General Chat & Info Board

Nah, I actually hit them up via email recently and they confirmed the whole thing is an MMA program $117. Honestly, if you're putting in at least 300, it’s going to be totally worth it—you can just tell the quality of the work is top-tier

You've got UFK Ban in Dubrava and UFK Trešnjevka over in Trešnjevka. They're definitely heading towards $100
...

Thanks! I'll check it out.

Yo, I'm lookin' to sign up at Guerrilla Athletics for some Muay Thai once the next semester kicks off, but I got a few questions. Like, can I swing by for the occasional grappling session or just hit the weight room too? If anyone here knows the deal, please hit me up with the details—especially the price, 'cause I don't wanna get blindsided. Oh, and one more thing... I was checkin' out the photos and didn't see any heavy bags in the gym. Do they actually have them there or am I gonna be punching air?

Hey there,

I could use some help here.

I’m looking to get into BJJ or maybe Sambo, and I just want to do my homework properly before jumping into anything.

I’m living over in the East Side area, and from what I’ve gathered so far, there’s BJJ Chicago near the downtown core, Gracie Barra America over by the shopping district, and then Subos out in the suburbs.

Are there any other gyms in the general vicinity? Black Dragon is way too far out for me since I don't drive.

Also, regarding Sambo—I noticed a club called UFC Crows over in the North Side. Is that the main spot for it?

If anyone has any interesting suggestions or recommendations based on what I’m looking for, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

vividmoose7 said:Hey there,

I could use some help here.

I’m looking to get into BJJ or maybe Sambo, and I just want to do my homework properly before jumping into anything.

I’m living over in the East Side area, and from what I’ve gathered so far, there’s BJJ Chicago near the downtown core, Gracie Barra America over by the shopping district, and then Subos out in the suburbs.

Are there any other gyms in the general vicinity? Black Dragon is way too far out for me since I don't drive.

Also, regarding Sambo—I noticed a club called UFC Crows over in the North Side. Is that the main spot for it?

If anyone has any interesting suggestions or recommendations based on what I’m looking for, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Out of those three BJJ clubs mentioned above, I'd only suggest Subos. You also have Guerilla Athletics on Radnička near the bus station—they fall under the Black Dragon/Alliance umbrella.

As for Sambo, as far as I know, it's just Crows.

Sam Roberts said:Out of those three BJJ clubs mentioned above, I'd only suggest Subos. You also have Guerilla Athletics on Radnička near the bus station—they fall under the Black Dragon/Alliance umbrella.

As for Sambo, as far as I know, it's just Crows.

Thanks a lot 🙂.

Greetings, everyone,
I was wondering if anyone could point me toward a solid martial arts club in New York City—honestly, the specific discipline isn't my primary concern right now. I am mostly looking for some honest feedback and personal experiences from those of you who have been there.
If you don't have any specific recommendations for the city, what would you generally suggest for someone starting out in a major metropolitan area like this?

Ideally, I’m looking for something like MMA—you know, something recreational, yet intense enough to be rewarding.
I did some Wing Chun training back during my college years a few years ago—it was a decent experience, certainly.

EDIT: Oh, I almost forgot—I’ve also been considering Krav Maga. Does anyone here happen to have any firsthand experience with that?

Got some Krav Maga at the expo. For self-defense, it’s alright, I guess, but there are better options out there. They also have Aikido at the expo—the only kind worth actually learning. If you want that classic Japanese style with all the tradition, go with Aikido. If you just want pure panic and groin strikes, stick to KM. 😁

There's also UFC Crows, though some people say they aren't all that. Don't have any first-hand experience with them myself.

Sam Roberts said:Got some Krav Maga at the expo. For self-defense, it’s alright, I guess, but there are better options out there. They also have Aikido at the expo—the only kind worth actually learning. If you want that classic Japanese style with all the tradition, go with Aikido. If you just want pure panic and groin strikes, stick to KM. 😁

There's also UFC Crows, though some people say they aren't all that. Don't have any first-hand experience with them myself.

Thanks—that doesn't sound half bad at all!
Who would you recommend for MMA training in general around the Chicago area?

Downtown Chicago, local gyms, and American Top Team

Hey, I was wondering if anyone might know of a solid online shop based in Europe that carries martial arts gear? Somewhere with decent prices and a good selection, I guess.

thanks!

Does anyone know if there are any HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) clubs in the Rijeka area? I've been watching videos about the sport on YouTube and I'm really interested in getting started, but I can't find much info regarding clubs here in the States. The only thing I managed to track down was an Ars Gladitoria club based in Chicago, but they don't have a local branch near me.

Hey everyone, how’s it going?
I’ve been sitting here thinking about what kind of martial art would be the best fit for me if I wanted to learn how to actually defend myself—not that I’m looking for trouble, goodness knows I’m not a fan of violence at all, but you never really know when you might need to hold your own, heaven forbid... but my main motivation is really more about getting my life together, you know? I want to get moving, drop some weight, and finally stop spending my entire life glued to a computer screen and actually build something meaningful... I just want a way to stay active while picking up a skill that’s actually useful. I’ve always had this itch to try combat sports, and I did think about boxing for a bit, but I’ve always been more of a kicker, so I’d be much happier if I could find something that lets me use my legs... any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a million!

stormypilot94 said:Hey everyone, how’s it going?
I’ve been sitting here thinking about what kind of martial art would be the best fit for me if I wanted to learn how to actually defend myself—not that I’m looking for trouble, goodness knows I’m not a fan of violence at all, but you never really know when you might need to hold your own, heaven forbid... but my main motivation is really more about getting my life together, you know? I want to get moving, drop some weight, and finally stop spending my entire life glued to a computer screen and actually build something meaningful... I just want a way to stay active while picking up a skill that’s actually useful. I’ve always had this itch to try combat sports, and I did think about boxing for a bit, but I’ve always been more of a kicker, so I’d be much happier if I could find something that lets me use my legs... any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a million!

Look, any combat sport is gonna force you to drop some pounds (unless you go into Sumo—then you’d probably need to put on *more* weight, I guess!), so that part is a given. You mentioned you like using your legs? Then forget... uh, forget boxing, man. Go for something else. My personal vote is kickboxing. I’ve spent time training in kickboxing, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu, and Budokai... now, kickboxing and Muay Thai are a bit more intense because you end up in full-contact situations, whereas with Ninjutsu or Budokai it's not always like that, though it can happen. Before you jump headfirst into one of these, I’d suggest starting with some light jogging—maybe start with 1 km twice a day, then after a week 1.2 miles twice a day, and after a month, go as far as you can. You want to toughen up all your muscles before you even step foot into that first training session. That way, you avoid those nasty muscle fibers tearing up (which will knock you out of training for a week and totally kill your motivation) and you build a solid foundation for that specific type of movement. Oh, and I highly recommend doing sit-ups too... start with 10 at a time, twice a day, and just keep cranking that number up as high as you can. Trust me, in two months you'll be knocking out 50-60 easily without feeling totally wiped... once you hit 100, you'll have developed enough core strength that you'll just need to tone them into actual abs....
So yeah, to recap—I’m telling you, go for kickboxing or Muay Thai....

You don't really need extra training like running or anything. You'll get enough cardio just from the sessions themselves. Try Muay Thai, or maybe MMA if you're into ground work. Boxing won't give you those leg kicks, but it’s solid for self-defense and staying in shape. Just stay away from stuff like Karate, Taekwondo, or Budokai... nothing like Ninjutsu.

Where are you based? Which areas work for you?

dustysailor40 said:Look, any combat sport is gonna force you to drop some pounds (unless you go into Sumo—then you’d probably need to put on *more* weight, I guess!), so that part is a given. You mentioned you like using your legs? Then forget... uh, forget boxing, man. Go for something else. My personal vote is kickboxing. I’ve spent time training in kickboxing, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu, and Budokai... now, kickboxing and Muay Thai are a bit more intense because you end up in full-contact situations, whereas with Ninjutsu or Budokai it's not always like that, though it can happen. Before you jump headfirst into one of these, I’d suggest starting with some light jogging—maybe start with 1 km twice a day, then after a week 1.2 miles twice a day, and after a month, go as far as you can. You want to toughen up all your muscles before you even step foot into that first training session. That way, you avoid those nasty muscle fibers tearing up (which will knock you out of training for a week and totally kill your motivation) and you build a solid foundation for that specific type of movement. Oh, and I highly recommend doing sit-ups too... start with 10 at a time, twice a day, and just keep cranking that number up as high as you can. Trust me, in two months you'll be knocking out 50-60 easily without feeling totally wiped... once you hit 100, you'll have developed enough core strength that you'll just need to tone them into actual abs....
So yeah, to recap—I’m telling you, go for kickboxing or Muay Thai....

Thanks so much..👍

Sam Roberts said:You don't really need extra training like running or anything. You'll get enough cardio just from the sessions themselves. Try Muay Thai, or maybe MMA if you're into ground work. Boxing won't give you those leg kicks, but it’s solid for self-defense and staying in shape. Just stay away from stuff like Karate, Taekwondo, or Budokai... nothing like Ninjutsu.

Where are you based? Which areas work for you?

Right now I'm hanging out over in rural Pennsylvania, but I'll be moving into Philadelphia pretty soon, so spots in Center City or maybe somewhere near University City would be ideal for me...

Hey, is 16 way too old to start training Kickboxing?
I’d honestly rather get into MMA, but there isn't anything like that around here—just kickboxing and boxing options.

never too early