A Bow to Universal Energy Martial Arts, Winner of This Week's Readers' Choice

Congratulations to in Issaquah for taking the top spot and earning the distinction of .

This was a really tough week to make a final decision, and I am awed by the close ties everyone feels to their Martial Arts instructors. If there ever was a week where we could declare two winners, this would be it.

 in Sammamish came out on top in points for getting the most votes in the poll, 458 out of a total 927 votes (Folks in Sammamish-Issaquah must be martial arts masters!). Meanwhile, Universal Energy had the most positive ratings and reviews, with six. Most positive reviews and most votes are weighted equally on our Readers' Choice point system.

And the comments were amazing. Alison wrote of Karate West: 

My husband, 3 children (ages 8, 11, 16) and I all train at Karate West and we love it! It is truly wonderful to have a warm, inviting, professionally-run, family dojo that welcomes people from all walks of life. It is neat to train with kids as old as 3 and with adults as young as 79 years old. Extraordinary things happen at Karate West everyday! It is amazing to watch my own kids and my students learn how to focus, work at 100%, perservere, practice respect, be courageous, be a good family member, and believe in themselves. One day I may have to save my life with the self-defense skills that I have been taught, but the life-skills I learn at Karate West make my life worth saving.

And Tricia wrote of Universal Energy:

We LOVE Universal Energy Martial Arts! It is clear that "Sir" (James) and his staff have a passion for MA and for his students. We love them and value what they are teaching our children and in turn...they VALUE our kids as individuals and challenge them in an enouraging way. Both our son and daughter really enjoy classes there and have come a long way in the past two years!

So it was not easy to break the tie!--both are obviously amazing places to learn and well-loved businesses.

In the end, congratulations and a bow again to the winner, Universal Energy Martial Arts, and also to Karate West and True Martial Arts. 

Next week, we'll be asking what's the Best Burrito Place in Sammamish or Issaquah, so please share your suggestions with us so we get all your favorite local spots for Mexican fare in the running.