Brandon is a good Muay Thai Coach, very technical and knows how to break down the techniques step…read moreby step.

Before writing my review - I took the time to read other reviews that are posted for inspiration…read moreand talking points (both negative and positive). I started at Evolution in the Fall of 2013 with the intentions of joining the fight team. By the Summer of 2014, I had my first fight with Evolution and won unanimous. Prior to becoming a member at Evolution I had a strong background in Karate & Boxing. However, there were a lot of holes in my game that Brandon quickly fixed. He is excellent at translating information, correcting form, providing motivation, and creating a platform for individuals to grow. Not only did I win my first fight under Brandon, but by 2016 I achieved 5 championship belts and a Gold Medal for Team USA. From originally having an awkward style to becoming proficient in Muay Thai - I would say Evolution is an outstanding place to train. Whether you are training to fight, become fit, build confidence, or learn the techniques - YOU will get all of that accomplished here. The amount of work you invest in your training will reflect. I don't have anything negative to say about this gym, but a response to the reviews that are not 5 stars: 1. If it is your FIRST TIME visiting, arrive on time. 2. The gym is usually HOT when it's crowded. As a person who occasionally travels to Thailand for extensive training - I prefer training in warm facilities to prevent injuries and sweat out sodium. 3. Brandon is comical, but just like any trainer - he knows when to be serious. Training is already tough and can be intimidating to newcomers, so it's important to remember to have fun.

I have toned and lost so much weight faster than in any other dojo or gym. Really upped my…read morestrength, confidence, and skills. STigma free and safe clean place . This is the place to be! Love the culture, the people, the Professors, the Coaches! Highly recommed to all kids and adults.. Women especially

Talk about a clean gym with all of the training bells and whistles and a team of trainers and other…read morestudents that feel like family! I have been training here for a few months and really love this gym. I read someone say in a previous review that the students are teachers as though it's a bad thing. The trainers are largely competition experienced and train as regular students along with you - offering you a ton of learning and improvement opportunity. Grateful to be a part of this family and to support this amazing business.

Muay thai was something I wanted to learn but was lowkey a bit afraid. This gym is very beginner…read morefriendly and everyone here makes you feel welcomed immediately. People here are very respectful and mindful of others, which is really important. There are classes Monday-Saturday. Legit the best workout ever (I've done crossfit, powerlifting, hiit, yoga, etc). It works your core, your overall strength, upper body, lower body, and also your mind. The gym helped me make become better in other things too outside the gym (eating habits, running more, etc!!) They do other activities too - beach trips, conditioning in parks, etc!!

I'm beginning to find, as I get older, that experiences that have the ability to completely…read moretransform your life become more rare. When you are young, you are constantly trying and learning new things, figuring out for yourself what you love to do and eliminating those you don't. You start to find a passion for things like soccer or piano, and stick with them, loving to play. Then you grow up, responsibilities kick in, and time becomes more limited. Most of the time, I find myself trying to recreate the fun I had as a kid by re-experiencing situations with new people or joining an adult sports league with random people, which is not at all the same feeling you get from being on a real, dedicated team. The art of Muay Thai is one of the only sports or activities that has unexpectedly thrilled me in a way that is brand new, and leaves me craving more and more. The only other sport that does it for me is scuba diving. There are some similarities between the two: family, fear facing, fitness, and fun. 1. FAMILY: When you join 8 Venoms Muay Thai, you become a family. You are there to support and help each other. You may find that if you sign up for a free trial that you become addicted in more ways than one, to the class and to the people. Your new teammates will be the ones asking if they'll see you next class, and part of the reason you say yes is because you don't want to disappoint them, and it happens in that split second after they ask the question when their face is bright with pure joy from the class and the suspense for your answer. You can't make new friends like this in a typical gym atmosphere and you sure as hell will never find the strength of a family like 8 Venoms Muay Thai. 2. FEAR FACING: "Do one thing every day that scares you." - Eleanor Roosevelt Muay Thai is a fighting sport. You will hit and get hit. 8 Venoms gets its name because Muay Thai is known as the Art of 8 Limbs: 2 fists, 2 elbows, 2 knees, and 2 shins. You will learn to use all of them. I'm a fear facer and a big believer in it. Do I get nervous? Yes. But that's the only way to get stronger. 3. FITNESS: One aspect of Muay Thai among many that you can't get from a regular gym is that it's both a mental and physical exercise. I consider myself a forever student. If I'm not constantly learning something new, I start to get bored. I never would have dreamed that discovering Muay Thai would have been the absolute best gift I could have given myself for my recent birthday (Thanks Skylar B. who turned me onto it). I have been to many gyms: oldschool average joe's gyms, giant gym chains, boxing gyms, etc. Before this class, I considered myself to be healthy, very active, and pretty athletic, but damn, did I get a wake up call. The class starts with jump roping... Who knew that jump roping could be so hard?! I thought I was going to die the first few times. My legs were sore as hell. I guess lifting just can't get you there. Then there's cardio, core, and flexibility, which is awesome. I'm not too too bad on the cardio and core front, but I def. struggle and need improvement. I honestly thought I was a flexible human until now...wooweee, not so much. I think part of the reason I have trouble doing certain skills sometimes is because my hips are not at all used to turning over in such a way while the balls of my feet do something else and my arm is outstretched at the same time. I swear, at the least, Muay Thai will keep my body from getting old and decrepit. Then there's the lessons on different Muay Thai skills and techniques: boxing, kicks, defense, etc, which is really... 4. FUN: Omg it's so much fun. Instructor Gian is extremely knowledgeable and cares about his students. His analogies and descriptions make everything really easy to understand. I partner with my sister sometimes and we have laughing fits. It's just fun to learn something new, practice it, and eventually get it right. I guess I should say it's funnier when you get it wrong and more rewarding when you get it right. I find myself even daydreaming about it, replaying skills I've learned in my head, and hoping that by thinking about it my body will react how I want it to (so far it doesn't, but I'm trying!). All skill levels are welcome. I am a giant newb right now. I hate it lol, and I'm determined to get better. There was a little kid in the class too and he could really hang with the rest of us. Then, there are also those who are really advanced. 8 Venoms is located in the FMA Center and the storefront is really deceiving. If you enter in the front, you go down the stairs and the place is huge. There's the front desk area, and a large viewing room, for anyone there who needs to wait. If you park in the back lot, you can enter that way and walk past the koi fish tank. The actual training space is very large with ample space to move around, and the 7:30 pm class times are also really convenient for me to make after work w/the option of the 1 class on Sat. Try it!

I can only review the young children's classes, but I have been impressed. My son has gone to the…read moreclasses on the weekends for over 6 months now and we just renewed for another 6 months. The instructors are extraordinarily good with kids, and make the classes fun for them. They know what can be expected of each age group and adjust their approach based on each child's abilities to create a positive environment for the child to build self-esteem in addition to the skills being taught.

Amazing studio with a great variety of classes! Alessandra is an incredible kickboxing teacher and…read moreworks well across all levels of fitness. She corrects your form as she spots mistakes and encourages everyone to push through intense cardio. Expect intense cardio, but you get what you give! Great yoga class during the week. The view makes it a super way to start the day (Broadway). Relaxing yet challenging way to pay attention to breath and tighten core through 12 vinyasa poses (or 16?). I straight up feel like I'm in a Simon and Garfunkel song leave love this location. Great Reliable studio with friendly members that make fitness fun.

I felt the class was very disorganized. It's definitely not good for beginners. People weren't…read morefriendly and were very cliquish. It was very uncomfortable. The coach did not help with my form. The facilities could be cleaner. This place charges more than other more established gyms that have produced great fighters. Looking at the website it looks like John is the only professional fighter. I don't recommend.

Culture here is great, i highly recommend taking an intro class. The instructors are very…read moreknowledgeable and detail oriented, folks are super friendly and overall good experience if you want to be active & learn.

Such an awesome gym! I trained here regularly for about 1.5 years all together. Every class you are…read morepushed to your edge in intensity. You constantly work on new skills and techniques. Every class is different. No two are really the same. Even when I would attend two on the same day, what would be worked on would vary. I got to meet some really great people during my time there. You bond over your time on the mats together and there is a connection that is felt between all (at least that is my take on it). Even though it went unstated; it was there. Even between those whom I hadn't really interacted much with. . . The common thread of Sitan gym had woven us all together. Aziz has to have some of the best energy I've encountered. He is always quick to smile and slow to frown. He would bring his daughters in often (and his wife trains in the classes as well). This really made for a beautiful feeling of family that spread outwards. I learned so much when I was there. Got to train with those who had never thrown a punch before - all the way up to true fighters. All the while watching my own abilities increase exponentially. . . When I started there I was in the former group, with little martial arts experience before. By the time I was about to move from the area I had quite a few others ask me if I was thinking of fighting myself.

Best Muay Thai in NYC, hands down. Every level from beginner to kids, and professional fightersread more

Simply put , this place is revolutionary!! From the moment you walk in, you are welcomed by the…read morenicest dangerous trainers in town. The friendly demeanor is no tell-tale sign of how good they are at whipping you into shape and upping your martial arts skills. Whether you're looking to learn how to fight or get fit/ripped, this place delivers. The fact that the owner is champion in the field is a telling bonus. So happy I found this place. ​

The best fitness facility in Manhattan, no one else comes close. The intensity…read more level is off the charts and Samurayner and his team will get you in the best shape of your life. You will get significantly stronger and your hand speed will increase by a factor of 10x......guaranteed! Samurayner and his team are all gentlemen and phenomenal trainers. They will push you further than you ever thought possible.

I started sending my son (6) to classes here starting in January! He really loves it! The coaches…read moreare very nice but strict at the same time and the classes are very interactive and intense! They find a fantastic balance of making it fun but serious at the same time! The space is pretty large and they have fantastic membership options! I would recommend this place if you're tired of sending your kids to tae Kwon do!

Been coming to CTB for around 2 years and it has been a wonderful experience. The Coaches there…read moretake their time to make sure you feel welcomed and surrounded by like-minded individuals. Truly a wonderful group of people to train with. Keep up the good work Coach and Team!!