Top Martial arts schools in New York, United States

Joining Mushin MMA has been one of the best decisions I've made. It's taken my physical discipline and strength to new heights, something I couldn't have achieved on my own. The instructors are exceptionally knowledgeable and attentive, providing outstanding guidance. With small class sizes, you receive personalized attention. Everyone is welcome, from beginners to advanced students. Moreover, the group camaraderie at Mushin is truly special—everyone is respectful, kind, and committed to mutual learning and growth.

The studio's central location makes it incredibly convenient to reach, and I eagerly look forward to training there every day. It is a true gem, and we are lucky to have it in NYC!

Mushin is great for practicing Jiu Jitsu and get you fitness whatever level you have , the teachers are very well qualified to guide you.
You will find a clean place, good equipment and the best training partners! all in the best location in manhattan!!!

Kru Nester is a great instructor, very welcoming to new learners and works step by step with you so you can learn without feeling overwhelmed

An excellent Muay Thai gym. A very good level, good ethics, very healthy friendly environment. Strong sense of community. Snowflakes not allowed - Brandon Levi makes non-PC jokes pretty often. The advantage - no one gets spared.

Dropped by for a trial class. Great gym to learn Muay thai. Everyone is so welcoming. Coach Nestor learned Muay Thai from the source, he lived in Thailand for about 8 years. He is very knowledgeable and pay attention to details. I really enjoyed the intensity of the class 👍🏾.

Solid space to train. Tony did an intro session with me to explain his approach to the craft, and verify I wasn’t a bully looking to beat on people. Got added to a chat where people post training resources, tips and encouragement, and agree on times to meet. They have a fluid and diverse schedule of offerings. The studio is clean and includes a gym for strength training. The class is dynamic and includes warmup, instruction/drills, and free form. It’s a community of guys trying to be healthy upstanding humans.

Clean...Great Coaches...Great Guys

Mushin MMA's Jiu-Jitsu is undeniably the premier training in New York. Having trained at another NYC gym for six months, my switch to Mushin made a profound difference. In my very first class, Coach Tony provided insights and techniques that surpassed all my previous learning. His expertise is apparent and impactful.

Mushin caters to all skill levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners, fostering an inclusive environment where everyone learns from each other, including the seasoned coaches and higher belts. Additionally, their fitness classes, available every morning and afternoon, are top-notch and meticulously designed to enhance physical conditioning.

Highly recommend!

I joined Mushin in September of 2022, within 6 months I lost 20 plus pounds. If you want to get a great workout and also learn jiujitsu with top instruction this is the place to be. Everyone from beginners to advanced black belts are awesome and always willing to help. The fitness classes are a lot of fun but also very challenging. I highly recommend this gym to any newcomers to the sport but also to experienced vets!

Mushin BJJ/MMA gym in NYC is fantastic! With small class sizes, you get plenty of personalized attention from some of the best instructors in the city. The sense of community here is strong; higher belts are always ready to lend a hand, making sure no one feels left out. Everyone is friendly, kind, and supportive, creating a welcoming environment for anyone looking to sharpen their MMA skills. Whether you're a beginner or looking to elevate your techniques, this is the place to be!

Mushin MMA is clean, spacious and has well maintained fitness equipment. The members here encourage growth and protect each other in training. Each class feels like semi private lesson where you receive substantial feedback from instructor staff. In particular, Tony's teaching approach builds upon the unique attributes of each student which helped grasp instruction quicker without feeling overwhelmed as a beginner. I highly recommend others start their journey in jiu-jitsu here as well.

Best-in-class BJJ & fitness instruction and an amazing community of like minded individuals. I’ve been training at Mushin for 6 months and couldn’t be happier with the quality of the gym, members and instruction. Small class sizes allow for a more personalized and boutique experience which I prefer. Whether you’re looking to compete or just get in shape Mushin has a path & program for you.

Great place to train. I really like the combos the instructors had for us. The warm-ups were also fun. It showed I need to get in better shape. Lastly the teammates were quite helpful. As the advanced people were patient guiding me with combinations rather than going fast and hitting hard. Lastly when you are tired they try to motivate when you are tired

If you want to get RIGHT, this is the place to get RIGHT at, and by RIGHT I mean, mentally and physically!! I have been trained by the GREAT SHIFU Carlos, if you don’t know what Shifu means, look it up. ChinaTown Fight Club, is AMAZING!!!

Definitely a tough class but the coaches are very encouraging especially Kru Nestor who will push you to be your best. Very new and still learning, but excited to grow and learn Muay Thai through this gym.

Joining Ultimate Gym was by far the best decision I made since moving to New York City.

Kru Nestor is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and passionate about martial arts and teaches authentic Muay Thai the way he was taught in Thailand. Classes at Ultimate will push you both physically and mentally so don’t expect an easy workout at all, but they will become incredibly rewarding over time.

At Ultimate, not only was I able to get into shape and sharpen my Muay Thai and boxing skills, but also make a group of close friends from all walks of life who I look forward to train with every day. If you’re serious about learning martial arts, this is the place to be!

I’ve trained at 5+ martial arts gyms, and Radical MMA is in a class of its own. The classes are structured, flow-centric, and Coach Renee’s fighting system is the most effective I’ve ever seen. If you want to get better faster, come to Radical MMA.
Case in point- I went back to my old gym for open mat and easily controlled and submitted the white/blue belts there. I’m even starting to give my purple belt cousin a harder time. I’ve trained a year of sport jiu jitsu elsewhere along with 5 months at Radical, and I can confidently say: don’t waste your time at another gym.

Had a first training yesterday. It was great, the trainer is super friendly and has a lot of patience. He is very encouraging. Also the atmosphere, of the other people that where there at the time were also very friendly. All in all made me feel like I had been going to the place for years. Definitely recommend it.

I was in NYC for a few days and decided to visit Radical MMA because I had watched some of Coach Dreifuss's excellent instruction videos. I had a terrific time! It's a very nice gym with tough fighters. The coach and the students are extremely welcoming and kind. Lovely atmosphere, great teaching. I'll definitely try to visit again next time I'm in the area!

Coach Rene is incredibly knowledgeable about MMA and cares about his students learning the material and improving massively. This gym is great - it has a full set of weights, sauna, showers, changing room, punching bags, dummies, everything you'd want. The students are welcoming and the environment is free of ego and injury. This is a rare gym where you can truly improve your game and not risk injury. The other aspect of this gym that is great is learning practical skills for fighting; it's MMA, not sport jiu jitsu. If you follow the curiculum, you'll learn how to win a fight in a sport context or if you are put in a self defense situation in the street. If you're willing to do the work you'll be better than everyone you used to train with in half the time. And if you're lucky enough to start here you'll be putting yourself in a strong position for the future of your martial arts career. Osu

I've been training at Radical for a month and love it. The instruction is fantastic - a high bar is set by Rene, an extremely experienced instructor. I have learned a tremendous amount in this first month, but I'm most impressed by the rigorous but supportive atmosphere. I have received a great deal of help from more senior students, as well as a lot of personal instruction from Rene himself.

I would highly recommend Radical to anybody looking to learn to fight and/or make a serious transformation in their fitness and their life.

Radical MMA is the best MMA gym I’ve ever been a part of. A friendly environment with the nicest people who are all invested in helping one another learn and pushing each other to a new level. Not only that but very sanitary and regulated. Radical is not only the best system for MMA but also mixes real world self defense tactics for those looking for practical uses. For those with a bit of discipline and an interest in MMA or simply looking to learn to defend themselves I can’t recommend Radical highly enough

I have been training at Radical for almost a few months now and I have to say I’m very glad of my decision. The friendliness of the other students is definitely something that stood out to me. Everyone that trains there is supportive and knowledgeable; you are able to ask them to show you something and you’ll never receive a “no” as an answer (even if they don’t know how to do something very well they will refer you to someone that knows it well and can show you). A good example of the environment of this gym is I personally was experiencing this weird feeling in my knee and one of my training partners the next training brought his own knee sleeves for me to keep and use. The students are reflective of a coach that truly cares about his students succeeding and learning technical aspects of training regardless if you are starting from scratch or have trained before. I would definitely recommend Radical to those looking for a place to train MMA!

My son love Muay Thai. Very good workout for him. He gets more stronger and stronger. Kru David and Kru Nestor is kindness and nice

This isn't a sport oriented jiu jitsu / muay thai gym. It's a practical fight oriented MMA academy. Highly recommended for those interested.

Clean mats, friendly training partners, great curriculum & a coach that cares about the development of the students. I've trained at several different gyms over the years and people who have been training here for 1-2 years feel like blue/purple belts at other academies.

This is the best possible place to be for anyone that wants to get good at MMA and grappling. Doesn't matter if you're young, old, athletic, not athletic, experienced, or if you've never tried martial arts. If you want to learn deeply and efficiently, get in incredible shape, train with great people, and be inspired, then this is the place to be.

- Learn deeply, safely, and efficiently
- Learn skills that actually translate to self-defense and competition
- Learn moves as part of a clear and simple system, not just a confusing set of random and isolated techniques.
- Learn conceptually and the "whys" of every position.
- Learn MMA, instead of taking separate classes for BJJ, boxing, muay thai, etc. Can't overstate how rare and awesome this is.
- Get personal attention and develop confidence in yourself and your skills. You will never have to worry about knowing whether you're doing something correctly, because coach or another student will tell you right away.
- Go from 0 to 100. I've seen so many completely new beginners in their first year learn at 5x the speed of new students in other gyms. Not exaggerating.
- Awesome coach. Coach Rene's lifetime of experience practicing and teaching MMA shows. The MMA system that Coach Rene has developed over decades is simple, effective, and beginner friendly. Coach Rene is incredibly dedicated and invested in the success of each of his students.
- Students are friendly, genuine, dedicated, and supportive.
- Atmosphere is focused, low ego, never boring, and about helping each other learn and grow.

I'm always bummed when I have to travel for work because I won't get to train here. Radical and Coach Rene are true gems.

I’ve been training in MMA with Matt for several years and he has helped me grow in martial arts tremendously. He has an incredible depth of knowledge in various martial arts and is very passionate about what he teaches. He’s constantly made sure that I am progressing and enjoying myself through and through. I highly recommend.

Excellent environment and you will really get an amazing workout. Get your blood flowing and gets you sweaty.

Kru Nestor is an amazing instructor and martial artist. He really gets to each student and offers one on one, hands on instructions. Everyone in the class also very friendly and helpful regardless of your level.

I highly recommend Ultimate Gym whether for fitness or self defense!!

I have been training with Carlos for decades. He is an inspiring trainer, a great motivator, and one of the most honorable men I have met in New York City. It is no wonder Chinatown Fight Club attracts one of the most diverse groups of people you will ever encounter in the city. Carlos is one of the fairest, least judgmental people ever. He never loses his cool or his sense of humor. But he makes you work and work hard. I can't recommend the place more highly.

Matt is excellent at teaching the sport of MMA starting from the basics and bridging into other tecniques and concepts. His teaching and analysis of the fight game will 100% help you improve your skillset as a martial artist when you dedicate the time to practice it. Training with Matt and the other students is a pleasure because we all share the same goal of learning how to fight with MMA. If you ever want to learn pure MMA, contact Matt to start your training today.

Been going there for almost a year and the gym has became a crucial part of my life. I’ve been going at least twice a week since I first stepped in the gym. If you’re committed and show up often you’ll quickly become family with everyone going there. From my experience anyone I know with any type of interest for boxing or combat going in almost all of them come back and I’ll usually see them once every week.

Carlos is also the real deal with 30+ years of boxing and 20+ years of kickboxing and Ju Jitsu. He’s very patient when it comes to explaining things to people and he’s very creative when it comes to making it simple for anyone to understand. He also caters to everyone’s needs and almost everyone has their own personalized program and training regiment. Just where else can you find something like that?

As soon as you walk in you will most likely see a class in session with lots of kicks and yelling which can be intimidating at first if you are new.

You will definitely get a great workout in here.
Each class starts off with jumping rope and other conditioning exercises/stretching before you do any pad work.

I really like that Kru Nestor is able to get around to each student and gives feedback on
their technique and how to properly perform each action.

I recommend Ultimate Gym for anyone looking to get in shape and in search of a great community of driven people.

Came here more than 10 years ago, and realized I haven't left a review.
The head instructor Brandon is fun, and humorous, and has been the entire time I've trained here. I've seen him handle varieties of situations inside and outside the gym in an exemplary manner, eg. recently he saved some unconscious drunk young fellow from choking out in Korea town. And like this, there are other characters in the gym that are exceptional in other ways. It's nice to be around people who make you want to be better.
The other instructors have all competed and are able to give different perspectives to the basics.The fight team's training routine/style has changed over the years as well, its nice to see everything grow over time, and how the new stable of fighters develop.
The new location has showers, 2 of them. The gym is remarkable clean and vibrant. Good people and food training.

Been training with Matt since the beginning of the pandemic and it has transformed my life. He teaches foundationally, from the ground up, with precision of technique, and will not lie to you. This is for individuals who want to shoot up to the top in the world of mixed martial arts, and will effectively become very confident in all walks of life because of it.

I've been a member of countless MMA / Muay Thai gyms and Evolution is by far THE BEST I've been to. There is always a friendly and positive atmosphere, and all members encourage each other to work harder and become more technically savvy. Kru Brandon Levi has a vast amount of knowledge and experience and is with you every step of the way. Deirdre keeps the back end very organized, monthly fees are fair, and booking classes is a breeze.

Overall, this is a no-nonsense, authentic Muay Thai / MMA gym that is always kept clean and tidy. Brandon and Deirdre have established a unique atmosphere of respect, hard work, and humility that makes you want to keep coming back for more. Whether you are a serious MMA fighter or someone who wants to get / stay in shape, there is a place for you here.

There is simply no place like Evolution. I look forward to all the years of training to come.

Coach Matt took his time out to listen to my story and tell me what I need to focus on as a fighter. He was very respectful and responsive with me. I am happy I reached out.

Evolution Muay Thai is an amazing gym. Kru Brandon is passionate and dedicated but also has a great sense of humor. Brandon has produced very high-level athletes, including UFC competitor and Muay Thai champion Angela Hill . I’ve also seen Brandon transform students whose goals were more health and fitness driven. After a few months of training, some of these individuals looked like different people, healthier, happier, and younger. After I started grad school and stopped training at Evolution, Brandon remained a loyal friend and mentor showing that he genuinely does care for his students. I look forward to training here again someday.

I had zero martial arts experience when I first started taking lessons with Matt. He has been very patient from day one and breaks down complex skills into bite-sized chunks that I can learn one step at a time. In short, he is an excellent teacher! I highly recommend him to anyone who is serious about learning martial arts.

Matt is an outstanding, multi-talented instructor. He turned me from an absolute beginner boxer into a boxer capable of holding his own against most opponents in my weight class, and fairly dominant against boxers who are lighter than I am. We spent considerable time clinching, so that I am confident that when opponents attempt to grapple with me that I am able to keep from being overborne. Finally, Matt taught the foundational moves of Brazilian jujitsu, to the point where I will never be trapped by an opponent that isn’t fairly skilled in ground game. If you are serious and focused, Matt is your man.

Carlos is an awesome trainer. He knows how to get the most out of you and is encouraging. I really enjoy the boxing classes, which are pretty flexible and can be increased (or decreased) in intensity for each person since you rotate through different exercises. Much better than the generic large class format most other gyms use.

I only did around 8 classes at Evolution before I accepted a job offer in Miami.

During my time there, I felt so welcomed, enjoyed Brandon's teaching style and the culture he had promoted so much.

It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or a pro, everyone will treat you with respect here and you will learn proper Muay Thai technique in every session.

I have to reiterate, this is not a BS workout class - you are actually learning real Muay Thai and it is fantastic. You get a real sense of achievement learning a true martial art rather than doing heavy bag and some burpees like at those chains.

Anyway... I want to thank Brandon for getting me hooked on the sport and I look forward to rejoining Evolution when I invariably move back to NY.

For the past 6 years my wife and I have been going to Tribeca Sports Center. It's a welcoming and diverse gym for people of all shapes, sizes and skill levels who want to improve their overall fitness and well being. Owners/operators Carlos and Gayle are true pros when it comes to dealing out just the right mix of cardio and strength training whether we're there for a personal training session or a group class. Life changing - we feel lucky to be part of the Tribeca Sports Center posse :)

I've been going to Tribeca Sports Center for 1.5+ years. Carlos and Gayle are fantastic gym owners, trainers, and people. And the results prove it. People I train with at the gym have gone from zero boxing experience to winning Ring Master Championships at Madison Square Garden under their tutelage. Crazy! And super inspirational. Other people at the gym are there just to get a great workout in and that's awesome too.

The best part of going to TSC is becoming part of the community. The gym has tons of loyal clients that you see week after week and befriend. The gym has a laidback, no-BS vibe. People looking for the high maintenance SoulCycle experience, should definitely try Rumble instead.

Couldn't recommend Tribeca Sports Center more highly.

This place is a gem, and it’s because of the people. Carlos and Gayle are incredible humans who will inspire you to turn fitness into a lifestyle. When I first showed up, I couldn’t do one unassisted push-up. Years later I started competing in amateur boxing (in my mid-thirties), won the NY Golden Gloves, two National bronze medals, and now have 35 fights under my belt. This place changed my life through the sport of boxing, and it will inspire anyone who’s open and ready to challenge themselves. But most importantly, Carlos and Gayle have created a family. There is no better place to get in shape, learn the art of fighting, have real conversations and the best laughs.

I've been visiting Evolution for about four years now, and I couldn't be happier. Before Evolution I trained at another local gym that can't even be compared to this place. Kru Brandon is extremely knowledgeable and cares about all his students. Classes are always level appropriate and friendly. The overall atmosphere is awesome too, never too serious but everyone is there to get better. Still you never feel pressured to perform above your comfort level, while still being encouraged to improve. The facilities themselves are always clean, and the staff is always concerned about member's health. They take many precautions to make sure you are unlikely to catch any skin infections. Really happy with this place, and looking forward to many, many more great years with Evolution.

I started training at this Facility because I was looking for a top notch Muay Thai program in the City. Not only are the classes great, but it's an affordable gym with a flexible schedule. The community is great and Evolution is always evolving. They now offer Judo, Grappling, Conditioning, and Wrestling classes with world class coaches. Brandon Levi is the head coach and he teaches most of the Muay Thai classes. He is very detailed and gives individual attention to everyone. If you are interested in coming here for the first time you can try a One Day Pass which is FREE. Most people take classes back to back on their first day.

Evolution is a great gym with top notch training but without all the ego and price that usually comes with it.

Beginner classes are a great workout and good for all levels. Kru Brandon makes sure to critique everyone while their training to really help them improve. Advanced students are friendly and always ready to help as well.

The gym has a great relaxed atmosphere and good community. It's great for everyone, whether you're just looking for a good workout or want to start fighting professionally.