There are many martial arts schools in the community and it is important to find the best fit for you and your family. Here students shared their experiences, why they chose the USTSD family, why they continue, and what they have gained. The stories are diverse, but the themes are the same: the program engages, motivates and delivers on self-defense, fitness, personal growth and wellbeing. 

Testimonial from Sylvia K., student since 2009:   When I first visited USTSD in 2009 I was immediately struck by the sense of family, commitment and dedication among the instructors. The instructors were there because they clearly loved the art, genuinely enjoyed training with each other, and had student success foremost on their agenda. The training system provided my children and me the right balance of physical and mental challenge, with both rigor and flexibility, all packaged with the right amount of individual support and, equally important, really good fun.  Having that balance of intensity and fun is an art, one the instructors at USTSD have nailed.

In the first few months I came to understand something very important about USTSD. Here the forms had meaning – they were not just a dance. I had come from another school where  the forms were developed by the owner, rather than evolving from an older tradition –they were designed to look cool, not to be effective or meaningful for purposes of self-defense. At USTSD every form has intent – the combination of stances and techniques form the building blocks that develop not only the power and speed for effective self-defense, but teach the principles of body mechanics for small to beat big.

I have continued to train at USTSD for the last 6 years and plan to continue for many more – not only for the reasons mentioned above, but because of how the program continues to evolve. The curriculum, while based on tradition, has not stayed stagnant. Both content and methods have been refined by experts, designed for today’s students and their needs for effective self-defense. The combination of forms, techniques, drills, applications, grappling and sparring practice keeps me in shape, shows me I can do way more than I ever thought, and gives me the confidence that I could take care of myself and my children if ever in a difficult situation.

Plus, it’s a thrill – it offers the excitement of extreme sports, but in a safe environment, and it lets you pretend to be MMA tough! Even after a month you get so much out of it. I’ve done my time with aerobics, step classes, kick boxing, Tae-Bo and more; here, with the same effort, I’ve not only stayed in shape, I earned a Black Belt. And it was on my terms; life gets in the way, I couldn’t always train consistently, but USTSD remained supportive throughout, always welcoming me back and helping me regain momentum.

Testimonial from….