I've been coming for several months and knew I was in for good things when I saw one of the teachers, Federico, warming up. Bahad Zubu can be divided into two portions, boxing and kali. Both are great, and I wouldn't be able to choose between them. The boxing portion of the school is especially lucky to have John T, a local with professional boxing experience, come in and coach. He teaches from a professional understanding and experience, and beyond being a walking library of boxing information, is a great, generous man willing to come in to teach others about the fine art, working with everyone no matter what their skill. It reflects well on the main teachers that someone of his stature and character is coming in, and it's only going to get better as the more equipment is added. The kali/escrima class is equally great. Both Federico (Fred) and Cutler have experience in several martial arts and are excellent, patient teachers beside. Despite working and training with weapons, I've never felt like I was at risk of real, permanent injury in the class. Like with boxing, both main teachers will work with individuals and groups, and are able to explain the technical and esoteric aspects of the arts. They've trained at the feet of the grand master of the art, Yuli Romo, and it definitely shows. I myself have done several martial arts (Tae Kwan Do, Iaido, Aikido) but the stuff I've learned at Bahad Zubu is by far the most usable ("live") and interesting. Sparring is paired with regular forms and practical techniques in both classes, as well as the occasional history/cultural lesson. You'll definitely get a good workout by doing this, and it's great fun as well. My only regret is not starting this sooner, but with the flexible class schedule and payment system I'm more than ready to make up for lost time. read more

Knowledgeable and experienced instructors? Check Stunning workout? Check. Friendly and Encouraging group? Check. For years I have looked for a group that was demanding but would also be able to come down to many glacially slow ability to learn. BZ's Midwest chapter has really hit the mark. None of those ridiculous westernized martial arts classes that try and half teach you one move or form every class, only months later coming back to that form that you've forgotten. Every session starts with a great boxing workout to get you ragged and sweating, then the sticks come out. Everything changes when the sticks come out. Working on strong essentials and footwork, the instructors are there every Step of the way (get it? A footwork joke), watching and correcting form and offering pointers where needed. Truly, if you're looking for a great workout and a rewarding art to learn, then look no further than Bahad Zubu! read more

I have been involved in various martial arts since I was 8 years old. I have done TKD,boxing, Eskrima, Kali,BJJ and Judo. Bahad Zubu Midwest is definitely one of the best martial arts clubs I have trained at. If you want to learn effective, no-nonsense Filipino Martial Arts and empty hand fighting, then look no further. The instructors are very friendly and have won numerous national and international stick fighting tournaments. The training is pretty physical but the friendly atmosphere makes it very inviting and not at all intimidating. If you want to get in shape, have fun, and learn practical self defence skills, then this is the place for you. If you want to learn easy drills that look cool (to someone who has never trained) but are not effective then you should go somewhere else. read more

I have been involved in martial arts for 30 years. I came here to get back in shape and learn something new. I can honestly say that this is definitely one of the best clubs I have been to. The instructors are great at helping no matter what your background is although they will push you to do better you can train and advance at your own pace. This is not a children's sport, if you want to train hard and learn how to fight to defend yourself this is where you want to be. This is the real deal. Yes there is contact, we train with pads and advance to real sticks. It is refreshing to see that in a world where it seems everyone needs to coddled in life that there is at least one place that you can still learn something real that is useful for the real world we live in. read more

This group and this art of Bahad Zubu is made to help anyone improve their self defense skills. As a senior citizen, I know that often I am seen as a target simply due to my age. However, thanks to the skills I have learned in this class, anyone who thinks they can prey on me simply because of my age, is in for a rude awakening. The teachers are accomodating and very knowledgeable, working with people from all backgrounds and skill levels. Not to mention I am fitter than I've been for years, losing over 50 lbs since joing the class. Highly recommend checking this group out read more

I bought a Groupon to try out this club. The first thing I noticed was the great energy in the room. Everyone was participating in the very active boxing section to start class. I was able to jump right in and participate. The instructor was very welcoming and was clearly monitoring all of the students. He offered assistance, encouragement and friendly banter throughout the evening. This continued in each of my subsequent visits with all of the instructors. I thoroughly enjoyed each of my classes and I am planning to continue my studies with this group! read more

Great school. I originally found it by visiting as many martial arts clubs as I could around Minneapolis and St. Paul, and stuck around because the training is effective and vigorous, the group is helpful and welcoming, and there is no pretense or pipe dreams. All the instructors are well trained and experienced, and very matter of fact about the role of fitness and physicality, legal issues surrounding martial arts, and sport compared to self defense. Check it out if you have any interest in swords, fighting, feeling safe, kali, escrima, fencing, etc. read more

I've been coming here for almost a year now, and I love it! The instructors, Fred and Cutler, are so helpful when teaching drills and during sparring. They make sure to push you, but will let you take a breather if you need one. Recently, we've been having a boxing coach, Coach John, come in and teach boxing. He gives us one heck of a workout, which is great when it comes to practicing boxing and Bahad Zu'bu. I'm a grad student and can afford to come because the student rate is so affordable - I can't say enough good things about this place! read more

I came to a few classes, and it was really cool, everyone was super kind and I felt very welcomed despite my lack of skill. The pace was a little hard to keep up with, but it was super fun and I felt like a badass just by doing some of the activities. The instructors are super nice and I learn a lot every day, if you're looking for a martial art but want a less structured and more unique fighting style, this is the best choice by far, I would recommend that anyone who is interested to go try the first class! read more

I've trained and taught martial arts for over 20 years and this is the school I go to. Whether you're a beginner or someone with prior training you will get something out of every class. You'll start sparring right off the bat and get to use what you're learning immediately. There's no attitudes, no uniforms, no excessive warm ups, no liberties taken with new students and really no reason you shouldn't check this school out if you're reading this. read more

Amazing experience! I felt like I got a great workout plus some actual skills that I could apply in real life situations. They teach everything from bare hands to knife defense, sword defense and more. Face paced and fun. read more

Authentic Filipino Martial Arts dedicated to practical and effective weapons and empty hand self defense. Classes taught by experienced and professional teachers. Classes are dedicated to the development of every member. read more

Awesome instructors, great atmosphere- good for beginners as well! Worth checking out.