I had always wanted to take a martial arts class and when I was ready to do so, I did some research…read moreand found that there was a very reputable gym close by. I could have taken the 30-day free trial, but after one class, I decided to join for a full year and have just recently re-signed for another. Up until this time I have concentrated on jiu jitsu but will be adding kickboxing shortly. For those contemplating whether to join, Training Grounds is an excellent destination for a number of reasons. As with any new venture, there is always the intimidation factor, but immediately, the friendly demeanor of both the staff and students put me at ease. Master Wil does a great job of putting training plans together and after demonstrating a move, works with every training pair to provide input, encouragement, and helpful tips. His enthusiasm is evident and his teaching skills are top notch. Along with Wil, the support staff has been excellent as well. Over the past year, I have trained with many different guys (and girl) and everyone has been great. Regardless of experience and skill level, everyone is willing to help each other to further their knowledge and improve their techniques. This is a product of Wil cultivating a family environment at the gym. When I first joined, my goal was to learn to better defend myself and get into better shape. My flexibility, strength, and cardio certainly improved and as part of a healthy lifestyle, has helped me drop 25 lbs and 7% body fat. If you are looking for a gym or are on the fence about joining, stop in and check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Solid BJJ gym with a welcoming atmosphere. Coach Wil is a knowledgeable instructor who explains…read moretechniques clearly and makes sure everyone understands what's going on, regardless of experience level. Classes are well-structured, and there's a good balance between instruction and live rolling. People here are respectful and focused on learning. Overall, a great place to train whether you're new to BJJ or have some experience already.

TLDR: I've had the opportunity to train at several Krav Maga schools in New Jersey and Texas, and…read morenone can compare to Englewood Krav Maga. This is absolutely the best Krav Maga school in the state, by an extremely wide margin! At EKM, the curriculum is both comprehensive and cumulative, building on the basics with practical techniques that are designed for real-world street defense applications. The modern facility is always immaculate, spacious, and well lit. It is equipped with everything required to train in this art. There is a full schedule of classes, so students can get plenty of reps in each week. What sets Englewood Krav Maga apart from any other school I've ever experienced are the teachers. Mr. Juan Berrios, the head instructor, is a very passionate and refreshingly direct coach with a keen eye for detail. He sets expectations and standards at a very high level, and we students strive to meet it. The school's culture is one of traditional formality and strict etiquette. Under his guidance, we train very intensively, but always safely. As a teacher, Berrios pulls the best out of his students, and before long they are performing at levels they didn't know they were even capable of. There is no higher praise to give to a teacher than that! Ms. Lee teaches the kids and adult beginners, carrying on the school's legacy to each new generation of students. Over the years here, I have personally watched timid little children mature into young adults who can defend themselves quite competently. The kids learn discipline, perseverance, and how to stay calm under pressure - all valuable lessons that will improve their lives both inside and outside of the dojo. There are no shortcuts at Englewood Krav Maga. It's not a belt factory, or a place where everybody gets a participation trophy just for trying. It's not a school where students are sold a false sense of security, or allowed to pretend that we can run before we can actually crawl. There are no classes taught by low ranking "assistant instructors" here - it's Berrios' first-rate instruction, consistently, night after night. In short, it's unapologetically old-school here, and thank God for that! If a student is willing to put in the time and sweat required to learn and practice authentic Krav Maga, this place and its instructors are simply unparalleled. I am forever grateful to my teachers Juan Berrios and Ms. Lee for creating and maintaining such a stellar school for us students to train in. There is nothing like it anywhere else!

PROS: school is spacious and new, they keep it clean, parking available, good prices…read more CONS: instructors belittle and yell at the students, they charge a cancellation fee, and the material they teach is outdated since the 1980s OVERALL: I wouldn't use this school at all. Go somewhere else where they'll treat you with more respect

Over the many years I have trained here, the instructors have continued to show their dedication to…read moreteaching martial arts while supporting students' goals and expressing concern for student's well-being. Though I trained and learned various martial arts as a child here at KRU, I currently attend Muay Thai classes and love it! Every class is a chance to learn something new; with different perspectives that Master Ace, KRU Kris, and staff provide in their lessons about various combat sports. (Muay Thai, boxing, Kali, etc.) I would recommend KRU Training to anyone interested in martial arts!

I've had the fortune of training with KRU for well over a year now. Training here has brought me…read morenew insight to my own skills as a martial artist, different cultures and different people. This is the exact kind of environment you need when you want to grow and learn while expanding your skill set. Every coach is fantastic and will motivate you to reach and surpass all of your goals.

Sifu Benitez is a master at teaching JKD - he breaks down each move, shows the body mechanics, and…read morepatiently teaches his students. First off, JKD is not like other martial arts - it doesn't have a specific sequence or a rigid structure. It's fluid and is a defensive and an offensive tool depending on the situation. Infact, it has parallels in other militaristic fighting styles where you don't have to be the strongest (physically) to be able to use it. Sifu is the real deal. My kids also learn from him and they feel more confident in their ability to handle anything because of it. Personally, I trained in JKD for a short period of time many years ago, and was looking for someone I could continue with - fist of interception is exactly what I needed. I started learning again at 43, and I don't see myself stopping. Highly recommend trying it out if you or your kids want to learn a no-nonsense martial arts style from a master.

I am a perpetual student and have trained in JKD with various instructors over the years in the…read morePhilipppines and in the USA. However my journey in the technical understanding of JKD accelerated and pivoted to new heights when I trained under Sifu Vincent Benitez in 2016 at the school's venue in NJ and later switched to online classes in 2020. Sifu Vincent's martial arts lineage traces back to Sifus Richard Torres - Ted Wong and eventually to Bruce Lee. Sifu Vincent has greatly inspired my martial way. He is patient, articulate, authoritative and expert in teaching JKD the way Bruce Lee would have insisted to see it taught. With so many JKD interpretations and offerings in various kwoons. Sifu Vincent's teachings are the real deal and is strictly and unapologetically aligned to the Bruce Lee's core teachings. Sifu Vincent's teachings are unfiltered, raw and true to form. They are untarnished by influences of martial arts cinema flair. The lessons taught are strictly for street fighting. It Is JKD in its very essence that is layered and based on the "Tao of Jeet Kune Do" without compromise and adhering to how Bruce Lee had practiced it for its application to defending oneself effectively. I am 64 years old and I have committed myself to training under Sifu Vince for the long haul. My only regret is not meeting Sifu Vincent sooner and lost time immersing myself in martial arts' classical messes and JKD variants that go off-tangent to Bruce Lee's fighting methods.

This is a great gym if you're just getting interested in jiu jitsu or have been practicing…read moreelsewhere. I've been training here for just over two years and I've had a good experience. There's a lot of talented guys of all age groups and belt color.

Karel and Enrique have done a great job at creating an amazing community. I came to Silverfox bjj…read moreto learn self defense but what helped to make me stay was the people. The gym is full of great people who won't hesitate to help especially if you are new. They also have a great kids program that I would recommend to help your child learn skills that can carry over later on in life. Whether you want to learn bjj, mma,striking, or just want to get I. Shape Silverfox bjj has it all. With high level instructors and high level athletes passing through regularly you get a good mix of people bettering themselves.

A wonderful place to train and learn self defence. I spent 14 years of my life here and earned 2…read moreblack belts. Sensei Richard, his daughters, gary, lynn and his brother glen are all wonderful teachers. Have your children train here as well as they will learn leadership skills and self discipline. When my son gets older he will be taking little ninja classes here.

From the owner: "Faustini's Institute has been teaching the martial arts to children 3 and older, teens, and adults…read morein the Emerson area for 40 years. We offer an outstanding Americanized TaeKwonDo program to our children and teens. This program slao includes Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. For our adults, we offer a great self defense program that is based upon Heiho Shin Do Jiu-Jitsu, Combat Kali Silat, and Pekiti Tirsia Kali. Combined they provide a no - nonsense realistic approach to self defense. We also offer a "Fit for Life" fitness program. This program utilizes bodyweight movements, dumbbells, and kettlebells to provide a full body workout. Everyone at all levels of fitness are welcome and the workout intensity is based on how hard you want to push yourself."

Muay thai was something I wanted to learn but was lowkey a bit afraid. This gym is very beginner…read morefriendly and everyone here makes you feel welcomed immediately. People here are very respectful and mindful of others, which is really important. There are classes Monday-Saturday. Legit the best workout ever (I've done crossfit, powerlifting, hiit, yoga, etc). It works your core, your overall strength, upper body, lower body, and also your mind. The gym helped me make become better in other things too outside the gym (eating habits, running more, etc!!) They do other activities too - beach trips, conditioning in parks, etc!!

I'm beginning to find, as I get older, that experiences that have the ability to completely…read moretransform your life become more rare. When you are young, you are constantly trying and learning new things, figuring out for yourself what you love to do and eliminating those you don't. You start to find a passion for things like soccer or piano, and stick with them, loving to play. Then you grow up, responsibilities kick in, and time becomes more limited. Most of the time, I find myself trying to recreate the fun I had as a kid by re-experiencing situations with new people or joining an adult sports league with random people, which is not at all the same feeling you get from being on a real, dedicated team. The art of Muay Thai is one of the only sports or activities that has unexpectedly thrilled me in a way that is brand new, and leaves me craving more and more. The only other sport that does it for me is scuba diving. There are some similarities between the two: family, fear facing, fitness, and fun. 1. FAMILY: When you join 8 Venoms Muay Thai, you become a family. You are there to support and help each other. You may find that if you sign up for a free trial that you become addicted in more ways than one, to the class and to the people. Your new teammates will be the ones asking if they'll see you next class, and part of the reason you say yes is because you don't want to disappoint them, and it happens in that split second after they ask the question when their face is bright with pure joy from the class and the suspense for your answer. You can't make new friends like this in a typical gym atmosphere and you sure as hell will never find the strength of a family like 8 Venoms Muay Thai. 2. FEAR FACING: "Do one thing every day that scares you." - Eleanor Roosevelt Muay Thai is a fighting sport. You will hit and get hit. 8 Venoms gets its name because Muay Thai is known as the Art of 8 Limbs: 2 fists, 2 elbows, 2 knees, and 2 shins. You will learn to use all of them. I'm a fear facer and a big believer in it. Do I get nervous? Yes. But that's the only way to get stronger. 3. FITNESS: One aspect of Muay Thai among many that you can't get from a regular gym is that it's both a mental and physical exercise. I consider myself a forever student. If I'm not constantly learning something new, I start to get bored. I never would have dreamed that discovering Muay Thai would have been the absolute best gift I could have given myself for my recent birthday (Thanks Skylar B. who turned me onto it). I have been to many gyms: oldschool average joe's gyms, giant gym chains, boxing gyms, etc. Before this class, I considered myself to be healthy, very active, and pretty athletic, but damn, did I get a wake up call. The class starts with jump roping... Who knew that jump roping could be so hard?! I thought I was going to die the first few times. My legs were sore as hell. I guess lifting just can't get you there. Then there's cardio, core, and flexibility, which is awesome. I'm not too too bad on the cardio and core front, but I def. struggle and need improvement. I honestly thought I was a flexible human until now...wooweee, not so much. I think part of the reason I have trouble doing certain skills sometimes is because my hips are not at all used to turning over in such a way while the balls of my feet do something else and my arm is outstretched at the same time. I swear, at the least, Muay Thai will keep my body from getting old and decrepit. Then there's the lessons on different Muay Thai skills and techniques: boxing, kicks, defense, etc, which is really... 4. FUN: Omg it's so much fun. Instructor Gian is extremely knowledgeable and cares about his students. His analogies and descriptions make everything really easy to understand. I partner with my sister sometimes and we have laughing fits. It's just fun to learn something new, practice it, and eventually get it right. I guess I should say it's funnier when you get it wrong and more rewarding when you get it right. I find myself even daydreaming about it, replaying skills I've learned in my head, and hoping that by thinking about it my body will react how I want it to (so far it doesn't, but I'm trying!). All skill levels are welcome. I am a giant newb right now. I hate it lol, and I'm determined to get better. There was a little kid in the class too and he could really hang with the rest of us. Then, there are also those who are really advanced. 8 Venoms is located in the FMA Center and the storefront is really deceiving. If you enter in the front, you go down the stairs and the place is huge. There's the front desk area, and a large viewing room, for anyone there who needs to wait. If you park in the back lot, you can enter that way and walk past the koi fish tank. The actual training space is very large with ample space to move around, and the 7:30 pm class times are also really convenient for me to make after work w/the option of the 1 class on Sat. Try it!

This school offers excellent instruction in BJJ by coaches Diego and Hernan. It is a family…read morefriendly environment that offers kids and adult classes. They are beginner friendly and a great way to get in shape and learn practical self defense. I was first nervous to try classes when I started BJJ and now I am hooked! Coaches Diego and Hernan are excellent instructors and I would highly recommend to give them a try.

From the owner: ROLLSTAR Jiu Jitsu & Self Defense is an all-inclusive martial arts facility serving the…read moreHackensack/Bergen County area. In business since 2014, we provide a friendly, fun, and safe environment with quality Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and self-defense programs for members of all ages and athletic backgrounds. Whether you are looking to learn self-defense, increase in self-confidence, or get into shape, we are here for you. Contact us today for more information!