My 2 kids have been going here for almost a year. They are 9 now. I have a boy and a girl. They both love the training and can't wait to go to their next session. I was surprised to see these negative reviews! Gary Flickinger is the most positive sports instructor I've ever come across. He gives the kids discipline and plenty of encouragement. The other instructors, mainly teenagers, are also good motivators and keep the kids safe when they are whacking each other, which is my kids' favorite part of karate (apart from blockers). They learn other things apart from sparring of course: they do cardio training, strength and a lot of exercises to improve balance, coordination and focus. The tournaments are fun and positive experiences; everyone gets a sincere pat on the back for effort and they all come away feeling like they've learned something...Five stars for USSD Palo Alto! I'm not the only parent who loves this place, there are a lot of kids there who've been going for 3, 5 years and more (and adults too)!