Wow, where do I start..? I love this place! Awesome facility with wood trimmed walls, high…read moreceilings, and traditional tatami mats over a spring floor. The lounge area provides a nice environment for pre/post training discussions. You could spend all day here cause it doesn't feel like a gym. Central location and nearby free parking, which is always a plus. You get so much value as a member. The instruction is top notch. You quickly develop real practical skills and are challenged in the best of ways. The community is welcoming, supportive and fun to train with. I'd come everyday if I could. Highly recommend!

Don't let the unassuming frontage fool you. Once you enter, it's like Mr Miyagi's dojo inside!…read more The foyer is totally Eastern zen and the expansive dojo has real tatami floors. The owner and main instructor Jesse Blue is ask excellent teacher who instructs JKD, Kali Eskrima and has many male and female students. On Sundays, Adam Chan teaches practical Wing Chun and he is one of the best teachers of martial arts that I've ever met in 25 years. Vancouver is lucky to have such a beautiful martial arts school right in the center of the city!

Just skip this place. Zero patience…read more Very expensive Who calls anyone master? Very little space to observe, sit etc. Extra cost for testing and belts.

Location: Convenient/easy access by buses such as "41," "43", Cambie "15" or Canada Line. Parking…read moreout front on Cambie street. Service: Excellent Taekwondo School!! Been training here for 1 year and it's the best exercise - physically, mentally, spiritually, cognitively etc I've ever experienced in my whole life!! Master Alan Azizi is inspirational beyond words & highly supportive all around. The Instructors are friendly, patient, kind & wonderful Leaders. Safe & family-friendly environment for all ages. Training at Vancouver Martial Arts builds self confidence, improves self esteem, improves physical fitness, practical for everyday self-defense, builds or hones leadership skills and so much more! Truly life changing......highly recommend for anyone, any age, any fitness level! Value/Pricing: Completely comparable with other similar Martial Arts schools.

I've been practicing with Master Yuan for many years. There are so many different forms, weapons…read moreand styles to learn, you'll never get bored. I started with Kung Fu and I have gain so much strength and flexibility since then. The practice has been a great complement to my other physical activities such as running, cycling, and yoga. I have recently become hooked on Tai Chi and Qi Gong, the philosophy is deep and the practice is invigorating. Master Yuan really knows how to take your physical capacity to the limit. He teaches in Mandarin so if you can speak or understand Mandarin, it would be advantageous to you but not necessary. The classes/instructions are all translated by his teaching assistant Joyce. I don't speak Mandarin but do fine in the class. It's definitely a must try.

During my last class, the instructor and owner spent a significant portion of class time discussing…read morehis personal life -- specifically, a family situation involving his goddaughter's relationship -- rather than focusing on instruction. At one point he physically hit me with frustration about it, which felt inappropriate and uncomfortable. At the end of class, he made a comment about Valentine's Day that included language stereotyping single women. I calmly suggested he consider different wording. His response was defensive and loud -- he raised his voice in front of other students, repeatedly told me not to "accuse" him, and pointed to a pride flag on the wall as evidence of his character. I stayed calm throughout and clarified I wasn't accusing him of anything. The interaction ended without resolution. I left feeling shaken. We crossed paths several times afterward and he never acknowledged what happened. I found the experience to be unprofessional and, frankly, distressing -- particularly because I had chosen this class as a safe, welcoming space.

Westside's new location is even better than before. The new schedule has added classes to make it…read moreeasier to get great training sessions in. Super workout, awesome atmosphere and people. 5 stars for Westside Kickboxing!!!

I have been to some of the more expensive gyms in town, and while towel service and mirrors are…read morenice, this place will get you in shape faster than anything else. If you have a sense of humour, you'll also have a good time. The most popular class is cardio kickboxing, which is a fitness class with a focus on core, legs, and pushups. In addition, there's some partner drills. Two things make it way better than the other boot camp style classes I have taken. First, George has spent years training as an Olympic swimmer and then kickboxer in Russia, and he brings these advanced techniques to the gym, so the workout is more efficient and more effective than the typical trainer who got a three month personal trainer certificate. Second, this is really functional: it's the drills you would do if you were planning on kickboxing. You will get a lean, toned kick boxer body very quickly. One girl who has never worked out started just after me, and in two weeks I could see the difference. My partner last week was a young looking fifty year old guy, who lost twenty pounds in six weeks doing this workout. The people in the class range from out of shape mom types, to SFU students, along with a few kickboxers who stay for the kickboxing as well. Mostly women in the class, but I can usually find a guy to partner with. The best deal is the monthly unlimited, and for an extra $20 or so, it lets you try all the classes. Just for fun, I have also tried the kickboxing class, which turned out to be great. I had taken a few martial arts (karate, judo) classes as a kid. These classes focus on the basics, and he teaches it so the techniques really make sense. He usually throws in a story about some guy getting hurt in the ring for doing the wrong technique, but it comes off funny, not scary. I don't plan on ever stepping into the ring, but it's very cool to finally learn the right way to throw a punch and a kick. The third option is the self defence class, which is very different. You won't sweat in this class, but you will learn practical moves, which appear to work. Again, I hope to never get in a fight, but it's fun to learn. I'm a firm believer that a good teacher makes all the difference. I really like George: he's highly qualified, he's definitely tough enough, but he's also very funny, in a very Eastern European way. Even if you don't live in the neighbourhood, it's worth a trip to check this place out.

I hate working out. I'm the one happily sitting in the pub scarfing back nachos and beer while…read morewaiting for my friends to finish their hot yoga/boot camp/crossfit classes. I reluctantly decided to start exercising, just to try to avoid all those yucky medical conditions that attack couch potatoes. A friend suggested kickboxing so we tried out Reality Martial Arts and... I can't believe how much I like it. It's a great workout that's also super fun, which I honestly believed to be impossible. It's nice to know that all the exercises we do are specific to kickboxing training, instead of the random moves you do in regular fitness classes. Don't expect the bells and whistles of a fancy gym - this is for 'real' training. The instructors are great and welcome guys and gals of all shapes, ages and fitness levels - no need to feel intimidated here. The schedule is very convenient, with loads of evening classes. For those who want to focus more on fitness than technique, they have cardio kickboxing too. Definitely the place to go to have fun, learn a new skill and get a complete workout in a friendly and supportive environment. Never thought I'd say this about a gym but I love this place!

PRO-TIP: Thursdays are cardio days! My friends and I didn't know that LOL I've never felt my heart…read morerace like that and I'm fairly active. I did a free trial beginner women's kickboxing class with my friends instructed by Kees. The boxing gloves are complimentary for session use, at least for the trial. The facilities are really nice and we had a good time. Despite the class being relatively small in size, another coach stepped in to help supervise everyone and give tips. The coaches do push and encourage you, especially when you're starting to slow down. I like the wide range of martial arts that they offer and I can tell they're top-notch. Would recommend checking it out!

Im old and tired. But the boxing coaches welcomed me in and were pleasant, helpful and educating…read more I was sore after the first day, but excited to come back. The place was clean, had relevant equipment and trainers. They were kind enough to follow up with me. I will definitely be showing up atvthe gym again

On Saturday, October 11, 2014, Gracie Barra Vancouver & Raz Chan Fitness presented Women's…read moreSelf-Defense Seminar as a fundraising event for Battered Women's Support Services. Seventeen women attended and it was excellent!! Much gratitude to Raz Chan, Anica Simon, Max Rathburn, Norm Leung, Andrea, Robert and Carla. It was excellent!!

Before coming to Gracie Barra, I had already been a hardcore MMA fan for years. That said, I'd…read morenever really trained in martial arts before and the few attempts were awful: I tried wrestling in college, but the program at my school consisted of doing around 600 crunches and countless push-ups while rarely actually receiving any instruction on techniques. The judo program I tried was filled with "alphas" who were more intent on putting new guys through the floor more than anything else. As such, you can understand my hesitation about joining a martial arts gym again. It was something I was naturally curious about but, given my prior experiences, extremely nervous. So after doing a LOT of research about all the various schools in the Vancouver and Richmond areas, I settled on Gracie Barra and now, a year later, I cannot imagine having chosen any other gym. One thing that really sets GB apart from other gyms is how beginner friendly their method of instruction is. New students are paired off with more experienced students who are more interested in helping and encouraging more than anything else. If you're not in the best physical shape or have never trained in a martial art, this is hugely beneficial. It'll encourage you to keep going and ensure that you keep getting better, learning all the time. GB emphasizes the "family" aspect, which means that all the students are there to help each other grow, not crush each other to satisfy their egos. Because of this, GB has a really, really positive atmosphere that makes it easy to learn and that'll keep you coming back until suddenly, you realize that you're not the new guy anymore. That's another thing too: Gracie Barra has fantastic people. Whether it's the instructors or your fellow students, these are all people that you'd genuinely want to hang out with. Even if it wasn't at all something you were expecting or looking for when you joined, you WILL end up making friends here, from all walks of life. I cannot overemphasize how huge a boon this is, especially for beginners. The bottom-line is this: if you're really interested in martial arts and want to get in shape, give this place a try. It doesn't matter if you're grossly out of shape or laughably uncoordinated and clumsy; GB WILL make you better without EVER annihilating you or making you feel badly about yourself. If you're nervous about trying a martial arts gym, there is nothing to fear about GB: just great people and great instructors. As for the technical aspects: Gracie Barra's bread and butter is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and there are students and instruction at all belt/skill-levels, with classes divided accordingly. There are also classes for muay thai, boxing, and conditioning. The average Gracie Barra class follows this structure: Warm-up (5-10 minutes genuinely geared to WARMING YOUUP, not making you puke) Technique 1 (usually a takedown, demonstrated, then drilled back and forth with a partner) Technique 2 (something on the ground, either a transition, escape, or submission) Technique 3 (again, something else on the ground, generally a natural extension of technique 2) Sparring So yeah, if you're at all interested in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or curious GO TO GRACIE BARRA! You will not regret it. There is no gym that is more supportive to your growth both as a person and as a martial artist.

Muay Thai Academy is a new muay thai gym that just opened a couple of weeks ago. One of the owners…read moreis Adrian Shead, he is I believe from Thailand. He is currently the coach/trainer of "Petch" the current Glory & Rise World Champion. One of the top kickboxers in the world. Adrian has been coaching for over 20 years and has a world of experience. They have classes starting from 6:30am in the morning to 8pm at nite including kids classes. They have a boxing ring and lots of heavy bags. There are also lots of high quality Fairtex equipment (thai pads etc). The gym is very clean. The people here are very nice, no egos. There is street parking on the side streets. Can't wait for my next session.....

I just called to inquire about having my son join. Adrian answered the phone and was very helpful…read moreand friendly. We are going to check it out next week.

Want to change your life for the better ? This is THE place to become physically, mentally and…read morespiritually more than you ever have been! The instructors , the facilities and the location are superb. Leading the way of your personal transformation Sensei Amber Murphy and sempai Isaac will guide you to a new and meaningful existence as I have personally experienced. Forget the workout with weights and the repetitive jogging - this is the real deal when it comes to self defence . Don Jitsu is practical ,applicable and is a mixed style martial art that combines karate, judo jiu Jitsu , striking and weapons! They also teach a kick boxing , and yoga instruction for all members of your family. I've tried many, many different kinds of sport , fitness and self defence , but this is a way of life! YOU WILL LOVE BEING PART OF SOMETHING GREAT

We have been involved with Purple Dragon Kitsilano martial arts studio for 10 years, since 2005,…read morewhen our oldest son began training. Our middle son now has his black belt, achieved when he was 13 years old and our 11 year old daughter is aiming to achieve her black belt in the summer of 2017. We are thrilled with the program offered by Purple Dragon Kitsilano. Not only is it a physical work out for the students; the core beliefs and values that we as parents talk about with our kids, are also reinforced. The life skills are tenfold on many levels. As part of our involvement as a family with Purple Dragon, we travelled to Trinidad this last summer for our middle son's black belt testing with a team from the studio. What an amazing opportunity to be involved with such a positive experience. The life lessons our son learned from that one experience, along with the lessons learned over the past 7 years while participating at the studio have been outstanding. If you are thinking of beginning martial arts, certainly consider this studio, we highly recommend Purple Dragon Kitsilano.

Amazing amenities and shower space provided for members. As a gym itself I wouldn't recommend it…read morecuz it's pricy and it can get crowded after work hours and on the weekends. However if you take advantage of the unlimited workout classes it is a better bang for your buck compared to a monthly Lagree Pass. So it all comes down to what your exercise habits and needs are

Equinox is the best gym in Vancouver if you're looking for group fitness classes! They offer spin,…read morepilates, yoga, running, traditional group classes and they have the best instructors! Geoff Bagshaw is a standout! They also have great facilities (sauna and steam room) and nice products in the showers. Highly recommend if you're looking for a high end workout experience! #ContestEntry