I've been here 11 months, and I have to say that my experience at AFKA has been life changing. As…read morea girl, there's nothing more empowering than being able to spar and ground-fight with the guys. I never had upper body strength, and now when I fly on planes, I have little trouble lifting my 40 lb bag into the overhead bin. I feel safer when walking alone. I know self-defense skills, and I have the strength to back it up. I was upset by reading Lauren's review, and I recall the day she tried our class. I'm not going to go on a tl;dr tirade, but basically, martial arts is not for everyone. It's a contact sport, and the conditioning for your body is different than other sports. Yes we do sit-ups. Yes we do light contact sparring. Yes we do groundfighting, and you may just groundfight someone twice your size! We are very combat focused. If you can't handle lots of abwork, then try one of the many other fitness options offered in Austin. Each of our instructors have years of experience in various martial arts. I have complete faith in them. They are in tune with what is correct and proper technique. Training goes nowhere if you are injured. However, I stress that martial arts training is different from other sports you may have tried.

I've been taking tai chi classes at Austin Kung-fu Academy for a year. Santanu Rahman is an…read moreinstructor with infinite patience, brilliant teaching strategies, and good humor. Santanu challenges and supports all students' growing abilities and always has a new idea for teaching that is individualized to each class and to each student. Santanu is a master of the martial arts and he is also a master of communicating steps to growing your own practice. In addition to regular class times, Santanu holds "office hours" to help students individually. Santanu is one of the best teachers of any subject I've experienced, and I've experienced a lot of teaching in pursuit of my doctoral degree. In classes for students new to tai chi, Santanu strips the tai chi moves from the overall form to give you a good gentle work out. After students are comfortable with the individual moves, Santanu puts the separate elements together into the first third of the Yang 37 form. Once students master the first part of the form, the workout beginers' class splits into an advanced class that learns the whole form. As the advanced class learns the final moves of the Yang 37 form, Santanu introduces individual elements using a broadsword and gradually unites those moves into the broadsword form. Finally, Santanu has created a series of videos that work with his teaching. If you look at a commercial tai chi video the instructor always faces you. When you try to move with the video instructor you have to move in the reverse direction to get into the correct positions. This mental reversal is confusing for beginners. To address this problem in Santanu's videos he is facing away from the student and looking toward a mirror. In this composition the student watching the video is in the right alignment with the teacher and can see both his front and back. Pros: Brilliant teacher who provides individual extra teaching and videos for outside practice. Cons: None

Great gym and coaches. Been going off and on for a few months now and there's a great sense of…read morecommunity and clear instruction. Would recommend to anyone looking for a solid MMA gym in Austin.

Solid team and trainers with a a few active competitors/fighters. Female owned as well.read more

Judo - it's the art of folding clothes perfectly... ...while…read morethe people are still in them. This is a great opportunity for you and your kids. I have been bringing my daughter here and she has learned a lot and enjoys every single session. I now have started my second daughter and again so much fun for her especially with this being new for her in the grappling arts. The instructors are very patient and that is the biggest thing, you want to be in a place where they actually care about the growth of your child and your child having fun. Almost every time that they have a kids class they even play a game for them so I really like the commitment to fun.

Great local non-profit judo club open to all from beginners to competitors - friendly Austin-style…read morevibe!

Hands down, best choice we've made training at Triple Threat. EXTREAMLY friendly team who…read moreencourage, love and support us. I highly recommend Triple Threat Jiu-Jitsu. The professionalism and passion for what they do is second to none.

Triple Threat Jiu-Jitsu is my second home. I have learned a lot about jiu jitsu but even more about…read moremyself. I'm so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and attended class with Triple Threat. I love Jiu jitsu and my team. Don't tell my wife but going to Jiu Jitsu is my favorite part of the day.

We currently have a 4 and 9 year old attending both BJJ and Muay Thai. They are loving both…read moreactivities! Joe takes time individually with each student and is super calm with the kids. The kids are learning a lot and having fun. The facility is super clean and air conditioned. You do not have to sign up for a year before your kid have even started which, is helpful when starting something different and new for many kids. I highly recommend checking this place out!

If you're curious about Jiu Jitsu but feel totally intimidated by the sport, I can't recommend…read moreCoach Joe and Meta Martial Arts enough. I've been to some Jiu Jitsu gyms where everyone walks around puffed up and ready to dominate like they're training for the octagon next week. (At one of those gyms I actually left with a black eye and bruised rib during my trial week!) At Meta Martial Arts, Coach Joe was very patient with my inexperience. Even the other students had a great vibe to them, immediately making me feel welcomed. I have to say, Jiu Jitsu is definitely the best work out of my life. You leave somehow feeling completely drained of energy, but totally energized. I highly recommend giving Meta Martial Arts a try. If you've ever wanted to try the sport, this is the best place to get started and a great way to join a community of great people that are passionate and welcoming.

This Tae Kwon Do school has a new location, but has been in business since 1981. Master O'Connor…read moreholds a 6th degree black belt and is recognized by the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Besides regular classes this school offers after school care, where the children can do their homework and learn TKD! How great is that?! Also, ask about Woman's Self Defense classes, I know she offers those on occasion. Master O'Connor is patient and thorough, and teaches students courtesy, integrity, self control, perseverance and indomitable spirit in addition to Tae Kwon Do. Basically, to be the best person you can be. Dues are very reasonable in comparison to other schools and this school does NOT make you sign a contract, like some of the other martial arts schools in the area. This school deserves more than 5 stars, they have been a part of the community for many years and have served the community well. Its not too expensive, and definitely has a more authentic feel than taking TKD at your local YMCA or community center.

From the owner: Traditional Taekwondo helps people with flexibility balance confidence and self defense.read more

I've been training here consistently for almost two years now and it's an amazing gym with an…read moreawesome community and culture. I train 6 days a week and it's never a boring day. The instructors all have a great sense of humor and classes are always fun and engaging. They also have a good amount of female students so you won't have to worry about being crushed by men twice your size as often as other gyms.

My five year old just started here a few weeks ago and I must say I've been very pleased. I was in…read morejiu jitsu in my earlier years and I know the kids coaches can be a mixed bag sometimes although most all of the ones I had in the past have been great guys. The coaches at Village of Wolves have been some of the best kids coaches I've seen . . . so patient and kind with him especially coach Mike and coach Ivan but they also have the hard-to-find ability to be just the right amount of firm with him when they need to be with out being too harsh or using an angry tone and quickly back to business after saying what needs to be said and getting him back on track. They do an excellent job of keeping him safe and not letting him goof off too much for his and other kids' own safety but also not being too overbearing and giving him a little slack until it becomes an issue. Going here has really helped with his confidence and toughness. He used to cry or run to mommy for any little bump or bruise but now he's seeing that a little bit of discomfort isn't the end of the world. He can't wait to go every week. Great job guys and thank you!

Rising Phoenix Martial Arts has been an awesome place for our 10‑year‑old. He's been attending for…read morea couple of years now and absolutely loves it. The classes are fun, challenging, and have helped him grow so much in confidence and strength. He recently earned his green belt, and we couldn't be prouder. The instructors truly know how to motivate and support the students . The owners go out of their way to create a family environment! We highly recommend Rising Phoenix Martial Arts.

They were very welcoming to my granddaughters. They are looking forward to the 3 week trial!read more