And although I never got a chance to use my gungfu outside of class, I felt prepared. I wish they had a class up here in the North Bay although they do have a sister school in San Francisco.

I stay with this school for 5 years now and it's not a surprise I am giving it 5 stars. There are…read moreenough kungfu schools in Bay Area to choose from, many of them are very good, but I choose to stay at this one. I came from tai-chi practice in a very traditional way - follow your master under a tree in a park, try to copy, ask questions respectfully, practice often. So I liked the way this school is organized. The main idea here is very simple - everybody has it's own way and speed of learning. Your body and mind need to take time and to pay in sweat to process a new stuff. Once you absorebed enough of it, you can move to the next level of complexity. Then repeat the cycle. If you want to learn some flashy wushu forms then it's probably a wrong place for you. But if you are willing to invest time in understanding and learning traditional kungfu then you are welcome here.

Our boys have been coming here since they were little and they have learned how to spar and defend…read morethemselves, but that's actually the least important of the things that they have learned from Peter and the other teachers. They stress that self defense is like an "insurance policy" and you should always avoid a confrontation if possible. Honestly my wife and I often talk about how Peter teaches life lessons and confidence as part of his process, and we quote him at home. I think we learn life lessons just from being in class with them! These are the lessons that they carry with them in almost every other activity and situation that they face. Kids are so busy nowadays and it's easy to overload their schedule but WMAA is something that we really find is worth every minute and every penny because of how good the teachers are with the kids. 5 stars.

My 10 year old son and I started attending World Martial Arts around 6 months ago. It's been an…read moreabsolutely amazing experience and I would highly recommend Peter's classes! * Peter's classes have provided an amazing opportunity for me to bond with my son. We attend all classes together with other parents and children, and we are learning together, being challenged together, and growing together. * Peter's classes have helped my son to grow both his physical skills as well as his mental focus, motivation, and confidence. Prior to joining this class, my wife and I struggled to find a sport or class that my son was drawn to or excited about. After just a few classes with Peter, our son shared he loved learning martial arts. Peter's classes developed my son's internal motivation and desire to grow and develop. * Peter has created a safe, respectful, and fun environment. Peter encourages people to do their best and challenge themselves, but encourages each individual to grow at their own pace. He makes sure everyone treats each other with respect. * Peter show tremendous care and really invests in the development of every individual child (and adult!) in his class. I'm always amazed at how much he really looks to understand and support every child and their individual needs and challenges.

Exceptionally good training . I have trained in various styles in different cities over my adult…read morelife and can confidently say that this is the best overall training that I have found Effective and reality-based but without the edge some places have

I've been training here for 6 years and I still look forward to each class. Ive done martial arts…read moremy whole life (Karate, Boxing, BJJ) and none of them are like Urban Combat. This place is focused on real life and how those arts come together with actual common sense for dealing with potential situations. The classes include fun workouts, lessons in various martial arts / weapons, and film study on real situations. Brian is an amazing teacher - hes not lecturing from the sidelines, he is right there with you showing you how its done. If you are interested in learning actual self defense strategies separate from traditional martial arts - this is your place. Its a bay area hidden gem! Note - this place is in the Karate studio (parking in the back).

Pros: Instruction is consistently terrific, and the regulars there are friendly and welcoming. It's…read morein a convenient location, and at an excellent price. Cons: I'd like to see the mats cleaned more regularly, and I wish there were showers in the building. The street and permit parking can sometimes be annoying.

Good instructors, good hours, and good attitudes.read more

I trained at Serao for 1.5 years while getting my master's at Stanford. This academy has a special…read moreplace in my heart as it is where I started my BJJ journey - I've learned a ton here and signed up for my first two competitions while training here! I mainly attended the no-gi & wrestling classes, but both the gi and no-gi instruction was great. On the surface, Serao is a friendly, humorous and fun place to train for hobbyists. People are nice, it is kid-friendly, and bad behavior gets rooted out immediately. Leo goes out of his way to create a safe training environment (he'll match sparring partners himself) regardless of skill, size, or gender. The instructors are great and care about your development. Underneath the surface, you'll find a small, tight knit group of competitors that train intensely and compete at an extremely high level. There's something for everyone here, I'd highly recommend it and as a bonus, parking here is extremely easy and accessible. Will miss this place!

My kids love going here! They have been in it for almost two years and it has done wonderful things…read morefor their self esteem! Thank you Coach Leo and Coach Gustavo!

I regret that I didn't learn Kung Fu long ago as it's made a tremendous positive impact on my life…read more I did actually try a few classes throughout the years, but they were always lame in some way (e.g. lots of shouting, too macho, too much like dance class). SiFu Don's class is perfect. A wonderful combination of exercise, practical instruction, and learning elegant ancient Kung Fu forms. SiFu Don is impressive in his mastery of his art, yet undertstated in his manner. He will encourage and inspire you to achieve more than you imagined you ever could, but is also kind and understanding of your current ability level. He translates complex movements into simple step-by-step instructions that he demonstrates meticulously and gently corrects you as necessary. I couldn't recommend this class highly enough!

Always wanted to learn kungfu?! Then take this class!…read more This class under Sifu Don is a great way to introduce yourself to the discipline of kungfu, especially if you're starting from zero. Sifu Don brings years of kungfu training and does a great job of translating it into a learning environment. Everyone hears of draconian kungfu teachers with their insane punishments, but thankfully, Don isn't like that (though he's still badass). Instead, he understands the various skill levels and physical limits of his students and provides gentle encouragement along with lots of one on one attention. Whether you want to explore a new hobby or revisit some old kungfu skills, come to class, bring so loose fitting clothing/athletic gear and a willingness to learn something that most people suck at right off the bat. Doing Bruce Lee caliber moves as a beginner will take time, sweat, and (hopefully very little) blood, but this kungfu class provides that road.

I joined Equinox through work about two months ago and already had a strong Pilates background from…read moreclassical private and group sessions, plus I do Solidcore pretty regularly around 10 classes a month. I booked the complimentary 1:1 Pilates intro just thinking it would be a nice add on and even told a friend I wasn't planning to continue after. That completely changed after my session with Joan McCarthy. I'm so glad I happened to be paired with her for that complimentary session. She is truly exceptional. I ended up buying a large pack of sessions right after and now see her twice a week. We've even done a few double sessions which have been amazing. I'm already seeing real progress in my strength, flexibility, and overall toning, and the principles she teaches have helped me get so much more out of my Solidcore and other group workouts. What really stands out is her energy and approach. She has such a positive and motivating attitude, and she really pushes me to challenge myself, find my limits, and get the most out of every session. I've also learned so much more about fitness and overall health from working with her. She combines deep Pilates expertise with a dance background, and her hands on adjustments are amazing. She also sends an in depth breakdown after each session of what we worked on and is very responsive, which makes everything feel thoughtful and personalized. I'll be honest I waited to write this because I wanted to lock in my recurring time slots first, which probably says everything. I'm fully obsessed. Thank you Joan!

Equinox Palo Alto has a great selection of treadmills and equipment plenty of options, so you're…read morerarely waiting around for a machine. That said, the Life Fitness treadmills are older and out of date compared to other less expensive Equinox clubs like Santa Monica, South Bay, and Newport Beach. Probably the least "premium" part of this location is the men's locker room and bathrooms. They're consistently humid, cramped, and not as clean as you'd expect from an Equinox. For a premium membership price, the facilities should be held to a higher standard. Good gym for getting a workout in, but the locker room experience drags down what could otherwise be a great club.