Martial Arts in Norridge

USA Karate Federation Hall of Fame honoree and four-time Panamerican Karate champion John Fonseca teams up with three-time world karate champion Elisa Au Fonseca and a cadre of talented instructors to lead their charges through martial-arts and fitness classes that strengthen minds and bodies. Though the martial-arts program mainly focuses on shotokan and shito-ryu karate, the sensei also offers aikido, judo, Gracie jujitsu, muay thai kickboxing, and wing tsun classes. Bushy-tailed neophytes start at the beginning, learning the basics of their chosen form, whereas advanced students delve into such mind-focused arenas as chi energy training and personally apologizing to every punching bag they have ever hurt.

Instructors also lead fitness-centered sessions that build muscle and burn calories. Cardio-kick classes merge elements of martial-arts, boxing, and aerobics to form an ever-changing cardiovascular workout infused with heart-pumping kicks and punches. Boot-camps delve athletes even deeper into whole-body fitness by challenging them to nonstop military-style drills for a full 45 minutes, or approximately the time it takes to jump rope through an entire episode of Magnum, P.I..

Instead of modifying one’s natural reaction to danger, YMA Krav Maga & K.O. Bag Fitness builds upon inborn instincts. Its namesake method of self-defense, krav maga, hails from Israel but has sharpened the arsenal of the Secret Service, FBI, CIA, and NYPD. The noncompetitive technique can be boiled down to a central mantra: use the nearest tool for the job to finish the fight as quickly as possible. This means striking attackers in vulnerable areas with whichever limb will land a blow quickly and efficiently—whether that is a fist punching the neck, an elbow or knee to the groin, or a toe tickling an armpit. Students master these tenants of krav maga in group classes, which also teach how to fend off takedowns and weapons by acting out real-life situations. Fitness and the ability to smell danger inherently result from krav maga training, and K.O Bag workout classes can put some extra oomph into exercise with challenging cardio and strength routines that include boxing and martial-arts kicks.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of song, dance, and ritualized fighting that is centered on a physical game called jogo de capoeira. Like Spock and Kirk forced to fight by a threatening tribunal of bearded men, two players dance around each other in the center of a circle, exchanging movements of attack and defense in a constant, heart-pumping flow. Both players attempt to control the space by confusing their opponent, although no intentional contact is made or harm done—unlike sticks and stones with hurtful words carved into them. The observers in the circle play a variety of traditional Brazilian instruments and sing, setting the pace and beat of the dance-fight. Explore the schedule to find times during the week that work for you; additional classes are held at 7 a.m. by appointment only. Each session will immerse you in the flips, feints, kicks, and songs of capoeira.

Master Scott Carroll, a fifth-degree black-belt division leader and certified instructor for more than 10 years, helms the punchy practice. Courses incorporate a variety of styles including tae kwon do, Brazilian jiujitsu, kung fu, judo, tai chi, karate, hapkido, and seven different weapons. View a complete schedule of classes here. Lessons are taught every day but Sunday, and no experience is necessary. Those opting to continue instruction after the month can purchase a uniform at a discounted price before this Groupon expires.

Combining the most up-to-date teaching techniques with the age-old customs of martial arts, Chozen Martial Arts offers students of all ages a variety of self-defense styles to improve health, fitness, and confidence in a friendly atmosphere. Learn the hand-to-hand blended-American-Karate combat skills of judo, aikido, kenpo, and more with your own mix-and-match of 10 classes ($159 tuition). Experienced instructors will guide you on your board-breaking and eggshell-crushing journey to enhanced athletic performance and disciplined behavior. Wee Bruce Lees can take their first high-kicks with Chozen's Tiny Tigers or Dragons, while teens and adults will bridge the generation gap through well-placed chest-jabs with their respective classes. In a blend of boxing and martial arts, high-intensity cardio-kickboxing classes allow fighters to burn 350–450 calories per hour with finely-tuned flailings.

Dynamic Martial Arts specializes in jujitsu, a Japanese martial art grounded in Samurai tradition. Since it doesn't do much good to hit an armored opponent and takes all night to seduce them out of their armor, schools of jujitsu place the most emphasis on throwing, joint manipulation, ground locks, and using an opponent's energy against them. DMA will tutor you in all these aspects. And since jujitsu involves getting thrown as much as it does getting to throw others, DMA's senseis also teach you the vital art of falling down without hurting yourself. In addition to unarmed fighting, DMA offers a traditional Japanese weapons class twice weekly, which is under the strict safety supervision of DMA's highly trained instructors rather than some guy in a trench coat clutching a toy lightsaber.