Boston Seirenkai Academy

The instructors are friendly and knowledgeable, and the classes are very welcoming and thorough. It's also inexpensive for what amounts to roughly 8 hours of instruction per month in karate and occasionally jiujitsu.

I've always held an interest in learning martial arts for self defense. However, I never knew where to start, and learning it can be pretty costly as a college student. It wasn't until a year ago when I heard about this place, I was told there was a free trial class, and I had time on my hands, so I decided to try it out with my friend for fun. That was probably one of the best decisions I've made. I found the trial so enjoyable, I decided to sign up, and ever since then, I've been consistently dedicating myself to attending their classes. Below, I will cover more on costs, content, and learning environment. Cost: One thing that's really nice here is that the classes aren't expensive at all. As of now, for $35 a month, we meet once every Saturday from 12:00 - 2:30 PM. Given that monthly expense of your average martial art dojo in Boston usually exceeds $70+, $35 monthly will definitely give you the best bang for your buck. Content: Our school, called Seirenkai, combines both karate and jiu-jitsu to focus on self-defense, which means we are not based on a point system. Although the branch in Boston focuses on karate more, we still learn some jiu-jitsu techniques here and there. We often practice karate basics (kihon), self-defense, and karate forms (kata). Learning Environment: The instructors here are super nice, know what they're teaching, and are really passionate about karate. They always change the pace of the class every week to keep things exciting, and they come up with different activities that keeps everybody engaged. Most importantly, they have a lot of patience and know how to teach very well, so it doesn't matter if you're a little rusty in karate, if you came from a different martial arts school, or even if you have no prior martial arts experience at all, because they'll guide you step by step and help you grow at your own pace. Overall, super affordable and informative class. Throughout my time here, not only have I learned to properly defend myself against my roommate, but I've also met new people and built new friendships. The positive attitude of the instructors and the effort they put into making class really engaging makes the whole experience very enjoyable. Definitely rating this 100/5 stars!

I came to Seirenkai on a whim and loved it! I was always interested in learning some martial art, but never knew where to start. In my first couple classes, we learned practical self-defense techniques. Living in the city, I always wanted to learn how to defend myself, and I could see myself applying the techniques we learned in class to real-world situations. The dojo is mixed-level (meaning that there are beginners, intermediate and advanced students learning together). The class agenda varies from class to class, keeping it interesting. Some days we focus on self-defense techniques, karate basics, or sparring. Sometimes we practice a little of everything. We usually end each class with self-defense drills. I always walk out of class feeling like a lean, mean fighting machine!... Until the next morning when I wake up all sore. The community of the dojo is the number one selling point. Sensei Greenberg and Senpai Symkus are knowledgeable, attentive, enthusiastic, and they make learning karate so much fun. The class is currently a small group, so there is plenty of one-on-one time with the instructors. The students at the moment are a group of young adults who are SO supportive of each other. I never felt judged as a beginner student- even in situations when I was a white-belt paired up with a brown-belt. One of my favorite memories was psyching myself up to do my first board break with the fellow students cheering me on. Overall, I would highly recommend dropping by and trying it out!

Amazing group of people and the instructors are the best! For my first class, the instructors were very accommodating and worked around an ongoing injury I have. The personalized approach was super helpful in understanding the basics and I would highly recommend for any one of any skill level!

I came because my roommate brought me and another roommate here as a junior in college. Two semesters later, I can confidently say I feel much safer walking around knowing that I can protect myself and my friends. The instructors make the class so much fun, develop a personal connection with students, and genuinely care about each and every one of us regarding our growth in karate and our personal growth in life. Coming to that first noon session in September was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I can’t wait to come back after summer.