Genuinely can't say enough good things. The teachers are really encouraging, and the environment is welcoming and fun- I came in with zero experience, and have never felt out of place or uncomfortable. There's a great sense of camaraderie between the students, who have all been more than willing to help out my unskilled self during partner drills. The classes are definitely challenging while being incredibly enjoyable and satisfying. I've always hated traditional gyms and had to drag myself to go, and for the first time ever, as soon as I leave I can't wait to come back! I'd recommend CMMA to anyone looking for practical self defense skills, a new physical activity, or even just an awesome community to be part of. I'm so happy I found this place! read more

After training here for a couple of months, I received amazing training for Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu from instructors that have a lot of experience, and they make it safe for beginners to join so that the fundamentals of new students are strong. read more

Because Chicago Mixed Martial Arts is JUST AWSOME!!!! Great instructors, extremely knowledgeable without all the extra drama. Great community of people that attend. Everyone is very helpful. It's like family!!! Great place to train to get in touch with your physical and mental self. Highly Recommend!!! read more

When i came first time at "MMA Chicago" i felt myself at very friendly company. Especially i gonna say thanks to Misho, he is professional of his work. I Think his whole live is it martial art. If you guys lazy or you scared... Just go - Just do it! read more

Chicago Mixed Martial Arts - Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ladies and/or newbies, my review is geared towards you, because if you are looking to try martial arts, please look no further than Chicago Mixed Martial Arts! (This is a long review and if you have no patience to read, then just suck it up and try the place out) As a woman, I understand what it must be like to walk into an MMA gym and note several large sweaty males beating the living crap out of each other. In fact, my very first experience at Chicago MMA was walking into the Advanced Sparring class- believing it to be the regular Muay Thai class- and muttering under my breath, "Leah, what in the actual f**k have you done?" I was both nervous and intimidated, my only previous experience having been in cardio-based kickboxing (or fighting my brother over the remote). Luckily, both the instructors and advanced students were extremely friendly and accommodating. The classes are spectacular. I will throw out recommendations but if I've missed any one specific instructor, it's not for their lack of skill but more so that I've infrequently taken their classes: Stefan's Muay Thai and boxing classes are seriously superb. The conditioning is phenomenal, it will always be worth the workout you get from it, and he'll always stress and correct proper form and technique. Chuong and Tony's BJJ classes are fantastic, and they are both patient with questions and/or uncoordinated limbs. Misho's MMA 101 class is awesome and fun to check out if you're looking to expand your knowledge of mixing different forms of martial arts. And although I can regularly be found perspiring in most of these classes, I must say I am absolutely obsessed with Brian Gassaway as a Muay Thai teacher. Especially if you're new to the sport like I was. It's really helpful, when you're slightly petrified and nervous, to have someone who is super patient and encouraging to new students. He's very mindful of the safety of students and what someone new is comfortable doing. He is constantly monitoring form, correcting and teaching us, and his classes are so fun. You really can't go wrong at this place, it's run well and everybody is really nice, friendly and helpful. Believe me, I do recognize that this review is rather long-winded, I've written shorter loving letters to family members. So, if you're not convinced by my MMA novella, check out a class for free - it can't hurt (I mean, physically it will the next day, from soreness, but mentally you'll be alright) read more

North side MMA is the best place for Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu in chicago no doubt! misho is really friendly and proffesional, the gym is not too big so you can get enough attention while training. will recommend this MMA gym for every person in the future! read more

Great place to train. I was new to Jiu-jitsu and these folks helped me a lot. If I stayed in Chicago, this is where I would have trained. Less stuck-up and less pageantries than most of the gyms I've trained at. I really appreciated the down to earth vibes. read more

You may notice that there are a lot of filtered reviews for Northside MMA from reviewers with suspiciously low review counts and no Yelp friends (like me). Don't let your suspicions fool you. These reviews are genuine and belong to real people. I can personally attest to the existence of Luis M. and Brian Z. We just made the mistake of all trying to profess our love for Northside MMA at the same time, catching the attention of Yelp's filter. I am very satisfied with the instruction here. It is consistent and regular (no weird, shifting schedules, just kickboxing 7-8 and BJJ 8 - 10 on weekdays). It is qualified (Misho, Nate, and Ivo are excellent teachers). And by god, it is tough and draining -- and I would not have it any other way. Only qualm is that this place is getting rightfully discovered, and classes have become pretty crowded for the space, as a result. read more

I tried a couple other studios before settling on this one, and I can confidently say that you'd be hard pressed to find a single studio with as high a quality of both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes. I often take the morning class with Rosie on Wednesdays. She keeps the class fun and motivating, working on fitness and form equally. As a complete novice at Muay Thai, Rosie patiently gave me individual instruction to help me get up to speed. I definitely recommend her classes to anyone new or experienced, as she tailors her coaching to those in her class while maintaining a welcoming but challenging atmosphere. I also attend the evening Muay Thai classes with Brian and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes with Misho and Aleksandar. Both are also great workouts that will teach you fundamental fighting skills. I really value how each teacher is an expert with their own approach and specialty, which makes you a more well-rounded student. My only word of caution is that the evening Muay Thai classes can get packed, so it is best to either sign up ahead of time or attend a morning or weekend class. Other than that, I highly recommend the studio to anyone looking! read more

The instructors are excellent and actually invested in your success as a martial artist. One of the only places I have found with so much focus on patience and technique. The only place worth training your striking or grappling. They know what they are doing here. read more

I love this place and the people. The results show. Best instructors, truly. Lots of fun. REAL. Stephan Molejo is so awesome and amazing as an instructor in class and as a private instructor. I've learned and continue to learn so much from him. He pushes me to where I don't always want to go but where I SHOULD go. There is no hiding if you want a TRUE martial arts mindset, discipline and experience. Truly transformational working with him: mind, body and spirit. Honestly the VERY BEST. Then, there is the honor of being trained by Tony Williams - an amazing Carlson Gracie Black Belt who breaks it all down with patience and a technical sophistication that's is mind blowing and who can't love Hall of Famer Brain Gassaway - can you really beat training with him in class? And a training class with active champion Alex is like a special seminar EVERY time. Multiple art black belt mma fighter Evaristo will build your game with small details and strategy born of lots of Mma experience and talent and BJJ Guru Chuong knows how to help you go from no skill to giving you what you need to know breaking down every detail. Of course, Misho is an amazing individual and leader who will give you critical skills and techniques and who brings it all together. Got a question? Ask Misho. He's got an answer. All classes have been excellent! The diversity and quality of he people you will train with, the help and encouragement you will get form upper belts (champions) and the fun and friends you will find in a RESPECTFUL and DEDICATED atmosphere are UNIQUE to this one in the world place. read more

Ive been coming to this gym for over 4 months and have all great things to say about the instructors, the students, and the facilities/equipment. They have a frequent and flexible class schedule where i can train 7 times a week morning and night. Since my start, ive become more confident and knowledgeable in both brazilian jiu jitsu and muay thai kickboxing. The coaches are all great in providing direction, giving feedback, and investing in your development. Stefan is the muay thai coach i train with the most (3+ a week) and has taught me the fundamentals of muay thai through well designed drills and exercises. He studies my style when sparring and gives direct feedback on what i can do better such as a right hook block and left kick counter move. We are now moving towards advance techniques and i even feel comfortable sparring with more veteran students now. I also attend brian and everistos classes where we learn new moves and techniques. Every class has conditioning involved which is great to prepare the body for such a great sport. (Ive lost 30+lbs so far since signing up!) Coming to this i also had no idea about jiu jitsu with no prior experience. The coaches brian, luis, alexsander, and Misho all have been incredible in helping me progress. They are extremely knowledgeable and patient in teaching the sport. Cherk and patrick are other coaches who attend classes and have helped me better my form. The classes are all well planned out to learn both fundamentals and advanced techniques. One of my other favorite parts of coming to this gym are the other students. Everyone is there to learn and help each other and ive met some great people there. I highly recommend checking out both jiu jitsu and muay thai! read more

Great location and excellent instruction. All instructors are very professional while maintaining a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Ive been going here for several years now and have never had a bad experience. Highly recommend. read more

The Women's Program at CMMA is amazing!! It includes 4x/wk Muay Thai classes and once a week BJJ. I was a complete beginner when I started and everyone is incredibly welcoming and friendly! The classes have both beginners and intermediate/more experienced fighters so I always feel like I'm being challenged but not lost. Rosie teaches most of the Muay Thai classes, and she is an incredible coach who will really get to know you and who cares a lot about helping everyone improve their technique and getting more women involved in MMA. If you've been wanting to try Muay Thai/kickboxing/jiu-jitsu but have been too intimidated by other gyms, this program is definitely for you. read more

UPDATE: Misho, the owner reached out to me personally and let me know he is now taking over Sunday classes. They should be more structured now, and I will certainly give this gym another shot next time I'm in town. read more

I have been training jiu jitsu for a bit now and I wanted to find a gym that would fit me a little better: I'm a young professional so I'm not exactly aiming to be a cage fighter. I also wanted to be able to train with someone who managed to teach on my level (read: I have no wrestling or mma experience) and encourage my flabby self to keep going back to the gym. I was really glad to have found Misho. From the start you see that he is a no frills guy who just loves to fight. He's very approachable and not one of those biker tattoos looking fighters. He'll tell you that there are no secrets, just hard training. But he'll find ways to subtly encourage you to come back to training, even if that 150 LBS guy keeps mercilessly destroying you. And you'll realize this isn't part of his whole marketing scheme to get you to sign up: come talk to him after class, or hit him up for a beer, and he'll be glad to talk to you about your "game" and what you can do better. And most importantly he'll tell you about the things he went through as well, because when he started he had no fighting experience either. It's always a strange relief to hear someone else had such troubles! The classmates were also very nice--their experience ranged so I felt comfortable training with the new guys like me and the experienced ones. Anyone will tell you that learning mma is an experience where you both teach and learn, and i really felt like there was a small community here. The gym is also very clean, and that's not something you usually find in fight gyms, so I was very happy for that. I'd recommend this place to anyone wishing to start on their fighting journey. I'd recommend it to experienced people as well because, come on, the guy is a Ralph Gracie black belt! read more

I have been training here for about the last 10 months and feel that it has been a perfect fit. I signed up after trying a free session that was being offered at the time. I had tried a bunch of these free sessions that just about every place offers but never felt as comfortable with any of them as I did with Northside. Other than these free, introductory sessions, I had zero experience with BJJ or the other disciplines and, at the ripe old age of 40, I was really just looking for some form of exercise other than conventional gyms. While the work out that I get here is far more challenging than anything that I would put myself through at typical gym, it is the skill I am learning in BJJ that keeps me coming back. I have found it to be pretty addictive and would go every night if my schedule (and body) allowed me to. I would also say that the general attitude at this gym fits my personality. For the most part, the people you train with are either students or professionals so most of us are not looking to get in a cage any time soon. That's not to say that training here won't prepare you to compete if that's what you are looking for. All of the instructors here have competitive experience and can prepare you for similar competition. Clearly the attitude of any facility starts at the top and that person here is Misho Ceko. He is incredibly skilled and well-respected in the MMA community but is very approachable and welcoming with every student whether they are there for the first time or have been training with him for years. This makes for a very unintimidating gym environment that is great for all levels. Originally, I started taking the Kickboxing classes in addition to the BJJ classes. I have since stopped taking these only because I personally like BJJ more than striking. Otherwise, these classes are great and each instructor provides subtle differences that keep things fresh and challenging. After 10 months of watching people work in these classes (they are finishing while the BJJ class is getting ready to take the mat) it is pretty impressive to see the progression of their skill level. read more

I've trained Muay Thai, Dutch kickboxing and Shidokan at many of the gyms in downtown Chicago, and this is by far one of the best. Misho is awesome! Highly recommend it! read more

Chicago MMA has the best atmosphere you could possibly even dream of when it comes to just starting out. The instructors are amazing and they never make you feel bad or weird about learning. The women's Muay Thai class with Rosie is my favorite, and has honestly helped me to become a healthier, stronger person. I absolutely adore this gym and I can't recommend it highly enough!! read more

The gym is small and intimate. Which means that you get a lot of individual attention. I'm a beginner and jumped right in with more advanced students. Misho, one of the main instructors, is very attentive and encouraging. He pulled me to the side the first couple of times to teach me basic moves shortly after which I jumped in with the other students. His student teachers are also very attentive regardless of what level you are on. As a woman, I feel very comfortable with the dominantly male gym. Besides a few jokes here and there about being a girl, they've made me feel very welcome. read more