We visited Gracie Jui Jitsu for their self defense webinar. It was a bit far from me but when the…read morehighway is finished going there may be smoother. It's a large facility and everyone was super nice. I learned so much in just 3 hours. They have combative jui jitsu and the women empowered program. It seems like a really nice place to take classes and become part of a community

My pre-teen has been taking classes here for a couple of months. It's been a great environment for…read morehim to develop new skills and to make new friends. The coaches are firm, but kind and friendly. They do a great job of instructing the kids on life skills and jiu-jitsu. When researching jiu-jitsu studios, this seemed like the best fit for us. No stress of competition or sparring for points. (We have friends in another state that travel the world for Jiu-Jitsu competitions, and they pointed us in this direction after telling them what we were hoping for). Lots of positive reinforcement for the kids to get them coming back and getting more stripes on their belt. Very happy with our experience here! One downside: the parking situation can get a bit hairy. The lower lot in front of the front door is usually full, and space is quite tight, making it hard to turn around. There's an upper level lot behind the building, and then another lot further up the drive. They have some spots that are "Do Not Park" (blocks warehouse garage doors) or Accessible Parking, so thought it LOOKS like there's still spots to park, there actually aren't.

I joined South Austin Aikido after researching the various martial arts styles and dojo's in…read moreAustin. I had studied Taekwondo, Judo, and Tukong Moosul in the past, and was looking to get back into martial arts. In researching Aikido, I was impressed by its philosophy and spirit of harmony and blending with one's environment. The style is both non-aggressive and still effective in self-defense situations. I chose South Austin Aikido after speaking with the instructors and visiting the Dojo. The Dojo is clean, well maintained, and has many senior level students that assist in teaching the classes, and more importantly, the environment is both friendly and fun. I highly recommend Aikido, and South Austin Aikido to anyone interested in martial arts. It is appropriate to all ages and to both the experienced martial artist and beginners.

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

Love this place! The app is easy to use and you are able to find classes that fit into your…read moreschedule. All the instructors are fun with a killer play list to get your butt moving. All ages and all body types are in every class, very comfortable environment even for the shyest folks who don't like working out In front of people. Like me! I am so happy I joined.

Great workout, from what I understand this business may be closing soon. My experience under the…read moreoriginal owners training here was great. It is not a combat gym so it's more along the lines of a HIIT kickboxing workout. Very fun nonetheless!

The best place in Austin to learn muay thai. Don't listen to the troll reviews. Been a member for…read morefour years and will continue to go until I cant anymore.

Great place, great vibes. Highly recommend over other places in town. Not sure why this is getting…read morereviews from people that have never been there but take it from actual people who come here.

I love this place. I came with the intention of just trying it out as one in a long line of places…read moreI had scouted out. I was so impressed I barely tried anything else on the list. The mats are the nicest mats I have ever seen, anywhere. I went and looked them up recently, they are RESILITE mats. I found this: http://www.tothsports.com/pdfs/Wrestling-Resilite-Dollamur.pdf Basically they kick ass. On top of that, I've never seen a school so studious about cleaning the mats. So they're also the cleanest mats. Further, while the space isn't huge (though it has never felt insufficient), the A/C is PHENOMENAL. It's not something you immediately think about, but wow--what a difference it makes to not feel like you're in a sauna, only the moisture in the air is the sweat of everyone else in the room. So, the environment is awesome. On top of that, you get your own "swipey thingie" (an rfid keychain that allows you to access the building) that just *feels* cool. (No actual benefit, haha.) But those are things that didn't register right away as the advantages they were. I was too distracted by the quality instruction. Dave Thomas is a brilliant technician. He's won Silver for his weight class at the Pan Ams, something I found out by looking really deeply into his website, and you can really tell why when you roll with him--everything is so careful, so precise, and so his strength is magnified. Further, his understanding of what he is doing--something he has obviously spent a great deal of time cultivating--is intense. The man is not just a doer, but a teacher, and that is a different skill entirely. Something I've never heard him put any emphasis on is a website he built some time ago: bjjtech.com. The website is good, and useful, and interesting, and worth studying. But I point it out to give a small taste of the mental investment Dave has obviously made into Jiu Jitsu; this man has lived, eaten, and breathed jiu jitsu for years, dwelling on it, dissecting it, and teasing out its subtleties. That investment is something his students benefit from. I have been to many schools with very capable teachers, who just kind of "teach off the top of their head"; and that's fine. But what's off the top of their head, as opposed to built into their instinct, is no where near as accessible to them, and thus the quality of instruction is sub-par. Dave is among the best in this category of skills. As high praise as that is, the highest praise is the quality of human Dave is. Of the nearly 20 BJJ schools in Austin I looked up online, his was the ONLY school that wasn't afraid to list its prices online. That made a first impression. Later, when I called all of these schools, almost none of them would even tell me over the phone, wanted to cajole me to come in first, then we could 'talk' about money. This struck me as car-salesman-ish, and made me uncomfortable. Dave? On the phone, he was the most helpful person I talked to. He gave me advice for looking for a school, and I didn't get a negative feel from him at all. He didn't try to sell me on anything--and that in spite of the fact that he sometimes runs the school at a loss. He pays fairly high rent for his excellent location and amenities, and keeps a fairly small group of students. One gets the feel that he really picks his students carefully, and that those who stay are really shaped by him. He becomes something of a mentor. His strength of identity and character show not just in the mats, but anytime you talk to him... You can just feel his warmth, sincerity, honesty, wisdom. That matters more than anything. Everything else is a bonus. I've decided to stick around. It's been several months now, and I can feel my jiu jitsu improving immensely from his influence. Try him out. You won't regret it.

Austin Jiu-Jitsu saved my life. Well, maybe not literally, but the workout along with eating right…read morehas allowed me to drop over 80 pounds (not to mention the six pants sizes), and that has added years to my life. I haven't been this healthy since college (pre-beer in any case). The location itself is unassuming, but the training is hardcore. One of the best things is the no attitudes policy. When you walk in expect a greeting and a handshake. You don't have to worry about some neanderthal trying to tear your head off (there are people of every size and weight class in the gym), and all egos are checked at the door. If you are looking for BJJ in Austin, at least check it out. I did, and 4 years later I'm still going back to sweat out my stress.

Matt does an amazing job at breaking down the specific movement practices in a simple and succinct…read moreway. The curriculum is broken into progressive levels that is individualized and personalized for student. Matt also gives you the personal attention and direction you need to give you the results you desire. Your body and brain will not only feel great at the end of the workout but also through the entire experience since we go at our own pace and each exercise is so beneficial to your body. Matt starts the course with a relaxing nervous system reset so you can clear your mind chatter and compression within your body. This is really helpful because it clears your mind, gets you calm and present in your body and in the practice. This also helps you stay focused to the subtle details of what you are doing. And when this happen, there is clear and obvious detail of the subtle effects on each movement and the effort you out into each move can be clearly observed. The facility is spacious, clean and airy. And the people there are friendly, conscious, and cool.

This is not your average "gym". Yes if you want big muscles you can get them here, but unlike…read moreother gyms that only offer cosmetic fitness, Matt brings to the table an option of seeking guidance to the achievement of your own ideal fitness by blending adaptive physical exercise routine with an effort to seek conscious awareness of psychological factors which affect the realization of fitness goals. Understanding that working out isn't just about "looking good naked" (as most gym mentality seems to endorse), training at Tao Health and Fitness will begin at the root of ones fitness reality. The desire to reach fitness goals without a willingness to work the process that lays between ones current state and the goal, will only produce frustration and failure in the best of circumstance, and injuries in the worst. Working toward your fitness goals with Matt at his small, community oriented establishment entails starting at the beginning, and progressing when you are ready- how fast you progress is determined only by how faithfully you apply yourself. Unlike other ideologies (cross fit) which seem to have the delusion that by acting like a professional athlete you will BE a professional athlete (or die trying), Tao Health and Fitness offers anyone, of any fitness level a REALITY based approach that will sustainably and safely transform any person into a solid powerhouse of strength, endurance, and beauty... this is enough for most anyone to choose to work here with Matt- but for those like myself who tend to connect dots, and see all things as interrelated, there is at Tao Health and Fitness the added benefit of having an expert instructor with a hands on approach to helping one truly understand the "why's" and "how's" regarding the bodies development, and the influence that the mind can have on this development. The meditation becomes the workout, the workout becomes the meditation, and when balance is established between the body and the mind, both become stronger, more stable, and more beautiful- not in an unsustainable cosmetic sense, but in a genuinely meaningful way that can be maintained for life. Wether you are already a beast, or if you are frail, sickly, and injured- Matt can help you transform yourself into an unbreakable mountain.

The instructor, Tori, was very kind and helpful. The staff at the front was very informative and…read morekind! The space was very clean! The staff were very welcoming, which was great for someone new to Pilates. The parking is shared with several businesses, and it's tight, but it was easy to navigate.

I've been practicing Pilates for over 4 years when I joined Club Pilates. I had a very…read moreuncomfortable and unprofessional experience that left me questioning whether this studio values member privacy. When pregnant, as required, I signed the studio's pregnancy waiver and had a walk-through with an instructor on how to properly modify movements. I've been following those modifications safely and consistently. During a class, I quietly adjusted certain exercises to pregnancy-safe variations. Instead of pulling me aside or checking in privately, the instructor stopped class and asked me -- in front of the entire room -- why I was doing something different. She then directly asked me if I was pregnant, putting me on the spot to disclose something very personal that I had not chosen to share publicly yet. This was extremely uncomfortable and unnecessary. The studio already had my waiver on file, and I had been trained by another instructor on modifications. Pregnancy is a private matter, and calling it out to a room full of strangers is unprofessional and disrespectful. I want to emphasize that I take responsibility for my own safety and modifications -- and I appreciate instructors who are attentive. But there is a right way to handle member privacy, and this was absolutely the wrong way. If you're considering Club Pilates and value discretion, be aware that your personal health information may not be treated with the sensitivity you'd expect.