Tandez Academy of Martial Arts

I’ve been attending TAMA for about three weeks now and I’m really enjoying it. I started going based on my husband’s recommendation. As a big fan of Bruce Lee and martial arts, Jeet Kune Do has always been very interesting to me and I needed something to really kick my butt back into gear post-​baby.
Aside from the prior experience of just a handful of Muay Thai classes (which were taken a couple of years ago) and a few years of capoeira (which is based on a fairly different approach/​philosophy), I’m very new to JKD.
With all this said, I really appreciate the energy and atmosphere of TAMA. No meathead MMA egos, just students who genuinely want to learn and who are open to helping others. Yes, some of the classes can feel a little fast-​paced for beginners – but that only felt like the case when the majority of large classes were composed of more advanced students. The instructor (Sifu Adrian Tandez) does his best to accommodate new students and to structure lessons in a way that catches them up to speed but he paces the classes so that they cater to the majority… Which is really something all instructors do, I’ve learned in my experience. And when new students need help, advanced students are always willing to assist. In addition, When Sifu demonstrates, he gives explanations and also often asks if you have questions.
Lastly, Sifu really knows his craft and his application of martial arts is for real life and self-​defense. No frills. He mixed in a little Brazilian Jiu-​Jitsu in one of the recent classes I attended, which was really helpful and a lot of fun.
This isn’t cardio kickboxing or tae bo. I love it!

My 9-​year-​old son studied Taekwondo for 4 years. I believe in all the martial arts, but after getting turned on to Bruce Lee’s profound philosophy. we decided we would like to try «Jeet Kun Do.» JKD is the martial art that Bruce Lee created. which is an alchemy of all the martial arts plus fencing, boxing, and other western sports, and of course infused with his Daoist principles. As in other martial arts, there are ‘ranks’, but unlike other martial arts, the students do not wear uniforms with their various ranks visible by differing belt colors. At Tandez Academy they wear simple T-​shirts, and there seems to be a marked increase of cooperation and a far less competitive air amongst the students at Tandez.
In my opinion, Jeet Kun Do is more spiritual than the other martial arts, and SiFu Adrian [my son’s JKD instructor] commented that Jeet Kun Do is much better with regards to the pure self-​defense aspect.
I can also attest to the incredible physical, mental, emotional and spiritual maturity that my child has gained in the brief six months at Tandez. The classes are small and potent. the atmosphere is more like a family than that of the usual pseudo-​militant environment that most martial arts studios host. not to mention the over-​crowded classes one gets in most other studios.
Adrian Tandez is the most humble and authentic martial arts instructor I have ever met, and this is «the real deal».

A brief background of myself, aside from a year of Tae Kwon Do classes 20 years ago, I have no background in martial arts whatsoever. I’m a clumsy and forgetful guy that really wanted to learn some self defense and get some exercise. This review is a based on my experience during my studies at the academy on a three month Groupon back in March of 2015. (My experience only involves the weekday afternoon classes, I’ve never attended a night class)
PROS
— The school environment is very comfortable and well equipped with everything you need so if you wanted to study on the cheap, it’s possible!
— Head instructor Adrian and all my fellow classmates were friendly. It’s nice not to feel intimidated by the fact that you know nothing.
— Head instructor was super accommodating. I biked to class and he was nice enough to allow me to leave my folding bike at the front of the dojo. I’m very thankful for that.
— You will definitely get great cardio workout.
— The classes are completely immersive. So while in a Karate class they may limit you from what you could learn based on your belt color. Here, you’re allowed to learn whatever is being taught and are not limited.
CONS
— There were many classes where I felt like I was crashing the class– I really never felt like I was part of the family due to the fact that I honestly didn’t know what I was doing and there wasn’t much direct interaction in terms of learning from the teacher.
— I remember when I was taking TKD classes, after the teacher demo’ed a move, he would go around the room and observe all of us. He would then hands on correct us. Here, the master instructor would only demo but would never personally come over and correct us. I don’t know if it’s because we’re learning a Chinese martial arts where back in the day, beginners never interacted with the head master. They could only interact with him when they were at a certain level. This is 2015, I think we can break out from tradition.
— The classes are completely immersive. You just have to follow the demo even though your form is probably terrible. A typical class would basically be the head instructor demo-​ing a move and you just follow along based on what your eyes saw. That’s about it.
— My form was terrible. I knew it. My peers knew it. Head instructor knew it. No one corrects your form unless you actively ask.
— Like what a previous Unilocaler had mentioned, head instructor always says negative things about other martial arts like karate and TKD. While personally, I feel that Chinese kung fu is the most powerful martial arts in the world, having a teacher broadcast such a opinion on a public forum like that often felt a little unprofessional. Karate, TKD and Krav Maga, I believe, do hold some purpose in society and everyone should respect everyone.
— This is more of a rant for martial arts schools in general– not directly targeted at Tandez… but, why is it that martial arts schools insist on using anglicized ethnic vocabulary for things like jab, hook, kick, roundhouse kick? It wasn’t until I Google’d the Chinese characters for the moves for class that I actually got to understand what things like «pak sau» (It means «smack hand» in Chinese) or «Ging lai» («Pay respect») meant.
Overall, it was really tough for me to get a feel for the classes because I felt that it was hard for me to really grasp any foundation. I think for those who have a martial arts background, the Tandez Academy would be perfect for you. However, for someone like me who is starting from zero, it could do better at nurturing beginners to have a good foundation to have the ability to do the moves. I remember there was one class where I had to do punch drills and head instructor was like, «You’re not punching correctly at all,» I felt as if he had expected that I had learned by then how to properly punch but in all honestly my mind could only think, «I was never taught properly how to!»
Would I recommend them? I would say, don’t commit immediately. They’re perpetually offering free one week trials. Try it for one week and then make a decision. I would say that I would give them 2 ½ stars but since I can’t give halves I will round it up to a 3 stars.

I love that Adrian is super passionate about martial arts and that brings the best out of every lesson taught by him. Walking to a new class will always be intimidating but the Tandez family makes you feel right at home. Coming in to the Academy with no prior experience yet walked out feeling somewhat confident about myself! Adrian and one of his advanced students had a lot of patience with me, given that I was a little out of shape yet they did not give up on me! :) I had so much fun and learned the necessary self defense moves! If only it wasn’t so far from me or I would go more often!

JKD? Check.
Filipino martial arts? Check.
Familial and friendly environment? Check.
Helpful and supportive fellow students? Check.
Patient, kind, and awesome instructor/​Sifu? Check.
Not to mention, free trial classes, self-​defense classes, and last I heard, even classes for children! I mean, what more could you ask for???
One of the best decisions I’ve EVER made.

Never been to a martial arts class… EVER. But wanted to try something new. I was a little nervous this would be like the Karate Kid– Cobra Kai ‚…Super strict.“Sweep the leg!”, «Put ‘em in a body bag Johnny!» But went non the less.
Thankfully the Tandez Academy is not like that. We bow etc, but Sifu is very kind and not intimidating. Don’t get me wrong… I wouldn’t want to ever fight him but he has created a place where we can all learn without a ton of pressure. When I do mess up I don’t get a Bo staff to the head (I was worried about that too. I guess I watch too many movies), Sifu shows me the right way and we keep going.
I did feel like a goober for the first couple of months trying to learn and keep up but trust me… eventually it comes. I should also say that the other students are great as well. I’ve learned a ton from them too. Everyone helps each other. Definitely a community.

All I can really say about this place is that it made me feel uneasy enough to not want to go back.
The best word I can think of to describe the head instructor is «creepy.»
He has an impersonal and socially disconnected presence that is unsettling.
I went in for a trial class to see if I’d like the place and came away with the feeling that beginners are not welcome.
The class was obviously geared toward students with a lot of previous experience and was far too fast paced.
The experience made me as a beginning martial arts student feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.
After the trial class I felt coerced to sign up for a course of classes (as other reviewers have mentioned here there is a heavy «used car salesman» vibe).
Although I did sign up for classes and I did pay for an entire course I never went back because the more I thought about going back the more uneasy I felt.
No one from the academy ever bothered to contact me to ask why I didn’t show up for any classes, so it’s just as well that I didn’t.
How creepy is this place? It’s «not bothering to go back and ask for your $ 150 back» creepy.

Let me start off by saying I am not a Tandez student, nor a martial artist.
I bought a Unilocal deal a year and a half ago for my boyfriend. Ever since that first month he has been hooked. First, it was a great gift (if you are looking for holiday gift ideas), second it has done wonders for him. He not only feels more fit and energized, he seems more balanced and at peace. The school teaches him more various arts than I can name.
After seeing what a good effect these classes had on my boyfriend, I decide to go and sit in on a class (see what they do). The academy was smaller than I expected, but very welcoming. All of the students were friendly, yet focused. They seem to be creating more of a family than a school, which is even better for a martial arts academy. Their Sifu is VERY talented, calm, friendly, and attentive. No matter how many students are there, he seems to be aware of what each student needs individually. He and his wife have created a truly amazing academy.

After searching around at other studios I met Sifu Adrian Tandez and knew I had found the right place. He teaches JKD, FMA, CSW and Silat along with having seminars every two months on various subjects like panatukan, karambit training, gun disarms and more. There is also a women’s self defense class once a month. Each year he takes his students to LA for competition in weapons which is full contact and a lot of fun. The environment is relaxed but focused and everyone helps each other to become a better practitioner of the arts. The students will even meet up out of class to hang out or practice. It’s truly a great place and I am very happy I found it.

I’ve been attending Tandez Academy for just over a year now, so I figure I’ve got a decent foundation for a proper review now.
I was first attracted to the school because it was one of the closest that taught kali, aka Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). Stick-​fighting drills from kali schools looked so much funner and more free-​form than mid-​air katas or kung-​fu forms (spoiler: they are super fun and super free form).
During the first class, despite my best preparations via YouTubed drills and escrima sticks I’d bought ahead of time, I was a bit overwhelmed. Each hour-​long class tends to cycle through many different drills, and at the beginning, it feels like way too much info to process… and it really is, at first. You’ll just start to get the hang of something… then onward to the next drill!
Despite a deluge of info, it was fun, and I decided to join the FMA and Jeet Kune Do classes (Jeet Kune Do being Bruce Lee’s martial art, though it incorporates many other hand-​to-​hand techniques from Savate to Jiujitsu).
A week or two later, despite very few repeated drills (there’s tons of stuff to do and remember), you’ll start to get the swing of it. With some practice at home in refinement, you start to develop reflexes and it doesn’t feel like you’re drowning in info anymore.
Once you get your syllabus, and start getting into the habit of writing notes on the mechanics of various drills and moves, you start to build a base of knowledge, concepts, and reflexes, and it only gets better from there. A month or so in of committed attendance and things really started clicking, and I was pretty much hooked.
Learning new skills, refining old ones, combining drills and arts and starting to free-​style, learning to use it all in sparring drills: it’s incredibly gratifying.
Wooden dummy kung fu techniques, stick/​dagger/​sword fighting, kickboxing (muay thai style and more kung-​fu/​boxing style stuff), close range trapping and destructions, various counters and defensive counter-​attacks, wrestling (CSW, dumog range FMA, Silat)… there is a ton to learn.
–Tips for those interested–
–Stick with it! The variety becomes something to look forward to, and there are many days where we break into levels to refine techniques in our levels, so don’t get too intimidated by the first day.
–Sifu Adrian gives more criticism on as you develop your skills. He won’t nitpick beginners for imperfect form, because he’s letting them get the basic ideas and movements down first without interjecting advanced criticisms to make them self-​conscious. Being a particularly shy and introverted person, I figured others might want to know this: If you get corrected, it usually means you’re ready to improve and refine. And man, have I personally come a long way in just a year.
–Join in a few Wednesday Open Gym sessions. We spar in controlled matches, which is great practice for testing and for learning about fighting in general. Also, we often review stuff for testing/​mastery, so if you need a practice partner, there’s usually at least a few of us there every week.
–Ask for help! The senior students have always been incredibly gracious in helping beginners (of which I still count myself), and Sifu of course will help you out if you need another explanation or demo. I’ve gotten great help from Sifu and more advanced students, and it’s inspiring to see their level of mastery and note their various tips and observations.
–Notes are key! It might feel a little like homework… but it’s homework about grappling, stick-​fighting, and kick and punch combos, which involve a lot more body memory and mechanics that makes mere moving around so much more interesting. Sifu Adrian provides a well-​structured syllabus, which is a great foundation for notes that flesh out your own observations and understanding of each drill and technique you’ve been working on.
–Jump rope is part of class. I was utterly embarrassed at my faltering jump roping, which is part of most of our JKD warmups, so it may be worth some practice outside of class. I’m far better now, but man, at first I was lucky to get more than three jumps without smacking my toes.
–Try out other arts, even if you start off only interested in a particular one. I started off planning to only attend FMA, but the other classes have some really fun parts too (the wooden dummy: too fun). Some people like to stick with only one class because of time or because they feel overwhelmed, but try branching out first and you may be rewarded.
–Conclusion–
Anyway, it’s probably obvious that I’d recommend the school. Friendly community, fun events (like gladiator tourneys and specific seminars on certain arts), a great assortment of martial arts with weapons/​grappling/​striking, and its way cheaper than moving to LA to learn from Guro Dan Inosanto himself. Sifu Adrian keeps the curriculum updated constantly, and organizes it all into a sensible curriculum that gives all levels tons of variety in every class.

I’m 53 and I joined in January. I had been looking for a school that was a real martial arts school, not the chain store variety. In 8 months I’ve made great progress at Tandez.
The instruction is practical, Sifu Tandez is a great instructor. He gives personalized help when you need it, and the other students are awesome. No attitudes at this school. Just a commitment to learning useful martial arts that will get you fit.
The two main styles are Jeet Kun Do (Guro Bruce Lee) and Filipino Kali (Guro Dan Inosanto). Highly effective styles.
You can take a free lesson at Tandez. Check it out, especially if you are like me and always wanted to study a real martial art. Twice a week I’m excited to go there and learn, and those nights I sleep really well. A great workout!

The good: They give a 1 – 2 day free trial. Decent techniques, material, and instruction. One basic wing chun technique I learned was an eye-​opener. Students are generally friendly, skillful, open-​minded, and helpful as expected. FMA seems pretty standard and legit. According to the head instructor they spar often. In my book, any environment that gives the opportunity to spar and test techniques is legit.
The bad: We were practicing supposedly muay thai style roundhouse kicks together, but when I looked around many people had mediocre technique which was not being corrected, and the instructor did not seem to care. Also, I did not see anyone spar (not even the non-​beginner students) in all of the 3 classes I attended during my free trial, so maybe the instructor is exaggerating how often they spar. Combat wrestling class seems like a good class with good instruction but seems to have a severe shortage of highly experienced grapplers to practice with, so learning would be stunted.
The ugly:
After I tried out a couple classes, he invited me into his office to give a slimy pressuring salesperson spiel. He began by bashing a lot of martial arts. This is part of what he said, exact wording (not exaggerated):
«You know MMA doesn’t work in a street fight, right? You KNOW that, right?»
He then stated judo doesn’t work in the street, and said krav maga doesn’t work at all either. And then he glorified Kali as the best thing ever. During the whole ordeal I was getting a very sociopathic «car salesperson» vibe from him.
Funny thing — this is coming from the EXACT SAME GUY who demonstrated just minutes ago in class how to do a no-​gi UCHIMATA takedown to armbar (common judo/​MMA move), and also oversaw instruction of the DOUBLE LEG takedown and its variations (bread and butter MMA/​wrestling move). Why is he teaching those judo and MMA moves if he thinks they are ineffective?
It’s also coming from the exact same guy who told me about how he trains in BJJ, MMA, muay thai judo etc. and said they would be useful in a street fight albeit having weaknesses that can be filled in by other arts. I agreed with that completely, but then why the hell did he declare in the beginning that MMA, judo, krav maga, and [insert every martial art other than Kali] are useless in a street fight? His unfounded criticisms and lack of tact struck me as extremely unbecoming, unprofessional, and uncharacteristic of most martial artists. (By the way, I totally agreed with him that krav maga is prone to bullshit and highly ineffective against competent fighters, but he continued to disrespect, ridicule and laugh at it rather than acknowledging its strengths as an easy to learn system that defends against statistically likely attacks by untrained thugs).
In summary, every martial artist who is truly serious about reality-​based self-​defense knows the importance training in both sport AND street arts, and this guy is no fool and no exception… The instructor is a very skilled and rational martial artist who could kick a lot of ass in a fight, but also an overly ambitious salesman who will shamelessly disrespect other styles and throw out false blanket statements to try to convince people to become his students. As well, just because the instructor can kick your ass doesn’t necessarily mean he will care to impart that knowledge to you at a reasonable rate and at reasonable prices. Judging by his highly manipulative/​haughty personality, the policy that you have to wear the dojo’s shirt as a class uniform, and best of all the extremely elaborate/​flowery dance move he has students do to bow in/​out of each class which puts youtube parodies of martial arts to shame, he seems to be much more concerned about building a fan base.

I’m not new to martial arts, I did some Tae Kwon Do when I was a teenager, did a couple years of Kenpo until I moved to another town and did 4 years of Kun Tao until I had to move again. When I found the Tandez Academy I was immediately intrigued. I had heard of Jeet Kune Do (JKD) but wasn’t sure if I would like it. I have now been a student of Sifu Tandez for over a year and this is why:
1. Sifu Tandez learned directly from Dan Inosanto, not only one of Bruce Lee’s closest friends with whom he perfected JKD but also a great martial artist himself. If you don’t know who Dan Inosanto is, google him and you will immediately be surprised by his life story and his dedication to martial arts.
2. Sifu Tandez teaches classes himself. In some places the head instructor has his name on the door but doesn’t show up. Not here, Sifu Tandez is a great teacher, and explains the «why» in every technique.
3. Every class is different. Because JKD is a combination of many styles, one day we do grappling, the next day a lot of kicking, the next is trapping… not boring and always very active.
4. Great equipment. The punch bags, the floor mat, everything is new and Sifu Tandez takes great care of his equipment and of the gym. For beginners there are gloves, etc. you can borrow during class to get used to it until you are ready to buy your own.
5. Friendly people. Everyone I met at the gym is a nice guy or gal. No matter if its a beginner or someone who’s been there for years, they are all welcoming and ready to work with you. For beginners, coming into a class full of people who know what they are doing can be worrisome, but not here, they will help you get started and make you feel part of the ‘family’.
6. It’s a great workout. Even if you are not too much into the ‘martial’ part of it, just coming because of the workout is worth it.
7. There’s Kali! Some people only do the JKD class, but I like to stay for the class right after which is Kali (aka escrima, filipino martial arts, etc.). Sifu Tandez also teaches that and is a great complement to JKD or any other martial arts style.
On Wednesdays is ‘open gym’ day, which means you can just come in to practice alone or with other people, ask questions, and sparr a little.
Whether JKD or Kali is for you, that’s another matter. If you are looking for a great martial arts studio /​gym then you should definitely check out Tandez Academy.

What I love best about this place is that its not the «you will get a black belt in six months» type of place (there aren’t even any belts: D). Sifu Adrian’s style of teaching is encouraging and informative. His experience and ability to convey it through actions and speech, plus seeing the level of proficiency and character of his advanced students, only reinforce that I came to the right place for learning these arts. (I’ve searched long and hard).
I also love that the class schedule includes noon classes as well as evening classes. Sifu Adrian’s flexibility with my schedule is also a plus considering my hectic work schedule.

Took the introductory class (JKD) and was completely unprepared for the warm up. A big part of JKD is conditioning and the warm up showed me how out of condition I am. The students are really friendly, and the more advanced students work with newbies to get them through the training. Since joining the school, I’ve also started attending the Filipino MA classes, which start out with weapons (Escrima and knives) and advance into open hand techniques. No two classes are alike, sometimes the conditioning rolls into the meat of the class. It’s a fun and encouraging learning environment that’s definitely street oriented. Sifu Adrian is so relaxed and confident in how he teaches the different techniques, it gives you more confidence and makes you want to improve. Top notch learning environment.

What attracted me to this academy besides Jeet Kune Do (Jkd) and Filipino martial arts is the philosophy. JKD teaches you to be adaptable and evolve both in skills and as a person. You’ll never know what may happen in a fight and it is an advantage to know what to do in different scenarios. Thus, the academy also teaches Brazilian jiu-​jitsu and Silat. In addition, our exercise and drills change according to its practicality and to what our Sifu thinks will work best and prepare us for the worst case scenario.
Martial arts greatly affected my life. Women often fall victim and become prey. This doesn’t have to be the case and you can change that. I would say the academy has prepared me and continues to prepare me for worst case scenario, different angles of attack/​defense, strategies, to defend myself regardless of my size, gender, and capabilities. As a woman, my confidence and awareness have heightened. I have confidence in knowing I can defend myself wherever I go, whatever I do, whoever comes in front of me no matter their size.

Martial arts has been a apart of my life for almost 20 years. I am constantly searching for new information on different martial arts and what they bring to the table. If you have heard about it, I have done it. If not, then I have family and or friends who practiced it and shown me a bit or two. I recently was introduced to Philippino martial arts through a friend.
While researching it, I came upon more information on the martial arts that was used in the Action Trilogy, «The Bourne Identity». A DVD extra discussed the fact that it was a mix of Philippino martial arts and Jeet Kune Do, a mixed martial arts introduced by Bruce Lee long before MMA. I searched high and low and found a school that is local.
I had to check it out. During my visit I got to see the Philippino martial arts class and the Jeet Kune Do class. Listening to the instructor, I could tell he knew what he was talking about. Also knew that he wasn’t teaching a bunch of random martial arts or another art and trying to falsely pass it as Jeet Kune Do. After a little discussion with the Instructor and a trial class, I was sold on taking class here.
The Philippino martial arts class teaches you to use anything and everything in your disposal as a weapon for defense. Most martial arts gyms teach you hand to hand combat, but Philipino martials is catered to realistic self defense. On the street you are more likely to come across a person that wants to hurt you with an object, like a knife. Well in a typical gym you are taught to block the attack. CAN’T block a knife. Even blocking the hand holding the knife does’t remove the danger of the cutting you.
As far as the Jeet Kune Do class. Well the art was created by the most famous martial artist to date. Its a mix of everything that works. With a philosophy of a constant change. Un-​predictable attacks while outsmarting your opponent. Know everything about all other martial arts while others only know about themselves. Taking the best of all martial arts without having to take a vow at a temple. Shave your head and become a monk. Nor spend 30 years mastering your inner self. Its quick and practical.
What more can you ask for. So if you are looking for a practical martial arts for self defense that gives you everything and the kitchen sink, then stop by and try out both class.

I was really impressed with Sifu Adrian’s level of expertise when I took his Self Defense seminar. It was free (a $ 75 value), so who can really complain? Upon arriving, I expected the participants to be entirely of newbies, but it was only me and another lady… and 3 other female students. The rest were strapping men. A lot of them…
There was something intimidating when I was in the sea of academy students dressed in black. Grappling with a student scared me, but she was really friendly.
The instruction of the seminar was very organized and informative, including a brief history of martial arts for us beginners. Initially, I was wondering how he could fill 4 hours, but there was no lag at all — covering escape, submission, and pinning maneuvers. I wish I was able to pick up the moves as easily as others, but some maneuvers had a lot of steps to it and seemed a bit complicated for a non-​active chica like myself.
It was a Saturday afternoon well-​spent. It was a little too much information all at once. I hope I have retained enough information to allow me to defend myself if I need it.

I researched martial arts for several months before picking Bruce Lee’s JKD Kung Fu. The problem was finding an instructor that could teach it! I didn’t want a flyby night school wanted someone who could trace his lineage back to Bruce Lee.
I defiantly got what I wanted in Adrian Tandez. He instructs his students in both the physical AND mental aspects of art and fighting so that you not only know what to do, why you are doing it. After three months, I could break down an MMA fight or know which fighter has good technique.
Practicality?
You not only learn JKD (which includes boxing, wresting, judo, and Brazilian Jujitsu), he teaches Filipino martial arts, panantukan, silat, and other arts from parts of the world where you may not have trust worthy police officers and soldiers to call upon.
Don’t get me wrong. This is not Cobra Kiu Karate, but if someone threats you and your young child in the back seat of your car would you rather be able to strike him in the chest to score a tournament point
–OR–
1. break his fingers
2. take the knife
3. knee him in the side so hard he can’t breathe without thinking that maybe that job sweeping floors doesn’t look so bad
4. break his elbow
5. filet his arm up to the deltoid like a trout
6. have no trouble picking him out of a police line up later because you just need to find the guy with the crooked fingers, busted ribs, broken elbow, and salmon filleted arm.
The best part? You don’t have to wait years before you are exposed to safe, practical weapon use. A stick is such a simple tool.
And you can make a stick from almost ANYTHING… a curtain rod, a hammer, a baseball bat, a bowling pin, a ruler, a broke mop handle and … a… stick.
I am not the greatest martial artist, but I am so thankful I am able to attend this academy.

The members of my mom’s group were fortunate enough to be able to take Sifu Adrian’s Child Safety Workshop recently. I must say, the workshop was extremely enlightening and empowering — and went above and beyond my expectations. Initially, Sifu started out by relating recent news stories of children who’d fallen victim to stranger violence, and gave tips on how to be more aware of one’s surroundings.
We then began the physical training aspect of the workshop. Sifu went over basic stances and techniques that would help distract, deter and even disarm potential attackers. He was extremely patient and kind (and even humorous!), and made sure to give us pointers and advice on how to do certain techniques correctly (and without harm to ourselves). He encouraged questions and demonstrated the moves in a way where we could understand and replicate them relatively easily.
It was encouraging to see all of us – adults and children alike — really geting into the techniques and practicing them with gusto. As a woman and mother, it is important for me to feel like I have the skills to not only protect myself, but my child as well. After taking this course, I feel much more confident that, given the situation, I will be able to do this successfully.
When my son gets older, I definitely want to enroll him in the Little Dragons classes. With Sifu Adrian’s training, I know he’ll be my «little protector!»