Live, love, matter... learn to be present in your life, focus on your relationships, find joy and…read moremake a positive impact in the dojo (classroom, work, etc). The mat chats with Sensei Alex at Victory MMA are everything! He is a cool dude and understands what is truly important in life. As a parent, it is so powerful for my son to hear these messages from Sensei. My son carries this joy and focus with him to school and into our home. We have been attending MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) for a year in the 4 to 7 year old class. I love being on the bleachers in the dojo to watch the class and hear the mat chat. This helps us reinforce the message at home and also practice the moves of the month. It is very easy to get acclimated to class. Sensei Alex is kind and has a genuine passion. There are also a number of "Sensei Dads" that take the adult class and help out with the kids class. They are all such lovely people! Everyone has a smile and is excited to be in the dojo training. The energy is contagious and the kids have a lot of fun while also learning discipline, confidence and focus. We are so grateful to be part of the Victory family!

My son has been a student at Victory MMA for about 3 years (back when there were only about 4 kids…read morein the class). My hopes honestly were just to get him introduced to the mat in preparation for his future wrestling career in a way that wouldn't get him burned out like so many kids I know that get forced to wrestle at such a young age. This has turned out to be so much more than that for him. He learns more about respect and honor and making good habits than he does anything else. I've seen my son grow not just as a martial artist, but as person; inside and outside of the dojo. Sensei Alex Krotiak is absolutely amazing and it is no wonder that the class has gotten so popular that he had to add another youth class due to the overwhelming demand by parents to get their kids in his program. I absolutely love this place and all they do, I can't say enough good things about it. I would recommend Victory MMA without hesitation to anyone looking lead their children down a fulfilling journey of respect, discipline and of course, self defense.

Amazing place and great people! I've been training at Kogan…read moreSelf-Defense & Martial Arts and can honestly say it's one of the best experiences I've had. The atmosphere is welcoming, disciplined, and full of real energy -- no ego, just pure focus and respect. The instructors are incredibly skilled and pay attention to every student, pushing you to grow while keeping training safe and motivating. Every session leaves me stronger, sharper, and more confident -- both physically and mentally. Highly recommend this school to anyone who wants real martial arts, not just fitness classes. ! Kogan Self-Defense & Martial Arts . , - , . , . , - . , .

Intense. Not for the faint hearted. The real deal. Excellent…read moreif you're looking for the above. All ages!

very good coaches and great equipment the place is nice and i would recommend it to people who cant…read morefight

Best Gym in the area, period! I have trained at other gyms before, and I have been at Fit & Fight…read morefor almost a year now and trained with them in Muay Thai, MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. All 3 coaches are WORLD-CLASS (either former world champions or former professional fighters or trained with direct Gracie Jiu-jitsu disciple) and focus not just on technique but also on principles (understanding the overall strategy of each martial art) and physical fitness (hence the name fit & fight). Also, my son trains with them as well and I can tell you there is an amazing culture and camaraderie!! You feel part of a family, everyone is trying to help you, everyone is trying to get better and more fit and everyone is having fun doing it! Training is disciplined but people ask about each other and even carpool with each other! Also, it's a very enriching cultural & diversity experience, as there are about 20 nationalities represented and they regularly bring their food specialties etc. !! I have 2 recommendations for whoever is reading this review: don't look elsewhere, and don't procrastinate! They have 1 free trial class, come try it for yourself and/or your kids!

I was a frequent "boxer" at the 9rounds Northbrook pre-pandemic. I recently found myself with a lot…read moreof time to kill each week while my kids play tennis at North Shore Racquet Club and discovered there was another 9rounds location just a few miles away. I tried it out one day and remember why I like this workout so much: 1) It's Challenging: 9 challenging stations that change daily with an exercise between each station 2) It's fast: 30 minute workout...done! 3) It's convenient: You don't have to book ahead or deal with waitlists (ahem lifetime fitness), but you just show up anytime during their open hours. I bought a 10 pack and plan to go once a week. I usually go when they first open on Saturday mornings so am one of the first to workout there. Thanks to the pandemic I don't love the idea of going to stations following sweaty people, but being first takes care of that. I've worked out with Luke during my few sessions and he's personable and gives you a great workout. It's a great workout and I"m sure I"ll fly thru this 10 pack! I do wish you could buy a membership to multiple locations since I find myself near the Northbrook location often too, but they have different owners so doesn't seem possible right now.

I've been looking to join a gym. My friend recommended this place. It's a kickboxing place with…read morecardio and weights integrated in the workout. There are 9 "rounds," or stations. Each station has a different workout ranging from jump rope for cardio, to dumbbells for weight training, and heavy/speed bags for punching and kicking. There's always one station called freestyle where you get to work one-on-one with an instructor. They'll teach you combos. There's a buzzer that goes off to start working out at the station; it lasts 3mins. When the 2mins is up, there's a 30sec cool down before moving to the next station. It's a complete workout. The instructors are energetic, positive, and encouraging. They're all also highly qualified. They've had years of experience ranging from Taekwondo to boxing to Muay Thai. This is definitely a must-try. First time is free! I went once and got hooked. They'll let you borrow all the gear you need. They'll also have you wear a monitor to make sure you're in the ideal heart rate range. Membership comes with free wraps and gloves. Try it for yourself.

I've belonged to Main Event on-and-off over the past 10 years since it was called "Evanston Boxing…read moreClub" and was located on the N. Side of Downtown Evanston. The former head coach Dave was a solid trainer, and the current head coach Andrian is no different. tl;dr: it's a great place to train if you care about a good boxing/kickboxing workout with good people. The gym itself is well-stocked with basic equipment, respectably sized to handle classes of up to 20 people at a time, plenty of heavy bags, and boxing gear available to borrow (jump ropes, gloves, handwraps, focus mitts, although you should ideally get your own at some point if you join). It is extremely bare-bones and low on amenities beyond equipment - there is no shower, no water fountain (water bottles available for purchase), and there's a single half-bath. It is very much geared towards people who want to show up, get in a boxing workout, and leave soon after. The gym has evening classes five days a week (5:30PM, then 6:30PM) plus morning classes on Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun. There's Muay Thai/Kickboxing on M/W evenings (soon also Fridays again) Andrian is also broadly available for private lessons at reasonable rates (one-on-one and small-group), and I've had little issue arranging to train on my own the few times I've wanted to go into the gym without class going on. There's also a very active kids boxing program five days a week at 4:30 (I don't know much about this, but it looks like Andrian has 1-2 parents helping corral the 15 kids or so - it's a VERY popular program). A typical boxing class has a 5-10 minute warmup, alternating rounds of heavy-bag work + conditioning, 2-3 rounds of partner drills (focus mitts or defense drills), more bag work, more conditioning, then cool-down stretches. Andrian is very welcoming of beginners and will spend time working with them during class to help them get the hang of things, and the people in the gym are all very friendly and glad to help as well. Most members are casual athletes there to workout, but there's a small cohort of more serious members who are amateur boxers. Cost is well under what most other gyms with combat sports would charge. The gym is also decent with COVID protocols (asking people to wear masks, everyone cleans the space after class, open doors), but it's still an indoor workout space with high-intensity activity, so you should still get your COVID vaccine if you haven't already.

This place is legit!!! They have great classes and Andrian is a great trainer to work with one on…read moreone. I am a type one diabetic and working out here has helped me get in great shape, my doctor was impressed with my blood results and my wife was impressed with my improved body and confidence. After working with Andrian for a few years, I decided to box in a charity boxing match not once but twice. It was a great experience and I would not have been able to do it without Andrian's help. I can't say enough good things about this place!

I spent two years at North Side Boxing, first training one-on-one with an absolute pro of a coach…read moreand then moving into the group classes, which I highly recommend. The vibe there is all about unity. When we ran, we ran together. When we partnered up, we hyped each other up. We constantly rotated partners, so you were always learning from different styles and skill levels. Rich, who runs the gym, is always there making sure everything runs smoothly and stepping in with veteran advice when you need it. Some fighters've been boxing for years, some who even compete in the Golden Gloves, and while that can feel intimidating at first, it quickly becomes incredibly inspiring. You can't help but pick up pointers and insider knowledge just by being around them. Whether you're a 20-year veteran or someone who's never thrown a punch, you're treated the same. It's a place built on respect, hard work, and community. I highly recommend to anyone looking to shed pounds, gain confidence and even make some new friends.

Been a member of this gym for almost 2 years now. Boxing, Muay Thai, Powerlifting, Weightlifting,…read moreStrongman, you name it. This gym is a jack of all trades and has it all. It is a unique experience you won't find anywhere else. Rich (owner of the gym) has built a one-of-a-kind community and I can't recommend this place enough.

Pretty gym, friendly people, great instructor, champion students and friendly helpful and you…read moreshould try it

I took an hour long train ride up to Evanston just to drop-in to the 6:30am class. This is by far…read morethe most beautiful BJJ school/gym I've ever been to. It is in a new shared space called Gym 1801. The gym is very modern and has locker rooms with all the amenities (towels, hair dryers, soap/shampoo/conditioner, etc.) The instructor and students in the class were both very helpful and friendly. There were also two other women there which was awesome to see. We started with a pummeling drill to warm-up then did about 30-40 minutes of drilling. We finished with some positionals then rounds of rolling. If you are visiting the northern Chicago/Evanston area you should definitely check out Serafin BJJ. The only downside is knowing what I'm missing out on when I go back to my home gym that's in a warehouse :'(

Coach Bill and the team are awesome. My 7 year old daughter's first time training in jiu-jitsu and…read morethe staff and other students have done a great job teaching her the sport. As the only girl in class, they have really made her feel welcome and part of the team.

My son has been going there for almost 2 years. It's a great place for kids to learn discipline and…read morerespect. There's a great community with the other kids who are focused on supporting the learning of everyone no matter what level some one is when they start. My husband also found it valuable and decided to join too! He enjoys the atmosphere and comrade amongst the adults too! We are grateful for Professor Bill!