I had the distinct honor to train under Professor Retana from 2008-2010, during which time I advanced to the rank of Brown Belt. One of the first things I was taught, was the physics based nature of Kenpo. I didn’t fully grasp the power of this until I discontinued my training and moved away from Springfield to study engineering. As an engineering student I learned about centrifugal acceleration, force vectors, and vector angle analysis. Every one of these physics principles are found in Kenpo. Especially in Mitchell System Kenpo.   Professor Retana is a unique man, humble and exacting. His attention to detail and concern for the training of his students is unparalleled. Kenpo is not a past time for him. It is his life. He lives to teach people this art; and it comes through in every conversation, every private lesson, and in every class.   There are many choices for the prospective martial arts student in Springfield. There are even some schools that profess to teach “Kenpo.” If you are looking for easy and quick advancement, for an “exercise” class, then perhaps Mitchell System Kenpo is not for you. True Kenpo is the art of meeting an attack with sheer brutality and violence of action. In this school you will be taught to defend yourself and those you love, and along this journey you will gain a level of self-respect and confidence few people have known. If that appeals to you, then I highly recommend a conversation with Professor Retana.

I am also someone who extensively investigated various martial arts studios in Springfield. However, I knew the first time I met Mr. Retana that he was the teacher that I wanted in order to learn the "unique and powerful art" of Kenpo Karate.  I have not been disappointed. I have been a student at Aaction Kenpo Karate for just over a year. I look forward to going to each and every class and the learning opportunites provided. Between classes, I am able to continue my education because of the excellent DVD tapes available to be used at home. These have been  invaluable to my progress.  A word to the wise. Do not expect this to be one of those studios that takes your money and "gives" you a belt. Mr. Retana is exacting and meticulous. If you are not committed to the art and prepared to advance then you won't advance. Personally, this makes every advancement in degree and belt more satisfying and rewarding.

I absolutely love everything about this studio. The classes aren't too large, and they offer private lessons, which allows for more one on one time with the instructors to better improve your skills and knowledge. The instructors and everyone else who joins are all really friendly and actively participate in helping create a safe environment. The studio's flexible hours really help with my busy schedule and none of my time spent there is wasted. Compared to my previous experiences with different studios, Aaction Kenpo Karate Studios has better and more updated practices and techniques to better help with any real life situation in which you'd need self defense. I also really love it because just about anyone can do it, no matter what physical build, so I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good workout, a new hobby, and/or skills in self defense.

After thoughtful consideration and researching all of the martial arts studios in Springfield, Aaction is in my estimation Springfield's premier martial arts studio. This studio was started by Grand Master Jim Mitchell who studied with Grand Master Parker, the founder of American Kenpo Karate, in his home every week for over ten years.   Kenpo Karate combines the best of karate, kungfu, jiu-jitsu, and aikido, but is not static. One of the principles of Kenpo Karate is constant 'growth'. The constant analyzation of the fighting techniques by Grand Master Mitchell and Senior Professor Retana means that if something can be improved it will be. This art is not bound by blind acceptance of historical methods. When a truly better method is discovered it is incorporated into the current curriculum.  The current owner of the studio is Senior Professor and 7th degree black belt, Phil Retana. Mr. Retana is an excellent, patient instructor with over 20 years of experience in Kenpo. I would recommend Aaction and Mr. Retana to anyone who wants to learn Kenpo for the right reasons.

I have been studying Kenpo for more than 13 years, and have also attained black belts in two other systems, while studying in Okinawa, Japan and Korea... Kenpo is definitely, without a doubt, the most comprehensive and effective system out there!!!  I have recently started taking advantage of the online Skype lessons now offered by Aaction Kenpo Karate Studios, and have been amazed at the quality of instruction I have received via this method. I am active duty military and as a result have been geographically removed from being able to attend classes in person for the past 10 years. When this program became available I jumped at the chance to train again under a qualified instructor. The level of attention to detail Mr. Retana is able to pick up on and address in these lessons continues to amaze me. In a very short time we have already been able to completely review the system up to my point, and start progressing further. These online lessons are a God-send, and worth every penny! These lessons combined with the home study DVD’s now being made available can teach you everything you need to know and more while in the comfort of your own home and on your own schedule. Anyone interested in starting to learn Kenpo or continuing their studies in this dynamic and powerful art should grab up these lessons while they can! There are only so many hours in the day, and as good as these lessons are I can’t imagine that they will not be filling up soon!!! Good luck in your studies, and thank you so much Mr. Retana for making these lessons available!!!

Where to start? I have been training at Aaction Kenpo Karate Studios for several years. I started training back in 2006; it's been a wild ride with recovering from heart surgery. I come from a Muay Thai background and have studied various other arts. Let me tell you, Aaction Kenpo is the best, most practical I have encountered.  "Expert Instruction" is an understatement. The knowledgeable staff will not only teach you the "how" of the Art, but also the "why" and the three points of logic behind it.  Bottom line, if you are interested in learning Martial Arts and wish to learn a practical, proven system of self defense that WORKS, look no further than Aaction Kenpo!

My son Ben and I have been with Aaction Kenpo Karate Studios for about 5 months now. By far one of the best decisions that I ever made for both of us. Not only do the offer group classes, but best part of the program are the private lessons. All instructors are personable, and extremely knowledgeable about the art. I also recently purchased one of the home training DVD's and it has been a fantastic tool for our training. You really need to look no further if you're looking for a place to help create a better you. Really the hardest part about it is walking in the door the very first time, but we were both put at ease and all of our questions answered the very first visit. I walked out fully confident that I had found the right place to study. The only thing I regret is not starting it sooner.