Samurai Martial Arts Tacoma

"As an endurance athlete with a black belt in taekwondo, I was seeking something that would help to round out my fitness routine and improve my grappling and ground game. Butch's approach of teaching to real-world situations, including the ability to avoid or diffuse a situation and to control an opponent without harming them, really appealed to me. In addition, as someone who travels to Japan frequently, I liked the appeal of traditional jujitsu, including the weapons training, as opposed to the more ubiquitous BJJ. I also appreciate the blend of fighting styles that are incorporated into the training. Finally, as someone who works with his hands and lives an active lifestyle, I have appreciated the emphasis on safety in each class. Whether you are someone new to martial arts or a long time practitioner looking for something new and different, I encourage you to consider Samurai Martial Arts Tacoma."

"I've been training in various martial arts & self-defense programs for over 15 years. I’ve been training here a few months now. To sum this school up I would say that it is self-defense centered school with a bias towards grappling that uses Japanese terminology in a progressive curriculum. What you get exposed to most frequently is grappling, throws, ground work, striking, joint-locks, and going from one of these skill-sets to another. You might like this school if you prefer variety in your training over training in a single art/sport, are interested in learning self-defense in a long-term training format, prefer drilling to hard sparring, are ok with evening classes. Probably not a fit if your goals are competing in BJJ/MMA, since it's broad you really don't get the hands on time to get to a competitive sport level, you want conditioning/a hard workout every class; its more skill-based and drilling vs. muay thai/boxing class where conditioning is built in. Not ideal if you have a bunch of injuries/mobility issues. You have to be able to learn to throw, be thrown, and pick yourself up off the mat a bunch of times per class otherwise you’re not going to be an ideal training partner for others in the class."

"I love training with Butch and Jennifer because they are very fun and out going so it makes for a great atmosphere when you are working and when you are learning Japanese jiu-jitsu at there school. Another reason why I enjoy training under them is because they are very knowledgeable about how the human body works. So if you want a great place to work out and training then I would recommend Butch and Jennifer."

"Highly skilled teachers with a fun and challenging class. You will always be challenged at your skill level with a safe and clean environment."

"Fun, safe, and very practical. I've been training here for years, and the instructors are constantly providing new opportunities for personal growth. One of the many perks of this school is they are very excited to learn from different styles, and are reluctant to box themselves into one super orthodox Way of Doing Things. A scientific approach to defense, with a healthy respect for tradition too."