Okinawan Karate-Do Academy

Karate has been very knowledgeable for me.I have been with Renshi Michael Norvell for 15 years and he has taught me alot and is very caring when it comes to his students.Being with him as long as I have I notice that nothing makes him happier than to see his students succeed.The dojo is a place where myself and others feel safe and comfortable.The discipline,courage,self respect and love for myself I gained in the dojo and has brought me a long way. I love our dojo it is a second home to me. As we say in our dojo OSU which means never give up which is something that is forever instilled in me. more

After spending a year and a half at OKDA, I must say that my daughter and I have found more than a martial arts school, but our home away from home. I initially decided to take up karate for the 2 reasons any mother would want to and that is to give my active child a place to channel her energy, learn to focus, and for me to be more active and reach some summer fitness goals I had in mind. Little did I know that with tremendous help from the instructors, both goals would be accomplished and more! I fell in love with the art because of the passion and dedication of every instructor and their desire to see me achieve my goals! My daughter has a new found sense of accomplishment with every rank she earns and every 1st place trophy she brings home from tournaments! I didn't know that simply ""doing karate"" would have such an impact on our lives, and training at OKDA made this possible! - 5 * school! more

I have been a karate ka or student of Renshi Michael Norvell since 1997 or since I was 12. I am now 27, and my resilience and mental constitution are a reflection of the years I have spent training with him and many of my old friends. The dojo, no matter where it was: eastgate, olive, pershing, etc., has always felt like a home to me. We lift each other up there constantly whenever it is needed and encourage a healthy, competitive environment for the children and adults. The amount of detail, culture, and physical conditioning that is introduced to the children students at as young as 5 years old, just increases as you grow in the style. Growing up as a kid on the north-side St. Louis, Mike got me off the streets at an important, developmental time in my life, and I don't know what kind of adult I would be without the guidance. more

This dojo is by far one of the best schools in St Louis. From the workouts and the many values taught while training. One thing I can say is that you will earn every belt you receive from this school and you will have fun doing it too. OKDA gave me a sence of purpose and drive to excel in life. If your looking for the right stuff this is it! more

Practicing at Okinawan Karate-Do Academy is awesome! I love the feeling I get after a great work-out at the Dojo. Learning Katas, self-defense, sparring, and weapons at OKDA has been a great experience for my family and me. As a woman the self-defense classes have taught me to be more alert and aware of my surroundings and how to handle myself in different situations. Kata's have help me build my self esteem, standing in front of an audience is no problem for me now. Renshi Michael Norvell is one of the best instructor, he shows a lot of passion in his teaching, to me that shows he cares about what he is teaching his students. I have gotten to know a lot of great instructors, students, and parents. What I love most is my entire family takes classes at OKDA. Taking karate with my husband and kids is something that we enjoy doing together. Karate is a character builder for my children,as well as a self esteem booster, and teaches them to show respect in the Dojo as well as outside of it. If you ever liked or wanted to learn karate OKDA is the best Dojo to visit. more

Okinawan Karate-Do is the best Karate-Do in St. Louis. My son has been attending the Dojo for almost 2years. Not only has become a well rounded Martail Artist, he has embraced the Okinawan culture aswell. Michael Norvell is a great teacher. If you want a firm displined foundation for your child, I recommend this Dojo. From what I see, all the children, adults, and parents love Michael Norvell. He has a team of instructors that are very knowledgable in Matrial Arts aswell. Don't just take my word for it, bring your kid are yourself over to Okinawan Karate-Do and experience it for yourself. I'll say it again, ""THIS IS THE BEST KARATE-DO IN ST. LOUIS."" #5stars more

My son has been at this academy for almost two years and he has learned a lot since he's been there. Micheal Norvell is an awesome teacher. I have recommend this academy to people I know and they children are now attending the academy. If you are a sensitive parent and don't like your child being discipline then don't bring your child to this academy. But if you don't mind your child/children being discipline and don't mind them learning from someone who loves what they do and likes teaching people then this is the academy for you and your family. There are a whole lot of nice and very talented people at this academy. So if you are looking for school for your child to learn martial arts then this is the one for your family. more

If you are a parent who needs to teach your children discipline, beware of this academy. While martial arts is being taught and you can find some wonderful people, Michael Norvell is the owner and his is ignorant and verbally abusive. I witnessed him cussing out his student a teen ager in front of other minor children. He threatened to kick out his F____ ribs and said he would be S____ out of his side. OMG This is not discipline and is verbal abuse. If you want your children to be intimidated by his ranting, then by all means bring them. In this day and age maybe for some that is acceptable, but as a mother this is over the top. I am not paying for that. Im trying to life my children's esteem not have them scared to death by his adhd/manic depressive episodes. more

This is the best place to work out and learn karate. I go there 3 times a week and I'm in shape and I feel great. I used to be scared to go places alone, but now I know a lot of self-defense techniques and I am not afraid to go anywhere. It's great for women and kids. Pros: There are women in the class and a female instructor Cons: Sometimes you leave a little sore more