This is a horrible place to take martial arts . I was there about ten years. Lawrence has decided to keep a fling with my mother who is in her seventies after I referred her to him to teach martial arts in private lessons. It is unethical to take money from a student and cultivate a dating and sexual relationship. I had no intention to allow my mother to become victim to predator like behavior to fulfull his lusts and desires. The deception and secrecy has served to undermine the existing family harmony we had. As one woman told me who took Tai Fit, he uses his business to get women. Today, even with the coronavirus, he insists on meeting with my mom at his apartment not considering that a woman in her seventies is high risk. With the values he tries to instill in the class, he should start with having some integrity and living them himself. This place is not good for buidling families or unity. Lawrence had to lie to me continually to continue this relationship while I was taking private lessons from him, How many men look for their martial arts instructor to form a dating relationship with their mother after having a lengthy friend relationship.This martial arts business symbolizes disrespect and betrayal at its best. Sex in the Dojo http://www.mettermartialarts.com/papers/sex.html?fbclid=IwAR3LOq31Ed2Oj1uUQ3t_hMLcnhQWPqEeGXh83xSO9SDWalHgRYEHynhYZLk To be a successful martial arts instructor, one must have the physical ability to deliver skills and the confidence to teach others. For some instructors, these positive attributes degenerate to the negative: selfish physical gratification and ego-building. These traits are given a vehicle for harassment in the superior-subordinate relationship. When the one in the power relationship abuses his authority for base personal desires, that is a breach of ethical standards. In the martial arts, this breach is especially severe for several reasons. Many women are vulnerable when they begin their study of martial arts; a recent divorce, a personal violent attack, or events in the community such as a serial killer at large are all common reasons for women to begin martial arts training. Therefore, an instructor who takes advantage of this sort of situation is essentially engaging in a form of emotional/sexual abuse. read more

I am usually not one for writing reviews, however, I have been so pleased with Urban Defense Center, I wanted to take the time to share. I have worked out in many gyms for over 25 years. I have had personal trainers along the way. I can honestly say the personal training along with Master Lawrence's classes cannot compare, or even come close to where I have trained before. He truly has a love for what he does and it definitely shows. You will work hard and you will sweat, and you will see results. The atmosphere is real nice and everyone in the classes I have had the opportunity to meet are extremely pleasant. Parking is never a problem and prices are reasonable. You will definitely get more than you pay for at Urban Defense Center !!! And did I mention, I come from Jersey to train, but it is that good. Now that you have read my review, you should really take the time to visit Urban Defense to see for yourself. Just once... and I know you will not be disappointed. read more

Master Lawrence is so good that he kicked my ass without ever laying a finger on me--and I loved every minute of it (OK, fine, not *every* minute). Two days later my muscles are still so jacked up on lactic acid that standing is like tearing my legs open. That's how you know you had a really good workout. I went to the Tai Fit class on Tuesday night, also taking advantage of the groupon deal. Master Lawrence is a great instructor and motivator. He walks around during class from time to time to check and correct your form. Kind of hard to slack off when he's standing right in front of you modeling proper form. He also cracked jokes to help us work through the fatigue and kept the class high-energy while switching things up enough that even a total beginner can (mostly) follow along. read more

This review pertains exclusively to the group fitness classes (Tai-Fit) offered at Urban Defense. They do have martial arts classes, but I've never taken one, so I don't feel like it would be responsible to review them. I've been a member at Urban Defense for probably 8. The poeple are very laid back, class attendees tend to be very diverse, and the instructor (Master Lawrence Whitaker) is hugely knowledgable - about everything from martial arts to fitness to nutrition. Some of the classes can get fairly intense, but they're always do-able. And the workout is incredible. They offer a free introductory class, so you should come by and check it out. They have classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6pm and Saturday and Sunday morning at 9am. I'm there for pretty much all of them. read more

Urban Combat is the perfect class for any man, woman, or teenager living in Philly. You will learn self-defense tactics, and in a short time you will notice positive changes in your physique and spirit. Since I began taking this class almost a year ago, not only have I become more confident on the street, but also my confidence has surged in other aspects of my life including my job, my relationships, and the sports I play. To top it off, I quickly realized that when I joined the Urban Defense Martial Arts and Fitness Center, I was embraced by a wonderful family. Master Lawrence Whitaker and his instructors create a very warm and friendly training environment so do not be afraid to visit and try out any of the superb classes offered at the Center. I hope to see you there! read more

Master Lawrence is AMAZING. I have been going to Tai Fit now for over a year on and off and every time the class is as exhilarating and sweat breaking fun as the last. He truly knows how to encourage and push you as the same time. He wants to help you fulfill your goals and he will help you do it. I have not only lost weight here because of the cardio but also toned my body that it's extremely noticeable. I love his Tai Fit class and I could go everyday. Definitely worth checking out if you are into getting in shape and don't enjoy just running on a boring treadmill. He makes class fun. Great Instructor and great location, easy to park and find. read more

Master Lawrence Whitaker taught a one hour self defense class for 30 of my friends and colleagues. In only one hour, each of us walked away with actionable tips on how to protect ourselves against assault and other serious crimes. Not only that, but we peppered him with scads of questions which he patiently answered. Lawrence's teaching style is very engaging; he's passionate about his craft and wants to share his knowledge. Lawrence also pulses with energy. Although this topic is very serious, he uses his sense of humor to bring levity so that the class was actually "fun." I highly recommend Master Lawrence Whitaker and Urban Defense. read more

We love Urban Defense! My 7 yr old daughter and I take the Sat morning martial arts class with Miss Karin. She has an innate understanding of kids. She is able to impart excellent safety/awareness tips to them without scaring them! The skills are not only street defense, but also traditional martial arts moves along with the wisdom and principles behind it. We love the combination of discipline, fun and real-life city safety skills. Working towards belts is a bonus that has gotten my daughter over performance anxiety issues and into a more confident level of excited determination. Highly recommend it. read more

I've been going to UDC for 2 years and I. Love. It. Love it, Love it, Love it. I participate in the Urban Defense Martial Arts program which teaches self-defense for real-life and street situations. So you learn practical moves while getting a kick-ass workout. Anyone who wants to learn real techniques to protect yourself (this is Philly, after all), have a ton of fun, and have a great workout with an amazing teacher who actually knows what he's talking about (Master Whitaker), this is absolutely the place to go! read more

Say goodbye to the mundane gym memberships that you never use. I've never sweat like this during any cardio workout...Lawrence BRINGS IT! DRILL AFTER DRILL! Even better, the life skills in self awareness and self defense are fundamental to city living and, most of all, empowering. Lawrence and his teams "each one, teach one" principle has everyone in my office knowing how to get out of a head lock. This city is really fortunate to be uplifted by talented, dedicated people who know how to get the job done. read more

I take martial arts class with my 6 yr old and 8 yr old boys at Urban Defense and it is fantastic. Karin, the instructor, is outstanding. My boys are becoming strong, confident, respectful (to themselves and others) and coordinated through our practice. What I love most is that I am doing class with them. We work hard together. They are learning skills that they can use for their entire lives, to protect themselves in an urban environment and at school from bulling. I highly recommend this class!! read more

I am a student of the UDFC and I'd say the programming has transformed my life. I have always been fairly self-motivated, but Master Whitaker and his curriculum/philosophy has pushed my mental and physical health to another level. I now believe there isn't anything I cannot accomplish. I would recommend this program to anyone looking to develop themselves personally for the betterment of society as a whole. read more

Got a groupon to try different gyms in Philadelphia with my friend. We attended the Saturday- Tai Fit class. It was a full-body workout, a lot of cardio, kickboxing and even abs. It was just over an hour long. The instructor Master Lawrence Whitaker was very motivational and funny. He also played a lot of modern dance music, which made the class that much more fun. I plan on going back! read more

I recommend the self-defense class taught at the Urban Defense Center to everyone. I learned so much in just a few classes; from ways to avoid confrontation to various ways to defend myself from an attacker. Every class deals with tactics that can be used to get out of bad situations. The world is not getting any safer, but you can be prepared!! P.S. Be ready to sweat!!! read more

I did the free self defense for women class in June and it was amazing! Very informative for dangerous scenarios and a really intense work out too. Gonna be signing up for a class soon to start going regularly! The staff there is super friendly and professional. I definitely recommend! read more