Steve DeMasco’s Shaolin Studios of Needham

Our family is so grateful to this studio for providing such a positive environment for our daughter! Each week she learns new skills and builds confidence thanks to the supportive and encouraging staff. Sensei Hil and Sensei Mattie truly go the extra mile! Our daughter feels she is a part of something special and will hopefully continue to celebrate many milestones with her martial arts family. Which reminds me, they throw great birthday parties!

I have been training with the company for almost seven years. I am in my third year at Northeastern in Boston, and I cannot express how grateful I am that new Massachusetts locations opened recently. I was unable to continue training as I am originally from Connecticut and they didn’t have schools here when I started college. Every single instructor is passionate about helping their students, and this is especially true for the instructors at the Needham location. Both Sensei Hil and Maddie brighten my day and I always look forward to training with them. They treat their students so well and kids love going to their classes because they are always fun and exciting. I am continuously surprised by the dedication and passion Hil and Maddie bring to each and every lesson, and I cannot speak more highly of them!

Don’t go to this place! Seriously, it would be a waste of money!
The teacher here, Sensei Hil doesn’t command respect, he shouts at little kids and seldom instructs. I nanny 2 boys who go here.
The instructor plays music so loud, you can’t hear yourself think. As if that’s conducive to focus… a major discipline of Shaolin. Moreover the music he plays is laced with explicatives and crude phrases. Ex: «I hold on so nervously… To me and my drink… I wish it was cooling me… But so far, has not been good… It’s been sh*tty…» What the heck kind of music is that to play during a KIDS lesson??? He keeps telling one of the boys I take here, aged 6, to focus and pay attention. How is a little kid supposed to do that when the instructor screams at the top of his lungs over the blasting music? Half the time I my kid doesn’t even understand what being screamed at him!
The instructor doesn’t look at all like he’s there because he genuinely likes working with kids. The other girl who handles admin stuff is nice when she’s trying to sign you up and then doesn’t even bother to be friendly after that. This place sucks!
Go to the Wellesley location. Better staff, better environment for little ones.