The kids love going to martial arts class every week! The staff is friendly and very reasonably priced!

My kids have been here for about a month now and they love it! Sensei David and Sensei Mike are awesome!! They work with the kids until they understand the technique they are working on for that week. They show them step by step how to proceed and what position you need to be in at the end of the technique. Sensei Michelle is terrific too. She answered all the questions we had. I encourage all parents to put their kids in some sort of self defense class!! You won't regret it! read more

Fantastic Martial Arts academy, ran by a great family. I'm currently enjoying my second stint at MBD. When i first joined, I only did their fitness classes. I enjoyed them and felt that they were geared towards beginners and experts alike. You can work at your own pace and your work out is what you make of it. Lots of fun and you break a sweat. I wound up trying boxing at another gym for a season, and while I enjoyed it, my interest in Muay Thai and Krav Maga grew and I knew I would need to try MBD again and go all in. Best decision I could make. Sensei Benny is an expert in Muay Thai and Krav Maga, and translates those skills into his fitness classes as well. He's a very calm and collected guy, and is very patient with his students. You can tell he only wants the best for them. He also pushes us to do our best. It's amazing what you can accomplish! On Sunday's, coach Rigo teaches conditioning by putting you through a high intensity boot camp, while also helping you develop Muay Thai skills. Coach Sue is an expert in fitness and teaches you ways to work out your whole body while also practicing your kickboxing skills. The people are great and it's in a nice neighborhood. Give this gym a try, you won't regret it! read more

My son started when he was 3 and 1/2. He was treated very good from the start. They teach multiple self defense techniques against aggressive kids as well as conditioning. My son gets individual attention. I highly recommend them. read more

I enrolled my five year old in this dojo. After a month in, my son is now learning how to assert and defend himself. His balance has improved exponentially. Apart from the expected lessons of stances, hits, kicks etc, they teach kids about values like responsibility, being a good listener, sportsmanship and the like. I also love that they teach self-defense in a very practical and real-world approach. I highly recommend this dojo. read more

We love MBD Martial Arts!! Sensei Michelle and staff are the best and very patient with my kids learning process. My kids love going every week!! I appreciate them very much! Highly recommend this place for any and all martial arts training. read more

We love bringing our son here. They've really helped him grow his confidence and he looks forward to every class. They are wonderful with children. The class sizes are great and all children get plenty of help and attention. We love the flexibility that their class schedule offers. We can't imagine going anywhere else! read more

MBD is an amazing family owned and family oriented place. They have programs for all ages and stay close to their values of respect and perseverance. Nothing but good experiences! read more

My son really likes it at MBD. He really enjoys the classes and looks forward to it every week! And the app makes scheduling classes so easy. read more

My son really enjoyed MBD , everyone is very helpful and nice, I'm glad his a part of this ! Thank you so much MBD .

My son loves going here. They have a great environment and everyone is so warm and welcoming.

Excellent is the word to describe this place! My 3 kids have been taking lessons for a few years now and it has taught them not only the art of karate, but also discipline which trickles down to school and other things in life. They have an awesome children's program which also teaches them how to deal with situations when approached by strangers. My daughter loves the kick boxing class and I might even try their adult classes one day. Prices are affordable and the workout area is huge. Keep up the good work!! read more

Our kid attends this place both at the local school in the afterschool program as well as in the main studio. Michelle is amazing with the kids in knowing how to motivate them and how to balance her own instruction to be demanding, hold kids to a high bar, but at the same time encourage them, support them and reward them for a job well done. Many parents in our school say how much their child transformed thanks to MBD, and I can attest to that as well. Our child's self-confidence grew by leaps and bounds; he became calmer and better focused. We also felt that the school instills important values like hard work and self-discipline. From the organizational point of view, we also have only good things to say: Michelle sets the school's schedule in such a way that we get a lot of choice in which sessions to attend during the week. The school is also very good about make-ups. GREAT BIRTHDAY PARTY venue!!!!!!!!!! We did ours at MBD and did not regret it. Other parents chose to stick around because they were so intrigued by the myriad of activities Michelle and her crew organized for the kids. The b-day kid gets to break a wooden plank at the end by smashing it with a karate move. Kids had a blast. The price is also very affordable, especially if reserved early in the year. read more

My two kids (6 and 4) attend classes at MBD. We were referred by a friend whose kids have been attending MBD for awhile. They just love it. The sensei are wonderful and so good with the kids. The schedule is easy to choose from, for a time that works for your schedule. The prices are reasonable. There is ample parking at the facility in downtown Des Plaines. We have never been in a class with more than 6 kids, so they get attention and it's not overwhelming or crowded. The kids can progress through the belt classes and have a nice ceremony when they do. The communication is great, with phone email or text options plus a website and social media. It's a great environment and has taught our kids a lot of great skills. I would highly recommend this for anyone. They have a trial period deal if you're wanting to test it out first. read more

We hired MBD Martial Arts to do an After School Boot Camp at ICS and she did an amazing job! We had a great response and the kids loved it! The only reason I am giving her 4 stars is she couldn't come back for another session and I would love for her to come back! I also send my 12 and 4 year old to her Children's Escape seminar, it was a couple of hours and great, my 4 year old still remembers what she learned, although I am going to send her again at least twice a year to keep her aware. My 12 year old was a little old for the class so they offered to do an older class, me and a couple of other mom's enrolled our daughters and it was great! The girls loved it, and us mom's loved going for dinner and catching up. I would definately recommend stopping in and checking it out, the prices are great and the teachers really get to know the kids. I would and have recommended them out. Tina G. Des Plaines Mom read more

My son loves this place, friendly people, welcoming environment, staff are very accomodating. Keep it up

MBD Is awesome for many reasons. 1) Customer Service is excellent. Whenever I call/email I hear back almost immediately with a thorough, professional response. 2) Pricing is outstanding to reasonable depending on what you sign up for. 3) Quality is great! My 2 sons (4 and 6) have enjoyed the Little Dragons Class, my spouse liked Muay Thai, and I liked Krav Maga Bags. They run everything professionally and take into account the special needs of each student so we have never felt *too* pushed but have always been challenged just enough. 4) Absence policy & scheduling is excellent. I like that once I pay for a designated amount of classes, I'm not penalized if I must skip a week or come to the class on a different day that week. 5) Class sizes are great. 6) I don't know exactly how MBD manages to do this, but the people there are all super nice! The teens are so sweet to my baby and me while we wait, and my family has had a great experience with not only the staff but also the clientele there. I think MBD just creates a great environment that is challenging but not cut-throat competitive, so everyone's nice! I love it. Check it out! read more

This review is long overdue. My son has been going to MBD for about seven years and my daughter about 6 years. MBD is considered family to me. The owners are the best. They teach with passion, understanding and compassion. I am greatful that my kids are members there. read more

I'm a 67 senior and I have been attending Krav Maga classes using Groupon. I was a little skeptical at first,but Michelle and Ben really made me feel at home. Even though i"m using a coupon they treat me as if I were a long time member.Ben takes the time to instruct me in a very patient manner. The other students in class also help to teach me the correct techniques.If you want a great workout and to lean self defense I highly recommend these classes. To you senior citizens....YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and believe me I'm no superstar. read more

MBD'S CHILD SAFETY SEMINAR IS A MUST for parents of any age child! My 6-year old had the 1-hour seminar in October 2010--timed appropriately for Halloween. His favorite part: Sensei Michelle got the 15 students to actively try out kicks and punches on the spot using hands, elbows, feet, outdoor voices, etc. This was a safe place to test it all out and see other kids doing it. Valuable for him: Seeing multiple trained youths demonstrate moves. Valuable for me: Sensei gave many pointers to parents while kids practiced. Parents who've attended several of these MBD seminars say they learn something new each time. SENSEI MICHELLE AND 3 OTHER TRAINED INSTRUCTORS showed my introductory class how to effectively use core energy to power our moves in self-defense. We got many chances to try out each tactic and got advice on execution. The Sunday intro class took over an hour and was worth it. The Monday and Wednesday evening classes are a great value. read more

Great Martial Arts school and with amazing sensei Michelle that knows how to approach children and teach them confidence and discipline. I've had my child in her school for almost 2 years now. If you have a children ages 3 and up you should definitively try this school out. read more

My great grandson attends there. I have seen him grow in respect and in following instruction. I am happy he is learning to defend himself. Also he is learning self discipline. He is only 6 and well on his way to becoming a fine young man who understands courtesy and respect. read more

I have 2 kids went here for 5 years. Michelle place is excellent. I'm happy that send my kids here they able to learn so much and build up their confident. I highly recommend. read more

After moving to downtown Des Plaines in September of 2012 I kept walking by this place on my walk back from the train after work. I had always wanted to try some form of martial arts but never seriously looked into it. I checked out the website and saw a great mix of different classes that looked appealing. I emailed and quickly received a reply from Michelle, who runs the academy with her husband Ben. I was encouraged to come try a class for free. I really wanted to try Krav Maga, and quickly fell in love with the class. This is the best decision I have made for my overall fitness and sense of self. As a woman, it is so amazing to know how to effectively defend myself in any scenario. The dynamic of the academy is so friendly and family/neighborhood focused as well. I love supporting this academy and have had the amazing opportunity to take a class under Sam Sade, the founder of Alpha Krav Maga International, Inc. The muay thai, krav maga ground (jiu jitsu type grappling) and mma classes are also great. I particularly like muay thai, and feel it is a great compliment to krav maga. Overall, have never felt more in shape and self confident. read more

Love this place they're cardio kickboxing classes are awsome!! I was hooked the first day....and the monthly membership fee is too good to be true. They give u a free class to try out. Highly recommend this place ! read more

When our son (6) asked to start karate, we stopped by the dojo to check it out. Sensei Michelle was so warm and welcoming, that we signed him up for the little dragon classes right away. A few weeks in, our 4 year old daughter (then 3) wanted to start, too, so we signed her up as well. Both enjoy the classes a lot. Our son especially has gained confidence (which we had hoped for) and he has a great balance now. All the teachers are fantastic and very patient. We were fairly new to the area, and don't have family close by. The dojo feels like a family away from the family. read more

My son has been coming to MBD for 5 years. He was a very shy little boy with low muscle tone, and very little confidence. As he went from yellow to orange, I knew this was for him. He is now a second brown belt, and is part of the STORM team and very proud. They have the most amazing instructors who love what they do, and care about the kids. They have a little dragons class that age range from 3-6 years old, and all levels youth karate from 7 years and up. They also offer kids and Adult Krav Maga classes and women self defense classes. I take a KM fit class on Saturdays and love it! Coach Sue is amazing!!!! Sensei Michelle had a vision to have a amazing Karate school. Our kids have gained a special gift that will always carry with them, and the end result, they have gained the best of friends! read more

Truly an AMAZING DOJO!!! My son has been doing karate for about a year now and not only he gets his physical exercise but he also gains self confidence, focus and discipline that he will carry on in life. They have excellent instructors that are very dedicated to their craft! Sensei Michelle is wonderful!! She is welcoming , personable, and great with the kids! They have adult classes as well that I joined to get fit. We are so happy to be part of the MBD family. We love it here!!! read more

Professionals. Always do a good job. Very patient and good with the kids of all ages.

My child is getting more than a martial arts education at MBD. He is benefiting from amazing role models and mentoring. Sensei Michelle is a real gift to the children that she works with and inspires the young adults and kids to be their best in a variety of ways. It is a caring and safe environment for students of all ages. I am grateful that we chose to walk through the door and do the free trial class. My 7-yr-old is gaining confidence and learning to work hard. Watching him advance is a joy. read more

My six year old daughter is a student here and she really loves it. The teachers are fantastic, as are the classes. Sensei Michelle generously donated free classes to our school's raffle and, also, taught our Girl Scout Troop a fantastic self defense class. It's so nice to see a business give back to their community! Thank you!!! read more