Ferris Bueller

Review of Kensho Chicago

I have limited experience with Martial Arts, but h...

I have limited experience with Martial Arts, but have been interested in them for quite some time. I am always hesitant to sign up to a school for fear of becoming another number in the machine, not really having an experienced instructor WITH a passion for teaching, especially a beginner like myself, and being a single parent I wanted to avoid being duped into signing long term contracts and purchasing equipment which make many school seem predatory in nature.

Enter Kensho Martial Arts.

The first thing that caught my interest was a glance at Roger Luri's resume. This man has decades of experience in various arts. Without a doubt anyone who has spent that much time training and competing has picked up loads of tips, insight and experience. I felt an compelled to learn more about the offering. To have access to learn from someone as accomplished as Roger is an opportunity I really should pursue if possible. Many places have instructors of a much lower level. This guy was head instructor at the world renowned Degerberg Academy for decades. Thats pretty hardcore. Being the cynic that I am, I thought to myself, "He must be a jerk... and the program must be super expensive"

Boy was I wrong, on both counts!

Roger could not be a nicer guy. Humble, respectful, down to earth and a great instructor. I would have NEVER guessed he was well versed in the arts of Boxing, Kickboxing, Kali, Jun Fan/ JKD Concepts, Judo/ Jiu Jitsu, Thai Boxing, Savate, Silat and Wrestling, and still wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen him in action!

$49 dollars gets you an introductory month of classes AND a free uniform. Even parking is FREE!

I signed up for the Self Defense classes and have not really gotten too far into it as of yet, but am really pleased with how things are going. The system seems to be a combination of various things that make sense (Mixed Martial Arts). Being a nerd, I love logic. We have learned a lot about the fundamentals of kicking and punching, footwork and body movement, combined with a fair amount of cardio from basic drills. (fits in nicely with my goals of learning to defend myself, and losing some weight) The space is clean, and well kept with a great view of the city. The class environment itself is very welcoming. Not a bunch of muscle heads training so they can learn to bust someones head open on PPV, rather normal folks learning tips and techniques to be better prepared to defend themselves and their loved ones from people with ill intentions.

I have a 7 year old daughter who is about to begin training there as well. She is rather petite, and I want her to learn to defend herself, as well as gain the confidence that comes with achievements not to mention the discipline that is instilled while training. I know some parents that have their children in the program, and have heard nothing but good things about it. With what I have experienced personally so far, I find it hard to believe otherwise.

In summary, awesome, cool, knowledgeable teacher. $50 to get started for a month, great location, free parking, inviting to folks of all walks of life, even children.

If you are looking to learn a martial art, for self defense, or otherwise, I think you would be foolish to not try on this offering, at this price. Again, I am a single parent, and value is paramount. I often try to talk myself out of things. I am somewhat of a pro at finding "the catch" and justifying why I should NOT be doing things and I have yet to find one reason to not be at Kensho