I ALWAYS wanted to train in the past but was VERY discouraged when walking into MMA gyms. Been in…read morecouple gyms and to walk in is VERY intimidating. All eyes on you people give you that look like "WTF u doing here" OR they try to show off and start going hard in sparring.Everyone is trying to out beat the other guy, AND they are on the same team! So I gave up the hope of training and getting into it....... But 5yrs later THANK GOODNESS I met Coach Kevin Yoshida at his other job Heavy Metal Barbell! VERY NICE GUY! I checked out his School and MAN LET ME TELL YOU! The place is like a Family! EVERYBODY is so nice and everyone is ALWAYS opened to helping the other guy out! They dont tolerate bad behavior or fighting, so this school has no punks or guys that think they the sh!t!.... HMC gave me a different out look on MMA gyms! HMC Coaches are TOP NOTCH! If you want to compete they must feel you are ready to OR go through the Color Shirt System. HMC is NOT LIKE OTHER gyms where you only train 1 month with no expierence and you ready to fight, the HMC Coaches will ALWAYS look out for your safety because thats their FIRST concern "SAFETY FIRST!" If you are looking to only get in shape and sharpen your skills, HMC is the place! HMC has people from ALL ages and ALL walks of life. So you will feel comfortable soon as you walk that door and jump in on the classes! YOU WILL FEEL A GOOD VIBE! AND THEY HAVE A COLOR SHIRT SYSTEM WHICH IS AWESOME! I trust HMC Coaches so much and have so much love for how HMC runs their school my 2 sons are training here aswell in the weekend kids classes! AND I DONT TRUST ANYONE with my kids, but your kids aswell as yourself will be in GOOD HANDS! TRUST ME!

Been training here for 4 months now, and I'm really enjoying it. I thought I was in shape the…read morefirst week and was exhausted. Now my cardio is much better, but it's quite a workout. People don't go full force to knock you out so don't be scared. All I can say is don't quit and stick in there if you want to learn; your body just needs time to adjust. Everyone is cool and goes to local mma events together, just like one big family. Most martial arts places don't give out prices on their websites, but I can assure you HMC has some really good ones. As for the cost, Leandro's BJJ is $70 I think and around $95 for monthly classes at HMC. If you are a student it's $80 which is what I pay monthly. There is a $50 initiation fee (every mma place has this). Drop in fee is $20 I think. It's a good deal compared to other places if you ask me; training on the mainland ranges from $100-$210 monthly. You can pay by cash, check, or monthly bank deposit. No BS contracts. The no gi BJJ comes with the price so you can learn grappling in addition to kickboxing if you want to do mma. I know some people who've just done this and have been successful in the ring. I prefer more instruction so I take gi jiujitsu. The schedule on the website hasn't been updated so check my picture for an updated version. HMC also has a branch in Kaimuki operated by Chris on Sunday only which you can pay a drop in fee if you're signed up with HMC Kalihi. They have grappling and kickboxing classes. There is also a Branch in Wahiawa operated by Haru that meets MWF at noon and evening and has Leandro Nyza BJJ on Tues/Thurs. They teach boxing, kickboxing/muaythai, and mma classes. Haru is also a native Japanese speaker and frequently has students from Japan coming down to learn from him. People are still signing up even though the new UFC BJ Penn Gym opened! The UFC Gym might offer all the mma classes you will need, but I still come here because the boxing/kickboxing instruction is more advanced for my level and the quality of training partners and instructors are much better, taking my game to the next level.

To give a fair review, I have to compare Legacy Muay Thai to another Muay Thai school. Prior to…read moretraining here at Legacy, I trained at another traditional Muay Thai school (Sorry I don't want to name because my good friends still train there) at UH for about 3 months. I would still be training there but the price was too steep and the training days were Friday and Sunday night, which isn't the most accommodating. Based on a recommendation from a personal trainer from 24 Hour fitness I decided to give Legacy a try. Pros: 1-White mats in the gym. White symbolizes cleanliness and purity. 2-Coach Ivan Flores-Teaching and coaching are based on the same principles. In Coach Ivan's case, he's is an excellent coach/teacher. Whatever striking combinations he demonstrates, he always gives reasoning to support his combos. He demonstrates, explains, gives reasoning and then demonstrates again to make sure everyone understands. Exactly like a teacher in a classroom. He also walks around and makes sure everyone is doing it correctly. His demonstrations are a beauty to watch. Its Muay Thai in its most purest form. 3-Coach Ivan Flores (again) -Striking Coach for UFC Max Holloway. Nuff said. 4-If you pay the unlimited membership, you can train JiuJitsu with Rylan Lizares (another 5 star coach) as well. 5-Rest of the team members are super cool, no attitude. This place has a warm, friendly and family oriented atmosphere. 3 classes, 3 Levels Beginning, intermediate and advance. Men and women train together. 6-Next to Savers. In case you forget your shorts you can buy one for $5 if you don't mind the stank. 7-Next to Sack and Save if you need water or something to eat. 8-They compete (in street terms SCRAP legally). If you want to test your skills we compete in the FIL-AM Man Up Stand Up fights. 9-Cool background music-Jiujitsu coach Matt plays and excellent mix of music on his iPod. CONS (none really): 1-Homeless people lingering around. They are pretty much not a threat, but there was a homeless lady who I witnessed taking a $hit behind a tree (dry heave) However, she no longer hangs around. 2-One bathroom (but there is also a shower). No biggie. You can always go to Burger King to use the bathroom too. 3-Street parking (but I've never parked more then a block away). 4-They ran out of Legacy Muay Thai shirts. :( TIPS: If you are in the beginning class, find a partner who has some experience holding pads and knows some technique. When I first joined I got kneed in the groin. Lucky it wasn't in my nutsack he got me on the shaft. Stung like a mofo. On another incident, my partner missed the Thai Pads and kicked me in my pelvis. WTF! It was then I decided to move up to the intermediate class since I already had 3 months training. I've been here for a year and a half now and Im so fortunate to learn from Coach Ivan. With his 20 years of experience he is highly knowledgeable. Its an honor and a pleasure to be a student at Legacy Muay Thai. 5 Stars without a doubt! Highly recommended.

I've trained with coach Ivan for about 10 years or more. We started off from M1 Martial Art &…read moreFitness along with the other coaches there. Ivan is a high level instructor and has a great IQ experience on striking. He has developed great local amateur mma fighters and pro fighters such as Max Holloway, Yancy Mederios, Dustin Kimura, Tyson Nam & Keoni Diggs, Jeremy Santiago & many more. Through out the year's training at Legacy Muay Thai my Muay Thai has developed tremendously, I feel confident with my skills and experience from what Coach Ivan has taught me. I highly recommend if you're looking for a Muay Thai gym in Honolulu.

Classes are very well run and safe! Very nice and helpful coaches. Ample mat space, changing rooms…read moreand very clean!

Gracie Technic Jiu-Jitsu was an incredible experience. My 15-year-old son from California called…read moreahead to ask about doing a drop-in class while we were visiting Honolulu, and they were extremely welcoming and accommodating. From the moment we arrived, everyone was friendly and made him feel right at home. Matt went out of his way to take care of Brenden and made sure he had a great experience on the mats. The instruction, atmosphere, and hospitality were all top notch. If you're visiting Honolulu and want to get some training in, this is absolutely the place to go. Highly recommend!

Fitness kickboxing from a non-martial arts place is like giving a starving man cotton candy. It's…read moreinsubstantial, fluffy, and not particularly good for you. So years ago on one of the work trips here, I knew I needed to sustain an illusion of regimen, but I couldn't bare to take myself to one of those pansy aerobic classes. I came across an old article (http://www.midweek.com/content/columns/onthemove_article/fitness_kick/) and went to the Chinatown Cultural Plaza location. Not only can the one-hour class be a gut-wrencher (and a quadricep crusher and an arm-twister), you get to jump rope, do mountain climbers, and hit/kick pads on a rooftop under a Hawaiian sky. Doesn't get much better than this. The instructor Danny keeps the class moving from jump-rope drills to warm-ups to partner exchanges. The drop-in rate is only a jaw-dropping $10. Bonus: The class right before is the cute little kids' class (yes, as opposed to the ugly little kids class). Nothing like seeing a bunch of eight to whatever year olds getting a little discipline, and seeing girls and boys hit each other without shrinking.

If you are looking for a great martial arts program for kids then Kempo Unlimited is the place…read more Most places teach only one type of martial arts especially children's programs. Here, they teach traditional values like respect, honor and discipline but are up to date and progressive in their martial arts techniques. Very rare to find in a martial arts school that combines the best of both traditional and modern. The kids program includes Jiu Jitsu, grappling, stand up techniques as well as self defense techniques. Also, they incorporate fun and innovative drills for kids. All in all, a great martial arts school.

Located in the heart of historic Chinatown, Wing Chun Club is an amazing place! The lineage of this…read moreKwon traces back to Ip Man, the legendary Sifu of Bruce Lee. Instruction is given directly to his students by Sifu Z, who is phenomenal! A couple of note worthy facts: 1) Siu Nim Tao, the first system in Wing Chun tones and strengthens muscle groups and helps maintain or regain both physical and mental focus and balance using zero negative impact. Meaning, it's a great way to get in shape, without worrying about sustaining injuries. 2) Wing Chun is a formidable method of self defense, especially for women. Come and check it out, Wing Chun Club is the real deal!

Most effective self defense training out there. Sifu Z has been trained in numerous martial arts…read moreand combines elements of each into a fun and focused training program that produces fast results.

Used to attend. Awesome controlled environment of friendly people. Highly recommend it for keeping…read morein shape, keeping reflexes up, and trying out your style in a stand up point sparring kind of way. If you are looking to just WIN, it's not really the place to go. The people are friendly, the coaches keep things safe, and you learn how the different styles move. It's also good if you need to test your sparring against past/present point sparring champions.

The Honolulu Sparring Club is a melting pot of some of the best martial artists in the state of…read moreHawaii, open to all styles specializing in sport karate. Founded buy eight time international champion Ron Pohnel. We train/fight hard and have a great time doing it. Currently run by Ken Proctor.

My boyfriend loves this place…read more Learn from the best and train from the best! Ron and his trainers never fail to make you chuckle here and there... They are absolutely great at what they do. They customize your session according to your pace, skill type and tolerance while teaching you the art of boxing! Their prices are really good too compared to other places that dont even focus on you, one on one. Check out their website for more info, they train kids as well! Rapidfireboxing.com Try it or check them out in kalihi!

I spent about 6 months training at with coach Ron a few years ago. I've been meaning to write a…read morereview for Rapid Fire for a while. :-X I had done some martial arts before but I wanted to switch it up and try something different besides running and going to the gym. Coach Ron was amazing - a great teacher, patient but definitely no nonsense. He gave really clear directions and always demonstrated what he was talking about. I really enjoyed the flexibility this place allowed. All you had to do was show up between 4 and 8 and someone would be there to train you. And it was a good vibe, I didn't feel uncomfortable being there like at some gyms. (Ladies, you know what I'm talking about.) I'm not sure if these guys are still open, but regardless this place was amazing. Thanks Coach Ron! I just wish I got to this earlier.

Siu Lum Pai provides instruction in the Hung Gar and Choy Li Fut styles of Kung Fu as well as…read moreprovides Chinese Lion Dancing for special occasions (ie - weddings, parties, business openings, etc). For those of you interested in learning the martial arts, the great thing about Siu Lum Pai that sets it apart from other Kung Fu schools is the size of the school. It has four branches on O'ahu (Kalihi, Kapahulu, Waipahu and Kaneohe). The Main Branch offers classes 7 days a week and has classes both in the mornings and evenings. Unlike other martial arts clubs on the island it is a FULL-TIME school. Classes are available for children and adults. Ages of students range from 5 years to 80 years. Instruction has a focus on the learning of traditional forms/sets including hand sets, weapon sets and sparring (both hand and weapon) sets. Weapons curriculum include the Chinese broadsword (dao), staff, spear, Kwan Dao, tiger fork, butterfly knives, double-edged sword (gim), chain whips and three sectional staff. Self-defense techniques are extrapolated and learned through the application of movements in the traditional forms. With over 30 hand, weapon and sparring forms to learn you can easily spend several years learning the basics of the system and many years thereafter mastering it. For those of you looking for a Lion Dance for your special occasion, the Siu Lum Pai lion dance and demo team is available to help you celebrate your special occasion. Dance rates are comparable to other lion dance troupes and the team will work to ensure your special occasion gives off without a hitch! I used the Siu Lum Pai lion dance team for my wedding back in 2003 and later joined the school as a student in 2005 to begin my kung fu training.

Loved the training and friends I have made being a student for 40 years …read more I have made friends for life who have trained together and fought together and ageist either other

Kru Dan & Chad are incredible. As someone who has trained Muay Thai Boran for many years under Kru…read moreSuphan, visiting Muay Boran Hawai'i is the. Real. Deal. I've trained with world class fighters, and have trained all over the states as well as in Bangkok. If you want quality, traditional instruction, drop by and say hello. Simply walking into the gym I felt like I was "home." What a fantastic experience. 10 of 5 stars; would recommend to everyone.

Kru Dan, Coach Chad and now Coach Ikaika are great instructors at Muay Boran Hawaii. Their…read moretechnical expertise and personable natures attract students from various backgrounds. I'm learning a martial art that is both beautiful and lethal and has improved my health in terms of durability and longevity. I got t-boned 3 years ago at a high rate of speed, not survivable by some. The controlled impact from our classes prepared my body to withstand the trauma. And when I was most consistent with their training, my pulse rate got down to 47 bpm. At 65 years old now they accept my limitations while encouraging my progress. They attract awesome students too!

K-Team is such an amazing place! My boy has been going here for a month now and has learned so…read moremuch. Scott and the other K-Team coaches have taught my son more than Jiu-Jitsu in that short time. Through the discipline, obedience, and attention, the difference from when my son first started till now is unbelievable. The lessons are priceless and I couldn't be more grateful! My son is much more confident and happy since starting and looks forward to every class. Thank you K-Team

If you want to learn the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then you need to look no further than this…read more This school is lead by Sensei Rodrigo Gracie Jr who was born in to the family that pioneered the art; the Gracie Family. Many people claim to teach Jiu Jitsu but very few can assert a life time of learning to show a student the art developed by their people. It's a unique and very fortunate opportunity to train under Professor Rodrigo. Don't miss out.