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Hwa Rang Kwan Martial Arts Center
Rating Details »
Category: Martial Arts [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMA371 5th St
(between Clara St & Harrison St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 495-2025
- Hours:
Mon. 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Tue. 2:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Wed. 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Thu. 2:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
14 reviews for Hwa Rang Kwan Martial Arts Center
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
6/12/2009
7/26/2009
9/27/2009
4/10/2009
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10/22/2007
8/28/2008
One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
**This is a KICKBOXING review, I can't speak for the TaeKwonDo***
Gold's canceled my regular class. (That's all I'm going to say... I'm still bitter.)
After researching and trying out a couple of places, I settled on HRK and I am so glad I did!
I do kickboxing here about 3 times a week and I love it. Seriously. They have lunchtime classes (which I can never make) but they also have 1-2 classes every weeknight and one each day on the weekend. It's a bit pricey if you can't pay upfront, but I signed a 6-month contract and got a reasonable monthly rate... plus with so many options, I make sure to get my money's worth!
Master Steve is a great instructor, so knowledgeable and patient. Pete (on Tuesdays) is tough, and won't take any whining or quitting. My former instructor at Gold's, Gabriel, now does the Sunday class here, and he is always mixing it up. We have a nice little community among the kickboxers, a really friendly group.
The facility isn't huge, but it's a rare night where the classes are packed (I'd say average is about 10 students, maybe 4 girls and 6 guys). There are locker rooms and restrooms, with one shower, plus weights and a treadmill if you are so inclined (incline- like incline bench- get it? Ha!)
Seriously, if you've ever been interested in kickboxing (and I mean real kickboxing, using Thai pads and focus mitts, training as if you were in a real fight!), then come do a trial class. Ladies, it's a really welcoming environment so don't feel intimidated at all! And guys, you will enjoy a healthy amount of competition. This is a great place for beginners or for those who have been training for a while.
I love to come here, rock my PINK boxing gloves AND handwraps at most classes, and get my fight on. Go HRK!
I have been to 2 trial classes here. I really like Steve a lot - he is very freindly, serious about your form and extremely energetic. He personally teaches most of the classes and makes sure you have individual attention.
The $10 trial class buys you 90 min of exercise (Wed class) and a free pair of wraps. I learned a lot during my 2 trial classes and I am definitely thinking of joining depending on my new schedule. Otherwise, I will pay the $20 drop in fee whenever I can.
I did an hour long class yesterday and my arm muscles are sore, sore, sore. Everyone was really helpful and patient with me as I learned the ropes.
Speaking of ropes - each class starts out with about 10 minutes of jump roping - an easy 100 calorie burn!
They also offer TKD classes.
Hardcore Awesome friendly people! Not too crowded, so you get to know everyone. Gabe is a fun teacher dj-ing good music during class. He's in great shape and his punches/kicks makes you wanna be just as strong! He is laid back but makes sure to point out how to improve your form constantly. The entire class is encouraging! Time really flies in this class, so dont go to the gym today to drag yourself through your routine 30 minute treadmill thing at the same speed you were at half a year ago. Change it up and have some fun! It's so cheap too! $10 for your first class and includes free hand wraps (they have pink for us girly girls!)
I've been training with Kenya at Hwa Rang Kwan for about 8 months now. I haven't done any serious training in over 10 years, but since meeting Kenya I feel like I'm in better shape than ever. My endurance, strength and knowledge of boxing has improved dramatically.
I'm incredibly slow when it comes to learning new things and Kenya is very patient. He makes sure you understand small technical moves as well as broader theories on strategy.
Thanks Kenya for passing on your amazing knowledge and also for letting me see that I did have muscle under that round belly of mine.
I am in my third week of muay thai training now with Kenya Prach. He is not listed as an official instructor but an "affiliate" (I think he just rents the space), but he is AMAZING.
The class feels like a true community - everyone is very supportive and friendly. Kenya is humbling. He is one of the best instructors you can find in the US for kickboxing and he's a font of knowledge. This is no exaggeration. We have some professional boxers in our class, and the national champions of jiu jitsu and judo sometimes drop in (they are former students of Kenya's!). The icing on the cake is that the class is very affordable.
When I came to Hwa Rang Kwan, I was a total novice to any physical fitness routine (aside from the mellow belly gazing yoga). After tons of research on gyms and martial arts and visiting a couple of other kickboxing studios in the city, I knew this was the one the moment I walked in.
In short, this is a group of positive, dedicated and friendly people of all fitness levels, you'll get the best and most intense boot-camp workout of your life, and the professionalism, warmth and skill of Master Steve cannot be surpassed. I had to put it on hold due to an earlier health issue, but every time I pass by the location, I wistfully stare at the sign and wish I was there.
Anyone that wants to kick up their work out a notch (and even those of you who are just looking for something different), you HAVE to visit the Hwa Rang Kwan Center. I've been taking the kickboxing class for 2 months now, it surpasses any other form of exercise I've had in the past.
From yoga to spinning, I'm always looking for a workout that harmonizes the essentials: cardio, strength training, core, and flexibility. So far, the kickboxing class here has it all. The instructors pay attention to developing your form and foundation, in addition to carefully watching your technique. Plus, it's fun and gratifying just to hit and kick something over and over, especially if you need to release built up frustration from work or home.
The Center has a class for just about anyone, from the newbie to the experienced kick boxer and advanced martial artist - everyone seems to get a comprehensive work out and leaves the Center fulfilled. I highly recommend it for anyone. Every person I've brought from work ends up loving it....
Hwa Rang Kwan is probably the best place in the city to start (or get back into) kickboxing, and lose weight. This is because Master Steve and the other instructors are friendly, patient, and knowledgeable, and encourage the same from students, making it much more comfortable and less intimidating than some other studios. Students partner up in every class to practice techniques with a real person, rather than just bags, and by doing so, encourages everyone to help each other learn.
Starting up kickboxing (real, non-aerobics kickboxing) can be intimidating, especially in gyms where there are a bunch of MMA and kickboxing pros sparring and taking each other out. However, Hwa Rang Kwan maintains a clean and welcoming atmosphere that's friendly and helpful for beginners, while at the same time enabling more intermediate and advanced students to learn a variety of styles and difficulty levels to improve on technique and skill. The studio teaches Taekwondo and a variety of martial arts as well if you want to mix it up.
Two years ago, I was doing capoeira, but switched over to kickboxing when a few friends referred Master Steve's classes to me and my coworkers. In the 3 months to follow, I attended class after work twice a week, and lost almost 15 pounds (in tandem with a healthier diet), and another 6-8 pounds 3 months later (I'm 5 feet tall, and started off at 140lbs). In the first year, I lost over 20 pounds, and since then have lost another 5 pounds. I've been able to maintain my weight by going regularly, my kickboxing skills have improved, and I feel much safer walking the streets at night.
My boyfriend started attending class about 6 months ago and we've been going together since. It's a lot of fun, and actually a great interactive way for couples to workout.
The studio's location and street parking availability are also very convenient for a regular after-work workout if you're in the downtown area. There's also a community newsletter that Master Steve sends out regularly with event and class schedule updates to keep his students in the know, as well as different Strikers tournaments that Kenya and his students compete in that are posted regularly.
If you're looking for a good balance in your workout that combines cardio, strength training, and flexibility, kickboxing could be just what you need... it's also a FANTASTIC stress reliever after work (especially on those awful days). It never hurts to try one class, you might even get hooked.
I have dreams of being a streetfighter (blame the videogames) and while I'm never going to be as kick-ass as Chun-Li, kickboxing at HRK lets me live out that silly dream for an hour at a time. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and accomodating and the location has plenty of street parking but is also convenient for non-drivers like myself. Considering the size of the classes, there is a good amount of one on one attention for students who need it. I prefer activities based workouts over just going to a gym, which I find rather boring, so HRK is more ideal for me. There are treadmills and weight benches to use on your own as well but the classes focus on kickboxing and calisthenics with hints of yoga and pilates movements scattered in. The instructors don't force unrealistic expectations on you but they don't let you be lazy either...
The kickboxing here is the general lifeblood of this SOMA dojang. Few people don't realize this is one of the last if not the last remaining Kukkiwon/World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) studios in San Francisco. The TKD style is 'Hwa Rang Kwan' style (really kind of a 'dialect' of Kukkiwon's style), which was started by the grandmaster who runs the dojang under the same name in nearby Redwood City. Unlike the kickboxing classes, the TKD classes are fairly small and you get a good workout and plenty of attention. If you need WTF TKD in the city, this is the place. If you want something more traditional in a TKD style, you'll have to look outside of San Francisco.
What a cool place! I have been coming here since 1999, and I love coming here still. There are so many classes to choose from, 7 days a week. I was worried that before I got into martial arts I would only be able to train 2x a week, but here, I can go as many times as I'd like. I also enjoy going to the kickboxing classes, but Tae Kwon Do is my main passion.
I trained at HRK for a year and a half in kickboxing. I started out as a beginner and found the place to be very beginner friendly. I got a lot of one on one attention from the instructors and everyone is there to learn martial arts, get fit, and make friends, not to be macho and beat each other up. I didn't realize how great of a studio it was until I moved to New York recently, not only the NY kickboxing studios ( at least three of the places I checked out) charge twice as much as HRK, you never get any individual attention from instructors.
I will definitely go back to HRW when I move back to SF next year. I was in the best shape ever when I trained there!
kenya prach.
i take muay thai with kenya prach at hwa rang kwan. its an intense workout that used to floor me, even though i was only going once a week! now ive bumped it up to twice a week and it keeps me on my toes. literally. kenya teaches on thursday nights at 730, and sunday nights at 630. he ISNT on the schedule of classes for unknown reasons, but his class is just right for me.
kenya offers guidance and direction, and allows you to push yourself as far and as hard as you want to go. unfortunately this is one of those gyms, without a ring in it, but there are several heavy bags, at least 2 fluid masters, and a bunch of loyal students that are willing to accept and help you at any level.
the atmosphere is very warm and welcoming. when we attend fights we all wear our KENYA PRACH shirts and it feels like one huge family gathering!
i love it.
I started going to Hwa Rang Kwan about 5 months back. I'd fallen woefully out of shape over the last year, after a bad back injury, and needed to find a workout program to supplement basic gym stuff, which focuses on flexibility and coordination. From that, I decided a martial art would be a good place to look to fill said desiderata.
Initially, I was quite concerned, as my flexibility is rather poor, as is my coordination; I felt that in a class of mixed abilities I would not get terribly far.
Fortunately, I was wrong. The instructors and senior students at Hwa Rang are patient, diligent and flexible enough to work with students around strengths, weaknesses and pre-existing injuries. Additionally, Master Steve, the head of the school is always accessible for questions, either in person or via email
If you've been considering a martial art, but fearful that you might look a pillock whilst learning the bare basics, I recommend that you give Hwa Rang a shot. I highly doubt you'll be dissapointed
