The Yard and Yoshi are excellent. This review will hopefully be helpful as an update to how class…read moreis run (since class has changed a little). First my background: I've trained Muay Thai for two years (first time was in April of 2022). I've trained at 7 gyms: FLMT (Florida Muay Thai , OC MT, Team Oyama, Classic Fight Team, Rising Suns Thai Boxing, NELA Combat Fitness, and Boxing Works. My home gym for the last year was Boxing Works under the instruction of Coach Bryan Popejoy, where I trained 3-4 days a week and did one on ones once a week for about 3 month. I would've stayed there however I recently moved to Northeast LA (Highland Park) and the drive to Torrence for BW was too much (about an hour to an hour and a half drive there and 40 minutes on the way home). Whereas the Yard is a 6-minute drive from me with ample sessions. Second, class style: Classes are Monday through Friday: 8-9:30, 10-11:30, 4-5:30, and 6-7:30pm and then two sparring classes on Saturday from 9-10:30 and 11-12:30. As far as I'm aware, Yoshi teaches each class and he does an excellent job. At other gyms, I feel much more advanced then I do at the Yard. Lots of basic bad habits that I got into are getting fine-tuned and corrected. A typical class is organized in four parts: (1) Cardio: A five minute round of jump ropes and then a 30 minute cardio session where we jog, sprint, do knees, teep across the mats. (2) Bagwork We then do several rounds of shadow boxing where Yoshi will make small adjustments to our form. From there, we all go on the heavy bags and practice whatever we want to work on for several rounds while Yoshi works one on one with us on pad/mitwork. This is where I think the Yard shines. If you go to a class with few students, you are essentially getting a free one on one. When you're not working one on one with Yoshi, you are working the bag. (3): Drills/Sparring From there, we work on a specific technique through partner drills and then light technical sparring. Yoshi is very attentive as he goes around and makes adjustments and suggestions. On Fridays the technique is clinch focused; which is really great. Many gyms in Southern California lack emphasis on the clinch. (4): Burnout/core work: We end with 3 minutes of ab/core work and then a minute plank. Sometimes we will burnout with skip knees on the bag. Overall: An excellent choice. I can't speak to how it would be for a beginner, as I came with two-years of experience. I imagine it would be a great place to start. Potential cons: I do not see people doing drills on thai pads (where one partner holds pads and the other hits). Typically, a Muay Thai class is 1 hour. At the Yard, it is 1.5 hours. Which means its a little more demanding. At this point, I cannot train every day even if my schedule allowed it because my body and cardio is just too shot. I imagine with time, that'll change.

I dropped in twice. First time I didn't stay for any training as the instructor said he wouldn't be…read moreinvolved that day. He said that was typical for weekends. Came back on a weekday and stayed for training... he was barely involved in training that day. I understand how someone might think he is rude but I wouldn't go that far, really he just comes off as checked-out and not interested in his gym / business. The session is about 1/3rd combat sport related. The other 2/3rds is light cardio drills you can do in your own home. The other attendees are more willing to help and with that I would say this place serves more of a sparring club than a serious training gym.

Boxing gym in the heart of Little Tokyo with: -A clean…read morefacility -World-class coaches; Especially Rudy and Junior, who really care about boxing -Plenty of Bags, a boxing ring, and a small gym, this has everything you need. -A great culture. This place is beginner-friendly, a great place to learn boxing, and you aren't "cannon fodder" in sparring.

Great new gym. Nice and clean location…read more The trainer Rudy is super knowledgeable and you can tell he respects and loves the craft. There aren't many places where you can walk in and get training from someone who trains boxing world champions.

I've been doing Muay Thai for 14 years, give or take…read more Most of that time was spent doing it one-on-one with trainers, which was awesome for personal attention and scheduling, but expensive and hard to stay consistent with. But they were able to be patient with me, to explain things repeatedly--I'm very visual and super literary but much less intuitive when it comes to athletics--and this helped me learn the basics of the art of Muay Thai. And then my last trainer got too busy to keep going. So I tried a bunch of Muay Thai gyms, never really finding anything that matched the return I got from 1-on-1 training. Then one day I spotted NELA Combat Fitness on a Figueroa corner and got intrigued. I tried a class and loved the energy of the space. Highland Park is a wildly creative area, and the experience at NELA Combat Fitness mirrors this: The people are diverse, upbeat, inclusive and very dedicated to the art of Muay Thai. You might find a 50+ year old like me training with someone in their early 20s, and this dynamic is always approached respectfully. Ed, the owner, is a true gem of a human being: warm, funny, and with deep history with and knowledge of Muay Thai, and he teaches with a razor sharp eye and the communication skills to help keep things safe and to level up your game. The gym itself is spotless, well-designed and comfortable. One way that the absolute courtesy with which the gym operates shows up is when we go return Thai pads or kick shields: cleaning wipes are shared and pads are stacked in an orderly way. Every teacher approaches class a little differently, but if you show up, know that you are in for a wonderful workout that is easily tailored to your skill level. The music is always different and always good. You will be inspired to push yourself beyond your limits, outside of your comfort zone. You will grow, you will sweat, and you will learn. And you will emerge a stronger person. And about Muay Thai overall? It's the best. I feel elevated and calm afterwards, able to take on anything life throws my way with compassion. That's the irony - punching, kicking, elbowing and kneeing it out for an hour actually makes you a calmer, kinder person. Your baseline is reset and your cardio and strength gets better and better. I truly feel like I've found a gym that I want to stay a part of. Thank you, Ed, and thank you NELA Combat Fitness community.

I have been coming here for about a month and have nothing but great things to say about the gym…read more Always clean and tidy plenty of equipment available. Coach Ed is amazing this gym is truly for all levels from beginners to more experienced. & everyone there is super welcoming and more than willing to help. I totally recommend checking the gym out!!!

This is hands down the best gym in Los Angeles. I've trained at a lot of gyms in the area, so I…read moremean that. Background: I've been training pretty consistently for about 6 years. When joining a gym, most people are looking for three things: 1. Great coaching 2. Safe competitiveness (no ego sparring) 3. Friendly community Mana checks every box Coach Al is a master at this fighting game. He doesn't favor any particular style and will make sure you become the best technical fighter in this city. He genuinely wants every person in the gym to become the best fighter they can be and will invest the time and energy to help you reach your own personal goals, whether that's getting in great shape, becoming a sparring superstar, or competing. Every coach at this gym carries that same energy. All of them are warm, knowledgeable, and detail oriented. The community speaks for itself. Go look at their Instagram and you'll see all ages, all genders, beginners to top level fighters. The coaches do a great job integrating everyone. The sparring culture here is great. Coaches emphasize communication and playfulness. You can go at whatever level you want. If you're looking for competition, there are (friendly) monsters at this gym. If you want to go light, you can find that too. If you come to Mana, you will become a better fighter.

Team Mana Muay Thai is a fantastic place to train. The sense of community with the members is…read moreunmatched. My friends and I went in for a trial session and had the best time - absolutely plan to continue one day.

Yay! I get to be the first review! Coach Jojo is phenomenal. I especially love and appreciate her…read moretraining because of the attention to detail, form correction, patience and just her overall investment in us. I feel physically and mentally safe with Coach Jojo and that contributes to my progress, focus and health. She has the perfect balance of encouragement and accountability. Train with her!!! It's life changing

From the owner: Technique-focused boxing sessions that are fully customized to your goals and experience level -…read morethoughtfully designed to help you level up and build your skills in striking, defense, and footwork. Personal training in strength, resistance, and mobility training, designed to help you feel better, strengthen mind and body, and see results you can be proud of. Here to support you in your movement journey so that you can be consistent, trust the process, and enjoy the journey.

LAKO has become a sanctuary-like place for me. it's a fun and supportive environment with great…read moreenergy in the air. They play the best music to get you moving and each time I walk out of there with a big smile on my face and feeling so grounded and grateful. Yuichi is a gracious guy and the staff and coaches are amazing people who do a great job of motivating others, and making everyone feel like part of the pack. They offer numerous daily group classes, excellent private training, open gym with great equipment, training camps, and kids classes, just to name a few. They also participate in various community supportive efforts from animal advocacy to families in need, to toy drives....they do it all. Not sure what else one can ask for from one place. Thank you guys, much love

There is no other place in NELA like LAKO. Don't let the fact that it's a boxing gym intimidate…read moreyou. Everyone there from front desk, to trainers, to the other members are not only friendly and welcoming, but they make you feel strong and empowered every time you walk through the doors. And you leave feeling even better. The classes are suitable for people of all skill levels and you have your choice of boxing, kickboxing, bootcamp and sparring. The trainers are top notch (shout out to Justin!). If you're looking to get in a workout between classes, they have cardio equipment and weights. There's a recovery room for sports massage and compression sleeves, etc. Rates are competitive, bathrooms are always nice and clean, music always bumping and if you're lucky you'll get to meet Koko the mascot :)

It's the @light_skin_dragon coming to you for a well deserve sweat and my first time coming to this…read moreboxing gym. I brought my friend/brother Gary and we had an amazing first time here. There was free stuff they were giving away and had a great coach the owner of the gym Alex and his lovely wife was there as the receptionists. Alex taught the class which was close to a hour long. And I felt the exercise which motivated me to learn techniques of boxing again.

Nice and clean boxing gym in the heart of DTLA. Lots of street parking available and they offer…read moreeither monthly memberships or single day pass. New guest can receive one free day pass that includes class and equipment rental. So come bring your family and friends over for a free trial. 5/5 stars City of Angels Boxing!

I have been to few different gyms. Some include Krav Maga Unyted DTLA, selva, and UFC. I have never…read morefelt a true sense of community before fight academy. Not only that but everyone is truly humble from the PROS who train along side you, to the PROS who train you, to the amateurs that are learning with you. The facility is always clean and doesn't have that strong smell that makes you think twice about your choices. I don't feel like I'm going to get ringworm like I did at other gyms. The coaches are constantly cleaning the mats and the equipment is not old and dated. Everything is fresh and new. Every person is always in a good mood and there are no bullies here. It says a lot about a places when people are throwing and receiving punches but still there are smiles everywhere. There definitely are elite level fighters but no one takes Advantage of anyone. No one will make you feel less than. Everyone is there to learn from each other. Definitely the best!

I cannot stress how much I loved my time at Fight Academy Pasadena. I had been training for 5 years…read moreat different gyms (jiu jitsu) before finding Fight Academy and I stayed there for the last 2 years I was based in LA. EASILY the best training, community, vibes, and biggest improvement in my fitness and combat sports training was here. Savant leads an amazing team of coaches!

I'm entirely new to not just jiu jitsu, but martial arts as a whole. Found this gym via Yelp and…read moreCoach Chris was very welcoming with regards to just coming in, trying it out for a few weeks, and seeing how I like it. (probably with regards to how I deal with contact and all that) Experience thus far has been great. Everyone is very supportive, Coach Chris is ultra passionate about BJJ, and the class sizes are small enough for more attention to detail and more time spent practicing and sparring. And on top of that, it's a great workout. Parking is a cinch, and adult classes are Mondays and Thursdays. Just message them on their Facebook page if you have any questions and they'll reply promptly.

Great school, coach Chris is very personable. Small classes so you get lots of one on one attention…read morefrom the coaches. The classes are geared for the beginner and advanced students, followed by 30 minutes of optional sparring after each class. Kids classes are awesome, they have a great atmosphere. Month to month no contracts, which is great, the month to month is extremely affordable compared to most BJJ schools. Also, there are discounts for multiple family members.

LOVE THIS GYM! I've never felt comfortable at gyms before, but this place is like joining a family…read more People are all really cool, respectful, and absolutely no judgment. Everyone supports each other and every single instructor is as good as it gets. Gym is clean, restrooms are clean. There are showers and lockers, hairdryers too! Literally everything you need in a facility. They have CrossFit, Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, Etc. My favorite it jiu jitsu, and the sensei (and owner of the gym) has a passion for jiu jitsu that really shows in his expertise and knowledge. He and all the other instructors regularly compete in tournaments and take master classes to keep their skills up to date. Membership costs are the same if not lower than other MMA gyms and your membership pays itself off within a week of classes. Classes are easy to sign up for, they have an app and create a profile for you when you sign up to the gym. Never had any issues with it! As for parking, what can I say, it's Downtown Los Angeles and it's no different than any other gym. There's street parking and two pay lots nearby. I've never had trouble with parking, you figure it out after the first couple times.

Rise to me in many ways has been the greatest investment ever, I've learned so much here…read more Not only are you part of a community with people trying to improve right by your side but rooting for other members is something thats natural here , we see each other win As much as I love coming here all week , I wouldn't have the excitement to show up if it wasn't for all of coaches ! They are the main reason I come back , being able to evolve and create a passion here is something that has only been possible due to the fact that our coaches are always rooting for us !