United Studios of Self Defense - Livermore - Livermore, California

Josh L.

Sensei Mike and his staff are amazing!

I started in January of 2024. As a nerdy IT guy who has never fought a day in his life, there is a huge learning curve. The instructors here are all amazing. No egos, happy to answer all questions and match the pace of their students without hesitation. It is awesome to have a great group of people to exercise and learn with every week. The Dojo is a family. Again, no egos, lots of learning and fun.

Of course the best part is how practical the curriculum is. Everything is focused on self-defense for real life situations. Yes, Marshall Arts have art in them, but USSD is focused on very practical skills.

After a few weeks my daughter couldn’t resist starting too. She absolutely loves it and will no doubt out rank me in no time!

William M.

My son started at USSD Livermore a little under 2 years ago. He spent several years bouncing between multiple sports before he tried martial arts. In the brief time he has been at USSD, I have seen amazing growth and maturity from him and he has found a whole new passion and love for martial arts.

Sensei Mike, is not only a phenomenal martial arts instructor but also teaches the students how to be even better people outside the Dojo. The lessons that my son has learned at USSD Livermore, have transcribed directly to his work ethic in school and how he treats the people around him.

My son now goes at least 4 to 5 days a week to the dojo and would probably spend more time there if he could. I cannot recommend the Livermore USSD Dojo enough.

Ryan W.

I’m not normally one to leave a review. Just wanted to express my gratitude for Sensei Mike Delphino and his staff. My 11 year old has been attending 2-3 days a week including sparing classes for over a year.
There seems to be a great response not just from my son but all his students, instructors and families. I can see the lessons being instilled here are life long.
The way Sensei Mike teaches and operates his dojo is impacting many people positively, young and old.
We recognize your effort and your impact on these kids.
If anyone is thinking of joining or having your child join I can’t recommend this dojo enough.

Matthew B.

You could not do better than Michael Delfino And the Livermore location for the United Studios of Self-Defense . He has been the most positive influence in my kids life since they started there years ago. They are now a Jr instructor at the Dojo and will soon test for their blsckbelt. They have developed incredible discipline, responsibility, and a strong moral compass, affecting everything they do. And I credit Michael's mentorship for most of it. At 16, they are in great physical shape, getting spectacular grades in school, and loves teaching in the dojo, feeling like they make a difference.

Megahn H.

Our son continues to grow and thrive at USSD Livermore. He has a disability and the instructors positively impact his development, progress and self esteem. He feels great about Karate and we couldn’t be happier with his dojo! I would definitely recommend this group to anyone.

Anthony R.

My son started attending USSD in Livermore back in April and has quickly integrated in. We chose USSD due to the reviews and proximity to our home and work. Our son was experiencing some confidence issues and had a little bullying happening at school so we wanted to help build his confidence. Sensei Mike immediately set up a time that he could come in and do an assessment and he started class the following week. In a few short months he has grown leaps and bounds and his confidence is back. Karate and the dojo have made him a new kid again. He looks forward to each class and is upset if there is something that he has to miss. Sensei Mike and his staff do a great job to train and build all their students up. They are passionate about the martial arts and are yet so patient while teaching students respect. I would recommend Sensei Mike and USSD to anyone!

Sarah P.

My son attended Sensei Mike’s dojo for quite some time. My goal for my spirited son was not for him to become a black belt, but for him to find a positive male role model who would respectfully work with me on my sons ability to listen to directions, his impulse control, and how to consciously focus his energy to himself, while becoming more aware of his spacial awareness. When first meeting with Sensei Mike, his first question to me was, what do you wish Terrance would get out of this, and this is how I answered his question, not realizing at the time that we would gain a lot more from his class than what we had expected.

Sensei Mike was a great role model for my son. He promoted/modeled patience, assertiveness, humor, humility, success, self respect, anger management, kindness, acceptance, forgiveness, self love, good choices, mistakes made right, self reflection, etc. Sensei Mike taught the kids in his class to be themselves.. and that nobody is perfect. He taught good morals and values. My son looked up to him, and respected him. I absolutely recommend this dojo for your kids.. plus they get to learn some pretty cool Karate moves while feeling good about themselves.

I also would like to add that my son loved Sensei Mike, and so did my daughter (she also wanted to attend his classes). Sensei Mike really cares about his students and you can see his passion for treating everyone with respect, including the kids.

Thank you Sensei Mike for being such a positive light.

Francesca P.

My kids and I all attend this dojo, and have for many years. The kids started at least 8 years ago, and I a year or so later. Mike is an awesome instructor. He genuinely cares about the students. He makes the training fun, but manages to keep everyone focused. He has great passion for the martial arts, which he conveys to his students.