Mr. Palacio used to be an international level judo competitor, so CCSF students are fortunate to be able to learn judo and jujitsu from such a qualified instructor. He's very enthusiastic about teaching and about CCSF in general, and his positive attitude helps to create a friendly atmosphere in his classes. Do be prepared, though, for a hard workout in his martial arts classes. By the end of the semester, you're doing randori (sparring) on a regular basis. The CCSF Judo Club holds a tournament at the end of every semester, and students in the beginning class are welcome to compete.

Mr. Palacio also teaches PE 8, Introduction to Fitness & Training, which is in large part a class on how to become a personal trainer. The class is pretty easy and doesn't require much work for the first two thirds of the semester. For a project due near the end of the semester, though, students have to design a training program for a hypothetical client. This is a useful assignment, which incorporates most of the lessons covered earlier in the semester, but it does require a lot of work.