Had a friend recommend this academy to me. As someone fairly new to BJJ, this is a great academy to…read morelearn. The higher belts are all welcoming and incredibly instructional. They'll still smash you when you roll, but they'll let you work in various positions and learn. Technique instruction is also solid and the coach provides a lot of feedback during drilling. Would definitely recommend this academy to anyone in the Austin area

Best gym in Austin. Laid back, friendly, and a very technical room. Great kids program as well.read more

I fully admit this review is being written in my honeymoon period of getting into the gym. But…read morehere goes anyway. Two weeks ago, I was out running errands and saw the sign for Tactical Arts Academy. I also saw that it was almost exactly halfway between my office and home. So, I went to their website to see what they could do for me -- someone who's never been able to commit to exercise and who hasn't ever been able to find a fitness program they could tolerate enough. Leslie replied to my web inquiry quickly and we met the next day to discuss my situation. I told him my big fear was that I am massively out of shape. He explained that's why I was there. We discussed CrossFit and how the workouts can be scaled to meet someone's level. I decided to give it a try. My first three sessions have been one-on-one to learn how to do CrossFit safely. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sore. Ibuprofen can fix that. But after each session, I come away feeling that I've accomplished something. Here's what I can tell you though. Leslie and Sergio, the two instructors, are beyond supportive. I feel encouraged and like I'm making headway. They're patient with newbies like me. And there's virtually no pressure. You're encouraged and pushed, but it's not boot camp. There's no drill instructor yelling at you. It's more like being mentored. And it's pushing me into fitness. There's no pressure to buy stuff. There's no long term contracts either. And heck, the gym is climate controlled and out of the elements so weather isn't an excuse. They offer CrossFit classes both at lunch and after work. Martial arts and self defense are in the evening if that's something you want to pursue as well. For once, I honestly feel I can keep up a commitment to being fit. If that keeps up, I'm going to have to ask Yelp for a one time exception to allow for a six star review.

I made sure to wait before writing a review to make sure it wasn't just the "i'm getting back in…read moreshape" craze of starting at a new gym. I've been working out here for the strength training classes since March, and it's been simply amazing. Bottom line up front: I've made amazing improvements in skill and strength and have lost around 18 lbs so far. TAA didn't do all of that, but Leslie and Sergio make this place a fun and engaging environment where you can achieve realistic goals. It's a great space with an open floor plan. The format of the work outs take off a lot of the pressure of trying to squeeze a bunch of work into an hour. Everyone who works out there is just like you: just trying to get back in shape - not some yelling raging meat head. I highly recommend Tactical Arts Academy for anyone who is looking for a low stress workout to get into their weekly routine.

Great gym and coaches. Been going off and on for a few months now and there's a great sense of…read morecommunity and clear instruction. Would recommend to anyone looking for a solid MMA gym in Austin.

Solid team and trainers with a a few active competitors/fighters. Female owned as well.read more

Great place to start your learning in martial arts or pick up where you left off. Awesome community…read moreand terrific teaching!

I want to give a review as a student from both the past and the present at this establishment. My…read moreexperience with Master Martial Arts and Master Sam Um has been nothing short of incredible. I originally started practicing Taekwondo here when I was much younger, early through late middle school. I was always engaged in every aspect of the class: Master Um makes an unbelievable effort to ensure every student of his is properly trained and gets individual attention throughout the class time to heighten their skills. When I reached highschool, I stopped after achieving a red belt due to my schedule not fitting, but had always wanted to go back and continue training because the classes were so fun and useful. Now, at age 21 and a full time student in college, I have returned to train in TaekwonYusul. From my understanding, "Taekwon" means "striking" and "Yusul" means grappling. Master Um has created a new hybrid of the traditional martial arts (Taekwondo, Gonkwon Yusul, Brazillian Ju Jitsu, Judo) labeled TaekwonYusul to emphasize it's heightened practicality over other single-focus arts. This is hands-down one of the most effective and useful martial arts I've discovered through my years of experience, and incorporates techniques from other martial arts that just WORK. I would say that TaekwonYusul is more of a taditional style mixed martial art, which gives it an advantage over most other options. The classes are structured, we spar with padding and safety equipment every class, and you will 100% be accomadated to whatever skill level you start at. With my Taekwondo background helping in the striking areas, I was surprised by how quickly I was finding myself retaining grappling techniques. All of the other students are wonderful and very helpful, often offering to teach you more in depth technique if you seem to be having a hard time grasping any concepts. I was very surprised to learn that TaekwonYusul hasn't been proffessionally recognized as a new martial art, but I have no doubt that in a few years this will be practiced by gyms accross the world. As for Master Um, he is one of the best teachers and coaches I've had throughout my life, always attentive and eager to teach and ready to demonstrate a technique the moment you have a question. His credibility is unbelieveable, having over 40 years of experience with martial arts and winning many competitions for Taekwondo in his youth. He's trained over 5,000 students, and that figure is from when I was a kid. I just want to say that if you read this whole thing, please consider joining. It might be the most exciting and engaging thing you get to look forward to going to after school or work. Thank you Master Um, I look forward to continuing my training. Thanks for reading, Yelp!

A welcoming and friendly environment. Inclusive to beginners & advanced levels. Kids & adults.read more

I am constantly blown away at the community that has developed at Shaolin Do of Austin! The Masters…read morehave gone out of their way to provide a wide array of online classes so that we can all continue to learn our Kung Fu and Tai Chi, and I know that they have more in the works. If you are looking for a place to learn martial arts, get in shape, or just meet some amazing people then this is the spot for you!

Great coach and great community, welcome to people at all levels from beginner to advanced…read morecompetitors.

I have been training at Austin Kickboxing Academy since may or June of 2025 and this gym has helped…read moreme in so many ways. I am in the best shape of my life from training hard and in a better place mentally. It's a very friendly environment and the classes are very intense, everyone is very encouraging and they push you to become stronger and work hard. All of the coaches here are very skilled and nice people, they personally assist you throughout the class to help you understand the correct form and it's really helpful. To anyone thinking about joining just come take the free trial class like I did and see if it's for you!

Judo - it's the art of folding clothes perfectly... ...while…read morethe people are still in them. This is a great opportunity for you and your kids. I have been bringing my daughter here and she has learned a lot and enjoys every single session. I now have started my second daughter and again so much fun for her especially with this being new for her in the grappling arts. The instructors are very patient and that is the biggest thing, you want to be in a place where they actually care about the growth of your child and your child having fun. Almost every time that they have a kids class they even play a game for them so I really like the commitment to fun.

Great local non-profit judo club open to all from beginners to competitors - friendly Austin-style…read morevibe!

Coach D'amon has amazing skills and great patience. Whether you have decades of experience in…read morefighting arts or are a beginner, you will learn a lot from him in a short amount of time.

Austin Warrior Arts is a great place to build community and learn a wide variety of African and…read moreAfro-diasporic martial arts. We learn machete systems, capoeira, kickboxing, stick fighting, Sword & shield and more. I appreciate that we prioritize applications along with the cultural and playful aspects of the arts. This is a great place to cultivate discipline, focus, and fitness.