On this page you will find what the Students have to say about training at The Harrisonburg Dojo!

If you would have told me last year I would be training in a martial art, I would have laughed. This is something my husband and son did, not me. Well, here I am three months into training, and I love it.

Sensei is there every day starting at 11:00 a.m. Some days I go in over lunch and have a one on one lesson. I am not sure how many other places offer this kind of inidividual instruction. The group classes in the evening provide a time to practice what I am learning on different body types and different skill levels. Both classes challenge me everytime I go.

It is hard, physically and mentally. The skills I learn have everyday application. It is not about flair, it is about protecting myself.

Lisa R.

A few years ago, I was talking to another law enforcement officer and he mentioned he had been training off and on in martial arts. He suggested we go to the Hebi Ashi Dojo and speak with Sensei Fletcher. Having no idea what to expect, I walked into the dojo. After a short time with Sensei Fletcher I could see his passion for his style of martial art, and he appeared knowledgeable (to my untrained eye). I soon found out that Sensei Fletcher is a recognized civilian trainer for police officers. This certification is granted by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, which oversees police training standards in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Sensei Fletcher teaches all of the classes in the dojo. He is also available during the day for one on one training. He has dedicated his entire life to learning and teaching the art as it has been passed on to him. This is a no nonsense system taught by a dedicated man and recognized by the law enforcement standards of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a police officer and a person who takes physical training very seriously, I can't imagine what else I would want from a dojo. I know that I am safer working the streets as a police officer than I was before I began this training. Even if I was not a police officer, I know the skills I have learned would be valuable for self defense in an ever-changing and increasingly violent world. I would recommend the Hebi Ashi Dojo to anyone who wants to learn a legitimate self-defense martial art, and especially encourage my fellow law enforcement officers to come in and see what the dojo has to offer.

J.R. D.

We moved to Harrisonburg in 2006 and I looked around for a martial arts school for my kids. After visiting the few popular schools in this area, I found the Hebi Ashi Dojo. I came in and spoke with Sensei Fletcher. He and I had our first, of many, long chats about kids, martial arts and life. I found that what he wa ... s teaching at the Dojo was what I had been looking for for years. A real style that has real world applications for people of every size and shape.

Hebi Ashi Dojo isn't flashy. There aren't walls of trophies. This isn't the place to "chase a black belt". There is only what you need to learn to survive. A training room and a dedicated teacher. I found that I wanted to learn along with my kids. We all signed up in August 2007. The training is VERY real. From the stand up classes to the ground nights we are learning techniques and the principles behind them. The limitations of what you can do are endless. I train with police officers, students, sales professionals, women and men, big and little. We learn with and from each other. My son and the others in the childrens class are learning the same things the adults learn. We all learn real world applications of the techniques we are taught. It hasn't made my boy a fighter. It is making him a boy who can recognize what he can and must do to survive. Whether it's in the school yard or a parking lot, he's preparing for whatever comes at him.

There is no other martial arts school that offers what Sensei Fletcher offers. A true and proven style. Access to the teacher for one-on-one time 4 days a week. If you have the time he'll work with you until it's time for the evening class...there's no extra charge. It's a benefit of being one of his students.

I highly recommend the Hebi Ashi Dojo to all who truly want to learn something that you can bet your life on.

Dan E.

I first started taking these classes to build my self-esteem and learn how to defend myself but, it has turned out to be so much more. It has helped me in every aspect of my life.

Donnie P.

Training at the dojo is one of the few places where I feel the freedom to make mistakes without being compared or judged. This feeling, combined with the efforts of others in the dojo, gives me a drive to improve myself for the sake of being a better person, both in the Dojo and outside.

Lillian L.

In the short time I've spent at the Hebi Ashi Dojo, I've felt welcomed and a part of something special. Everyday of training is a great mental and physical challenge.

Jeff C.

I have learned just the very beginning of the versatility of the art and the versatility of kata, of mind and body, and the only limit to the art is my imagination.               

Joe W.

The Hebi Ashi dojo is the place where I am pushed to my limits in an atmosphere that fosters respect, hard work and dedication.

Lawrence L.

My previous training in Tae Kwon Do and American freestyle karate left me feeling frustrated because much of what I learned did not work on the bigger, stronger men I trained with. After training at the Hebi Ashi Dojo, I now know that size and strength is not the important thing. Proper technique is the key to truly being able to defend yourself.

Margie W.