EVANSTON dojo
With two levels of training floors and over 4,000 square feet, the Evanston Dojo is where it all started. Located in the heart of downtown Evanston, this flagship FMA dojo is home to hundreds of students who train day in and day out.
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Have you experienced the FMA Evanston Dojo? Give us your feedback!
Art (Chimney Monkey)
18:41 26 Jan 25
Conrad Stepniak
13:49 14 Jan 25
Great karate school. Sensei Oswaldo is super professional and friendly.
Phoebe Jerousek
16:48 13 Jan 25
I have so much respect and gratitude for my daughter's experience at Fonseca, where she has been attending classes for the past year and a half. The caliber of teaching is unparalleled - it is a mix of high expectations, with careful scaffolding to help students reach them. It is gentle, fun, and playful, but also instilling seriousness and respect for the discipline. The focus on self-regulation, while building physical endurance and strength, is a really great recipe for engagement and physical/emotional health and well-being. There is also a strong community that has been built between families, at the Evanston dojos, and across locations as well. This makes the seasonal events even more fun. I am grateful for what Fonseca has given our family. Looking forward to continue to explore karate as a family (myself, and my other kids too!). Thanks so much!
Jared Lowe
00:19 16 Nov 24
This place is great. My daughter started here and the instructors are awesome!! Highly recommend!!
Erin Kao
20:04 27 Aug 24
Recently had my son's 5th year birthday celebration there and was so impressed! They did a wonderful job catering the activities to the level of the kids - making it both fun and challenging. The decoration/logistics were well executed and it was a delight to work with Oswaldo! My son and the guests really enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend!
Amanda Brooks
21:52 26 Aug 24
We love Fonseca. We have watched our daughter’s confidence grow each time she enters the dojo. Each sensei brings something special, but they all share kindness and encouragement for each of their students.
Sal Hernandez
23:54 11 May 24
My 3-year-old daughter has been going here for about 2 weeks now. Excellent curriculum (with excellent Sensei), even for the little ones. My little one is always ready and super excited for class, so they're definitely doing something right. Highly recommend.
Edit: just over 2 years now and the growth is apparent. We're very pleased in our decision to enroll her here. She gets a structured class that promotes and instills lots of good character traits (most notably discipline), where she can make friends and develop her confidence. She has participated in tournaments and won medals. If you're thinking of enrolling your child, do it. They have trial classes, if you're still on the fence. Still very highly recommended.
Edit 2: Hitting the 4 year mark and we're just as pleased as we were when she started. Karate has helped with her discipline and confidence tremendously. She is now part of the competition team and we look forward to whatever the future with Fonseca holds. Can't stress enough, how excellent this school is. You can't go wrong enrolling your child at any of the Fonseca dojos.
Edit: just over 2 years now and the growth is apparent. We're very pleased in our decision to enroll her here. She gets a structured class that promotes and instills lots of good character traits (most notably discipline), where she can make friends and develop her confidence. She has participated in tournaments and won medals. If you're thinking of enrolling your child, do it. They have trial classes, if you're still on the fence. Still very highly recommended.
Edit 2: Hitting the 4 year mark and we're just as pleased as we were when she started. Karate has helped with her discipline and confidence tremendously. She is now part of the competition team and we look forward to whatever the future with Fonseca holds. Can't stress enough, how excellent this school is. You can't go wrong enrolling your child at any of the Fonseca dojos.
Justin Goldfarb
14:20 04 May 24
I cannot express enough how wonderful the senseis are at the Evanston dojo. They are very thoughtful, present, and make sure the kids have a great time. My son, generally, has a difficult time following rules, but he looks forward to karate every week.
Idania Gonzalez
01:40 17 Mar 24
For our daughters, Fonseca Evanston Dojo has been a place where they have been able to improve self-esteem and security. They learned something new everyday, they have fun and they've made new friends. Sensei Oswaldo has made each class interesting for them because he shows interest in them. Sensei Oswaldo brings out the best qualities in the students. As parents we are proud to see the interest that our children have taken and wanting to improve at their young age.
For our daughters, Fonseca Evanston Dojo has been a place where they have been able to develop their self-esteem. They have fun, have made new friends and have taken a lot of interest in Karate.
Sensei Oswaldo has made each class interesting for them by showing them his interest and bringing out their best qualities.
As parents we are very proud to see our daughters' interest in becoming better at Karate at their young age.
For our daughters, Fonseca Evanston Dojo has been a place where they have been able to develop their self-esteem. They have fun, have made new friends and have taken a lot of interest in Karate.
Sensei Oswaldo has made each class interesting for them by showing them his interest and bringing out their best qualities.
As parents we are very proud to see our daughters' interest in becoming better at Karate at their young age.
Chet Farley
13:59 16 Mar 24
The teachers at Fonseca, especially Sensei Lopez, are so fantastic. I’ve been bringing my two boys here for the last year and he and his team are fantastic with building the confidence of their students, fostering acceptance and kindness, effort, and perseverance. Highly recommend!
Gretchen Badami
15:14 20 Feb 24
THE BEST! We recently joined Fonseca, and couldn't be happier! Sensei Oswaldo is EXCELLENT with the little kids to keep them engaged and having fun while still laying the foundations for the movements and respectful ethos of Martial Arts. I was initially hoping my son would enjoy going once a week, but he wants to go EVERY DAY! He loves it that much! The community of the Evanston Dojo is friendly and helpful. So incredibly glad that we joined.
Allison Levinsky
16:47 16 Jun 23
I cannot say enough positive things about this dojo. Fonseca does a phenomenal job of creating a supportive environment that builds self-confidence. The instruction is so strong and caters to a diversity of needs. All children are treated with kindness and respect. The change I have seen in my child since he started karate at Fonseca is incredible. I appreciate that the dojo does not pressure the children, but instead encourages them to do their best and to be the best that they can be each day. What I love the most about Fonseca is the warm and welcoming community. We are big fans!
Jessica Grofman
03:53 07 Jun 23
My daughter is encouraged, guided personally and highly professionally, expertly trained, treated always as a growing individual while learning as part of a hard-working team that is also a loving family home away from home. As a family, we could not ask for more passionately dedicated, hardworking and impressive people than the Fonseca coaches/managers who welcome every age and type of learner to come in their doors! Go, Team Fonseca!!
Amanda Hickman (Neil and Amanda)
22:48 24 May 23
We are so happy we stumbled upon Fonseca Martial Arts in Evanston. Kids learn karate, while building character and community. Sensei Oswaldo has the perfect balance of making the classes fun and disciplined. The membership model makes it easy to fit the classes to our evolving schedule. Highly recommend!
Lia Berman
12:44 26 Apr 23
We started to take our kid to Fonseca at the suggestion of a friend to work on balance, focus and a way to get that aggression out. I cannot begin to explain how wonderful this experience has been for our entire family.
Not only has he gained confidence, improved on balance and focus, but he is bringing those aspects home with him! The Sensei is beyond kind, and has a way to get the kids engaged while having fun at the same time. Parents even get to play on the weekends and I am seriously considering taking the adult classes for my own focus and agility.
We are forever FONSECA! 10/10 would recommend!
Not only has he gained confidence, improved on balance and focus, but he is bringing those aspects home with him! The Sensei is beyond kind, and has a way to get the kids engaged while having fun at the same time. Parents even get to play on the weekends and I am seriously considering taking the adult classes for my own focus and agility.
We are forever FONSECA! 10/10 would recommend!
Meaghan Tower
23:44 20 Apr 23
Joining Fonseca - Evanston has been one of our best parenting decisions to date. It is the highlight of my son’s week. When he is at Fonseca, not only is he having fun and burning off excess energy, he’s also practicing self control, body awareness, gross motor skills - especially bilateral coordination. I was pleasantly surprised how many parallels there are between Fonseca’s karate program and my son’s OT sessions. We also love summer camp (karate on the beach!) and the amazing dojo duels where the kids and get a taste of competing. And while we have had a wonderful experience with all of the instructors at Evanston (special shout out to Sensei Jessie), much of this positive review is thanks to Sensei Oswaldo Lopez. He is strict and ensures that everyone is following the rules and behaving in a safe manner, but he is also incredibly warm and silly with the kids. I believe the very first class we attended, about 4 or 5 children showed up with pictures/drawings/artwork that they made specifically for him. He is adored by both students and their caregivers and has built an incredible community at the Evanston Dojo. We LOVE Fonseca Evanston! It is by far the best investment we have made for our son’s development, confidence and overall happiness.
Liliana Pozo Martínez
22:51 17 Apr 23
My son started at Fonseca a couple years ago being shy and scared but sensei Osvaldo helped him to get confidence and now he’s more strong and confident. We love his classes
Jaime White
00:25 28 Mar 23
Our family can’t say enough wonderful things about the Evanston Dojo! My son LOVES coming to karate and has so much fun. He has gained self confidence, a hard work ethic, technique, great friends and Senseis that truly care. He especially loves summer camp where he gets to practice his karate at the beach with friends! We couldn’t be happier here. Highly recommend!
Juan Martinez
23:44 21 Mar 23
My son has been practicing karate for a little over 2 years and couldn’t wait till my younger daughter was old enough to enroll. Sensei Oswaldo is great with kids, keeps the class fun and kids engaged.
Annie Upson
17:59 21 Mar 23
This place is great. Sensei Oswaldo is wonderful at working with kids. My son hasn't been into many sports, but he has done so well at karate and has gained a lot of confidence and maturity. They keep the lessons fast-paced and manage to give each kid a lot of individual attention. I highly recommend this dojo!
Dolores Fals
20:13 20 Mar 23
We have been a member of Fonseca for 6 years and do most of our training at the Evanston dojo. I cannot say enough good things about our experience with this dojo over the years. From incredible senseis to great life lessons both in the dojo and during competitions, it has been a rewarding path I would recommend to any family. Our kids have fallen in love with karate, and I can see the positive impact it has had on them not only physically but also psychologically. The culture here is incredible - warm, welcoming, and empowering. You will find great role models, amazing training, and build wonderful relationships for life.