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Location
Austin, TX
Yelping since
October 2008
Reviews
May 30, 2013First to ReviewPaggi Square is all about Petanque - a French game that reminds me of summer holidays. Austin is just one long summer holiday, so that fits.
It's a new pocket park in Mueller - it is mostly crushed granite - ideal for European sports involving hollow metal balls - and with a raised trellised stage at one end and a grassy knoll opposite it. Probably to absorb the sound when Led Zeppelin play their secret show during SXSW 2014.
It's shaded well for a Mueller park, and that's a big plus for me. Also since the neighborhood is still under construction, there's no need for a playscape here (which is lucky - there isn't one) - the place is surrounded by sand pits for the wee ones.
Shady, gravelly, with a stage. Nice place to sit and throw a ball.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 2Oh no 0- Nov 9, 2012
Their phone manner lacks a lot to be desired, but they can sure take a good passport photo. They've also helped me get family passports in a hurry in the past, so I shouldn't be too negative.
Helpful 3Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Sep 19, 2012Updated review
Just an update now that I'm out of the honeymoon period with Martial Way. I've been going close to a year now to their kickboxing classes and private lessons.
I'm still enjoying the energy and enthusiasm that Jamie, Shannon, and Larry bring to my training. They still care, and bring out the best in me.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Sep 29, 2011Previous reviewSix things I like about this place:
1. There is no rigid discipline and yelling from some guy in a bathrobe. you turn up, a short bow, and then you're into the action. No fannying about.
2. The instructors I've worked with - Jamie and Shannon. Both have more energy than a coal-fired power plant, and are fit, fun and feisty.
3. The students - of the ones I've met so far there aren't any aping meat-heads with attitude problems.
4. It's fun. Yes, you heard it here first folks, the instructors and students (at least in the day time classes I've been to) are prone to laugh rather than yell
5. They know my name. OK, so they know everyone's name, but this is all about me, Me, ME. So yes, it's not like Lord's Boxing Gym where you just show up, have the Michael taken out of you, and then are left to your own devices. You feel involved.
6. I leave drenched in sweat. It's a good workout for me, and allows me to stretch myself.
I read through some of the other reviews, and here are a few points to consider. Yes, the young children of the instructors sometimes come to hang out in class, and no, I don't want to kick them, or have to worry about kicking them. Both kids I've seen there have been sedentary and occupied throughout class, so this isn't really a concern for me.
I'm not too sure about business practices - they've been fine for me. As for the "pay what you can" practice, I haven't compared my rate with anyone else's.
I'm not sure about the friending on facebook, emails and calls being off-putting. I actually like a social environment, and welcome the little follow up emails I get asking how class was. Then again, I work with real estate agents every day, so I may be immune to people being nice to me.
I've been training in kickboxing at Martial Way for about 5 weeks, and classes are the highlight of my week. I don't plan on becoming a pro kickboxer, so I can't really comment on the belt system.
When I had to fill in one of the goal sheets when I started, I put "I want to be a badass" and they said that was a reasonable goal. My kind of place. 
Sep 19, 2012Why do I ever go to IHoP? Because my kids love pancakes, and telling my 2 and 4 year old munchers that we're going to, "Not the Austin House, not the State House, not the USA House, but the INTERNATIONAL House of Pancakes" makes them smile.
Sure they can cook a pancake. I know dyslexic one-armed foxes that can fry batter in a pan. So no big deal. But can they bring you the right food? Experience says, "Not always!"
Can the food resemble the menu? "No." And I don't mean in the same way a Whopper doesn't look like the picture. I'm talking about the description. So I order the "fit and healthy" tilapia. Do I get sauteed mushrooms, garnish, blah blah blah on my plate? "Not even a little." I get a piece of fish, some skanky potatoes and some broccoli. Not a hint of garnish or flavor. I've had it with IHOP.
I give them one star for the name.Helpful 3Thanks 0Love this 3Oh no 0
Apr 30, 2012I was giddy as a lamb in spring at the idea of an Austin go-karting track. Indoor. Given that I hate the heat. I'd tried the "Austin" Park and Pizza karts and found them gassy and lacking in the sweltering heat.
The K1 concept is good - a well run, well oiled machine with the associated overhead of a huge air conditioned warehouse and as many staff as racers. So it's not cheap - $20 for a single race, down to about $13.50 if you buy bulk and go off-peak. But it is a whole bunch of fun. I'm not sure if I'll get tired of the twisty track - I'm sure I'll go back a lot to find out.
Good bits:
electric - no stinging eyes / on-site pollution (how about a big-ass solar array on the roof? Come on, this is Austin)
track times printed out with other racer's names when you finish - good for post match analysis by the nerds like me.
safe - men with flags, and the ability to remotely nobble your kart if you're tearing down the track in reverse
clean, antiseptic, well lit
Bad bits:
pepsi products at the cafe. Seriously? Who really wants to drink Pepsi? If I'm going to get all caffeined-up for a race, I want Coke. Or tequila.
safe - it's a double-edged, foam-wrapped sword being safe. My heads not likely to fly off after an accident, but I also don't get too much of a sense of danger.
In summary, if the only bad bits are that it's safe and there's no coke, I say go for it. Next time I'm coming mob-handed. In fact it almost makes me want to have a corporate party there. Now to start a corporation...Helpful 7Thanks 0Love this 7Oh no 0
