Review fromJay S. 

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• 25reviews

• Jay S.

Like most people, I just wanted to get in shape rather than be a martial arts expert so I got the Groupon for this Dojo.My first visit, Roger (the Master Chief) was the nicest guy in the world.  He was calm, patient, and very warm.  I was expecting a cold, ass-kicking, jerk (seriously) because of all the MMA reality TV shows and the stereotypes of those MMA guys.  He was just the opposite and almost like everyone’s favorite crazy uncle.After the first visit/orientation session, I was intrigued and attended the level 1 class.  To sign up, I had to go to the website and register pre-class (to let him know there would be students there). There were 4 of us total who attended.Most everyone was a beginner and I was the newest one, but because Roger makes it welcoming and fun, everyone was also welcoming to me.  It was a great time and I really felt like I wanted to be here.  Roger did such a good job really balancing the class between newbies (me) and the regulars.I really recommend this dojo to anyone.

Review fromAndrea H.

• Elite ’12
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• 335reviews

• Andrea H.

So I bought a Groupon thinking, “oh, this will be a fun thing to try for a minute.”  My friend and I even had a chuckle about it over brunch one day.  She said, “what if this becomes, like, a “thing” for you?”  At the time I thought no way.  Now I type to you as a full fledged member.What changed my mind?  Well, I’ve loved every second of it since my intro class.  I’ve done a little bit of martial arts in the past and usually I was faced with huge classes, patronizing instructors, and basically no idea of what proper form really was.  My opinion of what martial arts classes should be has now completely changed after walking into Kensho.What struck me at first was that the head instructor, Roger, takes a genuine interest in everyone in the class.  He really takes the time to watch each person and make corrections as needed.  Not only is he interested in teaching good form, he also puts an emphasis on camaraderie.  The classes are small, which gives everyone the opportunity for individual attention and the chance to put all of the techniques learned in class into action by working with a partner.  Since you’re always practicing with others, you really get to know people.  The classes are fun and everyone I have met has been really friendly and cool.I admit that I’m a giant pain to work with with my travel schedule but Roger has been completely open to working with me and even offered for me to contact him directly if I ever needed anything.  In my experience, this type of flexibility and openness is unusual and I very much appreciate it.I’m excited every time I go into class.  I know I’m always going to learn something new, and since classes are a mix of several different martial arts, class will certainly never be boring.  Now I’m really glad I bought that Groupon and even more glad that I’ve found my new “thing”!

Review fromChristine H.

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• 18reviews

• Christine H.

The first thing I did when I moved to chicago was look for a martial arts dojo. I’ve been doing martial arts for 7-8 years, so I’m fairly picky about where I train. My search both started and ended at Kensho, for a number of reasons.First of all, the chief instructor (Roger Luri) is one of the best I’ve met. You get the sense that he’s probably forgotten more about martial arts than a lot of other instructors have ever known. He does a great job of teaching to individual ability levels while still keeping a class moving. You will never find yourself in some forgotten corner here – every technique you do, he will see.There’s also a lot of variety in training – once you master the basics of footwork and kickboxing, he brings in savate, muy thai, escrima, silat… if you stick around long enough, you’ll probably see martial arts from every part of the world.Also (and this is important), he doesn’t just strap gloves on everyone and have them start hitting each other. Sparring is good, and it’s obvious that it’s eventually part of the curriculum, but it can build a lot of bad habits if you don’t have your basics down first. At Kensho, your drills and practices build in such a way that once you start sparring, you’ll be far more prepared, and learn a lot more from it.And finally, it’s a solid workout. Anyone looking to get in shape would do well to jump into class. The monthly pay schedule means you can jump in 2-3 times a week and you will definitely feel it the next day.Overall, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better martial arts experience in the Chicago area!

Review fromDesiree G.

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• 4reviews

• Desiree G.

Absolutely love Kensho my 5 year old son goes here and his attention and discipline have gotten so much better. Sensei Roger is great with the kids tough but completely fair. He even has a belt system established for the younger kids so they can start to get used to promotions and feel the sense of accomplishment. I knew this would be a perfect fit for my son when we first met Sensei he greeted our son by looking directly into his eyes while shaking his hand and saying hello sir treated him with the utmost respect, now my son carries that same attitude to everyone new he meets, time to time he even will address his father with yes sir and no sir. Parents will not be making a mistake by signing their children up here. Prices are fairly reasonable we paid $49 for the first 8 classes which includes uniform and $159 every month automatically deducted from a credit card, there are four levels for free parking something that’s very useful on the northside

Review fromJohn P.

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• 1review

• John P.
• Chicago, IL

I am so glad that I discovered Kensho.  I was looking around the downtown area for a while and didn’t really find anything that could compare to Kensho.  The different blends of martial arts that they teach here is remarkable.  The instructor, Roger Luri, Is definitely top notch.  7th degree black belt, need I say anymore. I love the way he teaches that he is very meticulous in everything. I used to go to a different martial arts school and so I know what a great instructor he is. He wants you to really perfect all the fundamentals so you perform at your best.  I really enjoy everyone’s company in class also, they are all helpful and a real fun bunch.

Review fromCatherine p.

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• 3reviews

• Catherine p.

I discovered Kensho last August when I bought a $50 trial package (classes AND uniform!) for my 6 year-old son. Roger, the owner of Kensho, called me right away to schedule an introductory private (and free!) session for my son, so that he could easily follow his first group class. When we went there I liked the place right away: easy free parking in the building, clean sunny classroom with a nice large window, and Roger himself: Roger is not only a very experienced martial arts instructor, he’s also a very friendly guy, always attentive to everyone, in a good mood, and passionate about his job.

He has 2 young boys so he knows very well how to deal with kids. He’s patient but strict, and teaches them both the technical aspects and the values of martial arts.
His teaching assistants, Todd and Christine, are also great with kids. The classes are never too crowded, and very often, there are 2 instructors, so the kids get a lot of attention and help.

As I watched my son’s classes, I thought it looked so cool that I should do it too! So I enrolled a few weeks after my son started. You get a discount for each additional family member, so it’s pretty reasonable. It took me a few weeks to really enjoy the class, because I hadn’t realized how technical Mixed Martial Arts was and I felt completely dumb among the group of people who had started months before me (although everyone was really friendly). The adult classes usually have a really low number of people, because you can choose among so many classes in the week, so I got a lot of extra help and quickly started enjoying it more and more. Now I’m hooked!

What I like most about Kensho Martial Arts is the feeling that you are not in this kind of huge places that feel like a factory. At Kensho, you quickly know everybody, it’s a family business run by a great professional, who really cares about sharing his passion for martial arts.

Review fromSitka C.

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• 14reviews

• Sitka C.

You really can’t go wrong studying martial arts with Roger Luri. I mean, he’s basically got his PHD in every kind of self-defense/martial art you can name.In the month I trained with him, not only did we cover familiar stuff (boxing and muay thai) but we got into savate and kali which I personally had zero background in and really loved.Roger runs the class pretty loose and the students all seem comfortable. My gripe is that there is no or very little sparring. Roger’s big focus is technique and doing things with good form.He offers a super-cheap intro month which is highly worth it. However, after the first month it goes up to $180 a month which is sooooo much money, and really would cut into my fitness budget as there are no heavy bags or weights at his gym and I still need those things.Four stars for being a cool guy and a wealth of martial arts knowledge. Minus one star for no sparring and the hefty second month price tag.

Review fromMo H.

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• 2reviews

• Mo 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.

Review fromC B.

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• C B.

As a petIte woman, I’ve often thought it would be a good idea to learn martial arts.  So the one month special at Kensho seemed like the perfect opportunity.  So far, it has been great.  I get a good workout, and already feel more comfortable walking down the street alone.  Roger Luri is also a gifted instructor.  He demands excellence and technical precision — but in a way that is extremely encouraging.  He’s also the kind of teacher and role model I want for my children.  I plan to start them in classes soon.