We tried karate at Mesa Martial Arts on a recommendation from my son's teacher, to see if it might…read morehelp him with his behavior issues.... On the last night of his trial he was asked not to return tonight. The Sensei Nick even went so far as to tell me they just don't have the resources to handle special ed kids. I guess ADHD is something that bars children from karate at this Dojo. Save your money. Go somewhere else.

Update... I love the owners but as a marketing & sales professional I'll leave them with this…read morethought. It takes more money, time & effort to gain a customer vs. keeping a customer. We quit the program because the classes got too big, pockets seemed to have gotten too deep. In our last class there were 5 lines of kids, 15 deep for one class. All messing around with no discipline & goofing off. I was hoping, as a single mom, that he would see and listen to authority there. But in the end there wasn't any and he lost interest. When we first started and the classes were smaller, my son was engaged & wanted to go back. That died down. I hope Darrell & Shannon can see & feel the need for making a difference in the life of a child. Good peeps, need to reevaluate your motive for growth.

Realistic self defense for all ages, fun, and positive…read more My family has had students in seven dojos over the decades, in four styles, and Discovery Defense hits the sweet spot of having accessible lessons, assuming that students are human beings of all sizes and abilities, and also having an advanced curriculum for those interested in using various weapons, and learning how to move beyond specific techniques. Want to learn basic defenses against the most common unarmed street attacks? You'll learn that at Discovery Defense. But stick around and you'll also learn how to use sticks, knives, or anything else you can get your hand on in a pinch, and how to keep your wits under pressure.

This school has high quality instructors that know what they are doing and care that their pupils…read morelearn something useful with real world applications. If you are looking for a place where you can build a skillet that will enable you to protect yourself and loved ones in a comfortable and positive environment then look no further. This place is a real gem of a find!

This karate studio is by far the best we have come across. We started out with a trial that was…read moreoffered to us as an after school 6 week class that the Master's go to the school and teach the kids, our son really enjoyed it so when we were offered another discount for classes at the actual studio we jumped on the offer and it has been hands down awesome. The studio is very clean and organized and the system that master Preston has in place you can tell he has been doing this for a long time and has his method that works. We LOVE the flexibility of not having a set day of the week we have to come, it's broken down into belt color/age and you can choose whatever 2 days work best for you that week. Your not dedicated to 2 specific days and times. Since we have signed up the masters send little video clip reminders and really encourage the family to watch to be able to continue certain skills at home. Master's go above and beyond to recognize your son/daughter. We received a video saying how focused our son was in class, and to keep up the good work! it's little things like this we will continue to give them our business. Master Preston is GREAT with the little ninjas he makes the class fun but they learn so much at the same time, like I mentioned earlier my son really loves going to karate because of the teaching style of this studio. All the masters have the same teaching style and are all great with the kids. Master Deguanno, Master Pozon are awesome as well! This studio is a must to enroll your kids!!!!

My daughter has just started her karate career. We have enjoyed the Free lessons. I am hopeful she…read moreenjoys it for years to come. The staff are awesome and very helpful. If my little one learns everything they are teaching, I am hopeful it will be worth the price. Do things the first time and the self discipline are what I love most about this dojo. Keep it up. Great place.

This school doesn't emphasize "flashy", and doesn't charge equally flashy prices. This school is…read moreone of those hidden gems you have to look for to find. Very little advertising or other overhead, so he can avoid charging his students through the nose. And no contracts. Sensei Hughes is presently a 5th degree black belt with Shorinryu Shorinkan, training under some of the premier martial artists alive today (including most recently Doug Perry and Eddie Bethea). The art he teaches is Okinawan Karate, taught as it has been for hundreds of years. If you want tournaments and trophies, this is not the school for you. No flips or other flowery routines. This one is about self defense, pure and simple. And while some time is spent on self defense techniques, all of these are derived from kata. Kata is not just a dance, it is a way to ingrain sequences of movements to the point where you do them without thinking about it. Those sequences can disable or devastate, depending on the situation. THAT is where the self defense really comes from. And developing it takes time. This is what we focus on. Kata, and applications of the different movements in the katas. There are several katas, and various techniques within each to keep it interesting! We also do weapons (for which there is no extra charge!!). I have been training with sensei for over three years now and am a blue belt (that's the 5th color, there are five more promotions to reach black). If you want trophies, or an expensive workout, there are many schools that can do that. If you want to learn real, practical self-defense, this is one of the best schools in the Valley. After my previous "training" at schools of dubious quality I consider myself fortunate to have found this one.

Sensei Hughes is an amazing martial art instructor. It's hard to explain his depth of knowledge or…read morelevel of expertise. He has trained in many different styles of martial arts and chose Okinawan Karate to be the one to master. His emphasis on kata and bunkai is definitely the traditional approach. Physically he is tough, strong and a little intimidating (in a good way.) The words of wisdom that come out of his mouth are what truly impressed me. He breaks-down a defensive move slowly and explains it. He'll show how it was done in the old days on Okinawa, then show multiple variations. He talks about bullies and street thugs and the psychology behind their approach, leading me to believe he has firsthand knowledge of dealing with such individuals. If you live anywhere near Chandler, AZ and are interested in the martial arts, you owe it to yourself to stop by and observe a class or better yet join. It's a small school, but the level of instruction if very high.

Depalma's is awesome! My son has excelled here. The instructors are amazing and show and teach…read moresuch respect. 3 months of doing karate here my son has developed more self confidence and feels more secure in his life and his abilities than after 2 years of counseling did for him. He loves his classmates, teachers and karate. Well worth the money!

Not only did the instructor over shadow her class sessions with numerous off topic outings and…read moreactivities (similar to a summer camp program), but my ethnic-oriented daughter was also mocked repeatedly for her braided updo. Unsure if it was beknownest our presence in her class but there was several crazy hair days, students in the class failed to partake in, after my daughter appeared with a pink hinted curly ponytail. The black haired female instructor then appeared one day in a similar double bun hair-do , then secondly in a floral hair style similar to floral hat I was wearing. I thought for certain this was to detour us from participating in her class, as my children were the only white belts. After being invited to an outdoor flag football game and given the rundown of several upcoming off property events, we decided to recede our devoted schedule. Upon withdraw my credit card has now been charged a total of 4 seperate payments; 2 additional payments per child. Being a single parent already bogged down as a head of household of my own, this karate studio has become a complete nightmare. Once we enrolled in a proper studio my children then conveyed to me that they in fact did not learn a thing at DePalmas. They also iterated to me that their one-on-one moments with the DePalmas instructor revealed to them improper form per their new knowledge. It is unfortunate we surpassed our new near-to-home karate studio to venture to DePalmas. These 4 additional increments were deducted from my account anonymously post withdrawal during our FIRST ever trip to Disney Adventures In California. Being able to fulfill this notion for Summer Break was very important to me as a devoted mother. I deeply regret agreeing to participate in DePalmas Karate as I am now in between employment and without an income. A brief description of coming payments were explained during our request of withdrawal, however, I can hardly understand the reasoning why a mid May occurrence would be relevant in July. A printed itemized sheet of these coming incidences would've been a more logical stance to me. Now that we are absent it all comes across a bit scammish to me, as if it were solely about financial gain. If propositioned again, we would again refrain.

I study Kajukenbo here San Jose at Tribull MMA and when I had a conference in Scottsdale I jumped…read moreat a chance to check out another gym that shares the same linage as my own. I was excited to check out something that was the same but different. Finding the place was a bit of a challenge, as the other reviewer said, its stashed away in a strip mall. Once I got in, the first thing that hit me was how well set up and organized it was. Very nice. I knew going in there were going to be differences and it was great to learn some tweaks to the techniques I'm familiar with. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming, I mean everyone, front desk person, students in the class, instructor all were super welcoming and very willing to share their knowledge. Wish I had stuck around for another night, and if I lived in the area I definitely would train here. It's clean, and i definitely would recommend it.

The KajuAz has relocated to one big amazing location in Gilbert and they were just 2 minutes away…read morefrom us in there old location. But, we now drive the 20+ minutes because, it is definitely worth it. You really feel the Ohana spirit there and I love the fact that, they use multiple forms of martial arts in the training. My 8 year old daughter has been going for the past 2 years and she loves all the instructors. They really care and it shows.

The Aikedo, or more accurately, Jiyushin-ryu Aikibudo that is practiced at Renshinkan Dojo, has a…read moreholistic feeling to it. The people who practice here are focused on learning, and sharing the experience with others in an environment of appreciation for each other and respect for the practice. People coming here are helped to overcome personal doubts and develope through the practice of Aikibudo greater confidence and trust in themselves. I have a love for martial arts but have a dislike for competitions or the environment of one upmanship that can sometimes be inseparable from a location that focuses on competition. Renshinkan Dojo is the answer I found.

Among the best dojo for aikibudo in AZ or the USA in my experience. I met the founder of…read moreJiyushin-ryu Aikibudo (CE Clark) in 2005 after years of online correspondence and discussion and recognized immediately that, ever 10 years of practicing Aikikai Aikido through numerous senior teachers in the US and from Japan, this form of aikido practice was the one for me. This dojo started as the Jiyushinkan (the main hombu or home dojo of the organization) under CE Clark and Aaron Clark. When the leaders of the organization relocated to Seattle (along with the Jiyushinkan name), the former dojo's senior students and instructors inherited the dojo and it was renamed to the Renshinkan. I have been visiting this dojo at one to four times a year for clinics or regular training from California consistently since 2005 and find the instruction to be amongst the best in the country for a highly effective study of the principle and what makes aikido in this form an effective art without the need to create unnecessary pain, utilize excessive muscle or speed, but still not asking your attacker to cooperate with your technique to make it work correctly. I will be back for a visit soon!

I loved how each class had a Japanese style of order to it. I felt like it was a trip to Japan each…read moreclass. The workouts always gave me a good sweat. There's no competitive nature to it. You and your training partner switch back and forth practicing the technique you're working on. It gave me confidence in myself.

This Aikido dojo is unparalleled. Not only can you learn self-defense, which you will, but also set…read moreout on a journey of discovery which will take you to places you never expected. I have been a student here since 2002 and have never regretted a moment.