I started attending Tukong Martial Arts this past summer and have been training for about four…read moremonths now. I wasn't sure what to expect coming in, but since the very first day, all the instructors, as well as my fellow student peers have been incredibly welcoming and encouraging. The school holds itself and its instruction to a high standard. It is evident that all the instructors at the school have a true passion for martial arts, and I thoroughly enjoy Master Ali's style of teaching. As an avid learner, the instructors' enthusiasm and expertise make it easy to not only learn something new every class, but also enjoy the training as well! There is so much knowledge and room for growth in Tukong - whether you're looking for self-defense techniques, weapons work, or philosophical teachings you can find it all here at the dojang. If you're looking to not only grow as a martial artist, but also join a family of warriors, I highly recommend trying out Tukong Martial Arts!

I have been training with Grandmaster Yi for over eight years now and my day feels incomplete…read morewithout training at the Dojang. One can distinctly notice the wealth of the curriculum. Grandmaster has a very traditional style of teaching but you will notice a very family-oriented environment for learning. Grandmaster Yi teaches compassion and philosophy along with the martial arts techniques. Without the philosophy, one can be a good fighter but not a warrior.

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.

My son was interested in jiu-jitsu, so we went to Brazilian Fight Factory (BFF) and signed him up…read morefor what was explained to me as a six-month series of classes. Unfortunately, what followed was a frustrating experience involving billing issues, poor communication, and a complete lack of consideration for the customer. During the first month, I was charged an additional $238 outside of what I understood to be the contract. I complained, and the money was ultimately returned to me through Venmo. Looking back, that should have been my first red flag. My son initially enjoyed the classes, but he was one of the only older kids in his class. I would not recommend this gym for children over 8 and under 14 based on our experience with the age mix and instruction. He also became increasingly uncomfortable with being regularly paired with girls. Jiu-jitsu necessarily involves close physical contact and being in another person's personal space, and this became a genuine concern for my son. I raised this concern directly with BFF's administrative representative, Ani, as well as the coach. I was told that my son was not yet big enough for the general class. I communicated to both of them that we intended to stop attending because the program was no longer comfortable or appropriate for him. I was perfectly willing to honor what I understood to be the six-month agreement. In fact, I accepted paying the sixth month even though my son attended zero classes during that month. I did not ask for a refund or an exception. I believed in honoring an agreement in good faith, and BFF therefore received $238 for a month in which it provided no services to my son because the gym could not comfortably accommodate him. Then I discovered the billing had continued. When I reviewed my credit card statement, I found that I had been charged for three additional months, totaling another $714, despite my having already had two conversations with the administrative representative about ceasing classes. At no point during those conversations was I told that I needed to submit a separate written cancellation request in order to prevent continued billing. When I escalated the issue to the owner, rather than taking responsibility for the failure of his employees to clearly communicate the cancellation procedure, he was adamant about enforcing what I consider a grossly disproportionate financial burden on the customer--leaving me out over $900 for services my son did not receive. What is particularly troubling is that the owner chose to hide behind a contract and cancellation procedure that I was not furnished a copy of, rather than recognizing that I had clearly communicated my intention to discontinue the classes to two employees and had already willingly paid for a month of unused services in good faith. My experience with BFF has left me with serious concerns about its billing practices, customer communication, and the way management treats customers when there is a dispute. If you choose to do business with Brazilian Fight Factory, I strongly recommend reviewing every charge on your credit card and getting every cancellation instruction in writing. Do not assume that telling their staff you are discontinuing classes is sufficient. Get confirmation of the cancellation procedure and documentation of the cancellation.

We have been coming to this location (NW Austin/Research Blvd) for 4 months now & in that short…read moretime there has be a significant change in not only all of our daughters' confidence levels but also in their focus & accountability at home and school. They always look forward to class & wish they were coming more than twice a week, this alone speaks volumes to the awesomeness of these instructors. It is like winning the golden ticket to find ANYTHING that all of my girls even agree upon more or less love. The instructors here don't just talk the talk, they truly walk the walk & are fully vested in the well being of their students. We had originally bought Groupons for the girls to try the school out, especially with the needs of our oldest who is visually impaired, and it was the best decision. Our daughter is the first blind student Mr. Maldonado or Ms. Azzarito has taught and it didn't deter them in the least. She received a lot of initial one on one time until she felt comfortable & confident enough with her basic forms & moves to join in the main class. They continue to find adaptions as needed for her but expect no less than any other student in class Mr. Maldonado is amazing with his students both big & small, he is quick with praise while still teaching with a firm hand. His upbeat energy resounds with the class & is highly contagious. Ms. Azzarito is incredible, she has a passion for working with people and goes above & beyond with the kids. We had an issue arise with one of our girls and Ms. Azzarito sat down with her to not only help her see how her choices & actions impact her directly but also those around her. They discussed cause & effect, better choices and Ms. Azzarito held her accountable, following up with her & making sure she has the support to help continue making smarter decisions. Ms. Bardin never fails to have a smile for you & has the patience of a saint. My 8 year old loves to ask a million questions & Ms. Bardin always answers every single one. Thank you!

Mr. Maldonado and Ms. Azzarito are wonderful teachers and really care about their students. You can…read moretell because they remember their names (way better than I could), make sure that all new students feel welcomed and accepted, and they make the kids feel good about themselves and their abilities. They make classes fun, but maintain discipline, and I am constantly amazed at how well they are able to work with all different personalities of kids. I could go on and on about their self-defense techniques, their concern with behavior in class AND at home, and the many times when I see the little students all the way from toddler to school aged reciting the Tiger pledge and speaking confidently and in unison. It really does choke me up to hear it sometimes. :) I hesitate posting TOO good a review because I want to keep them all to myself, but they truly are wonderful people, and the more kids that learn from them, the better this world will be!

Try this once and you will want to come back!…read more As a father of 3 kids, I always felt there would be a 'right time' to put my kids into some kind of martial arts, just so they would have some foundation knowledge of defending/protecting themselves against any kind of attack. I had no idea that it would become a family activity and something my kids not only get excited about, but want to practice by 'rolling' (Jiu-Jitsu term for folding clothes while a person is still wearing them) with daddy. We have attended about 6 family classes and I have also attended about the same adult classes. The instructors are extremely friendly and accommodate all sorts of experience and ages. The lessons are delivered in such a way to accommodate the wide range of students. The facility is extremely clean and is cleaned/sanitized after every class. The structure of each 1-hour class starts with a warm up, followed by about 40 minutes of lesson and practice where you a partnered with someone more experienced than you and take turns applying what was demonstrated by the Professor (the professor is what you might already think of as the sensei ("sen-say")). During this time, one person is really practicing while the other person is the practice dummy. You take turns practicing on the dummy. In the last 10-15 minutes you are again partnered with someone for a sparring session (this is more practice, only this time no one is the practice dummy). Finishing with some training related words of encouragement from the professor, and hand shakes/ fist bumps all round. I am still a little intimidated every time I step onto the mat, but I can feel it is dissipating with each class I attend. I can feel myself getting stronger both physically and mentally, and sincerely believe I am getting considerably more fit than if I was just lifting weights or doing cardio. Believe me when I say this... IT IS A WORKOUT! You can tell there is a sense of community here and everyone takes care of each other. No one is here to try and prove anything to anyone except themselves. My goal is to continue attending with my kids at least once a week in the family class, and at least twice a week in the adults class. At this stage I have no false ambition of becoming a UFC contender, although after a few more classes I would like to think I could at least protect myself against an unprovoked attack. I would encourage anyone to try this just once and see if it sparks a desire to learn something new like it did for me. I am enjoying this experience and feel like I'm getting better (more comfortable) with every class.

Sincere thanks to my instructors and teammates at Gracie Barra Lakeway for supporting a 'not so…read moreyoung' learner. Turned 58 today - started 2.5 year ago - and it has been an amazing experience! Have been learning a fascinating new skill, getting to know a great new set of friends, and...have lost a couple of pounds along the way - dropping from 226 (BM 30.6) to 186 (BMI 25.2) within the first eighteen months...thanks all! Highly recommended!

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

I've been a member of Fighting Fit / Austin Impact Jeet Kune Do for nearly two years, and I can…read morehonestly say that joining this gym was the best decision I made upon moving to Austin. I've always loved training in martial arts because it's a great way to get in an excellent workout all while focusing on continuous self-improvement, but I never imagined how much I would enjoy the community-focused gym environment at Fighting Fit. The coaches and fellow students are some of the friendliest and most welcoming people you'll ever meet, and there's something for everyone. For those wanting to meet their fitness goals and live healthier lives, the Fitness Kickboxing and Boot Camp classes are a fantastic workout, and the gym has a really active private Facebook group and frequently holds team challenges and other fun activities to keep you engaged and feeling like a part of the community. Coach Forrest and Coach Sarah even offer nutrition coaching to fully round out their holistic approach to helping members meet their health and fitness goals. Those interested in advancing their martial arts skills should also feel right at home. I can't say enough about how much I enjoy the Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes. I highly recommend checking them out no matter your previous experience -- the coaches and other students will work with you at your skill level, and you may even decide to start training for competition like some of our members. Learning from Coach Corey has been the highlight of my year, and I've genuinely loved going to class to learn and practice techniques with my fellow classmates (as well as to spar with the more advanced students). While I'm moving out of state and unfortunately can't pack up the gym and all its members in a box to take with me when I go, I will never forget my Fighting Fit family! I highly recommend this gym for anyone looking for a new one to call their own.

Can't get out the house? Dont live in Austin TX? Need guidance from people who really care?…read more Sifu (Teacher) Forrest of Austin Impact Jeet Kune Do invited me to a scheduled Zoom meeting this morning to learn about their "smartly" developed "1 Year "Athletic Muscle" Roadmap" program. I must say I am very excited about joining this well thought out and scientific based commitment to bring me personally back to my goals of desired weight, speed, functionality of my younger years. This not a hype program where one ends up in traction after 2 weeks. It is designed to start you on a path that is comparable to your commitment. I would suggest that everyone with a weight loss and workout dream, that has been shot down by life's twist and turns, get on Sifu Forrest's next call. You will be impressed by this functional and life changing plan to get literally moving from the darkness wanting, back to the light of having. https://www.austinimpactjkd.com/ https://www.facebook.com/AustinImpactJKD

Great place to start your learning in martial arts or pick up where you left off. Awesome community…read moreand terrific teaching!

I want to give a review as a student from both the past and the present at this establishment. My…read moreexperience with Master Martial Arts and Master Sam Um has been nothing short of incredible. I originally started practicing Taekwondo here when I was much younger, early through late middle school. I was always engaged in every aspect of the class: Master Um makes an unbelievable effort to ensure every student of his is properly trained and gets individual attention throughout the class time to heighten their skills. When I reached highschool, I stopped after achieving a red belt due to my schedule not fitting, but had always wanted to go back and continue training because the classes were so fun and useful. Now, at age 21 and a full time student in college, I have returned to train in TaekwonYusul. From my understanding, "Taekwon" means "striking" and "Yusul" means grappling. Master Um has created a new hybrid of the traditional martial arts (Taekwondo, Gonkwon Yusul, Brazillian Ju Jitsu, Judo) labeled TaekwonYusul to emphasize it's heightened practicality over other single-focus arts. This is hands-down one of the most effective and useful martial arts I've discovered through my years of experience, and incorporates techniques from other martial arts that just WORK. I would say that TaekwonYusul is more of a taditional style mixed martial art, which gives it an advantage over most other options. The classes are structured, we spar with padding and safety equipment every class, and you will 100% be accomadated to whatever skill level you start at. With my Taekwondo background helping in the striking areas, I was surprised by how quickly I was finding myself retaining grappling techniques. All of the other students are wonderful and very helpful, often offering to teach you more in depth technique if you seem to be having a hard time grasping any concepts. I was very surprised to learn that TaekwonYusul hasn't been proffessionally recognized as a new martial art, but I have no doubt that in a few years this will be practiced by gyms accross the world. As for Master Um, he is one of the best teachers and coaches I've had throughout my life, always attentive and eager to teach and ready to demonstrate a technique the moment you have a question. His credibility is unbelieveable, having over 40 years of experience with martial arts and winning many competitions for Taekwondo in his youth. He's trained over 5,000 students, and that figure is from when I was a kid. I just want to say that if you read this whole thing, please consider joining. It might be the most exciting and engaging thing you get to look forward to going to after school or work. Thank you Master Um, I look forward to continuing my training. Thanks for reading, Yelp!

Officially and finally opening Saturday September 7th!! Members will have easy access to the North…read moreAustin location besides all the other GBs around town.

From the owner: Gracie Barra Hutto is the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu martial arts studio in Austin. Ricardo Moraes, a…read moreBrazilian native, is dedicated to his students' growth as both a student and a person. He offers both kids' martial arts classes and adult martial arts classes for students from beginner.