I retired from the NYPD in September 2023, weighing 183 pounds and in good shape. Within two months…read moreof retirement, I gained 24 pounds due to poor eating habits and semi-depression. A part of me missed my job, and I lost myself in the process. Fast forward two years later, and I am 4 pounds away from what I weighed in the NYPD academy 22 years ago. I've achieved a 27-pound weight loss, and now I know how to fight. I couldn't have done this without Coach Terry and BKMMA.

Great crop of amateur and pro mma fighters at this gym. Well structured classes that make a whole…read morelot of sense compared to other gyms I've been to. They also have a variety of women's fitness (or mma) and a huge kids program as well. The head coach Terry really knows his stuff and has been running this gym since 2008. A hidden gem deep in Brooklyn

I trained here for six months and I can firmly say: this is a special place, and ideal for anyone…read moreserious about learning Aikido. I eventually decided to stop training here because I felt like I never found myself clicking with the ways of Aikido itself (it is a very unique martial art. Every person is different, not everything is for everyone, and Aikido did not seem to be for me), therefore I wanted to do trials with different martial arts and find one that I connect with better. But that doesn't mean that I didn't recognize what a special place this is, and recognize how many other students truly had their lives enriched here. The fee is on a sliding scale (and I can't find any other martial art school that does that). For $50 a month, I was literally allowed to take two or three classes a day (if I had the time). Can't beat that. This place is very formal in practicing Japanese customs. The Sensei here, Ryugan Savoca, has been to Japan many times, and brought some of what he learned there back to this space in Brooklyn. It is decorated to make a beautiful setting. As soon as you start your first lesson, you truly feel yourself meeting another culture. Additionally, Sensei is constantly running events outside class time (dinners, trips, etc) to bring the students together as a community. He also frequently has guest Senseis from other dojos visiting New York doing lectures here about how they practice Aikido. During training, if Sensei sees you doing something wrong, he will immediately tell you in a firm way without embarrassing you. He is wise, observant, and patient. The classes here are mixed with both newer students and senior students (you can recognize the difference as seniors are given a robe to wear over their gi). If you're a new student having a hard time learning, Sensei will assign a senior student to instruct you one-on-one. All senior students were polite, clear and patient with me. I should warn: if you're expecting Aikido practice to be a light workout, then you're in for a surprise here. By the end of every lesson, I was literally dripping with sweat. Within two weeks of training here, people in my every day life were suddenly saying "Hey, you look like you're getting in better shape" without even knowing that I started Aikido. On a side note, I'll also mention that I have a neighbor who sends his son to the kid classes here, and his son loves it. He mentions how good the kids' instructor, Kate, is with children. It appears to me that Aikido is completely unlike any other martial art that I can find. It doesn't seem to work for everyone, but it works phenomenally for others. If you want to try it, then I can't recommend this place enough.

I've only just begun and am only four classes in, but as a beginner I can tell you that the Sensei…read moreis very patient and everyone jumps right in to show me proper technique and etiquette. There seems to be a general agreement that this is one of the most challenging dojos in the country. As Scott said, I finished my first class utterly exhausted, my pride beyond bruised. It's a great place to learn and while everybody is serious about Aikido there, they're super-friendly, too. A quick example: I was trying to make my way through a conditioning drill called the scorpion and I was going really slow. One of the more experienced students slowed down to finish with me and encourage me. It was like Forest Gump.

I have trained in karate for over a decade and I have taken classes in a variety of dojo with a…read morevariety of instructors, the majority of which have been very good. Takahashi Sensei is in a class all by himself. He has a way about him that he can be friendly, patient and even hilarious at times while putting you through one heck of a workout that kicks your butt both physically and mentally. The second-highest ranking JKA Shotokan instructor in the country, Takahashi Sensei is a brilliant technician who understands every minute detail to good karate technique. His dojo is probably one of the best values for your money you will find int he area too. For a flat monthly fee, no contract, you get unlimited classes 90% of which are taught by Takahashi Sensei himself, the rest being covered by his senior black belts, who are no slouches themselves, in instances when Sensei is away at a seminar, training camp or tournament. All in all, this is the thing I miss most about Brooklyn!

Excellent training environment. Takahashi Sensei is as knowledgeable as he is patiently demanding…read more If you're up for a rewarding challenge you've got to check this dojo out. I've been training in Shotokan for over 25 years and everytime I have a lesson with Sensei, I always know I will learn something new!

I only took one trial class here, but I got a really good first impression. There were two Shifus…read more(teachers). They taught some basic ideas about self defense which immediately just made sense to me. They taught some really good techniques to block punches, as well as different ways to throw punches and kicks (which are not what I'd naturally do). They had good mats, equipment, and protective gear to practice these techniques on other people (and I think that's important, as I don't believe that just practicing punching thin air is enough to help train yourself for a real fight situation). They also went over basic ways to try to calm situations down and try to avoid fights. It's a fairly small class (less than 15 students, I think) so you get a lot of individual attention. They were very clear and polite. I decided not to sign up for two reasons: 1. The prices were more than I personally could comfortably afford at this time (I don't wish to state the precise price here, myself, if it's not posted on their web site). 2. They have a rule that all students are required to wear masks at all times during practice. And although I respect caution for Covid, I personally feel that I need the freedom to breathe to the fullest whenever I'm exercising. But I otherwise loved this place a lot. I regret that those two above factors kept me from joining.

I am so grateful to have found Brooklyn Wing Tsun. Sifu Ethan is a wonderful teacher who has…read morecreated a challenging and supportive environment. This school is also a part of the City Wing Tsun association which means you have the opportunity to interact with a large community of teachers and students from around the city. If you are thinking about learning a martial art or are just curious about Wing Tsun you should not hesitate to come by.

This is the ONLY place that makes me venture outta my comfty lil Queens 'hood into the strange new…read moreworld of Brooklyn. I really dunno why the Kung Fu students' reviews got filtered, but as a non-student who attended many functions, i hope this review doesn't get filtered -_- So i was here for their 10-yr Anniversary: Yup, Sept 2013 marked 10 years for Moy Yee Kung Fu! The first part of the event was held at St. Joseph's College with a Kung Fu show that all the students worked hard on for 2+ months! The routines and soundtrack was entertaining and inspiring. The students consisted of literally all ages and nationalities, and it was wonderful to see them unite under the same cause. The second part of the event was dinner back @ the school where i got to meet & greet everyone, and toured the school. It's very clean and spacious, and looks like a place with a lot of history and culture. [one of the] Bai Si Ceremony: "bai si" means when you become a disciple ("tou-dai") under the master (aka SiFu); this is different from being a student. Many of the disciple-to-be and students also put on demonstrations. The ceremony i attended (not sure if these are held annually or whenever necessary) was outdoors in the backyard area of the school where there's plenty of space for show and seating. My friends and i were invited to see my god-brother receive his disciple title and it was incredibly moving and we were very proud of him. I do believe there's different meaning behind the various color shirts they receive and wear (yellow / blue / purple / gray / etc), I guess you'll just hafta go to find out~ Columbia U. Club Showcase: This was the BEST event I went to. The venue was pretty (one of the halls @ Columbia U), as were the sound & lighting in the show. The kung fu choreography was power and quite beautiful. They showed many forms of Wing Chun, Tai Chi, fighting scenes, etc... earning loud applause from us the audience. A moment i remembered most was when their ENTIRE kung fu family (there must have been 50+ ppl) gathered on the stage for a HUGE group pic after the show finished. It was a warm memory even for someone who was there to spectate. I also went to a Xmas White Elephant Party that's held annually where all the kung fu students' friends & family gather for a night of food, drinks, strong eggnog, year-end review, and GIFT STEALING! It was a lot of fun, and Brooklyn's not all that strange to me anymore :)

If you're looking for a place to learn kung fu, look no further. I joined the school in 2017 with…read moremy 8 year old son and absolutely love it. It is challenging and very rewarding. Kids begin with Shaolin, while adults learn Wing Chun, and we practice all together at the Saturday morning class which is really fun. I'm also happy that we have been welcomed into a very warm, supportive, and diverse community of people, led by wonderful instructors and Sifu Henry Moy.

Mario is a great teacher and there are some good fighters that train here and best of all they are…read morereally fairly priced. That's what you need for the makings of a good training space. I've been to about 8 different Muay Thai gyms in the city and brooklyn and this is one of my favorites because it's not to crowded and down to earth. Might not be the best looking of all the gyms but they are just starting out and really deserve the support that will take them to the next level. If you live close you should absolutely at least give it a try. Personally I still train a several places because I like the variety but I'll Always be coming here.

Went to see and possibly join the gym. Maybe it was a bad day but it was empty and the person in…read morecharge said because it's summer many students are away. I didn't see a lot of equipment for a whole class to practice at the same time. Maybe my son's dojo has me spoiled. Anyway the lack of equipment and the emptiness of the gym makes me give it 1 star

First off, I'll say that this is a fantastic school in terms of the quality of teachers and…read moreinstruction. Deep knowledge of the craft and great classes. This review has to do with the administration of the school, which I have had an absolutely horrendous experience with, so much so that I feel the need to write a review to make other people aware of the way they have dealt with me - which is borderline immoral. At the start of this year I postponed my year long martial arts training (billed monthly) by 3 months because I was going to be out of the country. I got a written confirmation email from the school stating that they could honor this request and would not charge me while I was away. A couple weeks before I came back to New York, I had a seizure while still traveling, which also caused a shoulder dislocation while I was unconscious. Needless to say, I cannot practice martial arts for the foreseeable future. I requested to cancel the remainder of my one year training contract for medical reasons. NYMAA said they would not be able to do this without a medical note from a doctor. This is despite them telling me when I signed up initially that the year long training could be cancelled at any time - this is predatory business practice #1 - locking you into getting charged every month for a year, while telling you you can cancel anytime but not planning to honor that. I sent them a letter from my Doctor, clearly saying that after being evaluated I should not be participating in martial arts and should have my remaining months cancelled (they charge $207/month for JKD training). Not only did they refuse to acknowledge the letter because it was missing an official letterhead (something they neglected to mention they needed when first asking for the letter), but they also began asking me for proof of my travel, all of a sudden investigating the past, despite having agreed via email before I left to postpone my payments while I was away. I sent them a new letter with the requested letterhead from my doctor, as well as my travel itinerary, and then they went radio silent, despite repeated follow ups. In that time, I noticed that not only was I charged for the month of May, but there were also three attempted charges for the three months I had been away, trying to be retroactively billed to my card. Absolutely INSANE. I called, and upon speaking to someone in person it was clear that she didn't know that this had happened and was generally unaware of the new charges, but she did say that they still wouldn't accept my new letter, without giving a clear reason why. At this point this feels like a SCAM. I have provided everything asked, and they keep coming up with bullshit reasons why they can't cancel my membership, AND are trying to retroactively charge me for months that they agreed IN WRITING not to charge me for. No one can clearly or cohesively explain to me why any of this is happening. It's a shame that such a great school of martial arts is being run like so unscrupulously. At this point I've gotten my credit card company involved, but the whole situation been a nightmare. Forget about the lack of basic decency on display; treating someone who has medical proof of a seizure like an investigation subject. Sign up for a membership with these guys at your own risk. All I can say is be 100% sure you plan on using your membership and won't need to alter or cancel it for any reason because this company has demonstrated that they have no moral issue with charging your card on file however they see fit. Absolutely pathetic business practices.

Real authentic JKD!! and more, great teachers, Kali, sparring. Definitely worth trying out , you…read morewon't regret it. Awesome environment to train in.

Anyone know if this place is still in business? All I got was an answering machine when I calledread more

As an absolute beginner to Wing Chun (WC) it quickly became clear that the philosophy underlying WC…read moreis sound and highly practical. What sold me is that Wing Chun is firmly grounded in an understanding of physics for combat (not sport). Jay is a highly personable and knowledgeable instructor. He engages the class in discussion of theory and drills (mostly with partners) aimed at optimizing movements for efficiency, proper structure, and reflexes with ultimate goal of being ready for the "back alley test."