Martial Arts Schools near Sun Valley

“My home Dojo... I wouldn't trade it for the world. This is where I grew up practicing Judo.
Sensei Sus is about the development of the kids. I“

“Maya was super helpful in getting my first class scheduled. Coach Simmy’s class was great 🤙“

“I’m brand new to Jiu-Jitsu, and walking into a gym for the first time was pretty intimidating. But from day one at New Ground, the entire process felt smooth, inviting, and genuinely fun. The coaches are very patient, clear, and always open to questions. They create an environment where you can ask anything and never feel “too new” or out of place.

Very quickly, I realized the coaches treat every student the same, no matter your rank or experience level. Whether you are brand new like me or have been training for years, they give you the same respect, attention, and encouragement. There is never a sense of superiority or arrogance, just a genuine desire to help everyone improve and learn.

The other students are a testament to the atmosphere the coaches have built. Everyone I have trained with has been friendly, supportive, and quick to offer help.

If you are considering starting no-gi BJJ but feel nervous or unsure, New Ground is the place to take that first step.“

“I’ve been training at Legacy Glendale for a year and a half or so and I can’t recommend it enough.

From the very first day, the environment was incredibly welcoming; everyone helped to make you feel like you immediately belonged.

The instructors are a standout. They have a real knack for meeting you where you are, whether you’re just looking to learn at a relaxed pace or you want to be pushed to compete at a higher level.

The members here are a great mix of casual hobbyists who train for the love of it and dedicated athletes who are building themselves into competitors. It makes for a fun, motivated atmosphere no matter what your goals are.

If you’re on the fence about trying Jiu Jitsu, Legacy Glendale is the place to start.“

“I can’t speak highly enough about 10th Planet Van Nuys. Top notch training experience, beginner friendly, family owned and they make every member feel like family too, and the staff is super professional. I developed my jiu jitsu skills here. I made life long friends here. I learned how to be a jiu jitsu coach here and I built my business based on the mentorship of Alder and Jean (the owners). They truly care about every student. You are not just a number here, you are truly a part of the team. These are the things people don’t understand when they see a membership price. The value you get back from a school like 10th Planet Van Nuys is 10X what you will ever pay in. The fist class is always free. Do yourself a favor and take your free trial so you can make an educated decision on what your life and future is worth to you.“

“My partner and I were hunting for a great gym in the studio city area. I was visiting so I signed up for a month. In a nutshell, Hunter has the best approach to fitness I’ve ever experienced. I was an overweight kid and I always felt like working out was a “have to” and something I just would never enjoy. Hunter changed my experience. Like other reviewers mentioned, his approach is very unorthodox and his workouts feel like adult play-time. I live in NYC and I wished I could bring Nomad gym back with me. Btw nomad gym has a great app, but to get Hunter’s hilarious, playful, kind and chill vibe that makes working out actually fun, you have to be there in person.“

“I had the great fortune to observe my eldest granddaughter’s 2-hour KMA leadership class this morning. We have been attending her regular classes over the past 7 years, so I am not new to the procedures or instructors. It has been a rich, wonderful experience for us, for her, and now her younger sister. That said, this morning’s class illuminated some aspects of the KMA training that might otherwise go unnoticed.
I am a mother, grandmother, and a math educator, instructional coach and author. What I witnessed today was a model lesson for any type of educator – especially those who work with children.
Before class, students sat in a circle and introduced themselves – the purpose stated was that knowing someone’s name helps to make connections. Then class began with a warm-up – for both muscles and brain. Several interactive activities were engaged in, including a series of punches and kicks, requiring students to listen and track the movements. As they did this, the instructor, Master Maria Turnhout, explained and adjusted moves as necessary – always with a positive tone.
Once brains were warmed up, Ma’am Turnhout and Ma’am Laura Welch gathered the students in front of a whiteboard to explore the effect of attitude on leadership. All students had an opportunity to respond and all responses were dealt with acceptance and sometimes humor. More importantly, students were asked to explain or give examples for their statements. As an instructional coach, I believe this step was a most important part of the conversation. Following up on a student’s thinking, asking them to dig deeper and say more is a critical part of their development.
Students began to see the interplay of attitude and skill for leaders, friends and teachers, and were then asked to do some self-reflection regarding the attitudes and skills they believe they possess. The entire discussion was done with the tone of a growth mindset and intended to promote students to see themselves in a positive way. Once again, as students shared their observations, they were prompted to give examples or evidence of why they made their statements. This is an instructional technique often neglected in the classroom once a response is given, which often curtails deeper learning.
During group activities, students were invited to come to the front to lead the group in reciting the 4 Tiers of the Yes I Can Attitude**, but only after they had the opportunity to practice it with peers. Even the shyer students were supported to come up and applauded when they were successful. Imprinting these positive attitudes on young minds by having them say, not just hear them, works wonders. Throughout the class there was a good balance of mental and physical activities -- dodgeball and rock/paper/scissors/shoot made the morning fun and engaging.
Two other points that I feel were particularly significant to mention:
First, there was an on-going discussion of how physiological changes in the body are enhanced by the way students present themselves; specifically, how posture can affect attitude as well as the way others perceive you. Secondly, the positive interaction of how voice strength (volume) affects energy levels. (consider how athletes grunt or make noises as they exert themselves).
I was especially impressed when as class ended, students were asked to recount what they had done during class. After 2-hours of activity and discussion, this can be a daunting task. But this wrap-up (we used to call “closure” in the classroom) was essential to embed the morning’s ideas and keep the experiences at the conscious level.
In my opinion, KMA is not only offering martial arts and physical exercise but has created a program to develop the whole person in a positive, productive way, through modeling and experiences that reflect the best practices of instructional techniques. Bravo.“

“If I could give Master Nathan and his whole team 10 stars, I would. He gives the best advice about life as well as motivation speeches for the kids and parents.
Dragon Mu Sool is a fantastic martial arts school with skilled, friendly instructors and a welcoming, family-like atmosphere. My Son has gained confidence, discipline, and focus. We started in 2020
with my two boys and just had to come back. Courtney always checks in on everyone.
The environment is supportive, classes are well-structured, and the staff are great at working with kids of all ages and different levels of disabilities. I highly recommend this school for anyone looking to build life skills and self- defense
- Carolina Dunn“

“I have two boys that attend Panther Martial Arts. Grand Master Shawn has a gift for working with children and bringing out out their confidence and boosting their spirit. My younger son, who has ADHD, participated for about a year. There were times when he wanted to give up and quit, but each instructor was able to help him to find a reason to continue. My older son just received his purple belt and is excited about beginning to assist teaching the younger age classes. Every instructor at Panther has been kind and compassionate and they all teach my boys respect, courtesy and commitment.“

“Sensei Fujishima is one of the best! My son and I are lucky to have trained under him and his capable students here at CKA“

“I have 2 kids in this studio and can only say positive comments about classes and coaches. The daugther in jiu jitsu absolutly loves it! It lets her feel powerful and confident. My boy loves both classes but gravitates towards muay thai, which is also a wonderful class for defense as well as strengh and conditioning. The coaches are knowledgeable, but they pay attention to the kids with an encouraging attitude. The studio is always clean. I like it that they are flexible if showing up to class late or having to leave early.“

“Best gym I’ve ever seen coaches are the most badass mfs out there if ur not goin to Hayastan mma what are u doing with ur life.“

“I’m two years into my belt program, and I couldn’t have chosen a better dojo family for this martial arts journey. I’m continually awed at how Sensei Bryan and Sensei Ron can teach and motivate so many different student levels — from little ninjas to teens to adults (including this “woman of a certain age”). The universal enthusiasm and commitment from all of them is a testament to the community they’ve built.

My twice-weekly training sessions are a true highlight — and I’m continually overcommitted with all sorts of enriching activities. It’s a marathon and I may be a septuagenarian before I get to black belt, but I’m learning, expanding my horizons and getting in lots of kicks, strikes and blocks!

Highly recommend for kids, teens and young adults — so impressed with how mature, committed and well-rounded these students are— and adults of all ages and abilities. It’s never too late and it feels amazing!“

“Awesome BJJ gym with great coaches and a very welcoming environment. The instruction is detailed and beginner friendly, and the training is both fun and challenging. Definitely recommend to anyone looking to start or improve their Jiu-Jitsu.“

“A friendly and welcoming group of skilled group of Budoka who let me train with them while I was in the city for a day. Very grateful to them and would recommend highly.“

“Fantastic classes and top notch instruction where you can learn real, applicable and effective self defense techniques in a controlled and ego-free environment. A rare find these days. I initially found combatives academy when searching for a Filipino martial arts school for knife/weapons defense and fighting. I figured I carry a knife so may as well learn how to use it. After just the first class I was shocked at how much I didn't know (in a good way). Sifu Raffi has a very calm, detailed and easy to follow way of teaching. He's also a very talented martial artist which was obvious to me after seeing just a few demonstrations of techniques. So many self defense situations involve a weapon even on one side. Knives, baseball bats etc. This art really covers a lot of things. I have previously trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.I asked about the Jeet Kune Do classes and the instructor recommended I take this, along with my Escrima classes to have a complete system as the hand to hand translates well over to the weapons. After the JKD class I took a few weeks later, I was very impressed with how complete of a martial art it was. In one class we covered some effective strikes as well as a few grappling moves. Each technique was shown in detail and we were given ample time to really practice it and get it right with a training partner. An all encompassing art like JKD is really what you need for self defense. It's also a fantastic workout along with stretching, etc. The JKD along with Escrima covers all the bases for me, effective striking, grappling, distance control plus weapons use and defense. I would highly recommend trying the 2 free classes if you're on the fence! Hopefully I'll try a Silat class in the future and can update my review with that aspect.“

“Great martial Arts club my friends going there and good people friendly owner
Much much better than legacy bjj Glendale“

“Our family (kids/adults) have been enrolled in TumbleKick and previously the Martial Arts Center for over 15 years now, a testament to Master Kim and his organization.
The TKD class for kids has been a mainstay since ours were 5 (now teenagers). The staff have perfected the balance between discipline and fun in the classes, moulding intelligent and well-mannered kids. Can’t recommend it enough!
Also a great place for alternative medicine, gymnastics etc.“

“Been training here for a little
Under a year now . Highly recommend . They make learning how to box natural and non-intimidating with a familial vibe“

“Grand Master Pak is so amazing! He is so kind and funny and he is just an amazing person!
I learned so much from him!! 10/10“

“Great place to practice Martial arts in Hollywood. Everyone is kind and they give special attention to your kid. Highly recommend.“

“Since I've been taking my 3 year old daughter to Ultimate Taekwondo our life changed for good!! She's been less introverted and she has learned so many good habits like discipline self defense she cooperates with house chores With no hesitation. Master hector, Instructor Jordan and Luna are so professionals and wonderful human beings. I couldn't be more happy about it.“

“Amazing treatment. Both acupuncture, Chinese herbal and X-Jow for all of us older athletes. Highly recommend“

“This is where it all started for me. I knew my family would benefit from BJJ but not to the degree of being able to crossing over into adding value in mind, soul and body. Professor Dartanian Bagby is extremely passionate and knowledgeable in BJJ. He teaches with precise accuracy. This is special because whether you are a first time learner or someone with years of experience- he will help you bring up your game and confidence considerably. When you find your way to training with Professor D, know that is a special and unique gift.“