Sityodtong is a great gym. The gym has produced great fighters for sure and has world-class muay…read morethai. What has kept me here for a decade is the sense on community, belonging, and purpose. Yes, this is a fight gym that can make you deadly fighter and improve fitness, but its more importantly a martial arts gym that can make you a better person.

A small, but very well-equipped, training facility with world-class staff and a wealth of classes…read more The memberships are pricey ($200 month to month, though it's less if you do a six month or full year membership), but you can build up a martial arts skill set very quickly with their elite-level trainers. If you go here and work hard, Joe Rogan may talk about how impressive your striking is one day.

When I first wandered into Hard Knocks for my introduction session with Bill, I was hesitant and…read morenervous as I had never played sports, let alone train Muay Thai. The moment I walked in, I immediately felt welcomed. Bill asked me what my goals were and at the time, I had always been interested in trying kick boxing. I was provided with gloves and hand wraps to use and Coach Jake taught me how to wrap my hands. An hour and a bucket of sweat later, I signed up for a membership and decided to give Hard Knocks Muay Thai and MMA a try. Fast forward to almost 2 years later, this gym has become a huge part of my life in ways I couldn't have imagined. I did more than "try kick boxing". I met a group of extremely skilled and knowledgeable coaches, trainers, and fighters that have helped me take my fitness to the next level. I've begun to fall in love with a sport that pushes me to face my fears. The coaches and fighters in this gym are the epitome of discipline and hard work and it has truly been a privilege to learn Muay Thai with them by my side. There is always room for improvement and everyone is always looking out for you, to help you reach your full potential. My favorite part about Hard Knocks is the sense of family and I wouldn't want to train anywhere else! Book your free intro class now!

Awesome gym. Period…read more Bill and his staff are knowledgeable, professional and will put in the time to help you reach your goals. If you want to fight, they'll get you ready; if you want fitness, they'll get you in shape. After a few sessions, you'll be angry at all the time you wasted at your typical gym. The gym is fully equipped with a full size ring, heavy bags, pads, bands, weights and wall to wall full size mirrors. All of that for an affordable price - actually, it's the most affordable Muay Thai gym in the Boston area. Plus, they offer many other classes like Strength and Conditioning, No Gii BJJ and MMA. Seriously, why pay a similar price to mindlessly lift weights? Call Bill and schedule a training and learn something useful while getting into the best shape of your life. Young, old, man , woman, doesn't matter, come down and gain the strength and confidence to endure any difficulties you face in life.

I've been going to this gym since 2021, and it's been one of the best decisions I've ever made in…read moremy life. There is such a vibrant community of accepting people that I don't know where I'd be in my life without this place. As a woman, I feel empowered to not only walk around my city, but I feel confident enough to take up space. If you're looking to be part of a community, learn how to defend yourself, and get physically fit, this is the place for you.

Went there for the Month Trial , before that I had never done any martial arts and now I feel…read morebetter than ever . I love MMA aswell as all the people here, we all just learn so much and is a family journey. Well recommended.

I do not recommend this gym for woman. To me, it felt like this environment revolves mostly around…read moreego and machismo, that's about it. It doesn't feel like they truly care about your progress. I believe male coaches here to be disrespectful toward female students. I feel that any concerns are dismissed. Although they promote themselves as a "women-friendly" space, based on my experience and what l've seen happen to other women here, I would not recommend this gym

Professor Hugo has created a true jiu jitsu community - over the years this place has become a…read moresecond home to myself and my daughter. Love the teaching style - no bs, just jiu jitsu. Train as hard or as light as you want. World class athletes with no ego. 617 is perfect for everyone - beginners, advanced, competitors, and kids. Positive attitude of this place is infectious. Osss!

Best training ever done. I feel alive again. Good atmosphere and great coaches. Highly recommended.read more

I love this gym. I was interested in an intense workout, but ended up falling in love with muay…read morethai thanks to the great instructors here. I highly recommend dropping in for a class and seeing what it's all about!

Extremely unprofessional. Phone number is out of service. I had to contact via Instagram to cancel…read moremy membership. Then after finally responding and supposedly cancelling, I've just gotten another charge. Will be reporting to my credit card company as fraud.

Amazing class today led by Justin! Every muscle in my body is sore - this class kicked my butt!…read more Justin was a great instructor, he pushed us hard but was super positive the whole time. Despite my sore muscles, I'll be back!

I do not live in the area, but take private lessons at this gym. The gym is beautiful, has clean…read morelocker rooms, showers, pretty much anything you would need. The coach that I take lessons from, Ovi, is hands down one of the best coaches I've ever had the opportunity to work with, in any sport that I've ever participated in. He is what I would call a diamond in the rough. I highly recommend trying to find a class that Ovi is coaching, and I highly recommend this gym!

Jiu-Jitsu is a great activity to get into as you can dip your toe in or go full bore and compete at…read moreall levels and rice through the ranks. I can't say enough good things about this location and recommend anyone to try it one night.

I couldn't recommend this gym more. From my first class to months later, I've done nothing but…read moreenjoy it here. Coach and Owner Jeff Perez set a high bar for a Martial Arts gym. There is a great sense of community, and everyone is welcome regardless of skill level. Whether you're looking for a workout or picking up a new hobby, do yourself a favor and try a class.

I have trained jiu-jitsu in several gyms across the country. Jeff has been the best grappling coach…read moreI have had. His ability to explain technical information is second to none. I have seen him effectively communicate grappling concepts to a wide variety of people. Jeff is very approachable and is not intimidating or scary at all. Whatever your fitness and martial arts goals are, Back to Basics is definitely the place to train at in the Boston area.

I've had a great time at the American martial arts gym. I've had fun training and doing special…read moredrills. It's fun to have a little game at the end. The instructor, Bobby, is very nice, always encouraging me and helps me out when I'm in a pickle. I've had a great time so far and hope you come and join us! -Student

If I could give zero stars I absolutely would!…read more I have never done this before.... But.... I am sooooo completely blown away by this customer service I had to! I am attaching a text thread that I had with the owner of the studio Bobby. I found him completely professional and insulting. If you like people like that you will love this guy. He has a business practice not to provide prices over the phone, you have to come into the studio. Ok totally fine, even though I explained that I needed it in order to budget and that coming in just for that info was inconvenient. He proceeded to tell me that if that was too inconvenient then it would probably be too inconvenient for me to take my child there 2 or 3 times a week. No - sorry sir, I am business owner and single parent who needs to manage my time and money wisely. If I went to every studio that I was interested in I would never have time to make a commitment. He then compared himself to jewelery stores and car dealerships... Which we all know, everyone hates dealing with these 2 types of businesses due to their shady business practices - though now a days - car dealerships have caught on and have their prices plastered all over their website... For what reason? Oh, to attract customers! Then knocked the name of a VERY reputable martial arts studio which has been in business for over 30 years! Take a look at this thread and then tell me if you want your child training under someone who is so combative, unprofessional and plain rude. He is the type of person I am trying to protect my child from. I mean he mocked the name of another studio to make his studio look better?! Who does that?! Then when I told him that this was going to be posted on Yelp and Google, he said people like me love to do that... No sir, I do not love to do that... It's my duty to inform those of extremely poor experiences so that I can save someone else from having a similar experience. If you look at another reviewer they also mention that he has shady business practices and would not honor the Groupon's that he has already sold! It's sad, I see he is a good instructor but integrity is everything. Also, isn't humility a characteristic that martial arts is supposed to teach? How can one learn humility from someone like this? Read the texts...

This is a great school if you plan to start any martial arts program. The ratio between higher…read moreranks and instructors to lower ranks is rare. That tells you something either about the head instructor and the type of student that practices here. It takes a while, but if you put your heart and mind into it, black belt is quite attainable. The facilities are good, but if I could, i would give it a 4.99 star rating because the changing rooms can get a bit crowded. But once you're on the mat, there's plenty of room for throws, sweeps and rolls. AC wold be a big plus during the summer months, but I'm sure they didn't have the most ideal training conditions during the feudal Japanese era. I mention this because some of the techniques have been handed down from that long ago.

I've been attending Theodorou Academy for just under 2 years, and have a background in Shotokan…read moreKarate and briefly in MMA. That said, you DON'T need experience to start here; my past martial arts education, while also great, was nearly the opposite of the teaching style and curriculum at this school. Theodorou Academy has a great balance: fun, varied classes that let you learn a wide variety of techniques, but with a fairly solid curriculum and underlying structure that help you plan your own education at the school and go at your own pace. There are two things I really appreciate about this place: 1) It's not competitive. Everyone at this school goes at their own pace, on their own time, as their own life allows, and that's completely fine. I like to come down as often as possible; other people only come down a couple times a month. 2) This school fosters a sense of community as much as possible. Students are supportive of each other both in the dojo and out; after each monthly belt test, there are usually a few people who go out to a local bar together to celebrate. People who have major life events while they train here are often appreciated or congratulated; if you've been gone for a while, you usually receive a jovial welcome when you get back on the mat. Overall, I would strongly recommend this place to anyone interested in the martial arts unless you are looking to fight competitively.