I was hesitant at first because I dislike drama, but I feel like this gym needs to be held…read moreaccountable, and this is the only way I can do it. I started bringing my 5- and 7-year-olds here for just under a year. They loved it; they made friends; my daughter competed in and won a huge tournament. I had truly thought I had found a treasure for my kids to grow in. My children are young, and the instructors here will encourage you, as a parent, to help your kids follow instructions and practice the techniques they are teaching. I had been doing this with my daughter and son every time we went; it was completely acceptable and encouraged. This is where everything went horribly wrong.....My daughter was practicing drills with a young boy I had known for quite some time. She was using the sweep technique incorrectly, so I quickly got on the floor with her and said, "Grab his collar or sleeves." Stop grabbing the back of his head. I got up and went back to my seat, as I had so many times before. I did not speak to this boy or even look at him; I only communicated with my daughter. For some reason, whatever I said to my daughter upset this boy; his mom became irate, and they stormed out of the gym. I got a call a few days later from 2 of the main coaches: "Jesse, we watched the video, and you did nothing wrong, but you can't come back to the gym. They also have cameras that prove everything I am saying. But because this boy is now disturbed by what I did and has a mother full of vitriol and hatred, their solution is to kick me out of the gym for doing exactly what they told me to do. I am the only one who can drive my kids to practice; they can no longer do jujitsu here. If you have kids and want to get them involved in Jujitsu, avoid this place at ALL COSTS. I imagine they will respond to this and try to defend themselves, but it's all bullshit, and I have proof. I will not forget this. And if the "mother" reads this, I hope you feel better about yourself. I hope hurting my children helps you and your child feel better, truly I do, at least you get something out of it, right? You should be so proud of yourself. What a great mother. Read less

Great gym. A great space to try out jiu-jitsu whether you're a seasoned veteran or a nervous…read morenewcomer.

Bellingham MMA is not your stereotypical gym! It's the most welcoming and inclusive gym I have been…read moretoo. Seeing a pride flag hanging among the world flags is a huge thing for us openingly gay athletes in a sport that has a lot of bias. I am proud to be part of a Gym family that is also a safe space and embraces diversity as we learn to ground and pound!

From the owner: You don't have to be a fighter to train like one. We teach Muay Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu…read moreJitsu, and Full-Contact fighting.

"Boom! Elite Martial Arts" has one of the city's finest martial arts instructors at the helm. Greg…read moreMoench has over 10 years experience in the martial arts, and I can't think of a better role model for the students than him. He is attentive and caring, believing in and lifting up his students' abilities, but he doesn't coddle them; he treats them with respect, and they reciprocate. Greg is raising the bar for instructors everywhere to be more in tune with their students. This is more than a business, its a martial arts family.

Boom Elite Martial Arts and Mr Greg Moench are an absolute asset to the Bellingham/Whatcom County…read moreCommunity. His ability to relate and teach not just sets, forms and techniques but life lessons like personal accountability and positive self worth are second to none. He and his school are a class act.

I attended MMA classes here for around 6 months before I had to move to Seattle for school. A…read morelittle background, I am an athletic person, and had no prior experience in martial arts when I walked in. As a young woman (and a tiny one, at that), I was very on my guard, especially because of the past scandal I read about when I googled the place (the perpetrator was fired). But let me tell you ladies, the men here are respectful, and if you prove yourself to be diligent and willing to take a punch, the coaches will push you just as hard as the males, and that is why I love this place. They tailor your coaching to what YOU want to get out of it. Whether you're training to fight, for self-defense, or just for functional fitness. I can't think of a coach there that isn't knowledgeable, fun, and respectful. But no place is perfect, its a small family business, and the administrators are extremely busy, so don't expect a lot of attention from them after you've signed up. It's a medium-sized space, and the building is pretty old with a roof that occasionally leaks onto one of the mats. During the busy hours of 4-6pm on weekdays, it is packed and noisy. The class schedule has a tendency to change rather abruptly. Even with these drawbacks, I would not have chosen another place to train.

Do you love the smell of sweat in the morning? This place reeks of hard work…read more There is an entry room with shirts and boxing gloves for sale. No one was behind the counter when I entered. I waited for awhile in hopes of being greeted, especially since there was a large sign on the door that said all visitors must sign in. When it was apparent no one knew or cared that I was there, I wandered into the gym. The big room was covered with a spongy mat and surrounded by mirrors. A female instructor was leading two men through a martial arts lesson. Around the corner was another large room divided into two workout areas by a short wall. One side had several free standing punching bags. The other side had kettle balls and several blobs that looked like the torso of a corpse. This was the kickboxing area. A female instructor led three students, 2 women and 1 man through a combination of calisthenics and kickboxing (heavy on the calisthenics). The warm-up included running laps, high steps, bear walk, soldier kicks, lunges, etc. The workout alternated between short bouts of punching and kicking the bag and longer torturous sessions of pushups, situps, planks, burpees and plenty of other punishing exercises. The last few minutes were reserved for the cool down stretches. Fast, techno music played rather quietly in the background. The instructor and students didn't really workout to the beat. There wasn't any choreography. Throughout the workout, students modified exercises as necessary to prevent exacerbating injuries; or if they weren't strong enough to do an exercise, the instructor gave them suggested modifications. No one really seemed thrilled to be there. I came to watch, but quickly lost interest and motivation for signing up for such grueling pain. I thought that more time would be spent doing kickboxing combos in synch with the music, which would have been fun, but that was not the case at all. The facility has a special offer. For $19.99, you get free boxing gloves and three classes. After that, you pay approximately $130 a month and can take as many classes as you can tolerate. Some people don't feel like they are getting a good workout unless they are dripping with sweat, and unable to lift their arms and too weak to walk afterwards. If this applies to you, you might actually like this. I was TKO the moment I walked in the door.

Mr Darrow training you is the equivalent of Michael Jordan teaching you how to shoot a basketball…read more So methodical, and so technical. My wife and children all attend and we are so honored to have found this place, that's why it's booked full.

I've been training at Rockpile Dojo for almost a year and I've got to say its a great place to…read moretrain. I attend the Personal Combative classes on a regular basis. The main emphasis of the class is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu but we work on a lot of other martial arts as well. I was nervous the first time I went but that feeling was gone after the first class. The environment is very positive. Everybody in class is friendly and very helpful when your having trouble learning a new technique. Mr. Darrow is very patient and friendly. He breaks down every technique to the point that anybody can understand the mechanics. All in all its a great gym with a very positive environment. I would recommend this gym to anybody that is interested in learning martial arts or anybody that is looking for a fun productive way to work out.

Great place. I've been training here for 7 years, and I can say with 100% certainty that it was…read moreworth every penny. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to join a friendly community and learn some martial arts.

Got to work out at this dojo tonight as a guest and it was an amazing experience. Sensei was great…read morewith a calm and focused teaching style. Students were friendly and passionate. Wish I lived closer so I could spend more time here and very thankful for the opportunity to train with them for the evening. If you live in Bellingham you should check it out!

If you're looking for a traditional karate dojo, this is the place to go in Bellingham. No mixed…read moremartial arts, no upselling expensive packages or "karate birthday parties": just real, formal karate in the shito-ryu style. Be prepared to work hard on the basics rather than advance quickly through the ranks... this is not a McDojo-style outfit. General classes include: warmups (with lots of stretching and core strengthening); standing basics; moving basics; kata; partner drills; and sparring (several forms). Classes are offered three days a week: Tuesday evening; Thursday evening; and Saturday morning. Additional seminars are occasionally offered so advanced students can focus on their work. This means that beginning students get a lot of attention from Sensei and senior students, rather than the focus being on advanced practitioners' work. There isn't a lot of safety gear used (just fistpads and mouthguards), so you'll learn how to take targeted punches in a relatively safe environment. Younger students (12 or so and under) need to have a parent willing to train with them; they're expected to develop the same discipline as adult students. This curriculum has been excellent for developing discipline and self-control in my son and me. There are several families that train together here. Sensei Bellingar is an excellent instructor. He maintains the rigor of this martial art while at the same time understanding the individual needs of each practitioner. He pushes each student to deliver his or her best, but without berating anyone or comparing us to each other--which is as it should be, because each person's abilities and challenges are unique. I'm a female practitioner and really appreciate that I'm held to the same high standard as the men I train with. Stepping onto the dojo floor transports students into a culture very different from the mainstream culture, which offers a much-needed contrast. The focus is on our work, not on our egos... and many of the lessons learned in the dojo are valuable in other aspects of our daily lives. Traditional Karate of Bellingham is a great place to discover one's true mettle and to develop one's best qualities.

Torque Martial Arts is an Excellent Martial Arts Studio…read more I have known Mr. Schultsmeier for many years and have heard many people (both students and parents) express their deep regard for him as an instruction and express how much they enjoy/appreciate his teaching. He is an excellent instructor with an in depth knowledge of Kenpo Karate and a knack for teaching that encourages his students to learn and improve their skills.

From the owner: TORQUE Martial Arts is focused on providing the highest-quality service and customer satisfaction -…read morewe will do everything we can to meet our student's expectations. With some of the best instruction in the state and a facility headed by a staff of expert instructors and managers, including Eric Schultsmeier, Carl Rice, and Lily Rice, Torque Martial Arts offers a number of programs for physical fitness, instruction in Kenpo Karate, and training in extreme/competitive forms of the Martial Arts.

Posting my review from google on here. I don't understand the negative feedback. Fit Evo has always…read morebeen transparent and super easy to cancel, with clear policies explained upfront Each time ive signed back up. Reading some of these sound more like user error but what do i know lol "I Absolutely love this gym! I Bought a place in Ferndale so unfortunately had to find another gym closer to home for a year. However, after trying all the closer ones, I realized no one can match fit evos energy, culture, and amazing staff. Huge selection of energy drinks, protein shakes/bars. Abilene, Emily, and the custodian w/ the huge truck (forgot his name, sorry!) are all fantastic, and have such great vibes. The New owner has really spiced things up! Anyways, Y'all make it worth the drive, keep it up fit evo gang (the ring pop energy drinks are )"

Instead of wipes or towels and spray bottles they have "stations" with a single spray bottle and…read moresome paper towels. None of the many men on these machines did any cleaning at all. A few of the women got a paper towel. Even with the spray and paper towel it's impossible to actually clean off the machine, but fortunately or unfortunately few even try. So disgustingly filthy machines. They need to provide disinfectant wipes or small towels with multiple spray bottles of cleaner you take around with you while you work out like at other local gyms.