I've been coming here about 2 years now, but have done Krav at a few gyms before this. It hadn't…read morecrossed my mind to leave a review until today, even though I am there about 3x a week. And this is not Chat-GPT, this place deserves a real write-up.
Mr Noi (Owner/Head Instructor) is a class act and one of the most genuine people I've met. His care for his students and his craft goes far beyond a "business model", he seems to truly care for the development of those around him as martial artists, as good citizens, and as people.
The culture he has fostered is the most respectful, disciplined, and conscientious I have seen at any school. Mr Noi walks the perfect line between "take care of your partners" and "allow your partners to grow through pressure". This creates a kind resilience that you can especially see with the kids and young adults at Gateway Cities.
The Instruction: Top notch! The school is very organized and as a schedule-based person, I really enjoy the quarterly cycles of training (train for the quarter, then test or take a skills assessment towards a future test). Each week of the quarter has a different theme (gun defense, wrestling, knife defense, etc) so that you have multiple exposures over the course of a year. Due to the amount of law enforcement training that goes on at this school, there is the crucial aspect of 'context' that is taught in relation to the possible legal ramifications of self defense and threat assessments / action. I find it very helpful to have learned several de-escalation and awareness concepts here, in addition to smashing and physical self-defense. "The best defense is the one where you can avoid the situation".The instructors all are very active in your training, and will go out of their way to help you learn the material. Having multiple skills assessment before a belt test is also incredibly helpful because you get feedback on what you need to work on throughout the year. Fight classes are also very fun, and the community here looks out for one another. As Mr Noi says "I want to make sure you can defend yourself out there when it counts, so what good will it be if you are always injured from training".
But don't let my description of the place make it sounds like we just sit around, eat pan dulce and give each other positive affirmations all day. You will be worked. You will sweat (if you're like me, then a gross amount). You will be tested (more by your perception of yourself and your limitations than anything else). You will learn by pressure. Your responses to stress will get better through exposure to repeated stress. You will learn skills that will genuinely help you be prepared for the day you hopefully never have. And you will have the time of your life doing it, and make great friends along the way! You will walk out of there some days and think 'Wow I can't believe I had it in me to go through all that'. Then you will go home, lick your bruises, order a bunch of cool gear, and be excited for the next time you get to go back on the mats!
TL;DR: Top notch instruction, a community that cares for your safety and success, an Instructor who wants you to become the best version of yourself (not just in martial arts and self-defense, but as a person), effective techniques that revolve around a systems-based approach (not just learning random techniques, but having the system work as a whole), and great times on the mat. This school has become an important place for me, not just to learn self-defense and spar, but also to have a happy-place where I can unplug for two hours and only focus on what's right in front of me. You can't think of spreadsheets and meetings when you are doing burpees and dodging punches, which I guess is a form of meditation and "being present".
I couldn't recommend a martial arts gym more highly than Gateway Cities Krav Maga! Come train with a great group of folks, get fit, learn to defend yourself, and have fun!
