Fresno Martial Arts

Fresno, California
There are many good options for martial arts study in Fresno, California.

We have a moderately vibrant martial arts community here in Fresno, California. We have the well-established Pacific Martial Arts, the affordable Fresno Judo Club, long-time instructors like Fred Bell, the well-known father/son Olson team of Bushidokan Martial Arts, and many others. Bushidokan is notable for being the only school in the area teaching traditional Japanese Jujitsu, as well as Shorin-Ryu Kempo (a traditional style of Karate).

American Kempo seems to predominate in the Central Valley, along with a profusion of other Karate styles. There are several schools offering the standard MMA fare such as Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If you dream of getting into MMA, or if you’re looking for a sport-based style that can be practiced with resistance, those are good choices.

There are also a couple of miscellaneous Kung Fu, JKD and Aikido schools in Fresno. Out of these, I particularly like Aikido of Fresno. The atmosphere is extremely formal, but the art is fascinating and offers a great workout.

Out of all these, Hammerhead Hapkido offers something unique among Fresno martial arts schools. This is the only class in the Fresno or Clovis area – and probably in the entire San Joaquin Valley – offering instruction in Hapkido, a Korean mixed martial art with brutally effective grab defenses, joint locks and throws. We also offer, to my knowledge, the only instruction in Silat, the legendary and hyper-effective martial art of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and southern Thailand.

If you’re looking for a realistic self-defense style that just might save your life when it counts, come and try Hammerhead Hapkido. The atmosphere of the class is friendly. The monthly rate is affordable, with no yearly contracts, and the first class is always free.

Hapki! (harmonious energy)

Wael Abdelgawad, Founder
Hammerhead Hapkido

2 Comments

  1. I am an older gentleman and a 100 percent disabled veteran. I am in fairly good shape for my age. I used to teach Tae Kwon Do here in the Valley. I have not trained in quite some time and no
    longer ger consider myself a viable black belt. I am asking if you would consider taking on an older student to
    learn Hapkido? My primary goal is to keep in better condition and to live life to the fullest. I will not be offended if you decline. Thank you so much for your response in advance. Sincerely Marvin

    • I’m not sure if I ever responded to you – I think we talked on the phone? But the answer is yes, older students are welcome. I have two students over 60 years old and they stay active in class and are able to do 90% of our techniques. Any disabilities you have, we can work around or work with them.

Leave a Reply to wael77 Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.