The Dojo

Mr. and Mrs. Cruz have been working around the clock with my teenage son, who struggles with communication and autism. Mr. Cruz, month after month, has worked with me to help afford my son's training and, at the same time, build my son's strength and growth in his health, which my teenager battles with as well, with his hypothyroidism. He works at my son's pace and is always giving him the best advice along with his training skills. I couldn't ask for such a strong team of leadership and the best connections with their community outreach they have set here in Arizona. Thank you both for working hard as a team and showing and sharing your wisdom to the younger generations after us all.

My son has been training at The Dojo for a while now, and I couldn’t be more impressed. Sensei Oscar is incredibly patient, supportive, and genuinely invested in each student’s growth. You can tell he truly cares about their progress—both in karate and in building confidence and character. My son is now in the advanced class and recently started the leadership program, and it has been amazing to watch how much he’s grown. The environment is positive, structured, and empowering. I highly recommend The Dojo to any parent looking for a martial arts studio that teaches skill, discipline, and respect while making the kids feel motivated and valued. Fantastic place!

I attended Oscar Cruz's Women's Self Defense Class (which he so kindly offers for free) through Check Moon Valley First. He is SUCH a great teacher and the moves he teaches you work for all, no matter your size or strength. It was so empowering to learn that I can defend myself in a variety of situations. Reach out for his quarterly FREE women's self defense classes, plus the Martial Arts classes he offers! Thank you Oscar!

The Dojo is a new family-owned, owner-operated (not a franchise!) martial arts school that recently opened. The instructors (Sensei Cruz and Sensei Austin) used to teach at another school (a franchise). When they left the other franchise school, my family followed them to their new school (even though it was much further away). That is how much my 11-year old daughter loves her instructors!! They provide quality instruction that'll help your kids be more focused and disciplined! Small class size and personalized instruction. They also offer a 2-class trial (free!) Help support a small business with great instructors who care about the kids! Sensei Cruz & Austin teach American Kenpo Karate, competition classes, and Self-Defense class. The Kenpo curriculum includes Traditional Kenpo, Jiu Jitsu, and Kali. They have a combined experience of 30 years in Martial Arts.

We came to the studio because it was nearby and we needed something for our large son (95th percentile) to learn to control his body and emotional state. We have received significant more than expected! This isn’t just karate. Working with Mr Cruz is a really high privilege, if you have the opportunity -take it. His studio is incredibly safe and ever evolving. He is incredibly patient, calm, controlled, flexible, and adaptive. I have kids in 3 of his age groups. He keeps a steady atmosphere, but there are marked differences between the classes. He can teach multiple skill levels at the same time with how he chooses individual and group exercises. Right now my older son spends practice at home imagining he can break brick blocks like Mr. Cruz and shouting “KIA”. His confidence has skyrocketed though. And when he’s ready to do practical work during practice at home, Mr Cruz can adjust to that too. My younger son is really little (5 percentile). He loves just being in the studio and watching his siblings, and he has been more assertive at home since he got to start classes. My daughter wanted to do dance, but I felt tied for time so she did karate with the rest. Now she thinks all little girls should learn karate.