A welcoming and friendly environment. Inclusive to beginners & advanced levels. Kids & adults.read more

I am constantly blown away at the community that has developed at Shaolin Do of Austin! The Masters…read morehave gone out of their way to provide a wide array of online classes so that we can all continue to learn our Kung Fu and Tai Chi, and I know that they have more in the works. If you are looking for a place to learn martial arts, get in shape, or just meet some amazing people then this is the spot for you!

Hand down one of the best BJJ gyms I've been a part of. Very friendly environment and encouraging…read more Plus Professor Davis is a legend. He's excellent at breaking down moves and explaining how everything fits together. The facility is very nice as well. There's a shower and the mats are very clean too! Pro Tip: Come to the 7 am class. It's less crowded and the training partners are great. See you in the mat! 10/10 Gis

I have experiences with other gyms, both as 'home' gyms and as a visitor. My focus is on Gi…read morejiu-jitsu and while the schedule here is geared more towards the No-gi side, the quality of instruction is very high. The classes I've attended the most are the morning classes Professor Davis definitely has a lot of high level moves and concepts but breaks it down so that it's scaffolded to all levels. He's literally said 'you can stop here if you're comfortable.' He's also very accessible, both as an instructor and just as a human being. There isn't a rigid formality here so if you have a question or are frankly, lost like I frequently am you can just stop and ask for help without being afraid of being 'that guy.' I had to pause due to surgery/recuperating and it was as easy pausing my billing and being told if I needed more time to just let them know. I'm looking forward to get back on the mats and start training again-where I'm definitely going to have to ask a lot of questions.

This place changed my life. I came to this gym looking for high level mixed martial arts training…read moreand I found that and more. Ive been going to this place for years and getting to know Frank Ben was life changing for me, he taught me more than just fighting, he showed me a way of life that helped me evolve into a better person. Since joining I have successfully competed in MMA fights, Jiujitsu tournaments and real life scenarios that saved my life on the street. Franks curriculum is like no other and IFA Academy is a place that has become my second home.

Lovely! Came for…read morethe Mixed Martial Arts curriculum with a focus in wrestling and boxing, stayed for the people. I spend most of my free time at IFA right now, and can't think of a better place to do so. Lotta new friends with good knowledge on kicking ass. Everyone has a spare moment for you and a generous drilling attitude. Started with grappling, added striking and MMA, and now I'm in the Combat Conditioning class. Love each. The conditioning is a great send off into the weekend. Incorporates compound movements and yoga, which I appreciate. Solid spot.

After prepaying for a month, I walked away after two weeks. While I definitely need the exercise…read moreand I love Tai Chi with a passion, this school consists of one unacceptable teacher and his followers. He has very anti-American views and doesn't hesitate to say China or Chinese people are superior. That by itself wouldn't have driven me off as quickly as the rest of his behavior. He uses typical personality cult techniques of pitting students against each other, alternating praise and humiliation, etc. He railed against me personally, even attacking my balance which is poor due to a car accident, for ten minutes for asking one very appropriate simple question during his designated Q&A time when I was trying to learn a move. I was frankly stunned and waited until I got away from the situation to think through what had happened. I stepped back and looked at my experience in his classes as if I was an observer and realized what was happening. He claims to have the secret to longevity (Chinese alchemy approach) that he will share with a select few. Everybody else is a fraud according to him; he is the only true source of this occult knowledge. In the classes that I attended, he attacked Yoga, other Tai Chi instructors, former students, other forms of Tai Chi, America, etc. The only "good" according to his own statements is himself and those that follow him. He even talked about specific martial artists that he was sure he could beat up -- never had a tai chi instructor do that! Stay away from this school. There are way too many decent people and choices in the Tai Chi community to subject yourself to abusive behavior. Before coming to Austin, I have had the privilege of having world class teachers including the man who was the head of the Yang tradition at that time.

I have been a student of Jingyu Gu's for over 11 years. Previously, I studied Yang and Chen styles…read moreof tai chi in New Orleans, and prior to that, White Crane Kung Fu. What impressed me from the beginning was Dr Gu's emphasis on precision. He is careful to explain that you should not exceed your body's capabilities, but that you should do the form as precisely as possible within those capabilities. He doesn't talk much about philosophy or energy; he says that you must learn the form first, and that can take decades. Not just learning the moves, but training the body and the mind to unite and execute the form smoothly with perfect concentration. You are learning a comprehensive method of movement that is radically different from what most of us have learned previously. It is also incredibly efficient, especially when you learn to relax simultaneously. All this takes diligence, patience and time. While at times Dr Gu makes claims that seem incredible, I have experienced incredible changes in my physiology and psychology in the years I have studied with him. My body is more able to withstand extreme heat and cold, although not as well as Dr. Gu. I no longer experience intrusive thoughts or mood swings and can enjoy seated meditation, which has always been a challenge for me. And I have seen Dr Gu grapple with a man half his age for 30 minutes (informally) and stay relaxed and polite the entire time, while his challenger was exhausted by the end. Having been diagnosed at high risk for a heart attack, I perform cardiac stress tests annually on a treadmill. These are very intense cardio exercise sessions. I do not regularly perform cardio exercise, yet I regularly "pass" my tests with more than average scores for someone my age. This gives credibility to Dr Gu's claim that tai ji practice is as good or superior to cardio workouts. I happily tell new students that Dr Gu is the kind of teacher I never thought I would find--someone who truly understands the Tao and its application in tai ji chuan. The classes are very affordable, and if you are truly interested in learning and attend regularly, you may experience similar benefits.

I have been a student of Margie's for many years and she has taught me so much about Tai Chi. When…read moreI came to my first class with her, I knew nothing about Tai Chi except what I had read. Her experience teaching many students over the years has been invaluable to my tai chi progression. She has been taken me from a complete beginner to being able to practice several different forms on my own at home. I am very appreciative of her guidance and highly recommend anyone interested in Tai Chi to give her a try!

I have been studying tai chi with margie for about 6 yrs. If you have an interest in learning tai…read morechi, I highly recommend her. She has a way of breaking down the movements into concrete concepts and always emphasizes the need to have fun while learning. Her classes have changed my life.

Sensei Alec and Sensei Miles are outstanding instructors who genuinely care about their students…read more Their holistic approach to martial arts--strengthening mind, body, and spirit in every individual--is a refreshing change from most schools. This is the real deal: a true local gem. I can't recommend it highly enough. Words don't do it justice--just go see (and feel) the difference for yourself.

I was looking for self defense classes and came across the Matt martial arts , i never had any…read moreexperience in any martial arts or self defense so needless to say I was nervous. I started taking defensive options classes, bags and strikes. All the instructors here are outstanding and pay attention to each student. Alec is great instructor, who has been patient enough to deal with a beginner like me and at the same time incredibly skilled, knowledgeable, encouraging and motivating person who I trust and value. Another coach mat is Phenomenal, full of energy and motivational and training to improve the form and skill. Coach Lucy's HIIT classes are like "WOW! - tiring but really effective"! All teammates are a great group of people with good attitude, who have also been helpful and positive. The mat Martial Arts Fitness is a community of welcoming, knowledgeable and inspiring people. They offer so many stuff, self defense, MMA, Bags & Strikes, Kids Martial Arts, grappling, ground and many more for a very reasonable price but yet fine coaching. They don't have any contracts, you want to take a break, just say a word to Alec and he'll pause your payments. They offer free trial class so just give it a try, nothing to loose. I absolutely recommend the mat Martial Arts Fitness ( truly no experience needed).

We love Rebirth Martial Arts!! The expertise demonstrated by their instructors is unparalleled. I…read morehave been so impressed in the progress my student has made during his time with Mr. Mike and Ms. Wren. His skill set has expanded exponentially, and his commitment to his craft has been influenced in such a positive way. I'm grateful for all the positivity that has been poured into all of their students. I've watched kids that were near giving up their martial arts journey begin their instruction under RMA and proceed to become star students. I have seen the shift in my own student's attitude at home - ownership in other areas of his life that are gleaned from the practices he's learned here. Their attention to detail is excellent, and I'm glad they are investing their talents in our community. We are excited for all the awesomeness to come as we keep training with them - to black belt and beyond!

Mr. Mike is incredible! Not only has he proven to be an amazing martial artist and given my kids…read moregreat instruction to hone those skills, he also lives by the principles he talks about in class and brings out in each of his students. He holds the students to a high level, gives them all the tools and more to achieve it, and puts the same dedication and passion right back in time and time again. It's addictive, empowering, admirable, and exactly what I was looking for, and didn't even know it, as a parent. It's more than just classes a few hours a week, it transcends beyond the mat and dojo walls. My kids have blossomed under Mr. Mike's incredible instruction and we could not recommend him (and Mrs. Wren) more. Thank you, Mr. Mike! - The McNair Family

Seriously one of the best Karate experiences I've ever had! Kenpo is focused on self-defense,…read moremaking it very useful for anybody to learn. Every class is informative, fun, and a great workout. Instructor Cat is such a kind, understanding, and experienced teacher. She replies extremely quickly to any questions in and out of class, is very empathetic for everyone's story, and has an incredibly easy to lear style that really works. You will be hard pressed to find someone as passionate and skilled as Cat in Austin, and you'd be depriving yourself of a great experience if you don't at least try out Immortal Tiger. Plus, their new dojo just opened up on McNeil and 183, a beautiful space with plenty of room to practice and spar in, along with huge mirrors to make sure your form is correct. There's never been a better time than now to join, so stop thinking about it and just do it! I promise you won't regret it, not now, not ever.