Zach Filer is as good as it gets. He's 100% passionate about fitness and helping others achieve…read moretheir fitness goals. I've been in the fitness game for 20 years, traditional martial arts, bodybuilding, football, distance running, triathlons, MMA, boxing, yoga, there isn't much I haven't done in the way of testing myself physically. Zach is the best I've worked with. Do yourself a favor and take a half dozen classes, see for yourself. Give it an honest effort and you won't regret a second of it. Sip the juice...

What can I say that others haven't? This place is bad ass. They have the most knowledgeable coaches…read moreand the most up to date equipment. They won't steer you wrong. Let 'em know your goals and they will help you achieve it and then some. I can personally attest that I found uses for what I learned at the gym for my personal and proffesional life! They also help you get sick GAAAAINS! For real, CHECK IT OUT, you won't regret it. Matt

My art studio is directly above this gym and let me tell you, the positivity, love,…read morerecognition/cheering and pure joy that comes from this place is something that needs to be talked about. I don't personally practice Jiu Jitsu, but I can literally feel the good energy through my floor, so I figured I should write a review. Hope this helps somebody make the decision to go to this gym! They also play pretty good music haha. - The fashion designer upstairs

I started training here as a know-nothing white belt in May, 2019 shortly after they opened. BJJ…read morehas quickly enveloped my life and it's due in large part to Professor Dave Stegman and the Seattle Jiu Jitsu Academy. I consistently look forward to the next lesson, the next roll, the next challenge. The place is welcoming and clean, open to all skill levels and body types. Others at SJJA rank from white belts to black belts and every skill level inbetween. It's super easy to get here and parking on 1st avenue south where the school is located is a breeze. If you're in the Seattle area and looking for a place to train, stop into SJJA first. It won't disappoint.

Putting our 10‑year‑old daughter in BJJ at Combat Arts Academy has been life‑changing…read more In just six months, we've watched her grow stronger, more confident, and more resilient. She carries herself differently now with calm, courage, and self‑belief. The confidence she's building on the mat shows up everywhere else too. The coaches are phenomenal with kids -firm, encouraging, and deeply respectful. They teach more than self‑defense: they teach discipline, mental toughness, and how to stand tall without aggression. As a parent, knowing my daughter is learning to protect herself while being empowered and supported means everything. If you're looking for BJJ that builds strong skills and strong kids, Combat Arts Academy is truly special. Dawa'

Love this gym! My son has grown so much, become disciplined and loves going to class (he is 5.5…read moreyears old). Can't recommend highly enough.

This was my first time with a personal trainer and it was a great experience! I learned so much…read moreabout weight training and movement that I had not known before. Learning how to lift, how much weight, and the proper technique was a great experience. Damien, my trainer was an extremely easy going, patient, funny, caring, and knowledgeable person, not to mention super fit! He was so great to work with and was so considerate of my age, body, and physical limitations that it became a fun learning experience rather than a chore of working out. I would highly recommend! Thank you Damien.

I decided to start working with Varta fitness when my husband and I were trying to get pregnant. I…read morewanted to be in the best shape possible, and had plateaued on my own. Damien challenged me to eat healthier and pushed my limits in working out. He has the right education to be able to answer any questions, and has the passion and dedication to this field and truly wants to make a difference in his clients' lives. After one month of working with him, I not only pushed past my plateau, but ended up dropping 8 pounds (by working out and eating uber-healthy!). Through working out with him, I learned not only about fitness and strength training, but we had lengthy discussion about food and I ended up going vegan, which I still am today, two years later. I would recommend for anyone looking for a personal trainer to use Varta -- no matter what place you are in life, I guarantee that you will face no judgment and only a willingness to help and inspire!

I had planned a work trip up to Seattle and I usually try to find a school nearby to counter all…read morethe sodium heavy company meals and drinks that I expect on work trips. Midnight Jiu-Jitsu was nowhere near the offices I needed to visit nor my hotel. Honestly, what intrigued me was the non-profit model that Midnight had and they allow you a free week's trial, again a week is usually very generous by most school standards and usually for absolute newbs; it's sometimes a nice surprise not to pay for a drop-in or mat fee but you shouldn't expect it, it's a business, respect that. The evening of class, I tried to get there early, evening fighting through rush hour traffic. What I didn't count on was how f'ing difficult it was to find parking. I grabbed my gear bag and ran into class about 15 minutes late. I knew from their website that they gave permission to come late or leave early. As background, depending on the school coming late is anywhere from a minor faux pas to an egregious trespass. Despite knowing this, I was expecting to just sit out and just watch or knock out burpees or push ups. Instead, someone came over when there was a break in the class. I got briefed on what to do and was allowed to change in the back and join the class. Tom and Aaron were there but they just said to call them by their names, again depending on the school titles are a big thing. The class was fun, the rolls were challenging and I learned a couple things. Moreover, I stuck around until closing and got to just sit and chat with Aaron and apologize for my lateness which was totally brushed off as not a big deal. If I'm ever visiting again, I'm going to head back up there-it was enjoyable physically, mentally and socially.

This is the place to train in Seattle! Great people with lots of knowledge and a welcoming…read moreenvironment. Perfect place to learn and develop yourself!

Kypros, and all the instructors at Gracie Seattle have made class an encouraging and positive…read moreenvironment since day 1 of my training. Classes offered 5 days a week make it extremely easy to get in to train no matter your schedule. If you are hesitant to join, jump in and try it out! You will leave feeling challenged and accomplished, ready to come back for the next one. ~JD

Fantastic welcome. Couldn't have asked for better the owner Keeprose is very welcoming. Great…read moreinstruction. I highly recommend this studio!!

Good place with respectful small community. The coach makes sure to pay attention to everyone, work…read moreouts are amazing for conditioning!

Good people teaching legit technique. Very happy to have them here in the community.read more

This arts space is in industrial Georgetown. It is unassuming on the outside…read more Inside it is clean and professionally built out, with a hive of artists and two movement studios also going under the name of Base which can be used for performances. It is in the Factory Building of Equinox Studios. I saw my friends' dance performance here. Dance is a tough art endeavour. You need a large heated space with a good floor, which is expensive in artistic cities enmeshed in endless real estate speculation. In ballet and modern, with the experience of time, you gain expressive skills, while the same time wages a war of attrition on your bones and sinews. To maintain your skills, you have to be practicing several to seven days a week. Dance has a specialized audience and doesn't generate much revenue. It can take months of rehearsal to develop a piece that shows once or a few evenings. So with all those challenges, it is a pleasure to have a small, about 100 person audience performance and rehearsal space, in fact two, back to back. As a teaching and rehearsal space, it has mirrors, windows, and grey linoleum over a sprung floor. For performance it has very solid, carpeted movable risers, and folding chairs. There is a grey floor to ceiling curtain system on three sides which erases the windows and mirrors. The sound system is flown mackie SRMs on the four corners. The ceiling is 20 feet high. There is an elevated tech space and up to date theatrical lighting control. The bathrooms are clean and new, really sparkling. The building is wheelchair accessible, though it might be bumpy from the street parking to the main building entrance. The building is sprinklered and safe, with multiple exits, unlike many janky art warehouses we have known and loved. The building is home to art studios and creative businesses. Throughout, their work covers the walls. The building is in the Equinox Studios complex which has been a space for artists for 15 years. There is a blacksmith-welder who does architectural work there, perfect for an industrial area. There is not a huge amount of street parking, so it is best to arrive early for performance events. Yaw Theater is an up to date space for classes, rehearsals, and shows serving the Seattle metro from Georgetown.

A wonderful community theater experience! The staff is…read morequite friendly and kind, and the staging area is well lit and open. As an introvert, the tight, seating arrangement was a bit uncomfortable for me, so I probably won't return. However, I had an amazing experience, watching a performance by Master Shoko Zama.

Restarting my journey back into martial arts, I couldn't have asked for a better…read moreinstructor/environment. Everybody at the gym is super welcoming. Bob (lead instructor) is exceptionally knowledgeable and provides a positive environment to learn. I highly recommend checking out the Zoo

From the owner: We specialize in teaching the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the West Seattle communityread more

This place is a family run gem. The teacher used to attend the school when he was a little boy and…read moreyou can tell he's super passionate about teaching other kids the art and discipline of Taekwondo. This is a very warm and supportive environment. It is teaching my son about dedication, responsibility, team work, and being supportive of your comrades. I feel very fortunate that we found this awesome school. I hope they continue for a lifetime!

I actually did receive a response from MrTkd206 from Lee's Martial Arts who stated they apologized…read morefor not contacting us and even offered to give us one month free for the miscommunication. He gave us a price quote of $145/month thereafter with a 6 month contract. Their classes are Tuesday and Thursday at 5p and Sat mornings, which unfortunately do not coordinate with our schedule but I was very pleased that they contacted us and were quick to reply and answer all of our questions. If our schedule becomes more flexible in the future we would definitely look to invest in Lee's for training.