The staff here was nice enough and they seem to know what they are doing. The low review rating is…read moremostly about my perceived value (or the lack of it) in attending training here. Attended a few training sessions at their much reduced "teaser" rate. They REALLY pressure you to sign up for an annual, pretty non-breakable contract. Their monthly contract cost is pretty high considering that 99% of the training consists of exercises that I can do all by myself... such as running around the perimeter of the gym, playing jump rope, pushups, situps and so on. I signed up for this training because I wanted to learn something about Korean martial arts but that training was never forthcoming. Almost all of the students are young kids. Some VERY young. I was easily twice as old as the next oldest student. If you're a parent and don't mind paying $100/mo to send your kid to a PE-oriented day care center, then this could be the place for you. But if you are an adult looking for intensive martial arts training you may well find the curriculum here disappointing. Bottom line was that I felt I was paying a LOT of $$$ for "training" that just wasn't worth the fee. If all someone wants is an intensive PE workout, there are gyms around that charge in the $10-$15 per month range for that sort of service. I would have given this place one star except that it probably is a good venue for kids who have parents with unlimited funds.

My wife and I have rekindled our relationship through Taekwondo thanks to Yong-In. We never…read moreimagined that our marriage could be so strong.

Our children have been taking instructions from Master Clark for almost two years now. We love the…read morebalance of discipline and fun because, let's face it, they're still kids. I've heard other Martial Arts studios will make families commit to two years of instruction or hours of instruction per week. There is no pressure put on the families or the children. They can pursue belts and levels at their own pace. The instruction has been great at boosting my son's confidence. Great family run business.

As a student, I am thrilled to recommend this school and its staff. I have trained at several…read moreschools over the years and this one stands out for several reasons: 1. It is very welcoming and supportive; the community is strong and friendly. Some schools are very businesslike, or don't encourage students to be friends outside of class; this one is the opposite! 2. The style is very eclectic. You will learn to punch and kick, but you'll also learn to use weapons and to move in several different distinct ways. This style of martial arts has a lot to learn and challenges my mind and body every class. 3. Speaking of challenge, this class is a full body workout. I never step off the mat without getting really sweaty. The teachers make time to encourage you to drink water frequently during class. 4. This school and community are extremely inclusive. There are at least any many women and trans students as men; frequently men are in a drastic minority. There is no "bro"/macho culture here as there is in many other schools. While it is somewhat expensive for the number of classes (2-3/week at least as a beginning adult student) you get access to compared to some other schools, the pricing is not a secret (it is shown on the website and the staff will be happy to talk with you about it), I feel it is worthwhile based on about 10 years of training in other schools (even ones that cost less and had 10 classes a week).

I have trained at One With Heart since 2019 and the community and the excellent teaching keep me…read morecoming back! I love the workout I get and even if I've had a bad day, I always feel better after class. The school was also a great source of stability and community for me during the pandemic, and I will always appreciate the strength I gained from my teachers and classmates during that time. Highly recommend checking out an intro!

They aren't kidding when they say things like "ego free" or friendly. Definitely want to sign up…read morewith them. Went with my teenage daughter and she was into it too. I'm glad they exist!

I highly recommend Lightning Hand Academy because they teach techniques that can be used for…read morepractical, real world self defense, it's a great workout, and the school has very good, supportive community feel. Full disclosure - I studied with Lightning Hand regularly from early 2016 until August 2017. In July 2017 I met someone in Washington, dated long distance, then moved so I wasn't able to make time for martial arts. I thought I had written a review for LHA 4 years ago and just found that I had not, so I figured late better than never! I was primarily interested in practical self defense and a good workout. I was afraid of making the mistake of "studying the wrong martial art". The Wing Chun approach seemed practical to me - techniques are all standing up, emphasis is on close range & punching technique, early techniques are very simple which makes them faster to cement into muscle memory. Wing Chun doesn't do high kicks, which are flashy but high risk and in my opinion unlikely to be used in a real life self defense situation (by the time you know someone intends to actually attack you, not just posturing, they are inside kicking distance). LHA's class approach creates a good training loop in my opinion - warm up, discuss ideas and theory, practice smaller skill subsets - agility or striking drills, then integrate smaller skills into practical fighting application by sparring, repeat. Enough variety in techniques and drills to keep you from getting bored, but also comes back to basics frequently to make sure they are solid in your muscle memory. There can be BS (or fear of BS) around martial arts, but I felt LHA was a very low BS environment. All humans have egos, so Ray would regularly talk to the benefits of overcoming your ego, because it gets in the way of learning. Students are expected to teach each other by being good training partners, and held to this expectation. I was once corrected by Ray in I thought a very skillful manner. I was doing a drill with someone that is supposed to be about sensing and technique, but I was using muscle to overpower my partner. Neither of us were learning what we were supposed to be. Ray came over and swapped my partner out, and did the same exercise with me. He was pushing me all over, but I could feel that he was using better posture and technique, not muscle force. I was tiring quickly and he was barely exerting effort. He asked if I still feel strong. This was pointed enough that I understood his meaning clearly - knock it off! But also conveyed one to one so I was not embarrassed in front of the class. I got really clear from this teaching moment that I was responsible for helping others learn and resolved to be a better training partner. COVID has made a lot of things difficult, but I believe LHA is still operating, doing remote training. There is a lot in Wing Chun you can learn practicing solo with minimal equipment - forms teach correct movements, you can practice striking with a wall bag full of rice that will cost less than $30. The best training experience will still need another person, but maybe you can recruit a friend or significant other to train with you? If you're feeling cooped up and would like to try learning a new skill, there is no time like the present!

My 7YO has been attending for a few months and loves it!read more

Our son has loved his experience with AMMA - they focus on the physical and the mental mindset…read more Kristine and Christopher walk the talk both while training and within the community. The lessons are challenging and supportive. It's been a great fit !

Been training here for 10+ years. Every instructor is kind and helpful, and works and encourages…read morestudents at any level. The basic principles and foundation of body movement and aikido are very solidly taught, along with more advanced and uniquely styled techniques passed down from the late Kanai Sensei. PS the fact that an angry anti-vaxer left a 1-star review because they weren't allowed to train while unvaccinated says everything about how seriously the instructors at 2 rivers take their students' health and safety, as well as hold solidly to their moral principles.

From the first time I dropped in to observe a class here, the sense of inclusion, friendliness, and…read morecare was apparent. The instructor (Lynn Sensei) came over to introduce herself, made me feel welcome, taught the class, and then came over to check in and see if I had any questions. When I signed up for a beginner class, the Senpai (senior student) who was teaching that class introduced himself, giving his pronouns (this might seem trivial to most of us, but it's a huge signal of support and welcome for trans and gender-non-conforming folks!), and took lots of time to explain everything that was happening. I was surprised to find it extremely difficult to make it all the way through a class without getting overwhelmed, but every single instructor I've met there has been extremely supportive in figuring out how to adapt classes to meet my needs, and has offered to help me work on techniques during open mat time, which is easier for me to manage. (Oh, and when I went back for a second beginner class led by a different Senpai, she also introduced herself with her pronouns, mentioned that some people might need to spend time figuring out how the formal bowing might work with their own spiritual beliefs and practices, and offered several variations on ways to sit on the mat that work well for different bodies--again, 10/10 for inclusion!) As for the instruction itself: techniques are taught with a clean beginning, middle, and end. The instructor will demonstrate a technique a few times, talking their way through it, then have students pair up to practice. More complex techniques are broken down into steps, with at least a few minutes to practice the first part before moving on to subsequent steps or variations. Because students of all levels practice together, the instructors take care to adapt the exercises to account for each student's capabilities. All in all, this is an amazing place to learn, and a wonderful community.

Great way to learn a skill that's a little different. You don't need to be a hardcore athlete to do…read morewell, I'm a bigger guy and I do just fine. It's worth noting that this is nothing like fencing, the practice swords we use are much heftier than that. On that note, if you're afraid of getting beat on too much don't. Everyone goes really easy on beginners. The prices are fair, I do a month to month contract and that's $80 per month and $30 when you test for your next rank. If you wanna do a longer contract the monthly rate is less. The class as of June 2016 is pretty small, if there were more people the class would improve(more members=more money=more academy gear). If you wanna try it out to test the waters Sir Ron lets you go to 2 classes for free. There are as of this review plenty of practice swords to go around. If you want something fun to do twice a week that's very low key this is a great choice.

Do you know about Capoeira? To me, it's the most interesting of the martial arts because it is both…read morebadass and really elegant and fun to watch. It includes Brazilian music and all members are part of the activity even if they are not the 2 individuals "sparring" at the moment. The studio has just moved to a new location and is still working on its storefront but my 11 year old is now approaching year 3 in this group and he has learned so much. He started in a kids-only class (pre-Covid) and my then 5 year old started too. When Covid hit, Cavaleiro, the instructor moved things to Zoom and my son carried on (it was too much for my 5 year old). Now that they're back in studio, he is participating in advanced classes. Covid protocols are in place--all students practice masked. My son started not knowing how to do a cartwheel and now does aerial flips! The physical part is astounding but the music and singing (and learning Portugese while doing it) make it an all-around great activity. Cavaleiro and the other students are very welcoming to new students--helping include and guide them through the basics so they quickly become part of the group. Cavaleiro is super patient and quick to read his students' needs and reminds them that they're all on a learning journey.