Should start off with admitting that I'm a Jiu-Jitsu addict. Further, I'm a small framed…read more30-something male. So visiting other academies can be intimidating. When traveling to Gaithersburg for work, I saw there was an academy reasonably close to where I was staying. Professor Noel was incredibly hospitable and encouraging for me to attend the classes. The academy itself is very clean throughout. The drilling or fundamentals classes were great in that they're both a good working and emphasizing drilling technique to perfection (drillers make killers as the saying goes). The advanced class that I attended immediately applied to something I've struggled with. With the requisite rolling, I found the students calm and technical with their sparring habits. Finally, the students themselves - across the belts - were friendly and inviting. I would definitely visit again as well as recommend Foundry Jiu-Jitsu as a place to train if you live in the area.

One of the very few places I miss in Montgomery County, MD. I have practiced judo and Brazilian jiu…read morejitsu in my teens before coming to the US, but since my skills were getting rusty, I tried several schools and The Foundry was the best fit for my skill level. I was not trying on to getting back to competing again, but to feel that empowerment and camaraderie among who practice this martial art. Perfect for every skill level. Great and knowledgeable instructors. Wonderful introduction for children to teach them discipline, respect, and being gentle with self and others. I highly recommend this for everyone who wants to be in tournaments, self-defense and fitness.

This place is absolutely amazing, and I can't recommend it enough…read more I began taking private lessons at Taichi Kung-Fu Academy to augment my other martial arts studies, and I ended up absolutely loving this place. Sunny and Justin are extremely knowledgeable and talented, and they are able to teach a wide variety of styles and techniques - lessons never get boring. Along those lines, a lot of the forms and skills here are extremely tough, but both Sunny and Justin can break things down and make them digestible and understandable. The facilities here are really nice, too. The main room is massive, and they also have an extremely well-stocked gym. Everything feels clean and professional. I'd strongly recommend checking this place out.

Very good, supportive coaches who balance fun and rigor well. Many friends to be made of all agesread more

I was a student (and part-time instructor for Saturday lei tai and "Little Panda" kung fu) for…read moreseveral years under the tutelage of Master Joe Dunphy and his shifus and was so pleased to learn that the shifus who teach here have since continued his legacy with the Iron Fist Chinese Martial Arts & Fitness school, named in honor of "Iron Fist" Dunphy. I have many fond memories of Master Dunphy and the US Martial Arts family, and my time spent studying at this school. The shifus who run this school are extraordinarily knowledgeable about martial arts and their instruction is of the highest caliber. They are examples of excellence and do much credit to the memory and legacy of Master Dunphy, the school itself, and the study of the internal and external systems of tien shan pai. (For clarification, my initial review of the school contained a reference to USCKF, the United States Chinese Kuoshu Federation, which is now known as USKSF, the United States Kuo Shu Federation.)

I have trained in several styles of martial arts and two different styles of Kung-Fu. The training…read moreI had received while attending class here was by far the best. The head instructor took special attention to individuals and trained them in a way that fostered positive growth. There was always a focus on effective self-defense and very little of the "dance" moves that make other martial arts training less effective. The style taught here is Thai-Shan-Pai and from my experience, it is highly effective for anyone to use against an aggressor. I couldn't recommend this school enough and we still be going here if I lived in MD. If your looking for solid training, regardless of age, sex, or size this is the place.

Just wanted to say thanks for the time. Tried the trial sessions here and they were very skillful,…read morekind and respectful. Spoke to them the other day and we decided it wasn't the right fit for me based on my over the top personality. A great gym nonetheless, thanks Carlos and staff. Best of luck yall at ADCC. OSS.

It will be almost a year since our oldest son started jiu jitsu at Native. Logan has always been…read morequiet and sweet in nature. He already encountered enough situations in the first grade where we decided he needed to learn abilities to stand up for himself and develop self confidence. We wanted him to learn and experience what it means to be a part of a team, how to strengthen yourself from within, never get discouraged, learn from each other, how it's ok to stand up for yourself, etc. Native has become part of our daily lives now and we couldn't be happier with the impact on Logan's development physically and mentally. Logan takes regular classes, competition classes and private lessons and he loves every minute of it. He looks forward to his time at Native. Can't wait until we get our youngest to start! Native's culture of family, discipline and respect is exceptional. We LOVE each Coach, Mariely, and all the Family and kids who train at Native. When you're at Native, it's not just about your kid. It's about ALL of our Native kids inside and outside the mats. This is something that another Parent friend shared with me at Logan's first competition, that I will never forget! GO NATIVE!

Very kid friendly Martial Arts Studio. The training is authentic from the ancient Chinese Martial…read moreArts. The Shifu (Master of the School) is welcoming, patient, and stern with the students. Differently a great place to learn Martial Arts.

Shi Fi-- the teacher and owner who runs this place is amazing. He has small classes and…read moredifferentiates instruction for all students. He also has parent & children classes...meaning us parents who typically chart our children around and then sit and wait for them to finish, can actually participate and get in some exercise too. Me, I'm a 46 year old mother who has steadily advanced to a blue belt with his careful instruction which meets you where you are, and then teaches you how to move higher. My daughter, age 13, (and moving at a faster pace than me), has been challenged and is learning self-discipline. Every class is different and amazing-- this isn't a cookie factory martial art school. It's a real gem, and if you're lucky, you'll find it. :)

I took a intro session last week Tuesday, 28 Oct 2025, and was blown away. I'm surprised no one has…read morewritten anything for the past 5 years, but Mike, the current Sifu, is a master of Wing Chun, in the authentic Moy Yat lineage, Ip Man's final student. You can trace his lineage and instruction directly back to Ip Man. So.. if you're looking for authentic, properly taught, Wing Chun, this is where you should go! Looking to join in a few months, my wife if giving birth in a week.

I've been a student of Sifu Brad for close to five years now and am truly impressed by this elegant…read moresystem. It is a system that promotes physical, mental, and spiritual health. I've learned that being able to relax is of utmost importance in many aspects of daily life. I couldn't have imagined at the start that training in a martial art could foster such a peaceful mindset!

Been training with Greg at the adult BJJ class for a week now, and it's been the best training…read moreexperience for me so far. Warmups aren't too difficult but they get your joints ready for drilling and sparring. The techniques are taught in a clear, step-by-step manner that has both street safety and sport effectiveness in mind. There isn't any aggressiveness but everyone trains respectfully and there are plenty of purple belts who have helped me really hone in on details. Everything is handled in a way that pushes you to strive for detail-oriented jiu-jitsu while respecting your training partner.

I have been going to Bartman MMA since November 2011, and have loved every minute of it. If…read moreanything as I've grown, I've craved the teachings even more, now going 3 classes per week. I started out at his other location in Bethesda, joined the "Women's Kick Ass" class and Brazilian JiuJitsu classes here in Glenmont too. It's amazing, Greg and Tori (Women's class co-teacher) are amazing at what they do. They have been doing it a long time and you can tell. Not only by their technique, but their true passion for the sport. Anytime Relson Gracie is comin to town, they're there, for support, to give accolades, to LEARN. Aside from being great people, they are great teachers too. They communicate clearly, are happy to show moves in slow motion, from different angles, and hear your questions at any time; I am often guilty of saying "so...I was watching TV, and saw this move on Criminal Minds..." They teach students of all kinds-shapes-and sizes. They have a kids class too, so you know what that means... if they can keep the attention span of little children and teach them how to protect themselves....they're super coaches! What you really learn is how what they teach you depends on using your body to your advantage. It doesn't matter if you're big or small, strong or "room for improvement," it's a matter of physics... like working your body angles, pivot points, and leverage.... like calculated chess moves. I've learned self defense for the street, and proper grappling moves as well. The other bonus I've taken away is the mental aspect learned through all this. JiuJitsu is a calm of mind activity. Yes, you may rolling around on the ground, defending yourself, breaking a sweat (which is also a good cardio workout), but you're also trying to keep your mind at neutral. You don't want to waste all your strength in a battle for bronze (especially if you're my size, you'd often lose that fight). You don't want to tense up either. You stay calm, you keep in mind you are worth fighting for and there is always a way out of this. You "turn on your spidey senses" to feel where your partner/attacker is grabbing you, and use your skills to maneuver around their grasp. Seriously--mind included--it's a full body workout. 3rd to last fun fact/tip: Greg and Tori hold seminars for private groups too (good for team-building activities, safety lessons, birthdays, maybe even bachelorette parties.... the moves I've learned, have definitely gotten me out of some tickle wars with my husband). 2nd to last tip of awesomeness: If you prepay for a class, or combination of classes, in bundles you get a discount! Be sure to ask when registering (because after this adoring review, how could you not sign up :-) am I right). Okay, the real last tip/fun fact: Students are also welcome to open mat Thursday nights for more practice!!

Fabulous Tang-Soo-Do program with dojos across MD. Inexpensive, diverse, and truly dedicated…read moreinstructors.