Update: I'm still…read morehere - 6 years later. Ryan continues to provide a high quality, intense workout. There are now afternoon classes available which offers a bit more flexibility since the evening classes get full. It's amazing to see how much Ryan has grown his business. Even after all these years, you can see that he is still very passionate about teaching. Everyone is still super friendly, supportive, and helpful. This is a true testament to the brand that Ryan has built at T2 Muay Thai. Thank you, Ryan - I know you don't hear it quite enough.

Though I live pretty far (Santa Cruz Mountains), I still have been trying to drop in and take…read moreclasses every couple of weeks. Ryan is top tier! Got a few of my coworkers to start attending now as well and they also really like Ryan's coaching and the atmosphere of the class

Best decision I've made in a long time. What a workout. So much more enjoyable than the normal…read moregym lifting and on the treadmill. I have now completed three classes. I was hooked after one.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Brian was so kind and informed and patient with my husband! He's out of shape and…read morehas never done boxing before. He's really excited to improve his energy and health with such a fun workout. Brian was super accommodating to our busy schedules as well. Great and affordable 1:1 workout, but they offer classes as well!!

Wish I had found this place sooner! I have trained ring style muay thai before I came here... and…read morehonestly this is authentic and original as you can get. It's like what a real old school gym is like - no classes... you walk in and warm up and the Kru and Sr. Instructors come up to you and provide you with one on one instruction. Honestly, if your goal focus is to compete then this is NOT the gym for you - not saying there is anything wrong with training to compete - but this gym isn't for that! But if you want to sharpen your ring technique - in addition to going to where ever it is that you train now - then by all means come here and learn this style. But like i said... if your sole purpose for training is to compete, Muay Thai Academy is not the gym that will be out there trying to get to fights. Here we focus more on techniques that are more applicable to real life, self-defense, protection, law enforcement, etc - but with the Muay Thai twist to it. So what I am saying is.... Muay Thai Academy is very welcoming with a team of experienced instructors that you won't find anywhere else. I wanted a place that kept the authenticity and integrity of Muay Thai and I found it here.

With so many McDojos and ridiculous UFC-wannabe gyms in the South Bay, the Muay Thai Academy truly…read moreis something different. There is a reason people have come from around the globe to seek instruction here -- it's just that unique. While 'Muay Thai' is in the name of the school, it is merely the foundation of the principle art taught here: Close Quarters Combat. Close Quarters Combat is a combination of several martial arts (old style Muay Thai known as Muay Chao Chur, the military style known as Ledrit, as well as Boar Bando and Kalaripayat, a Burmese and Indian Combat Art) and is designed for street applications: law enforcement, VIP Protection, multiple opponent, military, and self defense. They can teach "ring style" as well, but sport/competition is less of a focus here. In addition to hand-to-hand combat, bladed and stick weapons training are also available. Instruction takes place in a free-form, semi-private format. With the exception of a conditioning class here and there, there isn't a structured class setting like you'll find at other gyms. The Academy is open from 5pm to 9:30, M-Th and late Saturday morning/afternoon, and you can go in any time during those hours and train for as long as you'd like or can handle. Instructors and Junior Instructors walk the floor, answer questions, setup drills, and help you work through techniques on an individual basis, then let you try them out on your own or with others. The Instructors are all top notch, have been working together for years, yet still have varied backgrounds and unique methods of teaching. Collectively, the knowledge they can impart is unmatched in any martial arts school in the area. I've trained here for the last several years off and on (my hectic work/travel schedule and frequent basketball-related injuries keep me from going as regularly as I'd like) and can't recommend it enough if you're a self-motivated, hard-working individual looking for unique, personalized martial arts training with street-applicable, self-defense focus from some of the most experienced combat technicians around. It is a real privilege to live in the same vicinity as this school.

I had been interested in learning Muay Thai for a while and decided to start looking for gyms in my…read morearea. I stumbled across Ascend Muay Thai on Yelp and sent them an email to inquire about their intro classes. Coach Jackie responded to me in less than 30 minutes with the pricing and class information. She was super friendly over email, which made me feel better about trying a fairly intimidating new hobby at 27 lol. It has now been about a month since I started attending the intro class, and I wanted to write about my positive experience here. This is a family owned gym that cultivates a welcoming environment. All of the coaches are passionate and knowledgeable about the sport. Also, not only am I learning a lot, but it's also a KILLER workout!!! I genuinely look forward to coming here 2x a week I would highly recommend coming here if you're interested in learning more about Muay Thai!

I found Ascend by googling "Muay Thai near my location ." They had a class at a convenient time…read morefor me so I drove in. Chris Hom took my info , gave me a quick tour and we began the 11am session. I was very happy with the class,Chris ran an organized class ,he had a solid ability to impart information and make sure everyone was on point for the drills,gave each of the fighters tips on their technique. My partner was Mark,he was knowledgeable and fun to work with. I live and train in Las Vegas,but try to hit local gyms when I travel. I have been to over a dozen across the country,and Ascend will definitely be my home away from home while visiting South Bay Area.

This is a beautiful studio, with a welcoming atmosphere. It's clean and comfortable, with plenty of…read morespace. The bathroom is clean as well. I was visiting in Santa Cruz, and stopped by on a Thursday night for Family Capoeira @ 5 pm... a fun but super-challenging class that teaches skills, language, and music to adults and children alike. Our class had 4 adults, and 6 children - the youngest of which was 2!! Everyone followed our instructor "Teacher Tony" - Formando Currupio. A great time, solid training and a beautiful gym!

Classes are good, however the lady at the front desk has a son who bullies my three year old girl…read more I told the boy to leave her alone and he went and told his mom I was being stern which turned into a big scene and all I wanted was my son to learn jujitsu. Instead I got a lecture on how she wanted me to handle her bully son differently which I didn't care about

The best service I've ever had the lady at the desk is so nice very welcoming she made my kids feel…read morevery secure. Love it. I'm joining.

This member staff named Ana was son rude! A year ago we went to that place and we parked on the…read moreback of the building, we were waiting for more than one hour so the class to start ( they didn't update their class schedules online) and then this person came and said we needed to move from that parking spot or else she would call the police since we parked there last year we didn't know that was not a customer parking anymore. No manners at all this person was rude and mean talking to my husband in front of our child like that just made my child so upset and didn't wanna go inside the class anymore! That person doesn't deserve to be near children with that vocabulary and horrible manners! Don't recommend this place while she is around.

Rocky is my spouse's trainer and it has been amazing to see how far she has come with her fitness…read moreand overall health. I'm an avid cyclist and runner, and recently scheduled a session with Rocky to help me craft a strength and flexibility program at the gym to augment my cycling and running. Rocky excels at listening to your health and fitness goals, and working with you to structure workouts to make you more fit and healthy. Like any good trainer, Rocky encourages you to do more than you would on your own. Worth every penny!

Rocky is an amazing trainer and coach! Her workouts are carefully customized and thorough. She…read moreprovides detailed feedback on your workouts and nutrition and gives encouragement and motivation between sessions. Working with Rocky really helped me get back into exercise and lose weight. Her workouts are fun and challenging but keep your back and joints safe.