PARK RIDGE dojo
Located in downtown Park Ridge, Fonseca Martial Arts’ fifth and newest dojo is a vibrant place in the heart of the Park Ridge community. First opened in 2018, its membership has grown exponentially and its students are truly awe-inspiring. Come train with us and see for yourself how the Park Ridge Dojo has transformed into one big family.
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My son has been training at Fonseca since 1st grade, and now, as an 8th grader, he’s proudly wearing his brown belt. Watching his growth over the years—both in skill and confidence—has been incredible. The senseis are highly skilled and genuinely care about their students, guiding them with discipline, respect, and encouragement. They’ve created an environment where kids not only learn martial arts techniques but also build character every step of the way.The support and passion from the entire Fonseca team have truly made all the difference. I couldn't recommend this studio more to anyone wanting to see their child grow in strength, respect, and resilience. It’s a fantastic community, and we’re so grateful to be part of it!
My 3yo son loves Little Dragons karate class at this dojo with Sensei Jaime. It is an awesome experience to see my son explore this new art and sport. The confidence building and stability training (bear crawls, one legged jumps, etc) are fantastic and engaging. They also focus on taking breaths and closing your eyes for a moment, which is awesome for a young one to learn. The kids have a great time. Sensei Jaime is very understanding of the different kids needs, and parents can participate to let their little one feel safe and confident. It’s really an amazing class. At the end of class, they learn to “respect the rules, self control, be truthful, never give up, and eat your broccoli!”When they do enough classes, they can earn a new belt by breaking a board, which was a very fun day.
We had an incredible experience here. My son learned so much and built confidence while doing it. The class is very structured but the kids have so much fun! I highly recommend.
I have been a member of Fonseca Martial Arts for over 20 years. The staff is dedicated, competent and accomplished martial artists. A proper attitude is stressed as much as physical accomplishment. All skill levels, all physical abilities are catered to.
Our son loves learning jiu jitsu at this school mainly thanks to his instructor Tony. Tony is an exceptional sensei as he goes above and beyond simply teaching martial arts techniques. He instills values in kids, fostering not just physical strength but also character development. Overall, although the school is not cheap, it is worth the money. It is well run and professional.
I am a single Dad and I was looking for something that I could do with my kids that was kind of "my thing" with them. I enrolled them in Fonseca and they took karate here for about three years rising from white belt to purple belt. I'm extremely happy with our time here and I regret that my kids ultimately wanted to move on.I think Sensei Jaime is fantastic. He's great with kids. I feel that he is very passionate about karate and teaching children. He respects the kids and they respect him.Both of my kids were able to use karate as a framework for learning discipline, self-respect, presenting themselves in performance, and of course how to throw a punch. What struck me about Sensei Jaime is how positive he is and how he's able to draw so much out of the students. I think he's a really great teacher and coach.I have many fond memories of prepping with my kids for their belt tests and watching them earn their next belt up. Watching my kids in tournaments was a great experience and my kids learned a lot about competing. Overall, very positive experience for my family and I would completely recommend this to anyone that's interested in getting their kids into karate.
We started our son here at age 3, and his sister wanted to join immediately after. Sensei Jaime has coached our kids for over 2 years now, and he has been an amazing teacher. We would absolutely recommend this place. They are knowledgable and friendly, and Jaime Gamboa has done amazing work on instructing our children, helping them to learn to focus and learn karate
Fonseca has been a wonderful place to learn karate. Both of my children have been attending lessons for over a decade and we couldn’t imagine a place that would encourage them to persevere better. They learn more than just karate. They learn responsibility, resilience, and thoughtfulness. Sensei Jaime has done a terrific job ensuring that they keep wanting to learn and improve.
After turning 58 years old, I had serious doubts that I could ever get back into the shape I hoped for. I knew that my only chance was to engage in an activity which I loved in order not to feel that working out was drudgery. I looked online and found Fonseca Martial Arts. I am thrilled that I did! I enlisted Tony Kalina, the chief Jiu-Jitsu instructor, as a personal trainer. Together we designed a curriculum which combines fitness and self-defense. Tony is amazing. He is incredibly knowledgeable and proficient in many martial arts and exceptionally adept at explaining the concepts behind the techniques. And he has the patience of a saint. If you want an excellent personal trainer, and to become a part of a great school, look no further. I can’t recommend him highly enough. Thank you Fonseca!
My daughter attended a friends birthday party here earlier this year and had the most wonderful time, so we had her 3rd birthday party at the dojo! Sensai Jaime and the whole team do a wonderful job. They played lots of games, taught the kids some great moves, brought my daughter up front to help them show different kicks and punches and the whole crew of 20 kids (ranging 3-9 years old) had a wonderful time.We did the full package and the kids each got to break a board, they organized pizza, fruit and juice and it went off without a hitch. They had my daughter at the table to hand out cupcakes to the kids and they also had her hand out goody bags. It’s so well organized, puts your birthday kid in position to be a great host and engages everyone of all levels. We had never done martial arts before, but we have now joined and are at the dojo every weekend. We love it and cannot recommend enough!
We have had such a great experience at Fonseca Martial Arts. My 7 year old has learned so much about self control and has gained a lot of confidence through her classes.
My kids and I all train at FMA and the instruction is top notch. All the instructors are amazing. They truly provide individualized guidance to each athlete and help each participant bring out their very best in each and every class. The karate senseis and BJJ professor all work hard to prepare their students for every possible situation, in competition and in terms of practical self defense skills. The skills my kids and I are learning are valuable not just in tournaments but also in the real world. I cannot say enough great things about Fonseca Martial Arts, their staff, and their programs.If you’re wondering whether there is a place for you and/or your child here, the answer is yes. If someone wants to compete at the highest levels, FMA will support you. If you want to learn something new and get in better shape, FMA will support you. If you want to feel more confident and capable to defend yourself, FMA will support you. If you want a community centered around respect, martial arts, and becoming better people every day, this is the place for you.
This place is amazing on so many levels. Jaime is one of the best if not the best. He is so great with the students and he ran my son's birthday party. He was AWESOME!So great that my son asked to have his party there again.
