I love going here! The classes are intense and super fun! Vanessa, Coach Merv and Couch Rob are…read morewelcoming and motivating and it is a pleasure to work with them. I highly recommend trying them out!

Now I'll be honest, kickboxing is nowhere up my alley, near my road...none of that. Though, a…read morefriend brought me here for a try and I'm so glad she brought me here! As soon as I walked in, everyone was super welcoming. Kickboxing knowledge on ZERO but that was no problem! They quickly got me acquainted with my gloves and the different moves. It was a lot to remember on the spot, but they were great with walking around throughout the workout to encourage + correct. Talk about a workout! 30 minutes on the bag + 30 minutes doing work stations. I think my favorite part was the variety of people. We were spaced out and stations were cleaned after each use. If you're interested in giving kickboxing a try, this is definitely the place!

I've been attending this academy for about two week now and I've enjoyed every minute of it. It's a…read moresmall family owned martial arts school and you can really feel that family atmosphere from the moment you walk in. Everyone here is so friendly and welcoming they make you feel like part of the team right away. The facility is clean and well maintained and you can tell they take pride in their space. Starting in 2026 they'll be introducing a dress code so everyone trains in the same uniform which I think is a great idea to build unity. Each class is about an hour long and for adults there's a sparring session afterward at no extra cost just people helping each other improve. It's been an awesome experience so far and I'm looking forward to continuing my training here.

My kids go here great teachers and have great adult classes too. They also sale equipment there…read more Also very clean environmen.

East Side Muay Thai is the best Muay Thai gym in the Hampton Roads area! Conveniently located in…read morethe Strawbridge Marketplace Shopping Center. This gym provides a great environment for all levels of traditional Muay Thai with Intro Classes, Kids classes, Advanced Classes, and Fight Team Level! Anyone from no experience to advanced is welcome to class and the community at East Side is wonderful! No big egos and the head coach/owner, Jose is mindful of partner pairing with someone that will take care of you. Everyone is nice and supportive for class making you feel comfortable to train! Kru Jose is an amazing head coach who has a passion for Muay Thai and an impressive portfolio of experience within the Muay Thai community! Jose coaches all classes and provides detailed instructions for class by a combination of learning styles for everyone. What I like the most is that there is accountability and structure for the class to elevate your level of training, and motivate you to push yourself to be better each time. The other coaches Summer and Zedd are also amazing at teaching and supporting the gym! Summer leads women's classes on Saturday mornings and supports intro/advanced classes too making a great impact on women who also train at the gym. The gym has a history of successful active junior and adult fighters with championship titles! The gym is clean and spacious with a full-size boxing ring as well! If anyone is looking for a gym that will teach you the fundamental techniques of traditional Muay Thai and provide a great atmosphere/community this is the gym for you!

Welcoming , clean, and professional. Learning a lot and looking forward to more. Classes for all…read moreages

Huge fan of this awesome gym! Not your typical "class cardio" setting. You can show up whenever you…read morewant to start your "rounds" and there's always a trainer there to help you. Workouts change daily so there's always a new challenge and your body WILL be sore! Saw results so quickly since the membership comes with a nutrition plan. I mean what gym can say that? The people are great and I love learning how to kick and punch! Let me also add that the owners are also the trainers so they take great pride in caring for you as a customer! They knew my name from the moment I started and are genuinely happy to see me and know who I am when I come to workout. That's something you don't usually see and other gyms or classes I've been to around the area. In terms of price, the membership is very reasonable if you are an active person. For me, the price motivates me to go more often to get the best value! You could easily average the price from $10-5 a class by going 2-3 times a week (depending on length of membership commitment) they also offer student specials and military discounts.

I signed up for 6months because I loved a specific trainer named Micah. After 4 sessions my trainer…read morewas gone because 9Round couldn't afford to keep him. (Their words when I inquired where Micah was). I went to 3 more sessions after he left and simply did not enjoy the energy in the facility with Micah gone. The owner was running the facility. I have several reasons for not enjoying myself but one can simply say our energies did not align. That's ok. In life we don't always enjoy every person. Instead of being rude and telling the owner I wasn't feeling her I quietly went away. Keep in mind I expressed that I only signed up because of Micah.... After that, I quietly went away, never returned. Closed my credit card and that was that. (My time in the gym was paid in full) I'm leaving a review because they sent me to a collection agency!! I wasn't feeling the owner. She was scattered every time I went back. Something was broken every time I was there, lack of focus with clients, low energy, mentioned they weren't making any money, the music was completely different than Micah's play list. Some energies simply don't mesh and that's ok. I'm sure the owner is a nice lady. I just wasn't feeling her energy and simply would not have signed up if not for Micah. I emailed them and the situation has not been resolved. Ignored actually. New staff is inevitable they said and they have no control over sending me to a collection agency. No concern for my mental state even though this is a place that promotes healthy lifestyles. Micah was the first person I put my trust into in a long time as I'm going through a lot of personal trauma. I want to be around people I enjoy. Enforcing a contract to this extent is a predatory business model. Be warned....Don't sign up for memberships.

As a 47 almost 48-year-old with no martial arts experience I was a bit apprehensive about starting…read moremy journey. After a bit of research, it was suggested to train in Muay Thai at my age, after further research, and visiting and speaking with head instructor Wahsei I made the decision to train at Eastern Academy of Mixed Martial Arts. I have been only training, for a little over a month and I am really glad I started Muay Thai and chose to train here. Head instructor Wahsei is extremely patient no matter what your skill level is. He is extremely knowledgeable in a multitude of martial arts and spends a lot of his own resources to attend further trainings and seminars in order to improve upon his own training and teachings. A great example of this, is when I had some issues getting my foot work correct during a drill. Instead of trying to keep the drill up and causing frustration for myself, he switched to two different drills that covered the same exact principle but was easier for more to conceptualize. The students in the classes are very patient as well and are very welcoming. You can easily tell they are well trained, disciplined, and follow the golden rule. If they see you struggle with a concept or drill, they will stop and help you within the moment to get you back up to speed. They understand they were beginners once as well and are always willing to help you. Not a lot of people have that mentality. The facility is well equipped, extremely clean, and always being updated. I have really enjoyed my time here so far. I am starting to feel better about myself and have been getting into a routine for a healthier lifestyle. If you are thinking about a martial art, whatever skill level you are, do not wait (I wish had not) and stop by or contact Head Instructor Wahsei.

My husband and 9yr old son both attend this school...my husband received his black belt from here…read moreand has been at this school for over 10 years and son for almost 5 years I think. Both have learned so much. The head instructor Wahsei is absolutely amazing...he is knowledgeable, patient and thorough. Discipline and confidence are some of the key things he tries to build into his teaching which I appreciate. I would recommend this school to anyone who wants to learn mixed martial arts!

Okay, I thought I was going to hate it here. I go to gyms across the country because of my job so I…read morefeel pretty confident saying that this is one of the best places I've ever gone to. The gym is HUGE and has a ton of equipment with areas for every lifting style (Olympic, CrossFit, and bodybuilding). It is pretty overwhelming at first but the layout is well thought out and functional so you can find what you want pretty quickly. Huge perk: You can access the gym 24/7. Even though I've been lifting for a long time, I initially felt very intimidated by all the obviously fit people there. Let me tell you, I have not had any bad experiences! In the contract, there's a line specifically banning a**hole behavior. Haha If you are in Norfolk and need a clean, well equipped, safe gym to go to, look no further!!

The indian lady at the front desk lacks basic customer service skills, was extremely rude, and…read morehighly unprofessional. After my first and LAST encounter with her I left immediately and I won't be returning.

1 star. I had a very concerning experience here that parents should be aware of. During our visit,…read morea worker handled a situation very poorly and did not step in when they should have. A little boy who was bigger than my daughter was allowed to tell her where to go and try to direct her against her will. The employee present did not correct the situation or ensure my child felt safe. As a parent, that was extremely unsettling. Staff should be paying attention and stepping in when one child is trying to control or push another child around. Allowing that kind of situation to continue without intervention creates an unsafe environment. On top of that, after I cancelled my subscription and informed them that I was cancelling, they still charged me for an additional month. Being billed after cancelling is unacceptable. Between the unsafe situation involving my child and being charged after cancelling, I cannot recommend this business. Parents should be cautious.

2 little kids unsupervised in the pool and later hot tub. They played for sometime in the lane area…read moreof the pool. No idea where their mom was for a hot minute. When they reached the hot tub someone spoke up to them they had to be 18. This was today around 4 PM. It would be nice if the staff was more diligent in doing walk about and taking control of this. These girls were around 7 years old. There is no way they have memberships. Please note there were no swim lessons at all.

Just amazing - reminds me of old school CrossFit when it just started. Dropped in today on the 12…read moream class while here on a work trip and it felt like my home box in about 5 minutes. Coach Kim was incredibly welcoming and everyone was super friendly. No doubt these are some great people! The workout was no joke!! They post them on the web which I love, because I can plan my week when I fly from city to city for work. I've watched this gym for a few years but never was able to catch a class due to working nights (FedEx pilot). They have added tons of new equipment over the last few years and have a great facility (even showers if you have to rush back to work). Everyone here worked their tail off, loved the energy and coaching. Keep it up! Thank you Drop Box you for valuing the larger CrossFit "community" - I'll be back and I'd love to get some shirts when you get restocked!

I dropped in for a week as we were here for vacation. Could not ask for a better group of people!!!…read moreThis box will not disappoint if you are looking for great training and a friendly atmosphere then look no further!