Classes are fine. There's usually only one instructor, which isn't enough for fuller classes…read more They'll get a more experienced student to help, but that's not really what you're paying for in these classes. You should think of it more as a fitness class (that's what roughly 40 min of each class is devoted to) that teaches some self-defense techniques rather than a martial arts class, especially since it's located in a gym. Super sketchy when it comes to money though. The instructors will use high pressure sales tactics to get you to buy all the equipment through Dan, the owner, even if you're only interested in classes that don't require/need boxing gloves, thigh guards, etc. Really long lead time to cancel recurring billing (over thirty days) and no flexibility from Dan either. For your money, if you're not in the downtown core (and even if you are and can afford a longer travel time) go somewhere else.

You should check Elite Martial Arts out. I went to their 1 York location for the women's self…read moredefense class - it was incredible. Dan, the owner, is a true passionate person for what he does. He offers his class for FREE and helps women to learn and save themselves in dangerous situations. He is attentive, he challenges me and I am impressed with his service. If you are looking to get fit and feel comfortable / strong in life - he's the guy. Thanks again Dan and I appreciate the free class, I will definitely check out the future classes.

Signed up for cardio kickboxing (heavy bag workout) through Class Pass. This was my first muay thai…read morestyle class and I have never done a kickboxing class in my life. Located on the third floor of a building on Bathurst and Queen, it's a short jaunt from the streetcar and bus stop. For warm up, we jump roped for 15 minutes before I learned some fundamental muay thai punches and kicks. The instructor was highly encouraging and offered great direction. The class was a lot of conditioning mixed in with cardio. I was legit, sweating and had a fantastic time. As it was my first time, I have never invested in boxing gloves. There are community boxing gloves available, but I would encourage you to bring your own if you have one, as I had to wash my hands with copious amounts of soap before I was able to get the smell of sweat off my hands. The fees I find are very reasonable. The first trial class being $10, and drop-ins are $25. The gym offers a variety of packages suited for each individual's needs.

Been doing private trainings with Candice! She's awesome! She knows what she's doing. She pushes…read moreyou hard to reach your goals. The best workout ever! I didn't know I was capable of the level of fitness she has gotten me to. Wish I lived in Toronto to keep training here!! Great facility. Highly recommend!!

This is an amazing place. All the instructors and students are so welcoming they make you feel so…read morecomfortable and at home and a part of a great family. I've been training for more than 5 years and I love it. When I'm training am able to focus only on aikido, I can leave my busy life behind for a few hours. I feel stronger more mentally focused and more confident. I am able to defend myself from people much bigger and stronger than I am. It is really an amazing martial art and an awesome dojo.

Great location, great coach and great group of people. I first joined to learn judo, but I feel I'm…read moregetting a lot more than I had expected. I've made many great friends here from all over the world. I hang out with my fellow Judokas outside of judo often too. It's interesting how international the members of this club are. We have members from Brazil, Bulgaria, Japan, Korea, Italy, Northern Ireland, Iran, Trinidad, Cuba, France, Czech Rep, China and of course Canada, plus more. Sensei Miller places much emphasis on safety, mutual respect and growth. Of course I've developed my judo as well as physical health, but I also find myself mentally a lot stronger and handling life's challenges a lot better. It's hard to explain, but that's how I feel and my life is looking way better. Regarding the kids' classes, they certainly look really fun!

This is a fantastic club full of mostly amazing people. I say mostly because if I'm here…read more.. Any who, if you are new to Judo and training at AJA makes sense logistically, then don't even think about it. Give Sensei Miller a call and get to your first class. For your first class, you'll get paired up with a higher belt. A minority will find you annoying and burdensome, because it's infinity easier to refine techniques with people who know what they are doing. That's okay, don't feel bad. It's not your fault. We're all in it together. Nobody achieves a Kuro-obi (黒帯) "Black Belt" by themselves in an empty dojo. I forget sometimes that I was once a white belt... Sensei pairs advanced students up with newbs, against their will, because learning-by-teaching works, fantastically. He also probably wants you new people to learn safety and fundamentals correctly. They say that teaching is good for the soul, I think that they, are on to something. 自他共栄 (Ji-ta Kyou-ei), which means "Mutual Welfare & Benefit", is one of two central principles of Judo. Pause to ponder the significance of this. Interdependence is a codified social norm in Judo. Where do you find that away from significant others, family and friends? Moving on. By working with an advanced student from the beginning of your training you will also become familiar with the other side of the philosophical judo coin: "Maximum Efficiency with Minimum Effort"（精力善用 Sei-ryoku Zen-you). Hopefully through them you will understand what economy of movement means within judo, and start looking for it in every technique. At some point in the beginning of your training it would be in your best interests to internalize the difference between a poorly executed throw and a flawlessly executed throw. Without this intuitive understanding you run the risk of putting to muscle memory poor form. Your level of understanding regarding critical concepts will open or keep doors closed for you. We train with the explicit goal of perfecting our techniques, and ourselves. The perfection of self through training cannot be adequately explained on yelp, ask somebody with gray hair when you get here. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Or to make observations. If I had a toonie for every time a white belt shared their exasperation or disappointment with me, I'd have approximately thirty dollars (if they were more forthcoming it could easily be hundreds). Feelings of abject hopelessness can be avoided. Sharing is caring. Pain shared is pain divided. Nothing worth having, comes easy. Blah. Blah. Blah. You need solid technique, the right opportunity and correct timing. All difficult things to develop. You use the above in a dynamic, continuously changing environment which imposes heavy psychological demands on you. You constantly and instantly need to defend, attack, and counter-attack. In judo you are always fighting 3 adversaries, yourself, your opponent and the situation, not "The Situation.". Moving on. There are no meat heads here, if you are a meat head please go up north, and don't stop until you reach permafrost. This is where you belong, welcome home, you've made it. This club has personality, it's full of characters. How could they not be interesting? They spend their free time throwing, arm-barring and choking each other. After not going to a class or two, you will begin to experience withdrawal, these symptoms will disappear after going to the next available class. If you want an aggressive and hard randori, (乱取り, free-style practice) there are training partners available for that. Don't assume that everyone wants to fight to the death. Ask around, you will be pointed in the right direction. Its hard to categorize this club. We are not a competition oriented club, but we do compete. We are a social club, but we don't spend all our time talking. We are a very international club, but we are still very much Canadian. Whatever that means? Sensei Miller treats us like his extended family. Sensei teaches in a seminar style, we gather round and he talks and demonstrates techniques, then we practice. Everything is very hands on, a lot of the learning is accomplished through osmosis. You absorb from others what they know. That's why the quality of the club is higher than most, enough of us know the right way to do things and can pass that to along to others. Unfortunately it can sometimes be like the telephone game (especially when new techniques are introduced), the message deteriorates a little with each new caller...To avoid miscommunication you should screen calls from beginners. This club is way up there. I started Judo with the Takahashi family in Ottawa and judowise they taught me how to read and write. I like to think of the Annex Judo Academy as the place where I learned how to produce poetry ;-)

Stayed in Toronto for a few days, and walked by this gym on Younge street…read more Stopped in, curious as to what they had to offer. I signed up for a class (first one is free), and took the wrestling class last night. The coach definitely knows his stuff. The class was decent size, and mixed men's and women's. He put us through proper warm ups, reviewed techniques previously taught, and introduced some new moves (with variations). Lots of drills and some live scenarios and matches at the end. I didn't have time afterwards to try the jujitsu classes, but now I know where I'll be training the next time I visit.

I trained at OpenMat for about 4 years and was an amazing experience. The people, coaches and the…read moreclasses are great. You learn so much, have fun and progress in the martial art and sport. Professor Elliott creates a positive learning environment and strong community with the gym. I'm purple belt now and just moved to Montreal, but I will come back to OpenMat whenever I am back in Toronto. I highly recommend coming out and trying a few classes. I am confident you will love the workout and atmosphere!

I don't know if it would be fair for me to review this place since I didn't take a class. But I did…read morewant to write a note about it. I went to the location near Yonge & Eglinton, expecting to see a dojo like in the pictures on their website (bright, airy, clean). I was disappointed to see that it was in a basement, the walls were dirty & had holes in them. The mats on the floor were also worn looking & dirty. We talked to Chris about classes, etc & he was very knowledgable, nice & friendly. But I was put off by the condition of the practise room. It was one room and a small room for doing martial arts. Which is probably why there are holes in the walls. We watched a class for about 30 minutes with about 8 guys in it. They seemed kind of cramped. I'm giving them a middle rating since I didn't actually take a class. But for the location I would give them less. They might want to invest in new mats or at least take some time to thoroughly clean them & repair the holes in the wall & repaint the walls. Seeing this place didn't make me want to take a class there. Sorry to say that but just my opinion.

Everyone should take these classes -women and men. As practical as you can get for self defence…read more Chris really makes the classes, he's very friendly, and good-natured. He teaches in a way that's really accessible to beginners, while giving options to those more advanced. It's a pretty small and humble space, but the quality of instruction is definitely there. It's a really great way to learn practical self-defense techniques and I definitely recommend trying it out. The classes I've been to have skewed more male, but there's aways at least a few ladies and I feel like it's a very welcoming environment.

Amazing Kickboxing program I had a private Kickboxing lessions with Kwang Kim Known as K.K. Is a…read moreAmazing teacher who has knowledge of diverse Martial arts disciplines and a well rounded skills set in Martial arts because he is a MMA fighter. He has helped me grown and develop my martial arts skill set. K.K has shared insightful knowledge and experience as a Martial artist to me. Blackbelt Institute the place to trian.

Whether you are new to Muay Thai or already have some skills, Stride is an excellent environment…read morefor learning and improving. The community is super supportive and respectful for all MT practitioners, recreational or competitive, thanks to Coach Lanny's leadership. My daughter and I started together when she was 11 and now at 19, she fights internationally and we've trained in Thailand twice. It's been a life changer.