Martial Arts

My grandson has benefited greatly from this program and I would like to share the letter that I wrote to Master Kevin. Master Kevin, I am Mark B's grandfather and would like to tell you that I am very impressed with the training of your instructors especially at the testing sessions. Their method of talking to each student with the praise, constructive, and praise is text book perfect and very impressive. I am a retired teacher and coach and this method was one of the best things I ever learned and it is very rewarding to watch it as my grandson is on the receiving end of it. I have already told Master Mustafic how impressed I was and want to share it with you also as you have trained you staff very well.

Hands down one of the best kept secrets in the Martial Arts gear world. I ordered a GI from them and it was not only a perfect fit, but the hand written note of appreciatioin for my business goes far in my book. I'm a customer for life. No doubt about it.

Amazing! Jerry does a great job with children that may be naturally shy or reserved (a tough group to get interested in martial arts). He keeps the class fun, but structured and mixes in life lessons on values such as trust, honesty, discipline and focus. The impact this has made on "tween" son's confidence can be seen in all areas of his life. My only wish is that I had known about Jerry sooner so I could have started my son with him years ago. If you're serious in using martial arts to help build a great person, you owe it to your child to visit this studio when deciding the right fit.

The owner is very professional and helpful. Highly recommend!

I have attended the academy for around 1 month and have not had any prior martial arts experience. The pace is fast, but the Sifu will make adjustments during the class if more time is needed to pick up a concept. Sifu is very encouraging. Being new to martial arts I like how the "why" is explained.

If you want to learn Mauy Thai from dedicated, passionate, and caring instructors this is the place to go! Ivan and Yoko teach what they love and the produce winners.. people who win fights, people who lose weight, people change there lives for the better. I highly recommend it.

Sensei Didi is patient and a great instructor for kids. She genuinely cares about all her students. My son has been going to the Redwood Dojo since he was 6 and he has absolutely loved it.

Amazing. Choi is cool, and martial arts is neat! I am grateful for being a part of my sons training and it's an experience my son won't forget soon😊

A lot of choices and friendly environment

We started out with my 6-yo signing up for karate because she was interested (2014). Now the whole family is practically here all the time with the hubby in adult karate and FCC, and with me in BJJ and Cardio Kickboxing. This is a very welcoming dojo - everyone is friendly, warm, and supportive. It IS family. Everyone will support you in your goals - be it being fit, learning a new skill, or staying strong. You got to be there to understand what I'm talking about. Their karate program for kids is one of the best in the Bay Area. This dojo is top notch. Dumlao = excellence.

Master Jim Risinger is an excellent teacher and a true scholar of the arts. He dedicates his life to teaching his students key principles of movement, defense, and balance. In some schools the mastery of a thousand techniques doled out from belt to belt is the way to mastery. There is nothing wrong with this method and tradition. But this dojo is different. In this school, mastering and demonstrating principles with greater and greater control, accuracy, and complexity takes precedent. Sensei and the other instructors pay attention to how you move and how well the principles are reflected in your body. Under his instruction, my husband and I have learned so much and developed a greater understanding of the martial way. We are two of Sensei Jim's first Ninjutsu (Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu) students in Santa Maria, and have been training here since the school opened over three years ago. As someone who would identify as uncoordinated and "non-sporting" for most of my life, I can say without ego that this practice has allowed me to become confident in my body and sure of abilities I didn't know I had. My skills of self defense, hand-to-hand combat, extended weapons training, instruction, meditation, yoga, and physical coordination have been honed and developed from practically nothing as a result of this family. This dojo is clan style, and works as a family unit. Jim, his wife "Soke" Terri, and his son Ian work tirelessly to run the school and support their students. We support and build one another up, and are dedicated to helping one another succeed. From kids karate classes to adult Ninjutsu classes to Tai chi, there are many options of practice that are adaptable to a great range of age, ability, and experience.