We have been so happy with this karate studio! We signed up our 5 year old for karate to build confidence, but it has done so much more for her. Her self-esteem has grown, she has made friendships (including us parents), and she has fun. Sensei Chris Pellitteri and Sensei Bill will help your child, give them attention, and do whatever it takes for your child to grow in confidence and skill. We cannot express how grateful we are to have discovered this gem and happily recommend it to all our friends and family. read more

Upland Martial Arts Center - Martial Arts Near Me - Upland, California

My kids have been practicing karate here for 4 years, and we couldn't be happier! All the sensei are wonderful -- they're patient, encouraging, and truly great with kids. The classes are well-organized, and the price and schedule work perfectly for our family. I once asked my kids who their favorite sensei is, and they said they don't have one because they love all of them! That really says a lot about the amazing team and positive environment here. read more

Awesome family run business with a great morale for the students. I love the monthly fee for drop in classes, the flexibility works great for my family. They have regular tournaments with trophies for the kids. My son has learned discipline, confidence and social skills. They also have an amazing summer camp program. I would recommend this dojo to anyone. read more

Cant recommend this place enough. Flexible hours and reasonable prices. We enrolled our daughter a few years ago and she loved it. Really helped a lot with her focusing in school aswell. Recently started our 4yr old in classes aswell and he's excited to go every Monday after school! read more

Great program with great instruction. Family friendly atmosphere. The instructors are professional and patient, you will definitely learn here if you attend regularly. No high pressure or contacts. read more

My son had been begging me to put him in karate for months. As soon as he turned 6 I enrolled him through the City of Upland's Recreation program. The class times are convenient for our schedule. He loves going to karate and has really stuck with the commitment of attending weekly classes, learning his forms and moving through the belt system. It is definitely a family friendly environment and everyone makes you feel welcome. The tournaments that Sensei puts on every few months are great. They motivate my son to continue learning and trying his best. We had tried another martial arts studio with my other child but after the introductory trial was over I was floored at the monthly tuition costs. We did not continue at the time because it wasn't in the budget. With Upland Martial Arts the tuition is much more affordable and I feel it is a great value for the services provided. read more

Upland Martial Arts Center - Tournament inside Upland Martial Arts Center - Martial Arts Near Me - Upland, California

My son loved coming to UMAC ! Everybody is so profesional and awesome ! The sensei is great with the kids and my son learned so much . Karate is a great way of defense and discipline , the sensei pushes the kids to be better and have fun at the same time. Thank you sensei ! read more

Upland Martial Arts Center - Martial Arts Near Me - Upland, California

I have had my kids enrolled in UMAC for over a year; my oldest is 16 and my youngest is 5. I can say unequivocally that this dojo cares about your child; if you're looking for an activity for your kids to work and thrive at, definitely give UMAC a look. One of the best things, logistically, is the flexible scheduling UMAC offers; when your kids are on a monthly program, they can attend virtually any class so you're not worrying about conflicts with your Monday or Thursday or whatever - just choose the days you want them to go and it's good. They have general classes every day except Friday and Sunday, as well as advanced classes, black belt classes and weapons classes. With such a wide range of availability, it's not a problem getting a lot of instruction on your schedule. The reason I would choose this dojo over other local choices is simple - I trust that all the Sensei's have my kid's best interests at heart. I can't count the number of times one of the Sensei's has pulled one of my kids aside to take an extra minute or two and teach them a particular move better. The dojo has quarterly tournaments, and the week before is geared towards improving specifically for the tournaments. No kid is ever a loser; they all get trophies for participating. With multiple kids, there is even a discount for the additional kids! Give them a try; this is the kind of extracurricular you stick on when you realize you're treated like family and not just as a customer. read more

My daughter's have now been students for just over five years. This dojo is a great place to learn martial arts and is available for ages 4 and up. Both of my daughter's have thrived in the caring environment that has been provided. The owners Chris and Christine are both amazing people. All of the other instructors have also had a huge impact on our entire family. We have many new friends and "family" that we have met at Upland Martial Arts! read more

When we started thinking about enrolling our daughter into martial arts, my mind went back 5 years to when I took a few weeks of self defense classes at Upland Martial Arts Center. I remembered having a great time, learning a lot and most importantly, I remembered the fun and friendly atmosphere and decided to check and see if they had classes for kids here. Lo and behold, they did! :) We are so happy we enrolled our daughter into karate here at UMAC. Even more importantly, so is she! My daughter is 4 and has been attending classes here now for a couple of months. When she first started, I thought "what the heck can they teach a 4 year old in karate". She's so young and pretty distracted most of the time, as 4-year-olds tends to be, so I was curious to see where this would lead. Well, just within a few weeks, this place has shown me that 4-year-olds are capable of listening! Miracles do happen! :) Just after the very first lesson they had her bowing in and out of the dojo, punching the punching bags, learning her "Tiger Cub" and uttering the phrase "yes Sensei". The Senseis here are amazing with the kids and my daughter very much looks up to them, I think they are good role models for her to have (mostly :D). The Senseis are very patient and encouraging in teaching the kids. Several times I've seen kids sit on the sidelines, a bit too shy to participate in class at first, but after some coaxing from the Senseis, they usually end up not only participating but returning again for the next class. Another thing that I think is equally important is that the Senseis are not afraid to discipline kids by sitting them out if they don't behave. They have found a really good balance here between fun, learning and discipline and it's working, all the kids are very excited to come to class. Besides the nice atmosphere at UMAC and all the nice people we have met so far, participating in martial arts so early has been so good for my daughter. Already at 4 she is standing alone in front of the class (as do all the other kids), showing her moves, regardless of whether she knows it perfectly or not (nobody knows these moves perfectly at age 4 lol). The discipline and self esteem she is gaining is great and we recently asked her if she wants to go twice a week and she didn't even hesitate in saying yes so we'll be upping her classes. Signing up through the City of Upland is a great way to get started. We started with one 30-minute class a week and are now upping it to two 30-minute classes because I still don't think she is ready for a 1-hour class. The city also offer 1-hour classes and what is really nice is that there is no pressure from UMAC to join their program, you can stay in the city classes for as long as you want. We are eventully going to join the UMAC program if my daughter keeps enjoying herself this much, but for now the city classes are great for trying it out and is very affordable, definitely cheaper than many other sports and activities. Even if your child tries it and doesn't enjoy it, you are not out a lot of cash at the end of the day. Anyway, if you're reading karate reviews on Yelp, you are probably thinking about joining, either with yourself or with your child, and I definitely gives this place two thumbs up! If you're looking for a social and family oriented place to teach yourself or your kids some nice martial arts skills, look no further. Come check it out! (As for me, after 5 years I still remember the "mayonnaise jar" and I still have my broken board with Sensei's signature on it but watching my daughter now, I'm definitely itching for some refresher classes so we'll see! Another review on how they treat adults may be posted at a later time ;-) hehe) Anyway, stop reading reviews! Just go sign up! You'll love it! read more

Sensei Chris Pellitteri and his team of instructors are wonderful! Our children have been studying with them for over two years, during which time their confidence has increased, they have practiced discipline, and they have made new friends. Sensei works hard to build a strong karate community as he provides many opportunities for the kids to learn and socialize. UMAC offers competitive rates, and they also offer options through city recreation and as a homeschool vendor. We highly recommend Sensei Chris Pellitteri's Upland Martial Arts Center! read more

I cannot say enough about this place.. My daughter has been going there since she was 5 1/2. The sensei's there are very hands on and have a perfect balance of fun and discipline. I have been to other places and they just treat you as a wallet coming through the door. This place is more like a family community..rather than a business. The tournaments are not just about getting a trophy they are a fun competition between our dojo and a couple of others.. And they encourage kids and parents to cheer for each other.. I would definitely recommend this dojo if you are wanting a place that is not going to hold you to a contract and if your wanting to learn from some great teachers. read more

My son has been taking lessons here for several years. He has made his way to black belt rank. He's learned extensive fighting technique and discipline that has transformed his behavior. All the instructors there are knowledgeable and work well with the students. They are friendly and approachable too, no gruff Sensei's here. I love the fact that they offer a variety of classes and their prices are affordable. I highly recommend this dojo! read more

My son has been a UMAC student for the past 8 years. He's progressed from a five year old white belt to a confident 13 year old black belt. My son is now a Sempai (assistant instructor) and I have seen so much growth in him as he helps the younger students to learn their karate forms. He loves to attend karate (half the battle) and considers his karate friends among his best friends. As he has grown up he has looked to the positive role models that the older kids at the dojo provide. This dojo also provides a variety of different activities in addition to the ability to attend classes several times per week. Students can earn ranks (belts) in Nunchucks through an international system created by UMAC owner Chris Pellitteri. They also have summer camps four weeks throughout the summer which are very reasonably priced and have discounted rates if you attend multiple camps. In addition, they have game nights that allow the kids to have a fun time while parents can have a night out on the town. As a mom, I love my dojo friends as well. I look forward to going to his classes and being able to spend time with other parents who have become special friends...UMAC is truly a family! read more

We tried baseball. We tried soccer. We tried basketball. Nothing could keep my son engaged enough to maintain his interest. After the first lesson, we knew that karate was for him. The format of the classes here are excellent for training and fun at the same time. We started off with the 30 minute classes through the city which was a great start for a new student. My son is now in the hour long class and having the foundation built from the entry level class has really helped him transition to the full hour. The staff is friendly and work well with the kids. I feel like they are great at keeping the kids in line (which they need) all while keeping a fun atmosphere. I really appreciate the flexibility of the classes as well. My schedule is usually all over the place from week to week so it's nice to be able to take my son in on whatever days are convenient for us. Five stars in my book. read more

We signed our 4 year old daughter for classes her through the Upland City Rec. She has really grown since starting these classes. It's the perfect mix of discipline, coordination training and a good time that these kids need. I would highly recommend this place to family and friends. read more

Awesome teachers !!! This dojo even has movie night for the students to have their parents have a date night ...luv this place !! My son has been going to this dojo since he was 6yrs old . Still loving it !! read more

Some of the things my children have learned from Karate: #1 Karate, of course! But also, Discipline, Self Respect, Respect for others, Team work, what Honor means, hard work (and how it pays off), Camaraderie, resposibility and how to count in Japanese! This Dojo is teaching the things we teach our children about character and doing the right thing, self defense is important but being able to de-escalate a situation is better and to know when you need to use your Karate and when to and how to not use it. A big thank you to all the staff at UMAC for the job you are doing. And for teaching my kids to count in Japanese! read more

They have very good philosophies and methods of teaching karate, especially to children, Sensei Pellitteri has operated a dojo for over 20 years and there are always plenty of assistant instructors on hand so students get individual training. Our son has ADHD, and his training at UMAC has been instrumental in teaching him focus and discipline. read more

This place is really the BEST. My girls have been going here for 2 years now, and I see the confidence and enjoyment they have from coming here. After searching for about a month to find the right place for them, we are so happy that we picked this place. The UMAC is very family oriented and the people here are great. They also love their day camps and other fun things they do there. read more

You can NOT find a better place to introduce your kids to martial arts. Sensei Chris and his teaching staff will make you and your family feel right at home. My 8 year old daughter is shy and sensitive. She really wanted to try karate but she was super nervous. The environment at UMAC is structured, yet fun and relaxed. Students are expected to be respectful and attentive, but the staff is always patient, supportive, and very encouraging. Additionally, the cost per month is reasonable and you can attend as many times a week as you want! We just added in half hour private lessons once a week. My daughter is flourishing from the gentle, yet firm one on one attention she is getting from her amazing teacher, Sempei Mia. (There are definitely more male than female teachers at UMAC, but ALL the teachers are phenomenal- you will find no intimidation or yelling here.) I would not hesitate highly recommending UMAC to all my family and friends. And once you've joined us, you won't either!! read more

Upland Martial Arts Center has been a part of our lives since before our children were born. My husband and I both took lessons there before we had kids and, seeing the great combination of fun & discipline the Senseis instilled in the little kids, I knew I would send my children there once they were old enough. My three kids have been there for at least 5 years (my oldest left this past year only because she started High School & was overwhelmed) and they look forward to going. Sensei teaches respect for the Art, respect for each other, & respect for adults. He jokes around with the kids but, unlike what the author of the previous review perceived, the instructors are not disrespectful to the kids or to the parents & do not humiliate them. The children (& adults) have a GREAT time & advance as quickly or as slowly as they want to. Great, family-oriented dojo, not cut-throat but those students know their stuff. Being with UMAC you are part of a Martial Arts family. read more

Upland Martial Arts Center - Annual Holiday Pictures - Martial Arts Near Me - Upland, California

My family has been involved with the Upland Martial Arts Center for close to six years now, and when I say "family," I mean it. My daughter started taking karate lessons at 4 years old through the city class, moved up to the regular classes, and earned her junior black belt last year; at different times, my wife and I have also been students at the school. But even if my wife and I had not opted to sign up, I would still consider our experience with UMAC to have been a family affair since the school provides a very family friendly atmosphere. Sensei Pellitteri does an excellent job of creating a blend of fun and discipline for his students; he engages with the parents and always welcomes them as spectators--as opposed to some schools where parents are allowed to watch classes only at certain times. The assistant instructors are also skilled, responsible, respectful, and pleasant to be around. During class, parents can expect their children to be involved in a blend of skill building drills and games that reinforce those skills along with teaching the children to have an appropriate attitude toward the dojo and the work they are doing in it. Another reviewer has commented that the instructors talk down to the children; in almost six years, I have NEVER seen that happen. Yes, some kids get unruly and are sometimes not mature enough to follow instructions, and when those things happen, Sensei will occasionally sit a kid out, but it's never done in a cruel or humiliating way. Sensei does have a great sense of humor and likes to joke with the kids; I get the feeling that this other reviewer may simply not have appreciated the humor. One of the nicest things about enrolling my child at UMAC has been that there is no contract, unlike a lot of other schools. Parents pay a flat fee and students can stop at any time without penalty. During the summer months, the school offers several karate-themed day camps, and I have signed my daughter up for these all-day activities for several years running. She always enjoys herself and I have never had misgivings about leaving her at the school. The same goes for the almost monthly parents-night-out type of activities where the school stays open late on a Saturday for games and pizza for a super reasonable fee. Again, I have left my daughter at the school for these events countless times, always without incident, and she always has a great time. I can honestly say that my family's involvement in UMAC has been one of the best things that has happened to us over the last six years, and it's hard to imagine an equally positive experience at a different school. read more

This review might be a little biased as I am one of the instructors at the school. However my kids and I did start out there (a long time ago) as students with no knowledge of martial arts or knowing anyone else associated with the business and I am still here almost 20 years later. My children have moved out of the area but both of them have attained the rank of Black Belt at the Upland Martial Arts Center. The school is a family friendly atmosphere which has a well rounded and well designed martial arts curriculum that instructs students from White Belt to Black Belt and beyond. With a focus on a good mix of open hand techniques, martial arts weapons, some sparring, and real applied self defense the school teaches a full curriculum. The school has a lot of outside activities that are fun and build a community (summer day camp, game nights, etc). I have seen many of the students develop friendships that last long past the time they spend at the dojo. read more