Team Karate Centers

I love this studio. Wonderful and caring staff and great atmosphere. The staff really cares about the students. Thank you! more

My kids received their black belts and have been going to this wonderful martial arts studio for over 6 years. Highly recommend the studio. more

I've had the privilege and honor to have known Master Fariborz for more than twenty years. Many things changed for me during this period, I started as a student, eventually became an instructor and then I took a long sabbatical only to return as a student once again. However, one thing remains the same at TKC, and that is Master Fariborz's dedication for teaching and passion for sharing his knowledge with anyone willing to learn, honor, and respect the long traditions of martial arts. more

“I have had the good fortune to be associated with Team Karate Centers and its founder Master Fariborz Azhakh for over 20 years now. As a martial artist myself and video producer specializing in Martial Arts Instructional shows I seek out the world’s greatest martial arts masters for presentation of their skills to the public. When seeking an expert in Hapkido I chose Master Azhakh over numerous others to star in a series of Instructional shows that proved to be a worldwide best seller. Master Azhakh and his Instructors are top notch and his Leadership and Teaching have made Team Karate Centers a landmark as the best martial arts school in the Valley for men, women and children wishing to learn true martial arts. If you’re thinking about studying martial arts for you or your child I highly recommend visiting Team Karate Centers to personally see why they are the leaders in professional martial arts instruction.”\r Joe J.\r more

I have taught at Team Karate Center on and off for almost 10 years and can confidently say that it is a sacred space with caring individuals whose sole purpose is to enrich children’s lives with Confidence and a sense of one’s self. For adults it gives the same with the added courage to face today’s challenges whether physical, emotional or spiritual. more

I have been a student of Master Fariborz's since I was six. I am now 28. In the 2 decades i've spent there I have learned so much. We first learned traditional hapkido techniques (including throws, falls, and joint locks). Over time Master Fariborz blended in grappling and kickboxing techniques leading to Hapkido Blend. Over my time I have had unique opportunities to train with some world champion wrestlers, boxers, grapplers and kickboxing. Currently advance students have the ability to train with Benny ""The Jet"" Urquidez, a childhood role model of mine! More important than the physical aspect of the Martial Arts, Master Fariborz emphasizes the mental and spiritual needs. This is what makes Team Karate Centers and Martial Arts as a whole so powerful: when you can be mentally and spiritually ready for something physical--be it a sparring match, or a long exam for your next belt--you will be ready to face any challenge in life. Two of the greatest things I have taken from my time at TKC is to be Goal Oriented and Focused. Being Goal Oriented doesn't just mean knowing what you want, but being able to plan out what's needed to reach that goal. There is no doubt in my mind that without the personal skills I learned through my time at TKC I would not have excelled like I had in school and college. Nor would I have been motivated to attend grad school and get the job I have now. None of that would have been possible with the teaching staff an Master Fariborz himself. To this day Master Fariborz stays up to date with me and is around when I need advice. If you want your child to grow up to be strong (physically, mentally and spiritually), confident, and have lifelong role models that are a phone call away, I HIGHLY Recommend Team Karate Centers. more

Team Karate Centers is a premier martial arts school in the west San Fernando Valley. The caring and knowledgable staff, instructs students in a curriculum they call Hapkido Blend. Bascially a fusion of martial art styles from all over the globe, TKC offers a wholistic approach to the endeavour of learning martial arts. There is someting for everyone from meditation techniques, to forms & kata, to full contact sparring and grappling. Through this innovative approach, the student gains an enriching experience. They are introduced to new cultures and ways of thinking that they otherwise may miss. Furthermore, TKC provides a great atmosphere for families to train and grow together. Anyone whose trained at TKC for any length of time cant help but gain and extended family, more

Team Karate Centers is the place to be for a well rounded martial arts experience. I feel that I have excelled my goals and reached my potential here. TKC provides a warm environment where everyone feels at home and everyone is a part of a huge family. The instructors provide so much mental as well as physical knowledge that shape a better person out of everyone. Master Fariborz is greatly respected by all and it is such an honor to have him. I will never regret my decision and stand by the compassion I have for this studio. more

Love Team Karate Centers. I've been taking classes for years and love every minute of it. The self-defence techniques are well taught towards real life situations. The workouts are great and all of the teachers are fantastic, especially Master Fariborz. I love going to every class, there's always great things to learn and it's a fantastic studio. In addition to the classes, the community of people are great and extremely supportive. I strongly recommend this studio to everybody. more

I am a student of TKC. I have been there for years. From the very beginning through the present, TKC has been a great place for me and my whole family to train. It is an atmosphere of truly dedicated martial artists who bring everything they have to every class they teach. Master Fariborz (the school owner and seventh degree black belt who is in charge of the studio) is a truly hands-on teacher. He teaches numerous classes every week, even sparring the students on a regular basis (something very few school masters in my experience are willing to do). But more than that, he is always available to help with almost any problem, regardless of whether it is ""martial arts"" related or not. If you need help with a back kick, he is available to give you a few pointers. If you want to talk about a personal problem, I have yet to see him turn someone away. He is, in short, a dedicated teacher to all his students, and a true mentor to those who have entrusted themselves to his care. Not only that, but TKC is one of the few places in the world where master teachers - people like Sensei Benny ""the Jet"" Urquidez, Richard Norton, Grandmaster Taejoon Lee, Peter Cunningham, and a multitude of others - congregate regularly and come to share their hard-won wisdom with any who are interested. The classes taught by these men are extras, that is, they are not necessarily included in the TKC curriculum, but they are almost always taught for free in spite of this. Amazing! Most of all, TKC is not merely about punching and kicking. It is about creating true martial artists and making people better than they were when they first walked in the doors. Master Fariborz makes it clear in every class he teaches that people are the most important part of TKC. Not only that, but I have taken the instructors classes and know from personal experience that his most pressing concern is that everyone be taught in a way that will be safe, educational, fun, and edifying. These values are inculcated in TKC's staff from the bottom up. TKC is, flat out, the best martial arts studio I have ever been privileged to participate in and be a part of. I am proud to be a member of the TKC family, and do not hesitate to recommend it to others at every chance I get. more

At TKC, we study and practice the martial arts with the intention of improving our own lives and not just physically, but in everything we do, and with everything (and everyone) we love and care for. We see this goal as a very authentic and relevant approach to personal ""self-defense."" We start studying and practicing in our studio, but it doesn't end there, as our quest is to take our training ""out of the studio and into the world."" To see how our instructor and our students are doing just that, please visit our studio's Project Portfolio. At TKC our curriculum goes beyond physical techniques, often including interesting writing and/or filmmaking projects, project-based leadership training, community service, and familiarity with methods of peaceful conflict resolution. As students progress they're certainly challenged physically, but the martial arts, like life, is so much more than just technique. If you're looking for something wonderfully creative, exciting, steeped in tradition, but relevant to the here and now, please come visit us! We are humbly and gratefully accepting new students! More than any other sport, Karate gives our children the chance to explore their innate powers. Marvel as they increase in strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, and harmony. This is only the start. Physical skills act as a foundation for something much more important: the development of value skills, both mental and spiritual. more

The staff over here is great, they go out of their way to help the kids learn self control and discipline while teaching them martial arts. I rarely see the kind of respect I see here in the outside world everybody is kind specially the students. If your walking by and their isn't enough room they'll stop and let you pass even if their obviously in a hurry. This is the kind of place were memories are made Pros: Great Energetic Staff, Kids love it more

Team Karate Centers has an amazing program. It teaches more than just Karate. It teaches respect for self and others, honesty, compassion and instils pride in those who study there. My son is 6. At first he was apprehensive about the class. He was afraid to speak in public and after 3 classes he was leading the class in the TKC salute. The instructors are wonderful, patient and kind. There are many karate centers in Los Angeles, and I have visited MANY. TKC is by far the best. The energy there is amazing. You won't be disappointed! Pros: Great Instructors, amazing program, great facility Cons: Parking more

1)all classes taught by students not the master.\r 2)50 dollar belt tests 500 dollar black belt test.\r 3)snobby attitudes from members especial front desk\r 4)master taking but not certified in advanced gracie martial arts technique but having his students teaching this technique at his school.\r 5) limited to no contact with master.\r 6)no sparing\r 7)unskilled training\r more