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).

My daughter and I really enjoy doing the Krav and cub classes. My only complaint is that our class…read morestarts late almost every time and the time does not get made up because another class starts right afterwards. I do agree that it's good to warm up before starting classes but I feel that there might be too much time running back-and-forth. Occasionally it feels like a way to keep us busy while they are speaking to other people. We've had a couple classes with Beth, she is very nice and patient with the little ones. Travis was our main coach for a few months and I can tell the older kids work better with him. They only have beginner and advanced classes. It would be nice to have an intermediate class as well. I think in general more classes would be helpful as you cannot graduate to certain belts unless you are taking two classes a week. We signed up for a year and will plan to continue for as long as possible. I do recommend this place. * updated to add that now that school has started, they just brought in another trainer (Shlomi) to teach the older kids since the class size has doubled. He is very good at teaching new techniques properly. I feel that he is the best match for my yellow belt 8 year old.

I cannot recommend KravZone highly enough, especially for parents looking to enroll their children…read morein Krav Maga classes. My experience with their kids' program has been nothing short of exceptional, hats off to the incredible instructor, Travis! From day one, it was evident that Travis was not only highly skilled in Krav Maga but also knew the knack of teaching and working with children. Whether a child was struggling with a technique or excelling at it, Travis was present very watchfully, providing guidance, support, and positive reinforcement. One of the things that stood out to me the most was Travis's ability to create a supportive and encouraging environment for the kids. Moreover, he has a unique talent for breaking down complex techniques into simple, easy-to-understand steps, making it accessible and observable for children of all skill levels. What stood out to me in particular was his own values, principles and attitude which in my opinion are of paramount importance especially while teaching life skills to others. Beyond his technical expertise, Travis also instilled important values such as team work, discipline, respect, and self-confidence in the children. Through his teaching, my child not only gained valuable self-defense skills but also developed a sense of empowerment and self-assurance that extends beyond the mat. Beth, who is also an instructor and helps with the front desk, is extremely patient and helpful with any questions and a great teacher herself from the classes I've observed! If you're considering enrolling your child in Krav Maga classes, look no further than Krav Zone!

The older horrible reviews for this studio simply don't apply anymore since the new instructor,…read moreRobert McMaster, took over the studio in recent months. He is superb! My kids switched to this studio recently after we discovered there was a new outstanding instructor here. He is wonderful with the kids, managing to be firm and encouraging in a respectful and courteous manner. I wanted my kids to have an instructor who was not only a great teacher, but would also be a good role model in his behavior, since karate can be an endeavor involving many years to reach a black belt. I think this requirement is well met by Sensei Robert. Specifics that I like are that he incorporates strength training and overall fitness into the lessons so the kids are sweating and working towards attaining the strength and stamina that will be necessary to make their karate punches, kicks, and blocks more effective. I feel better, too, that they're getting some exercise when they go to their class. He works well with the kids, and his classes are smooth, high energy, positive, and well organized, with kids of varying temperaments all handled well. He gets through a lot of material in each class. This looks like some great preparation on his part. The sparring is well-supervised, not just a free-for-all brawl. Sensei Robert helps the kids think through their sparring, giving them strategies and tactics to make them more effective, and watches carefully to make sure they're safe. Each student can learn something from the advice he gives to the others who are sparring, instead of just sitting waiting idly. In the private and group lessons, he manages to take the complicated sequence of moves in the forms the kids do, and show them clearly how each applies to a defense situation. He matches the kids up so they can practice with someone their own size to see how the moves are supposed to land on another person's body. This is so well done, it makes a lot more sense to me as an observer, and no doubt my kids have a better idea why they're doing the moves as well. My kids love that he also lets them practice what a full-strength punch is like (on him, not other kids) so they have an idea of the level of force that should be behind these moves if they ever need to use them. The individual advice and critiques that he gave the kids in preparation for the tournament were also impressive, although my kids didn't compete this time. He helps them gain confidence, approach a scary situation in a manageable way, and provides very specific pointers that were wonderful. Previously, I was only guessing as to what differentiated the pile of kids at the tournament competing in one category, who all looked pretty similar to me. Now it's clearer what matters in polishing up their forms. He also does this in a way that is not demoralizing, but keeps the kids engaged and wanting to try their best. He's offered some fun things to the classes (movie and pizza night, plain clothes class day) that perked up my kids' enthusiasm when they were growing weary from their previous studio. He manages to incorporate some real-world self defense scenarios into the classes, too. The USSD website that allows you to view the forms (as videos from different vantage points) is helpful. He is also clear on what is needed for each belt level, and tests frequently enough so kids who miss a test don't have to wait forever for the next chance. Rates are lower than some of the other USSD studios (I didn't know there was any flexibility in this, but apparently there is). Although Sensei Robert is fairly young and doesn't have a super high level blackbelt, his teaching skills and people skills are superlative, and I think this is an outstanding studio to be a part of. Beautiful location in downtown Los Altos is an unnecessary but welcome added plus. Karate studio is top notch.

Very unprofessional. We stopped taking classes with Sensei Robert on July of 2025 because it was…read morenot a good fit (we gave it a solid 2 years but it just did not work). Six months later he continues to charge us the monthly fee on our credit card even after reminding him multiple times that we are not enrolled anymore. Be careful!

Attending the Hiruko martial arts school for the past 3 yrs. earning my third black belt, watching…read moreit grow to the over 200 students. The growth is driving changes from the mom and pop school to needing to hire employees as well as manage time and projects better. The instructor's wife controls this part of the business. She teaches occasionally as well. They are planning on moving soon to Midtown Palo Alto (2741 Middlefield Road) for a larger space and "better demographics", but may be able to keep the Los Altos location as they have two more years on their lease.....who will be teaching where? (info in public records) Classes are composed of 10-15 min. warmup, 20-35 min. instruction/practice, 5 minutes closing. Very young students are regularly led in physical games the last 10-15 minutes of class. Be careful in allowing your info to be posted on the website/parent's forum. It has been used to send unwanted and negative emails. Gossip is tolerated causing rumors and conflict. Policies for resolution aren't in place. The "head instructor" Jonathan, while terrific, is leaving Hiruko in the Summer for college. Overall, for kids in need of afternoon activities locally, Hiruko provides a nice place. At $149/month (+ $65 annual "comm. fee), it's mid-level price is reasonable. Hiruko attempts to teach "life changing" concepts to all students which may or may not align with parental views. Some students have been offered "scholarships" to Landmark Forum (see Wikipedia). The "master instructor", while earnest in his efforts, sometimes misapplies language, is wordy and difficult to follow for children and adults. Parents should be attentive and help their children through confusion, frustration and double messages. Validate the feelings of the child and maintain a solid view of reality. Be wary of medical advice. Black belt candidates are required to achieve certain levels of fitness, some of which are extreme (i.e. 50,000 push ups over a 6 month period or 277+ per day*). As adults or parents, keep in mind that YOU have the final authority in what is safe. *Requirement from 2009 Black Belt candidate documents. (This is an update from my original review in 2006.)

Natalia/Jorge & Angela are fantastic. Jorge is so experienced. He is fantastic with my special…read moreneeds son and gives him extra 1:1 time at no additional cost so he can keep up with the class. It is really helping my son's self esteem and strength. The kids in the class are very nice. There is a boy who is one year older than my son who looks out for him at the Middle School they both go to. They host special events like "bring your teacher", "bring a friend". They also will host movie nights at moderate cost which is wonderful for parents.

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.

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!

Update: I'm still…read morehere - 6 years later. Ryan continues to provide a high quality, intense workout. There are now afternoon classes available which offers a bit more flexibility since the evening classes get full. It's amazing to see how much Ryan has grown his business. Even after all these years, you can see that he is still very passionate about teaching. Everyone is still super friendly, supportive, and helpful. This is a true testament to the brand that Ryan has built at T2 Muay Thai. Thank you, Ryan - I know you don't hear it quite enough.

Though I live pretty far (Santa Cruz Mountains), I still have been trying to drop in and take…read moreclasses every couple of weeks. Ryan is top tier! Got a few of my coworkers to start attending now as well and they also really like Ryan's coaching and the atmosphere of the class

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!