Venture Martial Arts - Saint Paul

(5 reviews)

1.0 mi

Super friendly forms drop in, great teachers and space. Would definitely go back if I was in the…read morearea

Tag: 5 star all around experience - Coaching, Community, and Facility…read more Bottom Line: Our family has been training with Max and Mark Kafka since February 2017. The Grappler Station is one of the few places I'd give a true 5-star rating. Facility: The facility is excellent, everything is new! The mats that lie on top of a sub-floor supported by styrofoam provides an awesome surface for the kids and adults learning to throw, fall and grapple (even this 40+ 200lb dad). Coaching: Sensei Max is an outstanding coach and teacher. He has a lot of competition experience to share from his time on the mats and his time spent training with Olympic athletes and coaches. As an instructor, he possesses excellent command and charisma. My kids love his style! He keeps it fun but also makes sure the students are working hard and learning. Besides being an extremely technical judo athlete and coach, Sensei Max also emphasizes strong values in his curriculum such as leadership, motivation, nutrition and toughing it out. As a parent, this is great, as the kids learn this from another adult whom they respect which makes mom & dad sound less crazy and supplements our message as parents. Community: The group of parents, students, and adult practitioners have been great. We've met some awesome people through judo and Sensei Max & Mark provide a strong foundation for the culture of the gym. Some of the fun has been for birthdays, sledding parties, and movie nights. Overall, I feel extremely fortunate as a parent and martial artist to have found The Grappler Station and Sensei Max Kafka. The quality and level of instruction are superb. Minnesota is lucky to have a Judo Coach and leader of this caliber. Highest Recommendation!

Fun and challenging environment with games and sparring.

Learn turnovers and pinning techniques.

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Our diverse environment is one of a kind and helps our students become leaders and champions.

Bahad Zubu Midwest

1.3 mi

Great teachers. Great authentic Filipino Martial Arts School.read more

From the owner: We teach Bahad Zubu and Western Boxing. Bahad Zubu is a Filipino martial art that teaches sound…read morefighting principals to help you defend yourself on the street or win a fight in the ring. You will learn how to fight with various weapons such as sticks, swords and knives. You will also learn weapon vs. weapon fighting as well as how to defend yourself empty handed against a weapon using elbows, knees and punches. With our traditional boxing instruction, you will further your empty hand skills and sharpen your self-defense abilities. We are not rooted in forms and non-contact drills, but insist on interactive training and different levels of sparring that will help develop your combat skills and show you the progress your making.

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The Gym: Boltz's Family Martial Arts

4.7

(7 reviews)

3.6 mi

Master Boltz,…read more Thank you, Ms. Kailey, and Mr. Tyson for a memorable birthday party for my son! He thoroughly enjoyed his day running through the obstacle course! The cake cutting with the sword was in true Boltz family martial arts style. We loved it. Thank you!

What started out as a summer camp option for our very active 1st grader has turned into a 2-3x/week…read morecommitment for him to continue working on his confidence and his self control while also learning Taekwondo. The staff is great with him. They get that he needs some extra encouragement to focus and they find ways to make it happen. When he failed one of his challenges, he was heartbroken, but Master Boltz talked to him afterwards to let him know it was okay and how he could improve. Mike engages him in each class, works so hard to keep him focused, and provides so much encouragement among the way. He's going to summer camp again this summer, and we're signing up his little brother to start Little Dragons in the fall. We're big fans and would recommend The Gym to anyone.

The world goes silent when you're focused #FutureBlackBelt

Embrace all the challenges that will grow your strength. #BlackBeltProud

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You write the chapters in your story! #MartialArtsLife

Shuharikan Dojo

1.6 mi

I love love love this aikido dojo. I'm a complete noob to all physical activity but wanted to try a…read moremartial art after watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. I chose Shuharikan because their approach to beginners is very open and fun. No "Bow to your sensei!" militaristic vibe here! Everyone is friendly and engaged in learning. No senseless drills, no hostility or anything that would turn off a beginner. They even have a low-impact aikido class on Thursdays. Great community and great people.

Sound Mind and Body School of Taekwondo

0.8 mi

There is a reason that SMBTKD has been around for 30 years. This place is the real deal! Great,…read moredetailed instruction for kids and adults that truly embodies the ethics and spirit of Tae Kwon Do and martial arts training.

Kitsune Karate

3.2 mi

I started up at Kitsune Karate in their beginner adult Karate class 3 years ago and I have loved it…read moreever since. The instructors are extremely knowledgable and care about each individuals growth, no matter what the level. The perfect amount of fun and a good workout, Kitsune Karate hosts several events and seminars throughout the year featuring world-class instructors ensuring the students get the best possible learning experiences. Can't recommend it enough!

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Indomitable Spirit Taekwondo - Saint Paul

2.0 mi

This Tae Kwon Do school is the best. Master Joe is an excellent mentor and teacher, as are all the…read moreblack belts who teach as well. My son has gained confidence, has more resilience in tough situations, and is getting stronger physically. He is learning what it really means to work towards a goal and achieve it while learning values and ethics that are needed in life. Thank you Master Joe, Mrs. Agnes and the entire Spirit TKD family, we are grateful for you!

Grandchamp team form

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Snap Fitness

2.7

(10 reviews)

1.4 mi

I'm a fan of Snap Fitness. Becoming a member is cheap (especially if you join with a group for a…read morefamily plan) and it opens you up to any of their locations. Very convenient. Now that I've stopped at a few of their other locations, I have to say that this location, the one I frequent the most being that it's just a couple blocks from home, isn't the best. I'll start with the pros - the staffer is awesome. I've only ever seen one woman staffing this location but she is always very friendly and helpful. They landed themselves a hard worker :) The other big pro is the location. On Snelling, just north of Summit, this spot is so quick and easy to get to. Especially when you live three blocks away. But that's also one of the con's too. It's a small sized Snap, with a big time crowd. I frequently have trouble parking in the lot it shares with multiple other businesses which is always a drag. The other issue is that this location gets packed after work and it only has 9 ellipticals/treadmills which are often completely full. This place gets the job done, I just know you can enjoy your experience more at another location.

Having belonged here for a while, I now wish there was a little more privacy for the women who…read moredon't want to be goggled at

Free Weight Area

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Group Fitness Studio

Hidden Falls Park

4.3

(42 reviews)

1.7 mi

Trying to be more intentional about exploring parks around Minneapolis this year, and Hidden Falls…read moreseemed like the perfect place to start. We usually default to Minnehaha Falls across the river, but I'd never actually explored this side--which looks to be really sprawling with new townhomes and modular single family homes. We parked near the dam and walked along the trail to reach the stairs leading down to Hidden Falls. Heads up: the walk down is a little precarious since there's no railing for most of the stairs, but it's not very steep and the trek itself is pretty short. The falls themselves were a bit disappointing at the moment--more of a trickle than a waterfall--but it is early in the season. That said, the forested park area it winds through was really nice, and made the visit worth it regardless. I can already tell this place is probably stunning in the summer when everything is green and flowing! Even with the lower water level, it was a great way to explore somewhere new and great to see there were so many people already exploring the park with it being chilly still!

Beautiful park near the city. Grabbed some take out and found an empty picnic table in the middle…read moreof the day - lots of parking! Watched a few boats launch, saw some geese, enjoyed watching people along the shore. Picnic tables near the water at the North Entrance. Check it out!

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Lake Johanna

4.6

(7 reviews)

8.7 mi

This is such a great spot to take kids since there is a playground but right across the street you…read morehave a lot of walking trails and I think it's really well paved out and you can choose which trail to take depending on the distance you want to walk. They have plenty of parking and it's an activity you can do all seasons.

I liked this lake a lot. I think the size of the beach and the proximity of bathroom facilities &…read morenearby playground is perfect for toddlers and young kids. I also like how less crowded it is compared to other bigger beaches/lakes.

Sandcastles

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Como Regional Park Pool

4.1

(30 reviews)

3.8 mi

The abundance of seating, both in shade and sun; the variety of pool options from zero entry to…read morepsuedo cliff diving. The abundance of life guards, no annoying ". safety breaks". The random first aid drills are interesting and fun to watch.

I love Como pool- I go almost every day and I love every minute of it; the community, the…read moreammenities, and the food. 10/10 would recommend

Water aerobics August 2025

Opening day! June 2026

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July 2025

Nine Mile Creek Lower Valley Trail System

(5 reviews)

9.9 mi

The address is a little mislabeled, it will take you to some public school. Back up, about 0.5…read moremiles away from the underpass, there's a little bridge with a parking lot, that's the trail head. The Trail itself is really wonderful. Deep vegetation, a little too many insects but otherwise great. There's a beautiful creek that runs alongside the trail. The animals you'll see the most are dogs that are being walked. It seems to be a favorite among Bloomington locals.

Beautiful park! I went in the winter and between the snowy creek, bubbling brook, and bird noises…read moreit just can't get much better. Yes it's hard to completely escape the road noise, but a small price for a lovely hike so close to the city.

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Bay Rentals Inc

3.9

(29 reviews)

24.6 mi

Overall we got to have fun on the lake but I will say these machines are a bit beat up and seem to…read moreneed a tune up. As I would turn the machine would lose a lot of power and my partner ran out of gas with a hour left, so they didn't fill up both machines asine still had half a tank left. $600 deposit and make sure to take a good video of the machines. The process of receiving instruction was a little odd as a younger kid was giving us rules then a seemingly drunk older man in a truck kept talking over him who I assume is the owner? Kind of a weird dynamic going on here. The process of taking off and riding was good no issues there.

Ohmygoodness, not enough good to say!!…read more My friend and I had never been paddle boarding, it was 95 deg out with 72% humidity and we were feeling adventurous. Did a quick google search and found this place. Gave a call and the voicemail said to leave a message and they would get back. Yeah right. Well, about 30 minutes later the phone rang! Learned that SUPs were first come first served, but mentioned we were headed to them in mound from Coon Rapids and it would kinda suck to drive that far. I asked what our chances were and they were sweet enough to make sure they didn't all disappear! The process is super easy, tou check in and then walk the few hundred feet to the beach. They bring the boards (or whatever you've rented) over to you and you're set! When you're done you just beach the items and they come grab them. Only down side is SUP is kinda hard for a newbie as the lake is clearly a play lake. Constantly rough from all the jet skiiers.

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Your Boat Club

3.1

(24 reviews)

6.3 mi

I am extremely disappointed with our experience renting a boat and tube from Your Boat Club on July…read more20. We picked up our boat at 2:30 p.m., and before we even left the marina, the boat was making a noticeable grinding noise, that the sales person heard too. Once we got out onto the lake and increased our speed, the noise temporarily went away, so we assumed everything was okay. We were on Lake Mille Lacs and found a calmer area to take our children tubing. Before leaving the marina, we specifically asked whether tubing life jackets were included, and we were told yes. However, when we got to our tubing spot, the only life jackets on board were the standard orange emergency vests. We had to return all the way to the marina to get the proper life jackets, only to be given three youth jackets $50-90 lbs\.$ and one adult jacket. Our group consisted of two adults and two teenagers, so we didn't even have enough properly sized life jackets for everyone to tube. We had to share jackets, meaning not everyone could participate at the same time. After tubing for about two hours, we were heading back when the boat suddenly made the same loud grinding noise and completely stopped working. My husband immediately began calling for assistance while the boat drifted across the lake toward shore. Eventually, he had to get out and manually walk the boat to a nearby dock to keep us safe. What happened next was even more frustrating. We waited nearly three hours for them to look at the boat. A salesperson and someone introduced as a mechanic arrived, but the mechanic appeared to be intoxicated. He actually fell into the lake while attempting to inspect the boat, nearly striking his head on it. The owner of the dock witnessed the incident and asked him to leave because he was so impaired. That was completely unprofessional and unacceptable. To his credit, the salesperson was polite, apologetic, and drove us back to our vehicle, which we appreciated. However, that does not make up for the experience. My husband started calling for help around 4:30 p.m., and we didn't make it back to our car until approximately 7:30 p.m. We lost a significant portion of the five-hour rental that we paid for through no fault of our own. To make matters worse, I have now received a bill for $750 in repairs. I find this completely unacceptable. The boat was making grinding noises before we ever left the marina, and it ultimately failed because of what appears to have been a pre-existing mechanical issue. We should not be held financially responsible for repairing a boat that was already experiencing problems. This rental turned what should have been a fun family day into a stressful and frustrating experience. I hope Your Boat Club carefully reviews what happened, reconsiders these repair charges, and takes steps to ensure future customers are provided with safe, properly maintained equipment and adequate safety gear.

Really nice staff, positive training. Issue is they oversell the memberships. 10k spent up front…read moreand we were only able to secure a small fishing boat 2 times on a weekend the entire summer. Don't buy their memberships unless you are planing and able to go during week days / last minute all the time. Weekend slots always had no availability and I would have saved 9,500 renting each time instead of membership up front.

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Katherine D.

3 years ago

I am excited to see Venture Martial Arts expand into the Saint Paul area. Mr. Englestad is very passionate about martial arts and has an amazing ability to inspire his students. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in teaching martial arts and is very dedicated to the success of his students. If you are looking to start your martial arts journey or to continue your training, I wholeheartedly recommend Venture Martial Arts in Saint Paul! read more

Jordan V.

2 years ago

My 11 year old son LOVES this program and learning martial arts, Gavin does a great job keeping kids on track and working their hardest. I love that it's teaching discipline and virtues that can be used outside of martial arts also, like determination, perseverance, and self discipline. We joined on a whim and will be staying through BlackBelt! #blackkaratekid #venturemartialarts #taekwondo read more

Grant S.

3 years ago

Mr. Engelstad is an amazing instructor who is passionate and dedicated to teaching Taekwondo. Venture is an amazing martial arts program that will teach kids self-defense and valuable life skills. Highly recommend trying a class! read more

Micah M.

3 years ago

I am very excited to see Venture Martial Arts open in St. Paul. This is a top notch program run by one of the best instructors in the organization. I highly recommend Mr. Engelstad to anyone who wants to succeed in Martial Arts. read more

Sean M.

3 years ago

If you're looking for a great martial arts school for yourself or your kids, I hoghly recommend checking out Venture Martial Arts. One of the best instructors ive ever worked with! read more

Sean M.

3 years ago

Mr. Englestad is an amazing instructor that has been dedicated to Martial arts for MANY MANY years! Excited to see this school take off in the months and years to come! read more

Isaac M.

3 years ago

Love the location and what this place teaches! Very caring instructor who pushes you to be your best self!

Venture Martial Arts - Saint Paul - martialarts - Updated August 2026

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