Best Aikido School Independence Near Me

Matthew Tali: AKKA has been great for our son! He’s 3+ years in and still engaged and enjoying it. My appreciation for AKKA has grown even more so especially through the pandemic, and how my son was still able and to learn, practice and train remotely.

Kelli Chappelow: My self confidence and self-esteem have ground tremendously while being in the program, as well as my learning of the arts and learning of myself.

Joshua Clausen: The instructors are great working with the students. Very welcoming environment and my kids love it. I think ever child should do try karate cause my kids are doing great and it has helped their confidence, listening and work ethic.

Fatima Sensente: Excelente escuela de karate ayuda a tus niños a la disciplina, ser respetuoso defensa propia seguir indicaciones controlar la ira 🥋

4X GANG: Love that my 3 Boy's are learning alot just by going here and that they are happy doing it as well thank you so much for teaching them to Respect them self and others keep up the good work we feel like apart of the family my kids go ever day now and they really like going everyday they don't like missing days at all

jose coutino: Nos encanta este lugar. Mis hijos han aprendido mucho! Los maestros son muy buenos y muy amables.

Jake C: Our son has only been going for a couple months now and he absolutely loves it. All 3 instructors are great they are very patient and tentative with all the kids and not to mention they are able to get the participation of all the kids in the class. Would highly recommend akka of independence 👌

L Entrikin: Such a great experience for my son. He has loved all the classes and has been so excited to earn new belts. Such respect and discipline is taught and I'm so appreciative to that. Kids need that! He always had fun!

Alejandra Rodriguez: Muy bonita experiencia espero que en volver pronto gracias

Lindsey X: Love this place so does my 5yo. She enjoys coming to her classes each week!

Iosua Sheppard (BrowNinja76): I just love how happy my niece is when she's here learning.

Sami Smith (Mimi): This is a wonderful place for children to learn new skills. All the staff are really amazing and helpful. My son loves going to class and has learned a lot in the short time he has been there. 😍🤩🤗

Coutino Family: Mi familia y yo, nos sentimos felices de haber encontrado este lugar de buen aprendizaje para nuestros hijos

Daniel Barron: Great staff and wonderful workout

Henwysgym Life: My son Anthony Anaya has 4 years attending AKKA Karate in Independence and it has been the best experience ever. I am so happy that now he is training for his black belt. Mr. Burt is the best teacher I could ever ask for. I appreciate the good work he does with the kids.

Becca Sherwood: My son started Karate at Akka Independence, on 40hwy over a year ago now. And it's been a really good experience for all of us! The best part about choosing Akka, is its instructors Mr. Burt, and Mr. Harris, alongside the other three (funny) instructors. They are always fun and loving alongside being straightforward when it's needed. We have become so accustomed to seeing all the kind people there, it feels like home away from home. And at times my husband and I will catch ourselves saying the Akka motto in our sentences, as It's become a part of us.And this is the good seed, the good word that they plant every day to all of us, setting there."To be our best and do our best with enthusiasm!"If you're looking for a boost of structure and smiles for your kiddos? Then come try it out!!!Hope to see you there!#Family vibe at the Dojo!

Donna Cornwell: Very comfortable and relaxed environment. Individual attention and learn at your own pace.

Jessica Garcia: My daughter’s self confidence has really improved since she’s joined karate.

Latasha Gurley: I love how my daughter has grown and how her confidence has improved since she has began taking your classes. Thank you all for everything that you have done and I look forward to more!

Phillip Clark: I have been in this system for 33 years. My daughter and grandson also study here. Master Burt and Mr Harris are incredibly knowledgeable and marvelous teachers. This is a family oriented school and we have students of all ages. I would highly recommend AKKA to anyone.Phil Clark6th Degree Black Belt

Melissa Graham: I took my kids here for years, and I also received my blackbelt. It was a wonderful experience. He is great with kids. He is a positive role model for today's youth.

Patriot Doc: Mark Long is an incredible martial artist!!! This is a great place for kids and adults alike. They teach aikido, karate, judo, jujitsu, and more!

Wayne Geiger: Sensei Long is an amazing instructor. Not only is he a master at the art, he is a true teacher and wants the best for his students. My grandson is extremely introverted. Under Sensei Long he has learned confidence, self-esteem, respect, and how to stand up for himself. I saw this happen almost immediately. Sensei Long knows kids. He places a great amount of emphasis on teamwork and he is not afraid to lovingly discipline always with the goal of restoration. Sensei Long has worked with kids from various walks of life and all over the spectrum. He is not only training kids in Karate, he is training them in life. They learn how to listen, show respect, behave properly, and believe in themselves. I could not speak more highly of this program!

Miguel Caraballo: I've been training and teaching at Long's shotokan academy since 2006, and it's been a joy watching our students become confident, goal oriented young men and women through the programs that we offer at the dojo.

Brian Kaeding: I've trained here since late 1997. The discipline and drive instilled in me was life changing and has set me apart from the herd. We are regularly directed to not be average and achieve more than what we think we are capable of. My children train and I'm happy to say they aren't average and they are set apart from their peers. As one of the schools instructors I find it very rewarding to pass on what I have learned to my children and the other students.

Jackie Schmidt: This is a great place to go and learn martial arts for all ages and experience levels! I have spent 14 years here from a beginner to national competitor and believe there is truly something for everyone here.

Scott Kaeding: A fantastic Karate School for adults and children alike. Sensei Long is a amazing person who cares for his customers and gets the best out of them

clayton kaeding: Great people and atmosphere.

KC Flight: Took the grandsons there for introduction to Karate. Mark Long runs a first class operation with a true heart for youth!

The Love Kitchen: Mark Long runs a well put together martial arts program that teaches not only discipline and physical fitness but multiple aspects of the fighting arts to make a well rounded fighter.

Kaila McLean: Exellent environment for new students of any age and skill level

Michael Brown: Great place to learn/train multiple forms of martial arts by very educational instructors.

Ashli Watreas: Mark Long is not only a positive and encouraging sensei, he strives to teach each individual about real life experiences as well. Long’s Shotokan Karate is a top notch facility.

Roxanne Newell: If you want to become strong and learn how to protect yourself, I would recommend Long's Academy. They teach Lil' Dragons, Aikido, Judo, Jujitsu, Kick Boxing, in addition to Kata and Karate. The teachers in all these disciplines are amazing. Do you want to become a Black Belt? Try Long's Shotokan Karate Academy.

Ronald Howe: When it comes to a family oriented dojo, Longs Shotokan is the place to be. Mark is an awesome instructor and is great with kids. He has expertise in many facets of martial arts and has devoted many years to the development of students of all ages and interests. I've referred many friends over the years and have been impressed with their progress under Mark's tutelage.

1911wood: It’s my strongly held belief a man ought to have the ability to protect himself and his family. Not only that, it’s a man’s responsibility to teach their sons to embrace this concept and to teach them the skills they need to handle themselves. I found myself where my sons interests, didn’t necessarily intersect with mine. Luckily we came to know Mark Long and his excellent Black Belts such as Gerald Barnes. They had the words to inspire my sons to embrace the concepts I admire. Many of the admirable qualities I enjoy in my sons I credit to Longs Shotokan.I have eight grandchildren I hope they all spend quality time with Mark and his people.I give Long’s Shotokan five stars because that the most I’m allowed to give.

Dennis Bradley: Great place to learn martial arts

Rhonda Gillespie: Sensei Mark Long has been a fantastic mentor to my son, and family. His program is designed for all ages, he makes everyone feel included and welcome He teaches life lessons, as well as the karate skills his dojo offers. I dont trust many people with our son, but I trust Sensei Mark to the fullest. Thanks for all you have done, and continue to do.

David McGonigle: Long's Shotokan Karate is a well structured program. Shotokan combines multiple aspects and styles of fighting. Here the different styles are broken up into multiple classes rather than everything combined. This allows students to have options on the styles they prefer, to take them all to earn their black belt in Shotokan, or to take the style they prefer best. The sensei's are all adults and are each individually specialized in their style. They have a team you can join to travel to tournaments and they continually bring home multiple trophies. I would recommend bringing your child here or joining yourself. They have students of all ages and even have a class for the younger kids.

Jennifer Kaiser: My family has been going to Long’s Shotokan Academy since January 2023. It has been life changing. Sensei Long has helped my kids show respect towards their peers and adults in their life. He has also helped us learn self defense. All of his classes are a workout while learning different skills. We love going to the dojo every class!!

Wendy Minix: I love this place. They are always pleasant and friendly. My son loves going here. I highly recommend them. We had been to a previous place and had a bad experience. This place is nothing like the first!

Ken Buckner: Excellent instructor. Gave my daughter a lot of confidence

Madalyn Hibbs: Very kid friendly, and a ton if fun for everyone! I currently train at Wilcox and they’ve helped me with my confidence and all kinds of other things. They are truly like a family and are really great people!

Mickey Bernhardy: This place is amazing I learned a bunch of good stuff and made a lot of new friends and most of all I'm always excited to go there

Melody Fike: They are excellent in every way! They are great with the kids, they learn alot 😊 they have built my sons confidence up 100%! He loves the class and they have helped him one on one whenever he needed it. They respond really quickly when I msg them. I recommend them to anyone who asks!!! I look forward to seeing how well he does on this next journey he'll be on now here ❤️

Lisa Mahaffey: Positive:Communication,Professionalism,Quality,ValueFeels like family when we walk in. It’s more than just learning karate, it teaches leadership, courage, respect and so much more. My son loves learning here.

Jessica C.: This place is amazing! My kiddo has been going here for a little over 6 months. We have gone to some other places and didn't have great experiences and it almost made my kiddo not want to do karate anymore until we found Wilcox Karate and now he checks the calendar everyday and is almost sad when it isn't a class day. Everyone here is so welcoming and you can truly see how much they care about each of the kiddos.

Jonathan Dillman: I would like to say this place is by far a family, my kiddos love coming to class and learns so much! Keep up the great work

Latresa Behrens: WKA the studio of choice! The staff and the professionalism. My son is having a blast and truly enjoys this Karate Studio! They care about the children and want them to succeed in the program. My kiddo looks forward to going every week!

Christy Markham: My daughter loves attending Wilcox Karate! She has learned so much and made great new friends. The best part is the self-defense skills she has learned and that the owners really care about their students.

Nicole Hibbs: Our daughter has been at Wilcox for a little over a year now and it has helped her grow and become more confident. It is a great atmosphere and great instructors.

Skyline Crashpads: Wilcox karate is a wonderful family friendly company who strives to be encouraging and help your child push themselves through strength and confidence building. My daughter attended Wilcox karate and this is her personal review: I loved Wilcox karate, my senseis were always there for me, for anyone who would like to try it out, it’s an amazing experience! Wilcox karate taught me lots of things, but the best thing I ever learned was to always be a great person & to be respectful. I loved the atmosphere in the place, it was always uplifting.

Cody Schoenherr: I would highly recommend Wilcox Karate! Our son has had issues and they have been improving. He is bullied at school and Karate is helping him through everything. He always excited to go to class each time! We truly feel like family there.

Rebecca Mace: My daughter has been attending Wilcox Karate for 3 years now. She enjoys the instructors and her self confidence has grown. In addition to karate skills, the dojo focuses on monthly skills that students can apply to everyday lifeHere is what my daughter has to say about Wilcox Karate Academy ...WKA helps you mentally and physically. Every week or every other week we add new Karate skills. There will be some skills you don't get right away but don't worry. The teachers make sure that you understand the skill. If you didn't get it right away, they will pull you to side and work one on one.

Jackie Frazier: We are absolutely loving Wilcox Karate. My son started a few months ago and already its making a difference. He looks forward to Karate days, for him it's enjoyable not something he dreads going to. He would go 7 days a week if he could. He is learning so much and feeling more confident in himself daily. The owners are amazing and truly care about all the kids. The instructors work with the kids to help them truly learn and take the time to make sue they are progressing. They know the names of all their students, they are not just a number or income to them. This place has quickly become family and we look forward to the many years ahead we have with them.

Shannon Hesterberg: My son says “this is a great karate school and it is very fun. I will get my black belt within the next two years!”

Brittany Klamp: Everyone here is amazing! It's a GREAT karate school!

Michaelia Bernhardy: The classes are amazing evryone is welcoming and super nice

Courtney Adams: My son absolutely LOVES Wilcox! He recently got a belt promotion and from the time he started until now I see the work he has been putting in. The owner’s and instructors are AMAZING ! I wouldn’t recommend any where else for Karate. This is aBIG FAMILY ❤️

Ken Baker: The Instructor is quite an accomplished martial artist and is really concerned about his students.

Sean Oconnor: Sensei has a great wealth of knowledge and experience in aikido. Besides being a wonderful teacher. He's great with adult classes and kids classes.

Ruth Greene: I'd rather learn Tai chi

David T: Great people, great instruction!

Sean Chartier: Incredible (Aikido) Dojo and even better instruction. Nice big floor, really friendly instructor and students. Great place to learn and grow !

Jason Schulz: What an amazing experience for me. From the first time I stepped into the dojo I felt welcomed and part of something bigger than me. It has done several things for me. One it’s a great escape of the daily grind which we call life. I get to come and relax and my mind is clear and ready for learning. And secondly it’s a great art of both self defense and harmonizing with others you encounter. I would highly recommend this dojo to anyone.

Thomas Carroll: Aikijuku Dojo is a great place to learn Authentic Japanese Martial Arts. Be part of a community that has compassion, harmony, and love. A place to make friends and learn a knowledge that will change the way you love your life. If you want to feel complete about life, don't hesitate and come to Aikikuku Dojo and sign up.

Origamiclub sre: it is an amazing place. you should come to the Dojo

Miriam Rittmaster: This is the best thing that has ever happened to my child. Within three months he went from having significant issues at home and at school, to being a cooperative, happy child with the self-discipline to make good choices. He has also developed an entire group of like-minded friends. His teachers were shocked at the transformation. I *highly* recommend this dojo to adults needing to find their "center", and to kids who are casting about for an identity, self-esteem, and a sense of control in their lives.

Henry Frederick: Awesome

Josh Ancel: I have been going for about two months at this time. It has become one of the best things for me and my family. I personally have spent many years in other forms of Karate, and have found under Guerro's tutelage a wealth of possibilities. In the short time my family has been attending, our children have made great improvements in confidence, focus, and general behavior. My wife and I have found an activity that we truly enjoy doing together, and as a whole our family has become more healthy. I highly reccomend giving it a shot. You have nothing to loose by checking it out for yourself.

Lance Gliser: At the time of this writing, I've been doing to Sensei Guerrero's dojo for about two years. The experience has been very solid. I've attended other schools in the past, and gone to tournaments with others more recently. I have to say that I feel far better prepared for an actual fight than most others I've met in the tournament circles. Sensei Guerrero stresses training for real situations not showmanship. Techniques you learn become increasing brutal, but remain straightforward as you progress.The school focuses on three arts:1. Shotokan - A striking system taught through drills and kata.Many people misunderstand the use of kata. It's more complex than simply going through a form. Our dojo teaches bunkai, the understanding of what the forms actually mean, in a combat situation. A kind of hidden meaning you can come to understand and evolve your own techniques.2. Aikido - A grappling art focusing on wrist, arm, and joint locks.Aikido is a very interesting art. It's focus on manipulation enables weaker practitioners to control stronger opponents fairly easily. People looking for non-violent suppression /control methods can find it here. Many of the techniques taught in Aikido are actually employed by police departments.There is more to Aikido than suppression though. That's only the beginning. The techniques in this system can if desired, go beyond suppression and control, into devastating breaks, dislocation, and lethal techniques.This class is great for women wanting a self defense class that can step up to handle any level of force needed. Guerrero Shotokan Karate is also proud to boast one of very, very few children's aikido programs in the area. Extra care is taken instructing the children to ensure that techniques they learn are used a responsible manner, and the more dangerous techniques are omitted.3. Weapons - Bo (staff), Tonfas (night sticks), Sais, Nunchucks, Kamas (small scythes), SwordWeapons training begins with the Bo, then moves to Tonfas. Training on these weapons will last a long time, as you progress and eventually move to the higher rank weapons.Weapons training consists of three parts mostly:- Drills to develop muscle memory and efficient technique.- Katas to teach new techniques, handwork, and footwork.- Sparing. Real, weapon fighting that puts the other two into focus. We commonly spare with Bo (staves), mixing in kendo swords, and other weapons on occasion. Probably some of best times in class.If you're a parent considering lessons, you'll love that the multiple instructors at the school have been background checked and certified to work with children. We have a pretty fair chunk of children. Most of the class on some days even.Sensei always offers new people at least a couple free classes. Please, call to find out what times work work best for you (generally we are around 6pm to 8pm), then come in and try it out.