I never do reviews, I just use yelp to pick places and yelp couldn't be more spot on with a 5 star rating of Strong Heart BJJ. I'm doing this review to hopefully help other parents make an easy decision. We tried another highly rated gym and it was immediately apparent that S.H.A was the obvious choice. We have two young boys with no experience and I wanted them to learn BJJ in addition to the other sports they play. One is in the Tiny Tigers Program and the other is in the kids BJJ. From the very first phone call I was super impressed with Professor Mike Martin's personality and hospitality. We are in our third week and I can't tell you how much fun the kids are having. I'm also amazed at their progress in such a short amount of time. Coach Riley is AWESOME with the Tiny Tigers. His ability to be both playful yet structured and still impart basic BJJ knowledge on the kids is a blast to watch. As for Professor Martin and the kids BJJ I wouldn't change a thing about how he runs his classes. Everything starts with respect towards the gym, himself, and their fellow classmates. With a big difference in skill levels between the students, Prof. Mike does a great job of multitasking his personal attention between the kids that obviously have been doing this a while and represent his gym in tournaments and first timers like my son. I should note that all the coaches helping him are excellent and allow the classes to be both meticulous in their instruction and also safe. My favorite part of Prof. Mike's instruction is his perfect balance of intensity with the kids. When he notices that they are getting lackadaisical, not grasping a move, or just goofing off, he reigns them in and the kids respond immediately. Wrapping this up, I cannot imagine a better environment or a better person to teach your children than Professor Mike and Strong Hearts Academy. My 4 and 7 year old would ask to go 7 days a week if they could! read more

I moved here from Ohio a little over two years ago. Prior to that, I trained for years with Dave at Grove City BJJ. Relocation is HARD, and I was desperate to train again and find a place close to my home. I never thought I'd find a place where I was as comfortable and as welcome as GCBJJ. I read reviews for 5+ places and originally tried another place. Nice crew, but too far away down in Tempe. I emailed Mike my woe-is-me story about being a washed up, out of shape 40 year old blue belt. He responded right away, "come in tonight 7:30 gi and see if you like us :)". I went, feeling nervous like the new kid in school. As a grown man. But nervous nonetheless. To a person, everyone was friendly and welcoming. The gym is clean, the instructors care, and the price is more than fair. I've since become a dedicated student in the AM classes and have trained more in the past two years than I did in the prior five in Ohio. Ive had the opportunity to train and learn from Prof. Mike and his wrecking crew of black, Brown and purple belts. I've attended seminars with Caio Terra and Denny Prokopos. I've traveled to help teach at sister schools and I get to help give back with charity initiatives. And about a month ago, I was honored with my purple belt. I feel resurrected and like I found my tribe, and I'll be eternally grateful. Obrigado, Strong Heartch -jth read more

I came to Strong Heart in July of 2011 as a simple wrestler who was trying out different schools. I had confidence issues and letting go of a troubled past that stemmed from my childhood. It's October 29th, 2013 that I'm posting this and I am now a Mixed Martial Artist with an official record of 5-0 as an amateur. http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/f/236FD6F61i723A923/Ronee-Dizon/ I am sponsored and represent a world wide cause known as Fighters Against Child Abuse and also have won many medals in Bjj. This is all a result of Michael Martin's instruction and the kindness that Paula Sebok Dominguez has while running the school. Don't let any petty prank fool you or any false review vase your opinion on this awesome school. It is full of great people who train and compete together. I am humble and still chasing much dream of pro stardom and I have this wonderful school to guide and pave the way as it has been the last two years. Come simply to learn or training great people with no egos and learn how to change any negative to positive as I have while attending this academy. read more

Strong Heart es una excelente escuela. Mis tres hijos, mi esposo y yo hacemos parte de ella (4,6,8,36 y 37 años) hace más de dos años. Sus instalaciones son limpias y área de práctica es limpiada a diario. Su dueño, el profesor Mike, está siempre en la escuela y dicta la mayor parte de las clases. La escuela tiene una dinámica de buen compañerismo y mucho respeto. Como principiante mujer y cinturón blanco he sentido el apoyo constante por parte de mis compañeros de clase y Profesor Mike. Cada clase introducen nuevas técnicas. Los estudiantes nuevos tenemos acceso al currículum de la escuela online y a videos en la página de la escuela (esto ayuda mucho durante los primeros meses) para poder a practicar desde casa o resolver algunas dudas de la clase. La forma de enseñar de profesor Mike enseña a los niños pequeños control propio y disciplina. Al final de la clase de los chicos hacen un pequeño ejercicio divertido. La escuela motiva y apoya con entrenamiento extra a los estudiantes que deseen a participar en competencias como: Tap out Cancer y Jujitsu World League read more

The Strong Heart Academy is place where relationships are formed, people are empowered, and goals are achieved. If you are willing to take the first step in the process of testing yourself both mentally, having the power of your mind, and physically, I would highly recommend joining the Strong Heart Academy. The development of human growth, opportunities for change and self-evaluation in the Jiu Jitsu conundrum at Strong Heart has given me a strong sense of belonging and has made a positive impact. Mike and Riley engage students and put us in positions of strength, not only through their teachings, but their involvement educating on and off the mat. They are leaders and inspirations for everyone. Mike facilitates change by teaching his students specific techniques during practice and in the form of guiding which emphasize learning. Strong Heart has provided a place where everyone supports one another, and one can build on each other. Thank you !!!! read more

I enrolled my oldest almost a year ago and we love it here. When he started the class it was maybe 3 or 4 kids and now the class has tripled. Strong heart did a great job at changing the schedule and adding more wonderful coaches to make sure everyone is getting what they need. They do a great job with communicating with the parents and the students. I am blown away with how well coach Riley, coach Vanessa, and coach Casey handle a large group of young kids they make the class fun while also teaching so many wonderful things such as: respect, self discipline, listening skills, good sportsmanship, and the power of never giving up. My son has gained so much confidence since starting here it has made me so proud. My second son is counting down the days till he gets to join his brother on the mat and we hope to be a part of the Strong Heart family for a long time! read more

Let me start my review with this when I joined strongheart I was suffering from panic attacks ,anxiety and high blood pressure. My condition was a result of trauma and I will leave it at that. Other than that I was healthy and in decent shape. When I met professor Michael Martin he had absolutely no ego and was very welcoming and we got along great he is the type of guy you could talk to about anything. The way he treats everyone is mirrored by all the other students in the academy as they were very cool and also had no egos. I have been training jiu jitsu now for 6 months. I NO longer have panic attacks !!! which is huge and my anxiety is to a minimum resulting in my blood pressure going back to normal levels. Another great thing about strongheart is the schedule it's setup very to be accommodating anyone who has a busy work schedule. Matt S. read more

I started jiu jitsu 6 months ago. I feel extremely lucky that i found Mike and Strongheart. The facility is brand new, family owned, and has plenty of class times and variety to fit anyone's schedule. The class sizes are small to medium. If Mike is not directly helping you, their are multiple high level students always working together to help everyone achieve. I have yet to come across any huge egos. Most of the guys and girls are just regular people. If you're just looking for something to do and to meet new people, it's great. If you want a light work out, you can do that. If you want a functional strength training, push yourself to the limits workout, Strongheart is the place for you also. Did I mention its incredibly affordable for almost all incomes? I really can't say enough positive things about Strongheart. read more

We have decided to have our children try jui juitsu and the plan was only while they are off school for the summer. However, after seeing our children during their jui juitsu classes. We have decided to have them continue even during school days. As what we can see, the children loves the classes. They are so happy, excited, thrilled and talks non-stop about their classes. They love Professor Mike, Coach Riley, Coach KC and the other coaches. They are all so professional and they make sure the children gets the step/move. Strong Heart Academy is for all ages. My younger sons ages 5 and 6 are seperated from the bigger kids ages 8 and 12 and both group learns so much each classes. We are so happy we found Strong Hearts Academy and excited about what they are going to gain from Strong Hearts. read more

If you're looking to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, to lose weight and get fit, then you have found the premiere school in Arizona. If you are serious about developing your Jiu-Jitsu, or you just want to have fun, then Strong Heart Academy is the perfect fit. Professor Mike Martin has almost two decades of experience and is affiliated with 12 time Black Belt World Champion Caio Terra (I have personally met him training at Strong Heart). The pedigree of this school couldn't be any higher. There are at least 6 black belts at this school which means you have access to high level jiu-jitsu and experience. Both my high school sons and myself train here. The culture is very accepting and welcoming of people from all walks of life. Come train at the hottest school in AZ. read more

Whether, you're looking to get in shape, learn self defense, Strong Heart Academy is a very welcoming BJJ school. Everyone is more than happy to assist or just roll. It's very rare to find egos here. The community wants everyone to improve and become better leaving the gym than when they walked in the door. Awesome black belt coaches all with different styles of attacks/defenses. Professor Micheal Martin is a straight forward awesome guy/coach/teacher/friend he'll break down techniques very simple. He'll learn your strength and weaknesses and challenge you by pushing you towards your own personal goal. I got a lot of pride for this school and the many different members apart of Strong Heart Bjj. Its become like my other family for 4 years. read more

If your looking for a great place to train jui-jitsu for you or your family or for personal or competitive reasons, I strongly recommend Strong Heart Academy. Not only is Mike Martin an experience 3rd degree black belt and MMA professor, he's a good person within. Mike and every professor at Strong Heart dedicated their time and experience to all their students. Strong Heart Academy has an awesome atmosphere that makes you feel like home and part of a family. Every person there is treated with respect and everyone helps each other to reach their goals. So stop by and give Strong Heart Academy a try and see for yourself why it's one of the best places to train jui-jitsu, MMA, boxing and even health and fitness. read more

Strong Heart Academy is a wonderful place to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ,Black Belt Michael Martin is very friendly and patient with all his students. His approach to teaching technique is very simplistic and combines both old and new Jiu-jitsu variations. I have been training under him for almost a year now and its one of the best decisions I ever made. They are very female friendly here the guys I train with are super supportive and cool they welcome females to train here. There are NO mat bullies here everyone is welcome to train at Strong Heart. They offer Striking fitness classes, womens self defense seminars and Muay Thai. They offer both Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Karate classes as well. read more

We started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu here almost 2 years ago for my 11 year old son. He hated all sports! Today he loves it and trains for competitions. My other son got interested and now they bothered are in striking and BJJ. They are learning how to do their personal best. Even though BJJ can seem competitive, at Strong Heart the focus is on character skills, camaraderie, and (dare I say) fun. The instructors And the community as a whole is so supportive, my kids know they will be ready to compete if they choose to. The kids also know when they get a new stripe on their belt it's because they have earned of. Now my third son wants to join and my 3 year old is already trying to be a tiny tiger! read more

Women's kickboxing gyms are everywhere right now- but before you sign up for one of those corporate chains... I highly suggest checking out Strong Heart's women's kickboxing class first! Mike Martin is an amazing instructor who will teach you the right way, and work with and encourage you- no matter your skill level. It was completely out of my comfort zone to do a class like this, but I'm so glad I did because now I'm totally addicted. I leave class feeling amazing, that I've had a great workout and also like I've learned some bad-ass, valuable new skills. It's such a positive environment in there, and a judgement-free zone. The women's kickboxing class is so empowering, I can't get enough. read more

My Husband and son have been training at Strong Heart Academy for about 4 years. The health benefits and discipline have been nothing but extraordinary. My husband has had back pain for many years from an old motorcycle accident, and the training has slimmed him down and strengthened his core, and the pain has subsided. My son is a very well behaved 10 year old that does extremely well in school. I would have to credit some of this to the discipline that Strong Heart Academy demands from their martial arts students. I myself have done a few of the women's self defense classes and I would definitely recommend them to every woman. I believe knowing the basics of self defense is a must. read more

The people at Strong Heart encourage a family type environment. Although I have only been training here for a short time I have been pushed not only by our great instructors but by the other amazing classmates. In just a few months my knowledge in martial arts as well as my level of fitness have both increased exponentially. Our head instructor Mike does his best to provide a scientific background for everything he teaches and he also finds a way to apply the lessons of the school to real life. I'm really glad I have joined such a fantastic group of people and I encourage anyone who is curious to head in and see what you might learn about martial arts as well as yourself. read more

I went to this gym on my own as a first time student. I watch mma on tv and haven't played a sport since junior high. It's fair to say I had to gather some sort of courage to walk through those doors the first time. Mike and Riley set me up with a Gi, belt, and a mentor to show me the ropes. I was a bit awkward at first but i got through it. What made me come back was the fun and camaraderie. They were all so nice and genuinely wanted me to understand the concepts, so I'll have the tools to do this on my own. I've been doing this for 5 months and every time I've been in, they've been respectful and patient. It's my favorite place to go and am so happy I joined read more

We started our 5 year old son in Tiny Tigers earlier this year as he needed a switch from other sports that were just losing his interests. We were happy to see how much he has LOVED Strong Heart jiu jitsu. He is able to roll with other kids his size and experience level while learning basic techniques (no submissions yet for obvious reasons). Something he has been excited to go to twice a week. Coach Riley is great with the little ones and reinforces the importance of respect/discipline which is really needed when learning from scratch. Definitely looking forward to our younger kids getting started (mainly so we can roll around at home too !!). read more