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Reviews and Testimonials

Excellent
Based on 131 reviews
Anna Durdant-Hollamby
Anna Durdant-Hollamby
2022-03-04
this place is life-changing. Super warm, supportive and tight-knit community. Everyone's got your back. Teaching is second to none. Eternally grateful that I've found this place, first fitness classes I've ever taken that I am excited to attend!
Heidi Valesi
Heidi Valesi
2022-03-04
Love The Studio!!! My two boys have been going here for a few months and it has been a great experience. I loved it so much I decided to join and do classes as well. We will be a Studio family for years to come!!
Hamsa Yahya
Hamsa Yahya
2022-03-03
We have been here twice, and my son already in love with everything. Glad I signed him in.
Tara Mccay
Tara Mccay
2022-02-26
The Studio is so much more than just a place my kiddo goes to take taekwondo classes. It’s a safe place where you get to watch them grow and learn and become better human beings.
Margaret Snider
Margaret Snider
2022-02-25
Pourarian's Taekwondo--AKA The Studio Martial Arts and Fitness--is a special place, and owner Amitis Pourarian is amazing. She takes a personal interest in each student, knows where they are in their practice, and also supplies excellent instruction that never gets old or boring. It is great for individuals and families both - some families participate from grandparents to parents and on down
valerie petritsch
valerie petritsch
2022-02-24
Impressive. I’m a tough one to please with anything, and The Studio is constantly impressing me. Not just meeting expectations but exceeding mine. Leader Master P, is an overall impressive human being. Not only are her personal accomplishments incredible but her passion, strong leadership, wise business acumen, and ability to make what seems to be a large business, feel like a small one, is only a portion of the summary I can provide. Our first experience with her was when our oldest joined Tiny Tigers at age 5. We transferred from a closing dojo so we had some experience with martial arts in that age group. In a class size of probably 20 on his day alone, I was constantly in awe as she worked with these kids. The way she related, explained, understood, and changed her leadership to match their learning style amazed me every day. He has since moved on to an older class and even though she isn’t the teacher all the time, it’s clear the impact she has on everyone because every single instructor there mirrors her leadership and skill set. Every instructor there has a skillset that is beyond impressive, the cumulative talent in this one building would be likely impossible to find anywhere else. Our youngest son also attends the The Studio. He’s 4 and has private lessons with Ms. Alex and she’s incredibly patient with our tough needy kiddo. They have been very flexible with our schedule changes and our child’s constant changing needs. We have been with them through the pandemic and the grace and poise in which it was handled was near flawless. The adaptability and flexibility of The Studio as a team was well oiled. The front person Kayla is amazing. She knows what’s going on all the time, and gets things done efficiently and effectively, and she’s incredibly nice. The building is clean, up kept and organized and as a family we all feel very comfortable there. Love The Studio.
Mindy Roe
Mindy Roe
2022-02-23
Our family has been a part of The studio for many many years. Currently my daughter and granddaughter attend classes. I would tell anyone how much this has changed their lives. It’s more than just classes. It is about encouragement and learning self esteem, protecting yourself and being a better person. It’s teaching my granddaughter she can achieve anything she sets her mind to and will help her be all that she can be. Amitis teaches this, it’s a passion of hers and it shows through her instructors as well. It is a great environment and I would recommend it to anyone.
Scott Lewis
Scott Lewis
2022-02-23
I absolutely love this place. The training is top notch. The Masters and other trainers are of impeccable character. I am thrilled to train here.
Adamanda Phillips
Adamanda Phillips
2022-02-23
The studio has become a part of our family.It has been so fun to watch our children grow and learn. Taekwondo has made an impact in all aspects of their life, especially school and self-confidence. We love the studio.
Why do people love THE STUDIO? Ask our members!

 

To Master P and everyone who has made THE STUDIO experience possible during this life altering moment – thank you. My son has benefited from having an outside connection to the world, as have we. I was amazed by the amount of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking that all the Black Belt Testers of Spring 2020 needed to be passed through their testing. The tea ceremony was wonderful and greatly appreciated. Many thanks to every hand that made this possible – grand masters, masters, instructors, and staff. We have all benefited from your care and creativity.

 

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for an awesome experience. It was so much fun for my daughter and me. We certainly felt celebrated. Master P and THE STUDIO’s thoughtfulness is inspiring!

This environment and family you have built have helped me through some tough times. You all inspire me to persevere through life and have an “I CAN” attitude. I will never forget the lessons I’ve learned and how much I’ve grown in terms of confidence and courage because of THE STUDIO. I wanted to say thank you for everything!

Shout out to the amazing ladies at THE STUDIO. The drive of these ladies lifts me up so much! You all have kept me moving physically during my quarantine time at home. I am very thankful and grateful for each and every one of you!

 

Amazing workouts, inspiring staff and very comfortable! This place has truly honestly changed my life! I actually like to workout now! Nothing but positive things to say about The Studio!! Also, a very good vibe when you are there too! – Natalie M.

 

I really like the people and energy The Studio has. The clients are also very nice. Amitis knows you by name and cares about your progress. I love the two trainers I had at the studio, Donna Webb and Jill Dorian. It was a great fit for me. Thank you. – Carolyn C.

 

 

I cannot overemphasize the influence that Master Pourarian has had in my continuing in Taekwondo. Have one lesson with her and it will be unforgettable and stick in your mind for a long time. Her humor, her physical skill in the art of Taekwondo, her never-failing enthusiasm for the work, her ability to know and care about every student in The Studio, is amazing.

Master Pourarian and her understanding and practice of her art, in spite of my own limited contact and understanding of her particular journey, has somehow had an influence on me that belies the obvious. I didn’t just go to the Studio for my lessons, I completely unintentionally and unknowingly, at first, became part of something that adds to my life in ways I did not expect. My Taekwondo journey would have been completely different in any other setting, and most likely, would not even exist. But even from the point of view of my incomplete experience, Master Pourarian and her school exemplify the best in Taekwondo in all four areas of life’s goals: spiritual, mental, physical, and social. – Margaret S.
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About 14 months ago, our daughter, Sidney, began practicing Taekwondo at THE STUDIO. I knew nothing about martial arts, so I watched with curiosity and interest. About two months later, my wife, Staci went out a limb and surprised me with a gift — 6 months of Taekwondo classes! At first, I was a bit reluctant to take this on. But, not being one to turn down a challenge, I decided to go for it. I began my own Taekwondo journey and followed in Sidney’s footsteps. Several months later, our oldest daughter, Taylor, tired of being a spectator, felt compelled to begin Taekwondo classes and ACKC.

Now, the three of us are hooked on Taekwondo. It is wonderful for us to share skills, strategies, and lessons learned with each other, while we strive for continuous personal improvement. We have discovered that with Taekwondo, hard work and effort equals results. With those efforts, the positive mental and physical transformations we have experienced have been exciting and encouraging! Taekwondo embodies the core values that my wife and I strive to instill in all of our children — for me, that is the ultimate motivating force behind this journey.

What seemed like a risky choice for a gift has turned out to be a great path that might have remained unexplored for me. A shout out of thanks to my wife for making this happen! – Howard Z.

 

Well, this is my first month with THE STUDIO. I feel this is truly the best group of instructors with the best workout I have ever experienced. All the instructors are most knowledgeable, versatile, supportive and interactive. When I attend a class, I feel like I’m in a small group training session. They are always changing it up — it is never boring or repetitive. I love that! The instructors are always watching my form and making sure I do the exercise correctly. I feel they care that I do not injure myself, but they care that I’m doing the exercise correctly so I get the most “benefit” from the effort I’m making. They are engaging all the time. When I’m in a class, I give 100%. Therefore, I’m focusing only on my class — nothing else. That in itself is wonderful. I get to take 1 hour to mentally free myself from all issues of the day. I feel my body is toning, but I’m never too sore to move the next day. I will continue to work out at THE STUDIO. Thank you. – Kathy D

 

 

Amitis – you have the greatest class ever. I get easily embarrassed exercising in groups, and never feel like I get the workout and attention I need. I love your classes due to the fact that no matter what level I am at you work with everyone. I never felt intimidated in class, and I always get the best workouts with you. I am always able to finish the class, and I leave class feeling so good about myself. I could always feel in my body I worked out, my endurance built up so fast, and I get stronger with each class, which would help be more confident. I try to tell everyone to go to you! Thanks for having a super fun, high energy workout class that I look forward to attending.

Sometimes your tiny abs do make me sick though–I hate you for those. – Heather A.

I really like the people and energy The Studio has. The clients are also very nice. Amitis knows you by name and cares about your progress.

I love the two trainers I had at the studio, Donna Webb and Jill Dorian. It was a great fit for me. Thank you – Carolyn C.

Love what is happening for my health between ACKC, piloga and personal training with Donna. I had not even realized how far I had gotten away from my strength and fitness until I took this long (and often painful) journey back to a stronger body. It is a never ending journey, of course, but I plan on continuing it at The Studio. So much more work to be done and I am excited to be doing it. – Stacey. J.

I started out at The Studio just under a year ago because an instructor I liked had moved there. At first I only went to her two classes. As I sat waiting for my classes to began, I would watch ACKC (cardio kickboxing) winding down. At first I just liked the music. The instructors were motivating and made it fun. After a couple of months, I started to talk to some of the women attending ACKC – women who were like me – over 40 and not a size 2. Everyone of them told me to try ACKC. These women and the instructors all told me to go at my own pace, “listen to your body.” I finally got up the nerve and tried ACKC. No one made fun of me. Everyone was encouraging. I was thrilled I made it through the class without passing out!

Now I do ACKC two or three times a week along with other classes offered at The Studio. The staff listens to its members. Changes in the schedule and/or courses offered are made after members’ imput is rendered. I always feel welcome at The Studio. I have made friends; increased my self-esteem ; and lost inches. Like an old Chex commercial, “Try it. You’ll like it.” – Donna F.

I wanted to find the strength I thought I’d lost, to reconnect with my inner-strength, and inspire others to do the same. I shed layers that heavily suffocated me, lost 3 inches off my body and 10% body fat, and built muscle and confidence.

It’s all about saving face: My esthetician asked what I had been doing because my face looked amazing. He claimed he didn’t know of this product line and was shocked to learn Amitis isn’t a facial! Changes are evident when you see my face.

Amitis’ energy is infectious. Drop your ego at the door and step into a new world of confidence that awaits you at THE STUDIO.

As a self-proclaimed type A+ personality, I give this program an A++! Get outstanding results from an exceptionally talented staff who’s true intent is developing a better YOU!

My goal was to also lose weight and shed the layers that heavily suffocated me and I did! I lost 3 inches off my body and 10% body fat, and a built muscle and confidence.

My challenges are many with a family and two businesses, but far more manageable than ever before. I have the confidence to persevere through daily challenges and let off steam with new healthy habits at the end of the day.

A friend called me skinny and I looked around the room to see who she was talking about. It had been years since someone called me skinny! – Michele R.

 

In November of 2016 I had reached a plateau in my fitness and wanted something new, different, and challenging. After reviewing many gyms in the area, something caught my eye, something that set this gym apart from all of the rest; The Studio. Originally I decided to take the ACKC Classified Progressive Fitness (Adult Ninja Obstacle Course) because I love anything designed to focus on upper body and grip strength. I seriously had no clue what I was getting myself into, not only was the class challenging, it was a blast!! I left drenched in sweat with a smile plastered across my face. I started coming to the classes every Monday and Wednesday for the first couple of weeks after I had found The Studio, but that slowly turned into attending almost every day of the week.

When I started training at The Studio, my weight had gotten back up to 170lbs and my body fat was higher than it had been in over 2 years, reaching 21% and while I was still strong my endurance was basically nonexistent. Since then I have lost 10lbs and an AMAZING 5% of body fat, leaving me at 17%. I have leaned out tremendously, and I feel lighter and stronger than ever. I have gone from being an average athlete, to one that now places top 20 in my events.

The workouts that I am doing now are tailored to my specific needs, and my comfort zone is always being pushed. I can walk into a class and say, “Hey Master P, can we focus on cardio today?” And she will do what she can to fit that into her plan. The trainers are always trying to help you reach your goals, whatever they may be. I know that the longer I train at The Studio, the closer I will get to crushing my goals making it so I can set the bar higher. The Studio isn’t just a place to train at, it’s a place that you can walk into and feel instantly at home. This is somewhere that you look forward to going because you know you will always be greeted with a warm smile, where you know that you and your goals are truly cared about.

Kathryn Gagner

 

I wasn’t trying to “lose weight” because I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but after 8 weeks of consistently training at THE STUDIO, I “accidentally” lost 4 pounds and gained muscle. I just got carded at a bar and my bikini looks great. I just need a tan ? – TB

 

My son was 13 and in middle school. He had become an angry young man. He was sensitive and felt picked on and bullied at school. Sometimes he was being bullied, but often he just had a negative mindset. He would allow himself to be resentful and angry about normal junior-high-school-aged behavior. Eventually he turned his anger on me, calling me names and threatening several times to hit me (I am his mother and a second-degree black belt). I tried to help him by putting him in wrestling, which helped some. When wrestling season ended he became angry again. At my wits end, I brought him into THE STUDIO against his will, telling him he had to do taekwondo until wrestling started. Five years earlier he had left taekwondo as a red belt at a different school. Master Pourarian brought him into THE STUDIO as a brown belt, using a charismatic combination of love and firmness to explain to him what he needed to do to catch up. As I helped him put on his belt I could see how tense he was. “Don’t worry,” I told him. “This place is a family.” I don’t know what was more shocking, seeing his whole body relax at my words, or realizing that I considered THE STUDIO to be my family. On his third day at THE STUDIO he came over to me and said “Forget wrestling Mom, I want to do taekwondo. This is great. This is GREAT!”

Today I was helping my son with his black belt essay. I cried as I read paragraph after paragraph of him describing the things he had learned from his latest journey in taekwondo. Controlling his nerves. How to keep going when you don’t want to. Fostering camaraderie. Making friends. Controlling his moods. Learning to have a black belt mindset. Kids at school no longer bother him. He has become a happy young man, rarely upset and never angry. He always gets his school work done and otherwise shows responsibility beyond his years. Taekwondo and THE STUDIO have done wonders for my son and for our family. – Shelle P.

 

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I just wanted to tell you what an awesome time my son and I had last night. The testing was fun, rigorous, and as usual we learned a few things about ourselves in the process. I want to say how thankful we were that you kept pressing on during these orders to stay at home. We have some friends that are in a other TKD program that had their school close. I know it takes effort and drive (2 things you are never short on!) to do what you did. I am always gauging the “experience” of most everything I do, and certainly the curriculum, but significantly the testing lacked nothing that the in-school testing offered. You get credit for that (the instructors, too). This period in our journey has been every bit as valuable as our other cycles. What a teaching moment you have given my son and I for perseverance! And look at the fruit: all the on-line content for years to come; knowing the tools and skills you needed to pull this off; and, knowing your school and instruction are not limited by the physical dimension. Wow!