Sama Academy of Martial Arts - Karate school in Pinole - 2720 Pinole Valley Rd, USA

This place is so great for kids-fast paced, disciplined, fun, and easy to work into our schedule with a variety of class times. We love this great community. My girls have been going 5 years and 2 years. And now hubby does it too (also great for adults) :-p

Updating my review to one star!! Due to my previous review left my daughter has been kicked out of the school. There was no conversation had to try and remedy the experience we have been having just a phone call stating we will be refunded and no further discussion. So beware of the type of people you are dealing with here! ———— I really wanted to love this place however, once you are actually in and observing what's really going on, it's not as positive as it may seem. Initially my daughter loved coming to class and was progressing SO well very quickly. The only reason I'm giving them two stars and not one is because I cannot dismiss how AWESOME of a teacher Ms. Mendoza is. She shows compassion and thoughtfulness when teaching such young kids who are timid and scared in this new environment. Now to the negatives, the younger male teacher is an absolute nightmare. The verbal aggression he shows to toddlers and the way he grabs and man handles such little children is disgusting. I don't know how it hasn't been reported honestly. When he started teaching my daughter's class more she instantly began declining and crying due to his aggressive behavior and favoritism towards certain students. There is a lot of favoritism at this school and it is very apparent. Sensei is great and I had a conversation with him regarding that teachers behavior and things did seem to slightly adjust for a class or two. My daughter got her new belt and she was the only one who didn't move up due to that male teacher not feeling like she was ready despite being rewarded her new belt. (Clearly there are some personal feelings involved which is causing him to keep my daughter behind). My daughter's confidence has completely diminished since he begun teaching her class more which is crazy because I thought the whole point of karate is to build confidence? The facility is always packed and there is no place to accommodate parents comfortably to watch as the classes are way over capacity. 30+ students in one class is insane. For $200/month I expect way more. We have begun looking into the other schools in the area however my daughter is really fond of Ms. Mendoza so I would hate to have to take her out due to another teachers unacceptable behavior.

I am trying my best to love this place, but the children running the front desk aren't always the best which makes things some what difficult when trying to handle things or get answers . Sometimes they provide the wrong information or withhold information. I understand it's a place for the children to grow, but it's also a business that should be a little more professional and making sure that the children are equipped to help run the business. The studio is typically extremely packed which makes it extremely uncomfortable. They have taken my child into the office more than once to try to talk to them and gain information from them without my consent. Never once did they ask to speak to me on those occasions. I only found out from my child and told my child to tell them something specific if it ever happens again. I honestly not sure if 200 a month is worth it to attend this studio anymore. My child seems to enjoy it, but I don't enjoy it.

My 5 year old son is very shy and at first was anxious to participate, but Sama Academy was very patient and eased him in. He's still shy and at times needs more time to understand the moves, but they are always patient with him. Joshu can identify when he needs more help and makes sure he gets more attention. I feel like my son is well taken care of and I see a change in his confidence. I love taking him to class and watching him grow here.

This place is amazing, my daughter started here a little over a year ago and loves it. Teaches her discipline, structure and how to defend herself. And on top of that, she loves coming here. The staff is amazing and knowledgeable. 5 stars

I brought my son here to learn discipline and get out his energy. What we got was way more. The instructors and staff take great pride in knowing each student as an individual and do a phenomenal job in teaching life lessons through community activities. An extra plus is their all inclusive pricing method, you can come to as many classes as you want and will never pay hidden fees for belt promotions. My son and I highly recommend Sama Academy.

Professional instructor, friendly staff and administrators. Safe for kids. Good environment.

Amazing academy and great instructors. Sensei Roxas has a special martial arts school that fosters discipline and hard work.