Cortez Full Circle Martial Arts

Fantastic experience: Best Martial Arts Academy in the Lathrop, Manteca, and Ripon area. This academy is very welcoming, it is clean, and has excellent learning environment for all ages. Staff and Instructors are professional, knowledgeable and friendly.

Fantastic experience: Instructor seemed knowledgeable about his art. Concept of multiple forms and techniques is very beneficial in the martial arts.

Fantastic experience: My daughter is in Muay Thai and my niece, who lives in Florida, comes and continues her Jiu Jitsu training while visiting. They both have enjoyed their time here. The instructors are helpful, patient, they have great attitudes, and make an effort to keep it fun for everyone. Really great place, I highly recommend it.

Fantastic experience: Cortez martial arts program has given me and my son tremendous health structure and competitive spirit. I was 3-0 before I laid down my gloves and turned it over to my 11yr old son.

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend Cortez Martial Arts Academy! We recently enrolled our 4 yr old daughter to begin Muy Thai classes. She absolutely loves going to class. The teachers are all very friendly and take the time to show her how to do every move and never make her feel like she is doing a bad job. She especially loves ending each class running away during dodge ball. So happy we decided to take her here.

Fantastic experience: I signed up with my niece at the end of November 2021, three months ago. We go to the adult Muay Thai classes 5 days a week, and love it. I joined to support my niece and to get into shape, but I really enjoy it and have really noticed positive changes. I have lost 20 lbs and am still loosing weight (235-215) and no longer take medication on the daily for heartburn. I went to the doctor yesterday and she asked what I had changed because all my numbers were outstanding and was closer to a healthy weight (less fat.) The warm up exercises in the beginning are rough, but accommodations are made for those who can’t do the full thing. The instruction and motivation given from Coach Cliff and the other instructors is top notch. All the students are respectful, but still have fun. TLDR: I was old and fat, I am now old and less fat, and have enjoyed the process of getting healthy. Learning the sport for me is a vinous, but I do feel confident I could hold my own in a Muay Thai match.

Fantastic experience: Great place to learn and train

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Professionalism , Quality , Value

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Professionalism , Quality , Value I've had my daughter with Cortez full circle and doing Muay Thai for a little over 6 months and in that time she's improved her skills drastically. She's also had a boost of confidence and made a lot of new friends there. I definitely recommend for anybody thinking about enrolling their kids in a martial arts program!

Fantastic experience: I have so much Respect for Sensei Jason as a person and True Martial Artist. I am starting my journey and daughter is continuing her jiu jitsu journey. I am Truly Blessed! Its such an honor to be at Cortez Martial Arts Academy and train Jiu Jitsu. Thank you Coach Clifford and Coach Jason for the continued support.

Fantastic experience: Positive: Professionalism What happened to Sensei Larry

Fantastic experience: Great place, great instructors, great vibe, everyone is friendly, family environment, over all great gym to train for sure!!!

Fantastic experience: My kid has shown a great deal if growth and maturity since operating at full circle martial arts.

Fantastic experience: Great people great facility!

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Professionalism , Quality , Value Great place to train! Great people, great staff, and great environment.

Fantastic experience: Cortez Martial Arts is one of the best traditional kenpo school anyone can enroll in. We had our 2 sons enrolled with the Cortez family since 2007 and till this day, MJ and Marc talks about how kenpo has had a huge impact on their individual lives. Today they are both well disciplined instructors with 1st degree black belts who guide their fellow students in the path of achieving their own black belts. The head owners Sensei Jason and Lillie Cortez stand strong for keeping the arts alive. Our kids have gone through numerous tournaments and experienced many challenges in their time training in the dojo. Sensei Jason and his staff keep the environment a family friendly yet highly competitive ambiance. A great place for a child to grow. Wethank the Cortez family for supporting my children throughout their time with them and for providing them with the wisdom and strength that comes with the Kenpo style under the Mitose Kosho Ryu system. I highly encourage those who encounter this Academy to enroll themselves and/or a loved one to years of a wonderful experience in martial arts.

Fantastic experience: Thank you Cortez Martial Arts for the positive influence you continue to have on my son. We signed our son up when he was 5 years old and he is now close to turning 8. Sensi Jason and coaches have all played a positive role in my sons young life. Our son has enjoyed every minute learning the art of Charles Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and hopes to take on additions arts offered here such as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Kenpo and Mui Thai. I encourage anyone looking to help boost confidence in themselves or loved ones to give any style a try. Ask for Lily when you come in, she’ll provide a warm welcome and help inform you on which style may be best for your needs. Hope to see you there

Fantastic experience: I’ve been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) since January 2012 in the East Bay at a dojo I loved. Due to work, commuting & life events I could not train as often as I wanted & had to find a new BJJ dojo closer to home. I knew it was going to be very difficult since Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu in Pleasanton, CA was my first BJJ dojo & is an excellent dojo that is hard to compete with. On January 2017 I finally decided to start the New Year off right & get back into BJJ on a constant regimen. I had been checking out other places in the San Joaquin area and there is quite a few places to train that are very good but of all the places Cortez Martial Arts Academy stood out from the rest. Sensei Jason Cortez was very easy going and I didn’t feel pressured to join. The Instructor Sensei Jason Cortez is down to earth & a very humble man. When I first met Sensei, he made me feel very welcome to enter his dojo. His instructions in Charles Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is very easy to understand. Sensei Cortez breaks everything down step by step and also critiques you right away if he sees you need help. The Atmosphere The dojo has a warm inviting feeling & you feel like family. Nothing but positive vibes from the place & people. There are days where I take a break from training but still come by just to hang out & watch the technique of the day. The Curriculum The classes are 1 1/2& hours long which consist of 30 min of warm ups, 30 min of drilling technique, & 30 min of sparing (rolling). You will definitely lose weight, up your cardiovascular stamina & get stronger. My BJJ game has definitely improved due to having more energy & stamina during training. We are constantly training different techniques as well as always brushing up on basics. I was interested to see the influence of Kosho Ryu & Charles Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Sensei Jason’s perspective. BJJ is constantly evolving & changing. I feel Sensei Cortez’s input on the mechanics of BJJ is amazing. His understanding of BJJ’s fulcrum, leverage, base coupled with Kosho Ryu’s philosophy on small circle jiu jitsu & pressure points just put Sensei Cortez’s teachings on another level of proficiency in the art of BJJ. The Dojo Cortez Martial Arts Academy is very spacious & organized. It has separate men’s & women’s dressing rooms & restrooms. The Dojo also has a nice size two tier bleacher for you family to sit & watch. Another thing I thought was cool is Cortez Academy has a built-in sound system! Nothing like rolling to music! The Mat Cleanliness & being sanitary is a must! The mat is always clean & I have seen the mats cleaned every day after class. There is so much room to train so your not constantly bumping into other students while doing techniques or rolling. The Students In the 9 months I have trained here, every person I have rolled with keeps there Gis clean and good personal hygiene is a rule at this dojo. The Location and Safety The Dojo has plenty of safe parking that is well lit. It is located in an industrial park in the City of Lathrop so you don’t get a lot of random people walking through the parking lot. The premises is also monitored by CCTV cameras on the outside so I always feel at ease when I take my kids with me. There is no crazy traffic driving by or random people hanging around the parking lot so I don’t worry about my car or belongings. The Dojo is in a pretty quiet & safe location. For me, these are the seven things I look for in a dojo that I will be investing my hard earned money, my time training but most importantly my loyalty. The Instructor, atmosphere, curriculum, dojo, mat, students, location & safety. Cortez Martial Arts Academy in my opinion is one of the best Martial Arts Schools. It is sometimes hard to make a decision but this place made that decision easy for me when compared to many I have visited. Thank you Sensei Jason Cortez, Mrs. Cortez & the rest of the Cortez Family for being great people with tradition, honor, respect and family values.

Fantastic experience: I have been training at this dojo since February of this year and it has been amazing. Sensei Jason Cortez is a very friendly and welcoming person. Everyone at the dojo pushes everybody to be better! All the higher belts always love teaching the new students who come in and are always willing to help with whatever one needs. From the knowledge i gained from this dojo i was actually able to fight off and subdue someone who attempted to attack me with a weapon. I have gained so much confidence and self control from Sensei Jason and my fellow students. I want to thank everyone at the dojo who pushes me to be better and to never give up! Sensei Jason is the best!

Positive experience: Great instructors and programs and wonderful quality gym for training, however the company they employ for billing robbed me of several months of overpaid dues after I moved from the area. The gym owner informed me of a process being necessary to shut it down but by no means was his billing company cooperative or helpful. Their process ran long and ended up costing me nearly $500 for fees while I was already moved. If I could have paid cash or check monthly I would definitely have given 5 stars since the gym staff and classes are wonderful. Please develop a new billing process for new customers.

Fantastic experience: I couldn't say enough good things about Cortez Martial Arts. It's the place to go for all your Self Defense, staying fit, and martial arts needs. Cortez Martial Arts is not only an amazing place to learn Jiu Jitsu and SELF DEFENSE, (Because a LOT of Jiu Jitsu schools don't even touch self defense) but it's also an amazing place to learn life lessons, comradery, humbleness, and respect for yourself and others. As soon as I heard Sensei Jason say that Cortez Martial Arts is here to build confidence, character, and change lives, I knew I'd found my school. This school is for ALL ages, and not only teaches Jiu Jitsu, but other forms of Martial Arts. AND, it's TOP NOTCH teaching. I always come out a better person with each training session. There is nothing like going to a session and leaving a brand new and improved person and at Cortez Martial Arts and Charles Gracie Jiu Jitsu is the place to do that, specifically under Sensei Jason. Everyone is very welcoming and informative and are willing to help you on your journey. (Even the students!) Don't waste your time and money on other places. Come on in and train, and welcome to the family.

Fantastic experience: This is a great academy and state of the art facility. You will find everything you need here and nothing you do not. They have an excellent kids program, with talented instructors. This place changed my life and I highly recommend it. No matter what your fitness level, come in and try a class, you will be very impressed. It has been the greatest gift I ever gave to myself and has made a positive impact on everyone in my life. Please do not hesitate or tell yourself when I get in shape, then. You have everything to gain and zero to lose. I am in my late 40's and in the best shape of my life, but I did not start out that way. Every week I got a little better, and a little stronger. Thank you Cortez Martial Arts and the Charles Gracie Team.