I've been doing Muay Thai for 14 years, give or take…read more Most of that time was spent doing it one-on-one with trainers, which was awesome for personal attention and scheduling, but expensive and hard to stay consistent with. But they were able to be patient with me, to explain things repeatedly--I'm very visual and super literary but much less intuitive when it comes to athletics--and this helped me learn the basics of the art of Muay Thai. And then my last trainer got too busy to keep going. So I tried a bunch of Muay Thai gyms, never really finding anything that matched the return I got from 1-on-1 training. Then one day I spotted NELA Combat Fitness on a Figueroa corner and got intrigued. I tried a class and loved the energy of the space. Highland Park is a wildly creative area, and the experience at NELA Combat Fitness mirrors this: The people are diverse, upbeat, inclusive and very dedicated to the art of Muay Thai. You might find a 50+ year old like me training with someone in their early 20s, and this dynamic is always approached respectfully. Ed, the owner, is a true gem of a human being: warm, funny, and with deep history with and knowledge of Muay Thai, and he teaches with a razor sharp eye and the communication skills to help keep things safe and to level up your game. The gym itself is spotless, well-designed and comfortable. One way that the absolute courtesy with which the gym operates shows up is when we go return Thai pads or kick shields: cleaning wipes are shared and pads are stacked in an orderly way. Every teacher approaches class a little differently, but if you show up, know that you are in for a wonderful workout that is easily tailored to your skill level. The music is always different and always good. You will be inspired to push yourself beyond your limits, outside of your comfort zone. You will grow, you will sweat, and you will learn. And you will emerge a stronger person. And about Muay Thai overall? It's the best. I feel elevated and calm afterwards, able to take on anything life throws my way with compassion. That's the irony - punching, kicking, elbowing and kneeing it out for an hour actually makes you a calmer, kinder person. Your baseline is reset and your cardio and strength gets better and better. I truly feel like I've found a gym that I want to stay a part of. Thank you, Ed, and thank you NELA Combat Fitness community.

If you're looking for a place that combines killer workouts with a welcoming community vibe, look…read moreno further! NELA Combat Fitness is IT! I was so pumped after my first class ever, I signed up straight after. Being a beginner myself, I was happy that everyone here took the time to show me how to do the moves. The kickboxing class was intense in the best way possible - a hard but awesome workout that left me feeling like a total champ. I have a long way to go in my journey, and girl I know it, but I couldn't have found a better place to go to. The owner, Ed, is incredible. You can really tell he cares deeply for the community as he's not just running a top-notch gym, he's building a fitness family. He was motivating and supportive, pushing everyone to give their best without ever losing the fun vibe. Shoutout to Derrick too for teaching me the moves in my first class! I can't wait to make this my new home for kicking and punching my way to a healthier me (and to release some after-work stress too)! See you on the mats!

Been coming here 4 years and it feels like my home away from home. They are welcoming from day one…read moreand the coaches are high level. The owner Savant was a top 10 featherweight in his prime and always pays close attention to each student. Coach Chris though is light work every time

I cannot stress how much I loved my time at Fight Academy Pasadena. I had been training for 5 years…read moreat different gyms (jiu jitsu) before finding Fight Academy and I stayed there for the last 2 years I was based in LA. EASILY the best training, community, vibes, and biggest improvement in my fitness and combat sports training was here. Savant leads an amazing team of coaches!

This is hands down the best gym in Los Angeles. I've trained at a lot of gyms in the area, so I…read moremean that. Background: I've been training pretty consistently for about 6 years. When joining a gym, most people are looking for three things: 1. Great coaching 2. Safe competitiveness (no ego sparring) 3. Friendly community Mana checks every box Coach Al is a master at this fighting game. He doesn't favor any particular style and will make sure you become the best technical fighter in this city. He genuinely wants every person in the gym to become the best fighter they can be and will invest the time and energy to help you reach your own personal goals, whether that's getting in great shape, becoming a sparring superstar, or competing. Every coach at this gym carries that same energy. All of them are warm, knowledgeable, and detail oriented. The community speaks for itself. Go look at their Instagram and you'll see all ages, all genders, beginners to top level fighters. The coaches do a great job integrating everyone. The sparring culture here is great. Coaches emphasize communication and playfulness. You can go at whatever level you want. If you're looking for competition, there are (friendly) monsters at this gym. If you want to go light, you can find that too. If you come to Mana, you will become a better fighter.

Team Mana Muay Thai is a fantastic place to train. The sense of community with the members is…read moreunmatched. My friends and I went in for a trial session and had the best time - absolutely plan to continue one day.

Boxing gym in the heart of Little Tokyo with: -A clean…read morefacility -World-class coaches; Especially Rudy and Junior, who really care about boxing -Plenty of Bags, a boxing ring, and a small gym, this has everything you need. -A great culture. This place is beginner-friendly, a great place to learn boxing, and you aren't "cannon fodder" in sparring.

Great new gym. Nice and clean location…read more The trainer Rudy is super knowledgeable and you can tell he respects and loves the craft. There aren't many places where you can walk in and get training from someone who trains boxing world champions.

The most non-commercial real deal Muay Thai kickboxing facility. In a male dominated sport I am so…read moreimpressed with the awareness of all Instructors with their students within the four walls of class & how they partner students up appropriately by skill level,it's mostly male dominated, but everyone treats you with the upmost respect, including holding you accountable to ensure that you give your All even as a female. I have never felt more comfortable and empowered in my life: I'm used to coach Ariel, who is amazing, and I dare to venture out to and today had Coach ED IN GLENDALE, when I arrived, I thought maybe I was in an advanced class and Coach Simmy held me accountable to believing in myself that I belonged in that class most importantly that I was capable. I don't know if it's the mission statement. I don't know if it's the core or business objectives of MTK, but the blueprint is clear from their NOHO location to Glendale. WINNERS WIN It takes a lot to impress me. I pay money not only to learn the skill, i you pay for the experience. Worth every penny. And you SWEAT LIKE A MUTHA KICKER! lol

My friend and I came in for our free trial class I'm fairly new to Muay Thai and she's has 5 years…read moreof training under her belt. The gym knew both of these things going in. I understand that pad conditioning is a real and valuable part of Muay Thai training, coaches will hold or hit pads to build a fighter's tolerance to impact, sharpen reflexes, and simulate the unpredictability of a real exchange. That's a legitimate, time-tested method, and I went in expecting and respecting that this sport involves contact. What happened here wasn't that. Within the first 30 seconds of class, during the cardio warm-up jog, before any pad work, drills, or instruction had even started, the instructor came up behind my friend and struck her on the back with a pad, completely unprovoked and with no warning, no context, and no setup that this was a conditioning exercise. She turned around and calmly told him not to hit her like that. His response was to grab his things, walk out, get in his car, and drive off. He never came back. He left a room full of students, including a near-complete beginner with no instructor for the rest of class. Sucker-hitting someone from behind during a warm-up jog isn't conditioning, it's just catching someone off guard, and walking out when she objected isn't discipline, it's a tantrum. Another staff member stepped in and taught the rest of class, and she later texted me offering me a complimentary private training session with her to apologize for such a poor experience. I accepted as I wanted to give her a second chance and take advantage of an opportunity to hone my skills. A few weeks later, when I showed up to the session after confirming with her the day before, I found out she had forgotten about it, and was more than a half an hour away. I felt completely disrespected as I'd left work early, driven over, and reserved time for her to make amends for the gym's previous mistake. It was silly of me to give this establishment a second chance as once again my time was disrespected and wasted by unprofessional behavior. What bothers me most is what an experience like this does to someone's first impression of the sport. Muay Thai should be accessible to everyone as it's a discipline built on technique, respect, and gradual trust between student and coach, not intimidation. Experiences like this that can quietly push people away from a sport before they ever get the chance to actually learn it. That's a real loss, because this sport has so much to offer when it's taught well. I have been encouraging other women, and the LA Muay Thai community at large, especially beginners, to not give this place your time or money.

It doesn't getter any better than getting trained by Coach Yager. He's a professional MMA fighter…read moreand knows what he's doing. I've never taken any previous boxing nor martial arts classes before. Coach Yager is patient and makes learning the techniques easy for me. Just after a few weeks I'm already seeing results. The gym is clean, the other members are super friendly, and the atmosphere motivates me to want to train hard. The P.A.R.K. M.M.A. has helped me develop a love for this sport. I always leave happy and highly recommend becoming a member!

From the owner: THE P.A.R.K. MMA is a fun and exciting place to train mixed martial arts for all levels…read more Professional Amateur Recreational Kickboxing

Yay! I get to be the first review! Coach Jojo is phenomenal. I especially love and appreciate her…read moretraining because of the attention to detail, form correction, patience and just her overall investment in us. I feel physically and mentally safe with Coach Jojo and that contributes to my progress, focus and health. She has the perfect balance of encouragement and accountability. Train with her!!! It's life changing

From the owner: Technique-focused boxing sessions that are fully customized to your goals and experience level -…read morethoughtfully designed to help you level up and build your skills in striking, defense, and footwork. Personal training in strength, resistance, and mobility training, designed to help you feel better, strengthen mind and body, and see results you can be proud of. Here to support you in your movement journey so that you can be consistent, trust the process, and enjoy the journey.

Great overall atmosphere. Very Family friendly with highly experienced trainers/Fighters if your…read morelooking to learn, compete or get a good work out in this the place to go. They have many classes through out the week for those like myself who have a crazy work schedule and kids schedule. No egos here great attitudes and work ethic from everyone.

What a wonderful gym with wonderful coaches! The energy in this gym is unmatched; all classes are…read morebeing taught great material. I started training here at the age of 12, and I'll be 20 next month! This gym is not like any other; trainers become family, and teammates become lifelong friends. Whether you want to get a killer workout, train to compete or learn self-defense, this is the right gym! There's a warrior in all of us!