Polander Academy Of Martial Arts Reviews

Love the teacher, the disciple and the philosophy. It is way above other places I have seen. Good job Sensei Kyoshi.  

I have met Kyoshi back in 2006. His teachings helped me develop mental and physical agility. Techniques I have learned in his dojo improved my motor skills, eye hand coordination, asymmetrical hand to hand combat in narrow spaces and were vital in my years in military. Polander Academy is a place where you are always welcome, place of knowledge and respect, place where people share their skills with passion and attention to details.

Before I was at Polander Academy, I was part of a karate program that was good at first, but after two years I felt like the classes were getting worse and worse. Using yelp, I looked around for programs in my area and found three or four. After looking at all of them, I chose Polander Academy. They have classes for everyone over the age of three, Little Dragons for kids 3 who are years old to kids who are 4 years old, Dragons at 5 - 7, Tigers at 8 - 12 or so, and the adult class for everyone 13 years old and up. At Polander academy, the style of Ryu-Te Kempo Karate is taught, meaning "empty hand." This means that you will learn how to defend yourself without the use of weapons such as the Bow Staff and the Jo Staff, although you can learn both of these weapons. The first thing you will typically learn here is the defense against the right hand punch, with more and more advanced techniques taught to you the further you progress in the belt system. Sparring class is also offered and you are encouraged to join, with it helping with your self defence. The teachers know the best way to help you when you are stuck on a form and are very helpful.

I don't know what made me think to try karate. I was tired of the gym and the hamster-wheel feeling I had every time I went. What was next in my progression? Adding another riser to my step? I visited Polander and was impressed. The individual private session gave me an idea of what I'd be in for, and I was surprised that I signed up that same day. I **never** sign up for anything on the spot. But I felt comfortable and excited to not only get more fit but to learn something useful along the way. The progression of testing to earn new belts was appealing too--you can really see that you are learning and advancing. And you learn things immediately helpful, in addition to building skills that take practice to master. 

In a nutshell - central location easy to get to in bethesda, easy free parking (what!? yes, really!), good teachers, respectful and helpful classmates, becoming more fit while learning self-defense, feeling better physically and mentally... what's not to like?

It would be great to see more women and girls in these classes; please give it a try!

I have a 7 yo daughter who joined the dojo end of 2011. She enjoys the classes a lot, and for me, I get to sit on the side, watch her have fun and have a BREAK for an hour where I read my favorite book. Kyoshi is very pleasant, so his wife Magda. This is for sure a place I would recommend to any parent.

Seriously, the best-kept secret in the D.C. area for cardio kickboxing. Saturday classes are so great, I was inspired to write a whole blog post about them!

Multiple instructors in each class allows for each student to get personal attention. Kids classes are exciting and interactive and the adult classes teach real self defense and traditional karate.

This school has been in the Bethesda area for nearly 20 years. The style is excellent for all ages (you don't have to be able to do the splits to fit in), and the instruction is outstanding. Instructors typically have 10 or more years of experience and the head of the school is on-site nearly every day.

I highly recommend stopping by to take a look if you are interested in traditional martial arts or practical self defense.

Great place, OK parking situation (street/metered parking). Definitely try out the Cardio Kickboxing class (if you're not into the whole Martial Arts / kicking @$$ thing, then maybe not for you HAHA). I love it. Maybe it's because I feel super B.A. when I'm punching and kicking to techno music.... But it's also because the instructor is very good at explaining form and what to do and what not to do. The facility itself is pretty nice. Shoes off, clean,  mirrors everywhere to check your form. I was a little annoyed because the kickboxing class kept getting cancelled, but hey, when I went it was awesome!

This is an awesome place for kids to learn discipline, self defense and respect. Definitely not a babysitting place - kids do learn a lot. Our girls love their karate and are looking forward to practice it three times a week.

Best Karate school in the area

I met Kyoshi Polander in Kansas City, KS back in 2002 and was the best Karate instructor I've ever seen. I am glad to say that his skills have not dulled one bit. Those of you who are lucky enough to live in Maryland and the D.C. area should DEFINATELY check him out. You won't be disappointed.