TLDR: I've had the opportunity to train at several Krav Maga schools in New Jersey and Texas, and…read morenone can compare to Englewood Krav Maga. This is absolutely the best Krav Maga school in the state, by an extremely wide margin!
At EKM, the curriculum is both comprehensive and cumulative, building on the basics with practical techniques that are designed for real-world street defense applications. The modern facility is always immaculate, spacious, and well lit. It is equipped with everything required to train in this art. There is a full schedule of classes, so students can get plenty of reps in each week.
What sets Englewood Krav Maga apart from any other school I've ever experienced are the teachers. Mr. Juan Berrios, the head instructor, is a very passionate and refreshingly direct coach with a keen eye for detail. He sets expectations and standards at a very high level, and we students strive to meet it. The school's culture is one of traditional formality and strict etiquette. Under his guidance, we train very intensively, but always safely. As a teacher, Berrios pulls the best out of his students, and before long they are performing at levels they didn't know they were even capable of. There is no higher praise to give to a teacher than that!
Ms. Lee teaches the kids and adult beginners, carrying on the school's legacy to each new generation of students. Over the years here, I have personally watched timid little children mature into young adults who can defend themselves quite competently. The kids learn discipline, perseverance, and how to stay calm under pressure - all valuable lessons that will improve their lives both inside and outside of the dojo.
There are no shortcuts at Englewood Krav Maga. It's not a belt factory, or a place where everybody gets a participation trophy just for trying. It's not a school where students are sold a false sense of security, or allowed to pretend that we can run before we can actually crawl. There are no classes taught by low ranking "assistant instructors" here - it's Berrios' first-rate instruction, consistently, night after night. In short, it's unapologetically old-school here, and thank God for that!
If a student is willing to put in the time and sweat required to learn and practice authentic Krav Maga, this place and its instructors are simply unparalleled. I am forever grateful to my teachers Juan Berrios and Ms. Lee for creating and maintaining such a stellar school for us students to train in. There is nothing like it anywhere else!