U S Karate School of the Arts & Boxing Gym

I have been going to this gym off and on for about 20 years, first for martial arts and then boxing. If you are looking for a posh gym with all the amenities, this is probably not the place for you. But, if you are looking for a gym filled with people who are there to learn, accepting of who you are, and motivate you to achieve your goals, I would definitely recommend this gym. If you decide to check this place out, you will find that Joe Olivarez will welcome you as a student and treats you like family. Through his teaching, he has always emphasized that that respect for oneself and for each other is essential not only in learning martial arts, but in living life.
I also found this gym to be welcoming regardless of my age, gender, or race. Of course there will always one or two bad apples that threaten to give everyone a bad name, but as a woman coming to this gym since she was a teenage girl, I have never felt disrespected or treated differently than the men. I have always been expected to work hard, have always been pushed to work hard, but never worried that I would be pushed beyond my limits or to get hurt. They emphasize hard work, discipline, skill, control, respect for each other, and also having fun.
I also have a young daughter that I would not hesitate to enroll in classes at this gym when she is old enough. I cannot say enough good things about this gym or the sense of community this gym fosters. If you share the same values and expectations that this gym is built on, by all means, come join us.

Our family loves this gym! My husband trained here as a teenager and we now have our lil girl in karate and she cannot wait for Tuesdays and Thursdays, she enjoys her class so much! They are are very good with the kids. We highly recomend this gym. Last but not least the owner Joe is a great man to our family.

I give U S Karate School of The Arts 4 stars. Four stars because Joe, the owner, is incredibly kind personally and incredibly professional at the same time. Four stars because all of my daughters instructors are friendly, respectul, professional and family-​oriented. Four stars because the class is manageable in size. Four stars because all of the other patrons are friendly and down-​to-​earth. Four stars because there is a wide range of equipment to utilize. Four stars because there is a non-​judgmental but positive atmosphere for healthy competition. Four stars because of the rich history in this establishment.
Four stars because the restroom stalls are not accomodating to all patrons.

I’ve known Grandmaster Joe Olivarez and Master Crystal Suan-​Olivarez since I was a young boy growing up in Hayward and walked into the studio with my family on B Street.
They have always been warm, inviting and treated EVERYONE like family.
Grandmaster Joe Olivarez is a Hayward Icon.
You won’t find Martial Arts Schools that have been around for just about 35 years.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS UNDER ONE ROOF!
Martial Arts Classes
Filipino Stick Fighting
Boxing /​Wrestling
…and THE ADULT CLASSES IN MARTIAL ARTS ARE JUST FANTASTIC!!!
You not only get classes in whatever you want, you also get full access to ALL the gym equipment and free weights.
U.S. KARATE AND BOXING is the one stop place for effective street fighting for self defense. His reviews are excellent. NO CONTRACTS!!!
Check out the location across from BIG LOTS in HAYWARD.
You’ll be glad you did.

My son loved this gym. He would still be attending if we did not move so far away. My kid had a blast working out and learning all about boxing. Joe is great and treats customers like family. I never had any complaints about Joe or his employees, they really care about teaching the kids. I love looking at the pictures from the annual Christmas Potluck, seeing my son grinning ear to ear as he posed for pictures in the ring. :)

I’ve been attending this gym since I was a teen and let me tell you, it is not for wimps! They will push you and make you push yourself to new limits. Everyone here treats each other like family and its one of the only places I feel comfortable leaving my stuff somewhere and know that it will not be stolen. Also, what infind awesome is that the gym doesnt have a contract, you pay for the month ($ 70 – 80) and you get 2 classes a week in either boxing or martial arts PLUS access to a fully equipped gym that you can drop into as many times as you like for that month with NO additional charges. Although I have moved out of the area, I still travel just to go to this gym.

Ive been going to this gym since I was 18 or so. Joe really cares about his students. He is there whenever I need him, for those that say he is pricey and that they wouldn’t refund him money don’t know Joe very well. When I have been in hard economical situations and I couldn’t afford to go he would let me go for free so those who say that shouldn’t say anything at all. And there are no hard ass jerks like the other comment said, what this gym teaches is DICIPLINE and RESPECT and Joe has turned many lives around because of it. He is a very, very sweet man who knows everything there is to all types of martial arts and the classes are fun and I get a great work out. Its worth every penny!

I have my son and daughter going here and they love it. It is month to month with no pressure to squeeze money out of you like other schools do. They get a great work out and learn how to defend themselves in a fun and disclipined atmosphere.

My son really wanted to learn how to box so my husband and I took him here. It is such a rip off of $ 100 month and he needed a month to cancel e membership. When we canceled he charged me for a extra month after we had already canceled and would not refund the money back. The reason my son canceled is because the trainer we a hard ass jerk. I would tell everyone to find someplace different. It’s actually sad because my son was very excited about doing boxing.

Mission blvd, especially this area of the street is so dead… last time I think I saw tumble weeds pass me by.
So the thought of a thriving Karate/​Boxing school here seems weird. From the street this place looks pretty small but once you go inside you realize it’s pretty huge. You won’t miss it, there is a huge Mural in front.
The first room you’ll see is the weight training room which is open and free to all who take classes here. So technically if you’re signed up for one class a week you can come the other six days to just lift weights… that’s a crazy deal. This is how serious they are in getting their students in shape.
Next, you’ll step into their waiting area. Moms, sisters, girlfriends, friends sit here since there is a «for members only» sign down some steps into the training room. However, for that hour there are a lot of things to see. There are pictures, books, magazines, trophies galore!!!
Everyone that steps into that training room WILL come out drenched guaranteed. What kind of drenched? Mmmm if you’re a guy… and decide to take off your shirt… you might be able to squeeze into a cup. If you’re a girl, that rule of «girls glow… we don’t sweat» is totally broken here. Girl, you will be dripping sweat from places you never thought could sweat. They work on lots of cardio and foundation. The main instructor is really nice and personable.
Pros:
–All access weight training room
–Great workout
–Instructors that stress a strong foundation
–Plenty of parking outside
–Good for all ages
–se habla espanol for those that need it
Cons:
–Dead area of Mission Blvd
–Sometimes can get real stinky and stuffy… but that’s with all gyms