Fantastic academy with a very welcoming staff, owner, and students. Very organized and structured…read morewith a great emphasis on learning fundamentals first. Highly recommend Carters Academy of Self Defense for everyone of all ages.

I've been training with John Carter for over 4 years. Very family friendly environment. Excellent…read morecurriculum for self defense in all of the programs offered at the academy.

This is the best Jiu Jitsu school in the state of SC. I've trained at several schools over the…read morelast 20 years. Rigan Machado, Gerson Sanginitto, Henry Akins (Rickson Gracie's third black belt), Cindy Omatsu (the first woman outside of Brazil to earn her Black Belt in BJJ). The attraction for me is that this school is run and owned by a couple, two Black Belts, Danilo and Jessica Cherman. There aren't many women Black Belts in our area and to have the opportunity to train and learn from one was an opportunity I couldn't overlook. She is a legit accomplished, talented, loving, compassionate, fierce fighter. He is a brilliant knowledgeable grappler as well, recently winning double gold (his event and the open event) at the IBJJF Charleston Fall competition just a couple of weeks ago. The school has a mix of white belts from the Irmo area, and color belts from their school in Connecticut. They had a successful program in CT and a strong women's team. They've been open since January and in 10 months, less than a year, they won 1st place at the IBJJF Fall event in Charleston. This is an academy that anyone in the greater Columbia area should attend. If you're looking for a BJJ school, this one has it all - a great youth program, great adult classes, even a striking class. Classes are Monday through Saturday. I'm so grateful to have found this place, I could go on and on. A real gem of a BJJ school. Danilo and Jessica are great school owners and BJJ practitioners and instructors.

Amazing coaches! By far, the best Jiu Jitsu gym in the Columbia / Irmo / Lexington area. I've been…read morelearning Jiu Jitsu since 2012, moved around quite a bit due to my tenure in the Army, and have never had a Professor teach the way Professor Danilo teaches. He breaks the techniques down in ways that make it easier to grasp and understand. Jitsu Academy is truly a family environment also, my kids train also and have both made tremendous improvements with their techniques and game.

We've had an amazing experience so far! Our son has been here for a month and is doing great. The…read moreinstructors are wonderful, the environment is positive and supportive, and he genuinely enjoys going to class. Highly recommend!

My 8 yr. old grandaughter loves it here. I am picky about training after over 20 yrs in the U.S…read more Army and the training here is excellent. They bring a balance of keeping the standards with fun involved. They also work on discipline and respect. Well rounded training. Highly recommended.

Awesome spot to learn some self-defense martial arts for all ages, young and old, the instructor is…read morefriendly and well versed in the styles he teaches, the space you train in is convenient and safety is a primary concern. Definitely the best option around if you're looking to begin training in martial arts or a long time practitioner looking for something new or continuing. Highly recommend giving it a shot if you're even slightly curious!

LJJ has the 4 things you need for a great jiu-jitus school - a technical program, great…read moreinstructors, great students, and regular sparring. They have a great set of lesson plans with a focus on attack and defense from specific positions. For example, one week will focus on attacking and defending in the mount. Focusing on one position for the week allows you to see and practice the a solid package for that position. The positional sparring at the end of class allows you to immediately put what you've learned into practice to really solidify the concepts in your mind. The instructors do a great job of teaching the technical aspects of each move and answering any questions you have. The demonstrations of the techniques are slow, smooth, and detailed to make sure you know what's required to make the move work. You truly couldn't ask for a better group of students. Everyone is there to be the best they can be and help the students around them be the best they can be. Everyone strives to be technical and the bigger guys never get lazy and just smash the snot out of their smaller opponents or just muscle their way through moves. Some of the guys in the class are literal more than twice my size but they never crush me. I have great sparring matches Every. Single. Time. Once you get your first stripe, you can participate in open sparring after class. Sparring is essential to becoming a great practitioner of the art. Drills alone will never give you the timing and critical thinking skills you need to truly master the art.

Have trained at LJJ for the past few years and it doesn't get better than this is the greater…read moreColumbia area. If you want to learn how to defend yourself in a safe, welcoming environment, LJJ is the place to be!

KDA Karate is the absolute best Martial Arts school in Columbia. They offer Wing Chun, Dangsoodo,…read moreJapanese Sword, Taijutsu as well as a Ladies Martial Arts class. The instructors: Sifu Mosher, Dan Bernardo, Tina Lewis and Ryan Wineland are the most knowledgeable martial arts and self defense teachers in the area. The price is beyond fair and much lower then you would expect for the expert level of instruction. Also, there is no long term contracts, which is great. There are other schools in the area that offer these arts but don't waste your time. Especially if you're interested in Wing Chun. I can say without a doubt this is the only school offering quality Wing Chun instruction in the Columbia and Lexington area. Sifu Mosher is astounding. Dan Bernardo teaching Dangsoodo and Japanese Sword is a true old school martial artist who is beyond knowledgeable on the history and application of his art. Ryan Winleand's Taijutsu is beyond impressive in it's fluidity and effectiveness. I think he may actually be a ninja. Tina Lewis's will have any lady prepared for the fight and ready to go. Try it out. You won't be disappointed.

Five stars for sure. First, I love that they split their monthly cost into weekly payments. Very…read morehelpful for families on a budget. Second, our 8yr old son truly loves it here. The staff is very kind but appropriately firm. We have noticed such a positive difference in our son in the short few months that he has been here. He's less forgetful at home and has been taking more responsibility for himself. He's excited and motivated to go to every class. We look forward to spending many more years at Black Tiger.

My family has been attending BT for close to a year now and we have been having good results…read more Master Black is a good instructor and his training style holds to the 5 tenants of Taekwondo. I don't have other martial arts instruction to really compare to, but in comparison of outlets and activities for our kids and as a family as a whole, this is a very good one. While going to those trampoline parks may be fun to go to, there isn't a whole lot that you take away unless you only wanted a diversion that was one-time or sporadic. Attending BT gives you and your family the opportunity to build your physical health, a development of character, and it's also a great way for families to spend time together. If you're looking for only that one-time or sporadic participation, this isn't for that. Like if you go on a diet, your goal may involve loosing weight or eating more healthy. If you engage in weight-training, your goal may be to build more muscle mass. None of those things can be done just once or twice, you need to stick with it before any results are obtained. If you decide to attend BT, Master Black has entire months planned out to in advance to train and educate all of his students, kids, juveniles, and adults alike, in building themselves on those different levels. It doesn't require the commitment of the entire taekwondo lifestyle, but the benefits of physical and character development last beyond the class. No trampoline park can do that. What I would have liked better is the physical building. I need higher-intensity work-outs and more often than what BT provides, so I work out extra on the side for that. Another downside is that there are only a few adults who participate (many parents do come by, but only their kids attend). So the variety of styles and opponents to spar with is limited. I do like that Master Black has a wealth of knowledge and experience with Taekwondo. He is friendly and also good with kids too (he is also a father, so he has that insight as well). Many of the students have been attending for years, working their way even up to Black Belt. So I'd rate a 4.5-5 stars, most especially because my kids enjoy it so much.

Started Tie Chi in July 2026, this class along with Sifu Saleem's extensive experience and…read moreknowledge provide an authentic journey into this ancient art.

Sifu Saleem is one of the most knowledgeable masters of Kung Fu, to include Tai Chi and Qi Gong…read more He has been in business in the Columbia area since 1985 and has become very skilled and patient in helping with my physical and mental challenges as well as those of others. His Kung Fu students are amazing, and some have been in the school for about 20 years. Thoroughly recommend!