Coach Jake Furney has been my son's BJJ coach for almost a year now and my son loves it! I asked my…read moreson to stick with a physical activity for a few times a week and he decided to do BJJ and it was a choice that he really is proud that he stuck with. Coach Jake has been such a positive influence on my son and makes training fun, explains the art well, and most of all is VERY patient with his students. This is a rare trait to find and I'm happy to say that I hope he sticks around long enough for my son to keep advancing in his belt classes. I highly recommend taking MMA classes with this gym, due to the professionalism, patience, and discipline that it offers. We lucked out with finding such a great gym to train in! Thank you Coach Jake and Coach Charlie! You guys are great!

I walked into Charlie's in June 2015 having never done any kickboxing. I was a skinny 37-year old…read morewoman looking for a good workout. I am so glad I went in that first day. I continue working out there 2-3 times per week. The staff and other students have been incredibly welcoming and encouraging since my first day. I have seen visible changes in my body and am much stronger with better endurance. I cannot recommend Charlie's highly enough.

Stopped by from out of town for a seminar. The owner and head instructor was extremely hospitable…read moreand welcoming. Top notch instruction as well from some of the best linage of jiu jitsu.

I've been training here for about 6 months. I started with their free women's class on Sunday…read morenights and quickly fell in love with Muay Thai! I can't say enough good things about the coaches here. They are fun and make you feel very comfortable while teaching you good technique. My confidence is growing and my waistline is shrinking. I highly recommend trying it out for yourself!

Really great and professional program! The instructors Dylan and Jeff are highly skilled and…read moreprofessional. They take the time to make sure I grasp all the concepts before moving on. Overall great experience with the training sessions I have had here and look forward to continuing with them!

The instructors were super nice, very informative, and incredibly patient. We all had a great time…read morebut also feel like we gained the knowledge and tools to defend ourselves! This class is incredibly empowering! I feel so much safer when I am by myself and I am going to insist that all my friends and family take his class so they too can feel protected!

I was looking for something, ANYTHING, to get my teenager into. We have a rule in our home that…read moreyou must do something active, one activity at a time, but you have to be doing something. Well this all went out the window when the pandemic hit and our then 5th grader was stuck home for essentially three years. Around the two year mark we tried floating ideas by them, they tried to go back to basketball, nope no interest. So when I found Z-Ultimate I was convinced that this would be another hit and miss - but boy was I wrong. First of all going into this place they were SO warm and welcoming. They focused their attention on my child and not me, and made sure they understood what was going on and what the process would be. When my kid told me this was the place they wanted to be, they walked me through the pricing in a very clear and efficient was and scheduled out our personal lessons on the spot. In addition to all the above they are so cognizant of anxiety and great with personal pronouns. I cannot thank Z-Ultimate enough for their dedication to my child.

Perfection reached.....great instructors, great place, Perfect at rescheduling lesson. ABSOLUTE…read moreCINIMA!

I have been going here for awhile now…read more If you want to learn BJJ GI/NOGI/Street, a form of Boxing that emphasizes self preservation first, Yoga, Kettlebells, or just want to gain increased mobility used in other sports you need to give this gym a try. No need to pick and choose, you get it all for one reasonable price, they have morning and evening classes, and they also have kids and young adults programs. The instructors/owners are great people, will work with anyone, regardless of skill or fitness level. A lot of people I recommend this gym to are intimidated, especially about the boxing, but please don't be, they don't break people here, they train them. They start you out slow, and only add pressure as you get better, and you will get better! You only go as hard as you want to, and free form sparring is optional, and only after you get good enough to defend yourself. The BJJ is not oriented towards competition, though they will help you with that if it's your goal. They do GI, No-GI, and Street Jits/CMD/Etc on Saturdays. We have young guys and a lot of older guys as well. FYI The lineage is Machdo -- King -- Kolesar Even if your just into it for fitness you have to give it a try, you have never worked out until you have boxed, done a round of BJJ rolling, or hit the kettle bells. These are phenomenal cardio and muscular endurance work outs. Women and Men are pretty much in every class, it's a tribe and an extended family, everyone watches out for you, no meatheads, no crazies, give it a try. Finally don't wait to get fit, instead get fit while learning some valuable self preservation life skills!

Should have written this review much sooner. This place is incredible. Got both my daughter(8) and…read moreson(13) in to boxing and they absolutely love it. Best work out guaranteed! No such thing as too young for boxing. Best thing about the youngest group class is high demand for discipline. Eric(one of the trainers and owner) is great with young ones, but also strict. Besides boxing you have option to do jujitsu, self-defense and kettle bells. All of that included in your monthly membership fee. Technically you can attend every day if one wants to. I will be joining my kids soon. It's a great place for the whole family.

Great introductory course for those that want to be more aware and practice hands on skills. Two…read morehours was the perfect amount of time for this course. The class started right into some hands on stuff...bring a water bottle it can be a workout! The practice sessions really made me more aware of the areas I need to improve in. I'm ready for level 2!

I have been attending NOVA Self Defense regularly for the past three months. Saturday mornings are…read morenow one of my favorite parts of my week! Evan and the assistant instructors are very good about giving constructive, targeted feedback. I feel that I have learned a lot of new things and had plenty of opportunity to fine-tune the basics, which has helped me build up my strength. In class, we learn to protect ourselves and fight back. When we learn new techniques, Evan breaks down the psychological aspects before moving into the how-to, enabling a full understanding of the why you are learning this. The real-life scenarios continue to be a helpful, and above all, safe way for me to try out what I've learned. Some of the other reviews have mentioned the work out at the end of class. This is no joke. The workout is the best! We do circuit training with some combative stuff thrown in, like palm strikes, elbows, and knife-dodging. Evan encourages you and will even work out with you. I'm not even a fitness freak (ugghhh I hate the gym), but this workout rocks. For those who are feeling iffy about the class and the amount of combat that takes place, please be assured that Evan always encourages you to find a way out of a physical altercation. This is an attitude that I have always appreciated because at the end of the day, I'm a lover, not a fighter. This class is just teaching you what you can do if you are left with no choice or caught off guard.

Zach helped me realize that my instincts are not going to be useful in a dangerous situation, and…read morethis type of training is critical to prepare me. He is a great teacher with experience to back it up. I appreciate his sensitivity to the content and trauma-informed approach. I walked away with multiple defensive tools to utilize in different situations and feel relieved and safer with this knowledge.

Zach was an amazing teacher! My daughters both took the class with me, age 16 and 8. They learned a…read morelot, and as a mom, I feel better knowing they have some knowledge of self defense. It was a bonding experience for us and a good way to approach a difficult subject on how they can stay safe and aware. Zach was kind and relatable, making us feel instantly at ease. He did the perfect teaching technique where we listen to what he has to say first, then he shows us an example, and then we try it ourselves. We practiced a good amount of time on each move so that we could absorb it. He infused a little humor into the class and kept it interesting. We felt very powerful and prepared by the end of it, which was truly a relief and an accomplishment. I highly recommend this experience! My daughters and I still talk about it and practice what we learned. - Renda Palo

I scheduled a private self defense class for my daughter's and their friends and their moms. I…read morewanted to empower these girls to be confident and learn how to defend themselves in any situation. Rick and Diana (sorry I think that was her name). The class exceeded our expectations. Our age span was 9, 12 and 40 something...The training was appropriate for all of us. I highly recommend Cascade Martial Arts Academy.

The people who teach at Cascade Martial Arts Academy are simply fantastic, community focused, and…read morekind persons. I am a Director of Camp Mariposa, a free camp for youth whose lives have been impacted by addiction. Sensei Rick brought a crew of 6 people to provide a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu interactive demonstration for the youth enrolled at our camp. Prior to camp Sensei Rick made sure to gain clear understanding in order to support the youth as much as possible, discuss concerns that may be present, and mindful of potential traumas that our youth may carry. Each and every member of CMAA present was thoughtful, intentional, and fantastic with interacting with the youth present at camp. Afterwards, our campers were crowing and glowing about the experience, and I had several parents call to thank us for giving their youth the opportunity to participate in an activity such as this. I would recommend anyone considering hiring, enrolling, or participating in Cascade Martial Arts Academy to give them a visit. You will not be disappointed!

Marcie is a fantastic teacher! She not only made me feel comfortable, she made me feel like a…read morebadass! GREAT PLACE!! GREAT TEACHER! GREAT FUN!

From the owner: Self Discovery Self Defense is a one-of-a-kind self-defense and self-discovery experience that…read morecombines the principles of martial arts training with an awareness of how our minds work. We can help you create freedom from whatever is holding you back and teach you how to move past your fear into a confident and peaceful way of being. We offer a variety of services ranging from private and group lessons (including self defense, ground work, and weapons defenses) to team building and empowerment events for small businesses. When you're ready, get in touch.

I really enjoyed Joanne's 6-week self defense class for women and highly recommend it! I…read moreappreciated that it was more than just the physical moves, but also how to verbally set boundaries (like saying no without apologizing!), and red flags to look for. Some of the info was a refresher, some brand new. I also appreciated that alternative moves were suggested, like for folks with bad knees, or the guidance for a woman using a cane. Everyone can benefit from this class! To answer the questions most people asked me: The class is kept to a small size, about 12 people. It's only for women, trans, and non-binary; no men. Folks in the class ranged from teen to 60s--I loved seeing mothers and daughters taking the class together. About half of the physical practice involved a punching bag dummy, and the other half involved hands-on practice with classmates, which was necessary, helpful, but also a bit awkward at times. But, I got over it, and got a lot out of it.

I loved taking Joanne's class. Each week, I learned something new! While the physical moves were…read moregreat to have under my belt, the cerebral lessons were just as helpful (i.e grooming behaviors, setting boundaries, how to say no). We had a small group so class was more conversational and we could ask questions anytime. I highly recommend Joanne's class if you're thinking about brushing up on your self defense skills or are not sure where to start! I now feel more confident out in the world after taking this course. Thank you for all that you do!