Call us to train free all summer
MORE THAN A DOJO.
A legacy in the making.
We didn't open Crescent Moon Karate to teach kicks and punches. We opened it to change lives — one student, one class, one belt at a time.
THE CMK mission.
"Every student who walks through our doors becomes part of something bigger than karate."
Crescent Moon Karate was founded on a simple but powerful belief:
the mat is where people become who they're meant to be. Not just athletes. Not just fighters. Leaders. Thinkers. People of character who show up differently in every room they walk into.
We are not a recreational program. We are not a babysitting service. We are a professional academy with real standards, a proven system, and an instructor who has devoted his life to this art — and to the students who train it. Every class is intentional. Every belt is earned. Every student matters.
THE STORY behind CMK.
THE STORY behind CMK.
Crescent Moon Karate was born from a calling, not a business plan. After decades of training under world-class masters and earning black belts across four martial arts systems, Kyoshi Robert Torres saw a gap in Los Angeles — not a shortage of karate schools, but a shortage of academies that truly developed people.
Most schools taught technique. Few taught character. Kyoshi Torres set out to build something different — a dojo where the lessons learned on the mat translated directly into stronger students, stronger families, and stronger futures.
- 2008
Crescent Moon Karate opens its doors in Los Angeles, CA. First class: 6 students. - 2012
Named Best Martial Arts Program by LA Parent Magazine. - 2013
Awarded the Los Angeles Award for excellence in martial arts instruction.
TODAY
100+ active students across all programs — kids, teens, adults, and families training together.
"I didn't open a karate school. I opened a place where people come to find out who they really are."
— KYOSHI ROBERT TORRES, FOUNDER
KYOSHI TORRES 7th Degree Black Belt · Founder
★ LA Parent Magazine — Best Martial Arts Program 2012
★ Los Angeles Award — Excellence in Martial Arts Instruction 2013
★ 30+ Years of active training and instruction across 4 martial arts systems
★ Founder — Crescent Moon Karate, Los Angeles CA · Est. 2008dedicated to teaching the art of karate to students of all ages and abilities.
KYOSHI Robert Torres.
Kyoshi Robert Torres has spent over 30 years on the mat — training under world-class masters, earning rank across four distinct martial arts systems, and developing a philosophy of training that goes far beyond physical technique. He is not just an instructor. He is a builder of people.
Born with a natural gift for leadership and an unrelenting drive to master his craft, Kyoshi Torres studied under some of the most respected names in traditional and modern martial arts. Each system he trained added a new dimension to his understanding — of the body, of the mind, and of what it truly means to be a martial artist.
When he founded Crescent Moon Karate in 2008, he brought everything he had learned into one place — a dojo built not just on technique, but on transformation. His teaching style is direct, demanding, and deeply invested in every student who walks through the door.Most schools taught technique. Few taught character. Kyoshi Torres set out to build something different — a dojo where the lessons learned on the mat translated directly into stronger students, stronger families, and stronger futures.
- 7th DANKarateUnder Shihan Rick Herbster · Rising Sun Karate
- 4th DANJapanese Jiu JitsuUnder Sensei Scott Main
- BLACK BELTOkinawan KempoTraditional lineage · Wa Do Ryu
- BJJBrazilian Jiu JitsuUnder Prof. Alberto Crane · Legacy Jiu Jitsu
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
"The belt around your waist only means something if the person wearing it has truly earned it — through sweat, discipline, and the willingness to keep going when it gets hard. That's what I teach. That's what CMK produces."
— KYOSHI ROBERT TORRES, FOUNDER
WELCOME TO the dojo.
5280 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles — a space built for serious training, serious growth, and a community that holds each other to a higher standard.
🥋THE MAT
A 33 × 15 ft professional training surface — clean, maintained, and purpose-built for karate, jiu jitsu, and sparring. The mat is sacred. We treat it that way.
📅THE SCHEDULE
Classes run Monday through Thursday and Saturdays. After-school slots from 4:30–5:30 PM are our most popular. Max 12 students per class — intentionally small so every student gets real attention.
📍LOCATION
Located at 5280 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90019. Convenient to Mid-City, Culver City, West Adams, and surrounding neighborhoods. Street parking available.
🏆THE STANDARD
Every student is held to a real standard. Respect, punctuality, effort, and attitude are non-negotiable — not because we're strict, but because those standards are exactly what build the confidence and character every parent is looking for.
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