Systems training center camp review:…read more Our kids had an amazing experience at Systems Training Center Summer Camp! Every week brought a new theme that kept them excited to come back--from movie making and engineering challenges to building a utopian city and exploring cultures from around the world through food, dances, and traditions. The camp does a great job balancing indoor activities with fun walks outside, giving the kids plenty of opportunities to stay active while learning. More than anything, it's a safe, encouraging environment where kids can be loud, get messy, make mistakes, learn from them, and build confidence and independence along the way. The staff truly cares about the kids, and you can see it in everything they do. If you're looking for a summer camp that's fun, creative, educational, and helps your child grow, I highly recommend Systems Training Center. It's a place every parent should consider!

Important note: This review pertains specifically to the Systems Training Center Summer Camp, not…read morethe dojo's regular martial arts instruction. My son attended the summer camp/day program only and was not enrolled as a regular martial arts student. I enrolled my son hoping for a fun, safe, and well-supervised summer experience. Unfortunately, that was not our experience, and I would not enroll him again. The camp often felt disorganized and seemed to operate without much advance planning. Activities appeared to change from day to day, and there was little evidence of a structured program. The first warning sign came during my son's first week. After only a few days, he came home, burst into tears, sobbed in my arms for more than ten minutes, and begged me not to make him return. He described the environment as "overwhelming" and "overstimulating" because of the constant screaming, yelling, and disruptive behavior from some campers. Those concerns continued throughout the summer. To be clear, I understand children sometimes struggle with emotional regulation and behavior. My concern is not that children are expected to be perfect. My concern is that I expect adults supervising a children's camp to appropriately manage disruptive or aggressive behavior, protect all campers, and provide an environment where children feel safe. Based on both what I observed and what my son consistently reported, I did not feel that happened. For example, my son reported that one camper became upset during a game, ran at him while screaming, and grabbed at his clothing. He also reported this was not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of repeated screaming, tantrums, and disruptive behavior from this camper and another camper that made him increasingly uncomfortable attending camp. My biggest concerns, however, involved supervision and safety outside the dojo. My son reported that counselors took campers on neighborhood "ninja walks" and encouraged them to practice parkour on nearby structures, including climbing a structural wall at a neighboring apartment complex using decorative rocks as footholds. He also reported a counselor challenged the children about who was "brave enough" to jump from what he estimated was a very high wall into an enclosed area below. My son declined to participate because he felt uncomfortable and became so distressed that he cried. What surprised me most was that I was never informed campers would routinely leave the dojo for these neighborhood activities. Nothing in the written materials or waiver explained that campers would be practicing parkour throughout the surrounding neighborhood. The paperwork states parents would receive advance notice of field trips. In my opinion, taking campers outside the dojo and throughout the neighborhood constitutes an off-site activity that parents should be informed about beforehand. When I later spoke with the camp director, she confirmed that these neighborhood "ninja walks" are a regular part of camp and stated they have permission from neighboring property owners to use parking lots, areas between buildings, and other structures. That was the first time I had heard that explanation. She also said part of the camp's philosophy is "stretching the kids to their limits." While I support helping children build confidence and resilience, I believe those challenges should occur in a carefully supervised environment with clear communication to parents. I also had concerns about security. During the entire camp session, I was never asked to show identification when picking up my son. On multiple occasions, counselors were on their phones when I entered the dojo and did not even look up to acknowledge who had come through the door. The surrounding neighborhood also concerned me. During drop-off and pick-up, I observed several individuals who appeared homeless and/or intoxicated. One individual in particular was dirty, disheveled, and wearing torn, soiled clothing. I watched him stand outside the dojo for several minutes with his face pressed against the glass doors and his hands cupped around his eyes so he could look inside and watch the children. Learning that campers were routinely taken on walks through this same neighborhood only increased my concern. When I discussed these issues with the director, I did not feel my concerns about supervision, behavior management, communication with parents, or safety were meaningfully addressed. Every family has different expectations, and some children may have a wonderful experience here. This review simply reflects ours. I was looking for a camp with consistent supervision, proactive communication, thoughtful behavior management, and strong safety practices. Based on what I personally observed and what my son consistently reported, I do not feel this summer camp met those expectations, and I would not enroll him again.

A buddy of mine introduced me to CMMA and their way of Jiu Jitsu/MMA and I really enjoyed it. They…read morehave several MMA fighters there and for me, they had zero ego. Always remembering me and welcoming me to the mats with them. Happy to attend their class when I can... see you on the mats.

Was referred to this gym by a friend that trains here. I wasn't here for a long time due to…read moreschedule and life but highly recommend it here. Instructors are very experienced with boxing and kick boxing which is the classes I signed up for. They also don't mind helping out if your confused and even with feedback. The members in the class are all at different levels of skill which is great because you get to learn from them. As someone with 8 years of experience with Taekwondo. Boxing was very new and different for me but I had alot of fun there and lastly the workout is great!! Maybe once things calm down with what I have going on I'll return to train here.

Kinderkarate that is both fun and serious. Master Fred makes sure that the kids learn the basics of…read moreSoo Bahk Do with concentration, focus and form. The highlight of the class is the obstacle course where kids crawl under chairs, vault, go over a balance beam, climb a rope and more.

South Bay Martial Arts is the best martial arts studio (school) in Torrance and the surrounding…read moreareas. The instructors are extremely dedicated and sincere. In addition to teaching the martial art techniques, there is a lot of focus on values like, discipline and respect. I highly recommend this martial arts school!

I learned to much from my first ever day doing jiu jitsu, and everyone apart of the program are…read moregreat people with coach Gio teaching me many things in such a short time.

I've been training at Vuk Jiu Jitsu for about 3 weeks now and came in with zero experience. Gio is…read morea really great instructor. He's patient, explains the fundamentals in a way that makes sense, and you can tell he knows his stuff. The students are super supportive and welcoming, which makes a big difference when you're just starting out. The gym is always clean and well taken care of, and the classes are fun while still being challenging. The community vibe here is awesome. I already feel like I'm part of the team and I actually look forward to every class.

My family has been training here for about 3 years now. Going into this we expected them to train,…read morelearn, have fun, and possibly compete. What we didn't expect was becoming part of a community where everyone is like family and super supportive.      Professor Andre is the most patient, kind and understanding person I have ever met. He teaches the kids with so much love and passion. I can't really speak for the adult class, but my husband enjoys it so much, he wishes he could train everyday if his schedule permitted it. Aside from training, they put together ways for families to get to know each other and have fun. Last Halloween they hosted a trunk or treat, which all the families had an amazing time. Also, I was able to attend one of their mom's nights out. I really appreciated that even though I don't personally train - there was something for me as well. There is never any pressure to attend any of the extra stuff, but it's great for all the kids and families to get to know each other outside of class.

Best jiu jitsu professor on earth. I look forward to each day. Great group of highly motivated…read morecompetitors if you want to compete. If not, there is absolutely no pressure to do so. They will all train with you at your level.

I started training at South Bay Shotokan right after the pandemic ended. I studied three different…read morestyles of martial arts before 2020. I've always wanted to be a part of a discipline that has a strong connection to its Eastern origins. After two years of training, I can say that this style of karate is the best that I've ever been a part of. I have never felt like I was being mistreated or in a manner that doesn't allow me to improve. I am allowed to ask questions. I do get corrected if I am doing something incorrect just so I can understand the application and how it can be applied. I should mention that this dojo includes members that have a direct connection with Tsutomu Ohshima, the founder of Shotokan Karate of America. All members of this dojo are great to train with. There is no ego. Nobody is there to show that they are better than everyone else. It's a great learning environment. Please know that this isn't a McDojo of any kind. If you're thinking of signing up to become a black belt in 6 months, then this may not be the right place for you. There is no color belt system, so there may be some frustration being a white belt for at least the first couple of years. But there are also special training moments that can help the student strengthen their physical and mental capabilities. Taking part in these trainings along with attending classes on the regular, advancement in rank can and will be achieved. I cannot recommend this dojo enough. If you're looking for a legitimate form of karate that will help you not only develop strong techniques in self defense, but it will help one improve on many other areas in life. You'll get back what you put in! As of March 2024, the dispensary that was next door has relocated. This has created a much healthier training space.

Great place to learn a great self defense martial art. It has change my life forever. Learn to face…read moreoneself with strict eyes.

This school is great. Bob Bass (who has been running the school since the mid 90s) was the first…read moreamerican black belt under Rigan Machado, and if you've ever seen Rigan roll on youtube he is an absolute monster, then you will understand what Bob is all about. All the core basics, really tight game, superior self-defense and defensive positioning, super simple, yet technical submissions. Nothing fancy, just old school Machado BJJ. The other black belts that teach here embody a similar blue-collar style of BJJ. Everyone at the gym is nice and welcoming, the group classes are great, privates even better. Gym is very clean.

This was a nice gym. The students were all really nice. There is a fair mix of white blue and…read morepurple belts. The pricing was average to cheap depending upon the package. There are also weights here. I didn't ask about them, but if you are allowed to use them you may be able to have this place double as your weight gym. At the end of the class I took there was probably roughly about a half hour where it was kinda just open mat. I found this time to be very useful to use as some much need practice time for technique. This gym lays a little more on the non-traditional side. Most people where gi's but they are optional and some do not. Bowing is not required (or at least that is what I was told). And Bob incorporates some general self-defense not exclusively related to Jiu-Jitsu like protecting yourself from certain strikes.

Update, I had forgot to add that though my son had left this school to focus on his high school…read morestudies at CAMS in his sophomore year, he returned in his collegiate years as a cadet in the U.S. Air Force Academy and was welcomed with open arms a few times to train with the late, Great Sifu Richard Bustillo, Rex, Mark, Nicole, and staff... My son eventually became a two-time National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) Champion and was awarded by the tournament referees as the best boxer in the lower weight class in 2016 & 2017! https://youtu.be/Zlk9doqkK3s Rest In Peace and Thank You again Sifu Richard Bustillo, all IMB Staff and practitioners, past, present, & future! You will never find a better place to train mind, body, and Spirit... this place is it!

The Location is hazardous ( air quality and soot ) and it shares a space / interior wall with a…read moresmog testing facility. The outer building, door and windows are covered from the adjoining smog business where the soot from the exhaust of thousands of vehicles is caked onto the building. Too bad because this academy sounds good on paper.