Bay Area Martial Arts

High quality instruction & a life changing experience. Mr. DeSilva has decades of Martial Arts instruction experience & is an enthusiastic teacher

Kids are out of control. No formal training for youth. Mabye this is good for adults, but as far as kids(children) are concerened. NOT WORTH THE $$. Trust me. Dont waste your time -money....No one's focused . $150. For 2days...forget iit. The children will be kids true enough. But just think about iit. Reguarding the time kids get out of school. No snacks before start time/ no competitions/no respect. They just want your $$ & simply a happy kid with no knowledge og the application of self defense. There's not enough room to post my disapointment.;*(

When I first trained at Bay Area Martial Arts, I was in kindergarten (so about 5 years old) and I did it along with 2 other friends. At the end of the day I was the only one who stuck with it and continued to go. Everyone one of the classes I went to always kept me active and social with others so I never really found a reason to stop going like my two other friends. So five years passes and I start to notice the bond that I have shared with the ninjas (the youngest), the dragons (middle) and of course, my age group which is advanced dragons. At the end of the day, I was happy to call them my friends.Although marital arts is considered a sport, Bay Area Martial Arts was more than a sport. I didn't just learn how to throw perfect punches and defend myself, I learned how to be a better person from Sifu Adrian. He taught me how to handle situations better besides using actions but using words. BAMA (Bay Area Martial Arts) taught me how to never give up even when times are hard. This has helped outside of the dojo and has came in handy during my high school basketball games. When our team is down points, I know that giving up isn't an option. This dojo has taught me that giving up should not be an option and that even if you give it your all, know that you did what you could and thats all you can do. There were some days that I didn't give it my all in the dojo and it showed. I remember Sifu Adrian reminded us that if you don't give it all you got, you're only cheating yourself. The best thing that Sifu Adrian taught me wasn't self defense at all, but he helped me make the person I am today. Anyone can typically teach that, but no one can make someone into a better person like Sifu Adrian did. Sifu Adrian helped me get to where I am today and thats saying something because not many people can say that their sensei or master helped make them a better personI stopped doing martial arts a little less than a year ago because I was already doing three sports and just going into high school and I knew I had to give up a few things when I started High School. One key thing that I really learned from being at BAMA was always helping and just being helpful in general. At the school I go to (Bishop O'Dowd), they really value helpful people. I learned at BAMA that you should always give your peers help even if you dislike them and that if you help one person, your also helping another at the same time.I wont lie and say that I don't miss being at the dojo. The best part of BAMA was the ambience and the feel. I always felt at home because I could always express my opinions for certain things and techniques. When I left BAMA, I knew that I was leaving a big piece of me behind and I hope to come back one day to retrieve the piece that I had left behind

I began training at the age of 8 with Bay Area Martial Arts. While it was a little intimidated at first, but I was soon comfortable and deeply into the training. Stepping on to the mat was like entering a different world, a space to exert myself and learn countless skills. The ambition to reach the next belt was fun while at the same time teaching me about setting and achieving goals. What I gained from the challenging training spilled over into my regular life. I had confidence and maturity unlike I ever had. Adrien had a close bond with me and all of my peers in the Dojo. I started in 2001 when the dojo was opening up so the bond was extremely special as we were his first students. He created an atmosphere that fostered applying ourselves to the max. As he used to say, he cranks up the dial a little more than we can handle, and then back to a level we were comfortable with and that way of training was always increasing our skills. As well as all the tough training there were always fun things involved as well like obstacle courses and small games. As I got older I became involved helping train younger kids and gained even more life skills. When I got to High school, my workload became too much to carry on with training and I had to leave the dojo that had raised me. Even now at the age of 23 I have the integrity and character that I gained from attending BAMA. I live in the neighborhood and often walk by the school and see the classes going on and even though it was almost a decade ago that I attended the school, talking to Adrien is like I never left. With a comfortable atmosphere there is no looming competition amongst students and you become part of a community. Attending the school as both a kid and a young adult I recommend the classes for anyone. If you push yourself past the initial nerves of classes you will not regret immersing yourself into the training.

Our son has spent most of his life training with Adrian and Ceci. He began as a five-year old, and now at 12, he continues to learn more each day. What began as fun, and strength building, has turned into a discipline that keeps him focused. Through his ups and downs, BAMA has been a steady influence on him, a place where he is always welcome, and where he is always encouraged to be his best self. During some particularly tough times, our son would walk into the dojo a tired, emotional mess. After, he would come out clear headed, motivated, and full of self-esteem. BAMA's program doesn't just run their program like a family -- they are a family -- and their own children participate along with everyone else. Instructions are clear and consistent, and students know what is expected of them which sets them up to succeed. Sending our kid to BAMA is unquestionably one of the best parenting decisions we've made.

BAMA was one of the single most important experiences of my life until college. From the time I was three years old until I left for college (15 years) I trained with Sensei Adrian and from that experience I learned how to be diligent, confident, and respectful in my everyday life. The most important application of my skills gained from my time in the dojo was at school where I was able to motivate myself to be an excellent student. I never needed my parents to tell me to finish my work or to check that I was doing well because they knew that I was able to do it on my own, even from a young age. I attribute a large portion of my success in school to my martial arts training and the strong principles that it teaches students. Another aspect of my training was confidence in my daily life. What I mean by confidence is that Sensei Adrian makes certain that all of his students understand the material before moving them on which makes each new rank actually mean something. This sense of accomplishment is very important for growing children because it is so easily translated to all other aspects of life. Too often I have seen other people blow off work and go for the smallest understanding possible of a topic in school to move on, but this attitude is ironed out by Sensei Adrian. After my first couple years of training I understood the meaning of true knowledge and made sure whether it was in school or elsewhere that I took the time to understand what was being taught to me so that I could proudly say that I knew it. Its truly difficult for me to say in a short review how much martial arts under Sensei Adrian has meant to me and I urge everyone that is on the edge of whether or not to give it a shot to give it a try. This means reaching out of your comfort zone and doing something that will be an invaluable life investment and will make you a better person in all regards. I could not recommend BAMA more highly and hope everyone reading this understands more so how BAMA can help themselves or their family members lead more fulfilling lives.

All of the Senseis there are amazing. I have been there since I was 9. I started in the kids class and now i am 19. The Adult Program is amazing we learn many different types of martial arts, but the main one we focus on is Filipino Martial Arts. I love going here everyday. All of the students and Senseis are there to help you. There is no such thing as, "I am better than you so I will not help you". We are all friends in this dojo. I really recommend this place. BAMA is the best

I have trained at Bay Area Martial Arts for almost 10 years; from the age of 9 until I was 18 years old. I loved coming to class and the teachers were great. I did not just learn self defense, but also gained self confidence. At Bay Area Martial Arts you learn skills that help you develop and grow as a person.

My 7 year old son started at Bay Area Martial Arts in January of this year. After nearly 6 months I have seen such a change in him both physically and emotionally. My son was always scared of trying new things - like riding a scooter or doing a handstand - because his balance has never been that great. Martial arts has really helped him build confidence and the physical strength to try new things. Respect for yourself, your family, and people in the wider world is something that he is learning and doing. Sensei Adrian, Nate, and Ceci have been so wonderful not just to our son, but to our whole family. They really care about these kids - not just to make them ninjas (because lets face it... what kid doesn't want to be a ninja?!?!), but about helping them be the best version of themselves that they can be. Thanks so much you guys!!!!

I studied with Adrian for many years. He is by far the most focused and knowledgeable instructors I've ever known. The lessons I learned from him go far beyond just Martial Arts but also basic life skills. I was also fortunate enough to teach at the dojo and see first hand the benefits of Martial Arts training for young children. As an elementary school teacher I can't emphasize enough how the skills he teaches in his classes, focus, discipline, responsibility, positively affect students in their academic lives. One of the best decisions I've ever made was to train with him!