We've been coming here for a month now and have had nothing but good experiences since we started. Sensei Pierce runs a great dojo and demands nothing less than your best effort. Would highly recommend this dojo for people of all age groups who want to learn Kempo. read more

If I could give Z-Ultimate 10 stars, I would. First off, I've tried a few other local karate studios for my son and he did not enjoy going. Others only seemed to offer group karate lessons to the "masses" and I never felt like my child received any individual attention. With Z-Ultimate in Murrieta, Sensei Pierce offers Shaolin Kempo Karate and provides all his students with the basic understanding of all the animals: Tiger, Crane, Snake, Leopard, and Dragon which all have very different postures and focuses on a more traditional approach. There's always an uplifting and positive "quote of the week" listed on the board in the dojo, we're always greeted when entering, phone calls are always returned within the same day. Sensei Pierce has always been accommodating in rescheduling private sessions due to vacation schedules. The most important part is my son enjoys going. He's met a ton of new friends, he's more responsive and better behaved to helping out at home and over-all- a happier child. He's learning discipline and different self-defense techniques while enjoying it at the same time. ***Added side note--- The karate studio is located right next to a major grocery store, two Chinese restaurants, a Mexican restaurant, a subway, an Irish pub, etc. So you can always grab a boba drink and do some light grocery shopping for your night's dinner while your kids are doing karate. ;) read more

We love Z-Ultimate! My son is on the spectrum, and everybody has been amazing working with him. Mr. Tomkins has really brought out his confidence and he thoroughly enjoys his lessons. He's not big on the group classes, so it's awesome having the private lessons available so he can still participate and reap the rewards of the Dojo. I'm really looking forward to seeing my dude grow as a student and gain the skills and discipline Z-Ultimate offers! read more

Let me tell you a story about my Sensei, Mr. Pierce. Actually, I'll end up telling you a few stories. The first one is the moment I decided to join. One day, I had 15 minutes to kill, and wandered into the dojo in search of a pamphlet. For the last several years, I had intended on picking up some kind of self-defense skills. Usually I just waffled between late-night googling of local studios/various styles and just being lazy. But here it was: an open door. But fail: my eyes couldn't adjust fast enough to the indoor light for me to find a flyer and ninja-sneak away unnoticed. That's when Sensei Pierce greeted me in the lobby, suggesting I come in for an intro the next day. He kind of scared me because he looks like he could rip a phone book in half. That seemed like a good reason to come back the next day to be abused by own inability to maintain "horse stance" (sweating profusely just keeping my knees bent and fists tucked under my underarms for 20 mins). But that's not what sold me. It was watching Mr. Pierce minutes before my free intro - talking to tiny kids, explaining how to compose themselves with confidence. It wasn't a karate lesson at all: it was truth I wish I had drilled into me when I was young. That's when I realized I would learn far more than just kicks and punches, and I was right. I came to love karate perhaps a year later. Sensei Pierce doesn't usually demo techniques with women, but it was a light class and I was highest ranked. He performed a deflection block (plum tree?) on me wherein he did not touch me at all. There was no direct contact. Yet my arm was smarting and I know I was scowling/pouting, and rubbing the sting out as we lined up. Sensei barked out like I was being ridiculous "Kristen! Stop it. I didn't even touch you!" And I agreed - there was no direct contact but he clearly moved my punch somewhere. Sure enough, as proof that I wasn't making up my pain - I had a colossal bruise on that spot on my forearm for weeks. I didn't even know how to explain it to people. Even Sensei was suspicious until I showed him the proof that his black belt *chi* alone generated the force to bruise. It's the karate magic I did not even think was real. But it is. (Sensei is not in the habit of bruising students with his magic - in fact, his demos are the most pleasant - you will come to enjoy all your bruises as badges of honor) I've come to learn that martial arts instruction succeeds or fails based on your Sensei. And this isn't to pin sole responsibility for your learning on the Sensei either. Your Sensei is more than just one person. It's everyone around you in the dojo - the training partners who become friends and family, the students from other dojos that you meet at rank tests and tournaments, it's all the Senseis and Masters in the company who pass on their Kenpo traditions from the Masters who passed it on from Okinawa and the monks at the Shaolin temple. It's the whole community. That's what you have here. Karate is not a cardio fitness class where you kick pillows to burn calories so you can be skinny. This is learning a way of being, learning about yourself. You come to find out the real exercise, your real sparring partner, is your own mind - is in confronting your own fears, your own inadequacies. You will get confused, you will get frustrated, you will feel exhausted, you will get thrown *literally* to the floor and you know what? You will get back up ready to fight again. You will rise again. And that's the truest victory there is. Z-Ultimate Murrieta is a very special gem in the Z-Ultimate community. The dojo itself is the largest (and definitely the most beautiful) of the region, but it's the people inside. If you train here, you'll learn about all kinds of things like "birth month" and what color is Murrieta green, and why people can sometimes recognize Team Murrieta just from the shoes. It's a very fun group and Sensei Pierce is consistently hysterical. In fact, here are a few things to which Sensei Pierce has compared my technique: [1] Peter Griffin falling [2] a 7-11 hot dog [3] UFC fighter (ha! you'll find out why this is the ultimate burn) While challenging, the curriculum is still built for your needs. There is a core set of material, of course, used to evaluate your rank and belt, but you're not married to any one way through it. Plenty of attention is dedicated to WEAPON training! Some of my favorite lessons have been about knives (I had to be taught how to stab so that my partner could practice her defense - it's fun). I promised it would be tough, but you're not forced to train Rambo-style if you're injured or have limitations. There is kindness and there is guidance here. I was truly devastated when I realized I had to relocate for my career. read more

Absolutely love this Dojo. My son and I have been going for years now and we have learned more than just self defense. Sensei Pierce has taught my son self respect, discipline, control, and courage. I highly recommend this dojo for anyone who is looking to train in martial arts. read more

I took my, then 6 year old, son in December 2015, Mr. Pierce was super welcoming and professional. He made my son feel welcomed and my son was his sole focus. Mr. Pierce wanted to ensure he was fully interested and took time to show him what it's all about. Really appreciate the way he plays close attention to each student as an individual. He not only learned the Kenpo Martial Art, but learned how to be responsible, respectful, confident, and courageous. My son has grown into a more mature and respectful 7 year old. Thank you Mr. Pierce!! read more

I've been grocery shopping at the Albertsons next door for years and never realized this little gem was hiding (in plain sight) right next door. I went for my first private session today, Sensei Pierce is fantastic! He made sure that I felt comfortable, I've never taken a karate class and was a little nervous. He also did an amazing job at ensuring that I understood each step and if my form wasn't perfect he was great about correcting it without being degrading or negative. I had a blast and just wanted to share with the Yelp community!! read more

Best Self Defense instruction out there, for any age and any level.

I found Z-Ultimate Murrieta about 3 1/2 years ago when I was looking for a martial arts school for my son. I walked in and was immediately greeted by Mr. Pierce. He seemed very friendly and offered a free trial after I explained what I was looking for. My son loved it and we signed him right up, my son was so excited when he put that gi on for the first time. 3 gis later and several belt rank tests later my son still loves it and gets upset if we can't make it to class. There are several specials that goes on in the dojo. My favorite was Father's day month free. I had taken advantage of it twice and signed up as a full fledged student this past December. I can honestly say that I feel great and I haven't felt this in shape since high school. I recently competed in my first tournament and was able to share the experience with my son. He was offering me advice since he was the tournament veteran. One of the things I will be eternally grateful to Sensei Pierce for is the confidence that he has helped my son develop. I truly feel that the successes in his education has been directly influenced as a result of his experiences at Z-Ultimate under Sensei Pierce. His maturity level far exceeds that of a normal 9 year old and has been noticed by his teachers and other school staff since his enrollment at Z-Ultimate. He has become a leader amongst his peers. He is able to present classroom projects without fear and looks forward to doing so (he didn't get that from either of his parents). As for myself, I have gained better self confidence and my physical condition has improved. I still get nervous speaking in public but I don't shy away from it anymore. Sensei Pierce is an excellent instructor. I've been able to observe him while he teaches his students and couldn't be more satisfied with methods. Sensei has an ability to teach the little ones and keep them interested, then turn around and teach the teens and adult classes all while keeping it fun and challenging. Sensei pushes us hard and is able to get all of his students to do more than they thought they ever could. My favorite days of the week are the days that I and my son get to train at Z-Ultimate. read more

I believe Z-Ultimate offers the best opportunity to learn self defense at any age or experience level. My daughter joined about nine months ago and I joined a few weeks later and have not regretted the decision. The training offered by Sensei Pierce is awesome and he is always pushing my daughter and I to excel. If you or your children are looking to better your physical and mental well being, come by and check out Z-Ultimate. They offer private lessons but the best part is interacting with other students during the classes that are offered throughout the week. Hope to see you at the dojo. read more