Class One MMA

Great group to train with. The staff are warm and helpful. Classes are beginner-​friendly. People are generally very respectful and train safe. You won’t find much of the typical testosterone-​fueled competitiveness in most of the guys who train there, which is rare for a martial arts studio. There’s also a good mix of men & women. Luis is an amazing teacher with a really positive attitude. His Monday and Wednesday muay thai (chute boxe) and BJJ classes are the main events. Jill’s Sunday boxing classes is always fun and technical. I’m dying to take Andrea’s boxing class next, it looks like a killer workout. One drawback is that classes don’t always start on time, so be prepared for that. But all in all, a great MMA studio.

WANT TO LEARN REAL MMA OR IMPROVE YOUR TECHNIQUES? Then come down here to C1MMA. You won’t regret it! You get the some of the BEST instructors here, former Pride veteran Luiz Azeredo teaching Muay Thai and BJJ, multiple Golden gloves champ Jill emery teaching great boxing techniques, as well as Andrea (kicking boxing champion) teaching boxing. As well as the owner Ken teaching great Muay Thai to sharpen your technique. They also have other instructors who teach wrestling, MMA, and even yoga.
They have great staff who are very welcoming as soon as you enter the door! There is great and fun people to train with! This is the place I call MY SECOND HOME. There’s other MMA gyms but nothing else is C1MMA. :)

C1 is by far the best MMA gym in Park Slope.
Some say that’s because it’s the ONLY MMA gym in Park Slope, but I like to think it’s really because of their world-​class trainers, huge training facility (it’s in a converted warehouse/​garage), and friendly staff.
Whether you’re a beginner just starting martial arts, or a professional fighter looking for a new gym, C1 has everything you need.
Great people, former champion coaches (teaching a variety of fighting disciplines), and tons of stuff to punch/kick/knee/elbow/whatever-you’re-into… C1 has it all.
Go check it out, and the next time you’re out at the bar and someone tells you that they ‘do UFC’, you’ll know exactly where to punch them to stop the conversation.

Everything you need in once place. Many styles of exercise and martial arts all ran by great instructors with solid credentials. Group sessions are personal and comfortable with great attention served on each student.
Absolutely great gym with one caveat: ymmv on parking in the neighborhood.

I tried class one’s $ 49 two week trial and got hooked. While I am a complete beginner to mixed martial arts, I always feel comfortable and welcomed using the gym and in the classes. The staff is very helpful and the coaching team is very experienced. You won’t only only have an intense, serious workout at C1, but you’ll also learn a lot and have a great time doing it.

I initially came to Class One when a friend of mine asked me if I’d take Cardio Kickboxing with her. They had a deal of three classes for just $ 19.99, with a pair of gloves included in the cost. Seemed like a fantastic deal, so I signed up.
We took all of our initial classes with Yorrick, who’s really perfect when you first start out. He’s easy going and friendly, and seems comfortable teaching newbies the basics. His strength is technique.
Even though my friend didn’t renew, I’ve continued to go, and am nearly through my first 10-​pack of classes. I decided to try some of the other teachers just to get in a good mix.
If cardio is what you’re after, I recommend Mike. He’s also a nice guy, and takes the time to explain things when you need it. His classes tire me out the most!
If combo of both cardio and technique is what you’re after, I find John’s class a great mix.
In all honesty, I’m so glad my friend and I went together initially; it’s one of those warehouse «bro» gyms with lots of guys lifting heavy weights. No treadmills, ellipticals, frills in sight! I think without a friend, I’d have been [unfortunately] intimidated/​scared off. Because of this, I recommend you do yourself a favor and sign up with a friend. Worst case scenario, it’s just $ 20 and you get to try a new sport!

I dropped in here for a class while in town visiting some friends. I have to say that Brooklyn is very lucky to have a place like this. Nothing but respect for Ken as a Muay Thai instructor. He and some of the Crossfit guys that I interacted with were nice guys as well. I didn’t see the upstairs facilities, but from what equipment I saw downstairs, this place looked pretty great all around. And then you look at who the other trainers are at this place, and it’s a no-​brainer to throw-​up a 5-​star review on Unilocal

I can’t give this place enough praise. I’ve been to half a dozen gyms during my life time, none of which have come close to Class One. I’d like to start off by saying when I came to this gym, it was after a 5 year hiatus of not working out. I hadn’t exercised in years and was in the worst shape of my life. I had taken my FDNY written exam and was looking for a place to get me in shape for my CPAT (physical exam). I came in to his gym at 180 pound on a 5’5″ frame with only a month or two to get in shape for my physical fitness exam. Class One knew of my dilemma and were eager to help me. I started off with the mixed martial arts portion first, since I had to wait for the Crossfit on-​ramp (basically fundamental classes to teach you the proper techniques).
The MMA instructors are great. They are truly world class trainers of high caliber. Jill is extremely nice, soft spoken, and very technical. You will learn a lot from her when it comes to boxing. Luiz Azeredo is a veteran mixed martial artist whose been in the game for a while now. He’s fought in Pride, Bellator, and is known for being the first person to defeat Anderson Silva. He has impressive Muay Thai, bjj skills and is an excellent motivator/​teacher. Andrea is a former champion k-​1 kickboxer. The man seems a little crazy at first, but likes to push his students to succeed. He has an impressive skill set and is extremely motivating. These are only a few of their instructors. This is only a taste of the learning potential you have at this gym. All instructors are well equipped to train pros and beginners alike. After a month of training in MMA, I felt in better shape than ever. I shed a lot of my fat and my cardio was the best its ever been!
Overall Class One is an excellent gym, with a vast array of skill sets anyone willing to learn can acquire. If you are willing and able, then the amount of knowledge you gain here is endless. The staff is great. They make you feel like family. Other students are great too.
⁶⁄₅ Stars!!!

Let me preface this review by saying that I have never, ever written a Unilocal review. I just moved into the area and have a roommate who is doing Aikido and in the last couple of weeks alone I have seen him transform his body. Being out of shape and wishing to be free of all my body image stress, I decided to try out a new martial arts place/​gym.
On paper Class One seemed like a great deal and I was intrigued to try a place I could maybe learn some martial arts, as well as try out this CrossFit fad that my friends seem to be in love with so much. I swung by without calling one morning just to see the space and get a feel for the people. The space was smaller than I expected for such variety, but Edison and Tom (I believe were their names) were very friendly, and told me the next free class would be that Saturday for their CrossFit portion. So far so good!
For the next few days I got a bit nervous in my head, but just tried to focus on eating well and with manageable portions. The day of the free class I came in and met Dan, the CrossFit trainer and a fellow intro student who seemed super nice.
This was where the warning lights started going off: our WOD (Workout of the Day) was seemingly not modified or altered for my out-​of-​shape status. It included 3 sets of 25 burpies, 2 500M runs with a 20-​pound medicine ball (!), 2 sets of 25 pull-​ups (!!), and 25 Handstand pushups (what the living hell!?).
Immediately, I let him know that I am in really bad shape, although I have an athletic build, I recently twisted my ankle and realistically I am not strong enough to lift my 210-​pound body for a single pull-​up on a good day, without any other exercises. Dan assured me that he would modify the WOD based on my performance and ensure I don’t hurt myself so long as I keep communicative with him. «Great!», I thought — he is a CrossFit trainer and must be ready for new people and know how to not scare them off.
Well, I will try to restrain myself for the rest of this review because this is where my unkind recollections would like to curse, a lot! Clearly, this WOD was way, WAY too much for an intro class with someone who had never done CrossFit — Dan literally started writing it up on the board before even meeting us. By the second run with medicine ball, I was near passing out — at which point my partner who was taking the class alongside me really tried to keep me motivated and was super nice. When I got back into the gym space, Dan couldn’t look more disinterested and annoyed as he talked to other staff and just generally did not give a crap. I can recall he said that he worked out of a Manhattan box, and was training for an upcoming CrossFit competition — I am sure he had more important things on his mind than my safety.
By the last set of burpies — which is not a difficult exercise for me, normally — I had to do them in 4 or 5 at a time because I genuinely felt like I couldn’t breathe and could feel my mind getting lighter as if I were about to pass out. Yelling with every burpie I looked at Dan, and he didn’t even look at me, just kept talking with my classmate, who finished about 7 minutes before me because he was in fantastic shape! The only «motivation» I got from Dan was an annoyed look with a loud clap while he yelled «Come on!». I sincerely apologize for wasting your time Dan, I know you had your own training to think about.
Needless to say, after I finished my WOD, 7 minutes later than my classmate and without a single word of encouragement or even a sip of water (their facilities don’t include a water fountain, or at least I wasn’t told where it was) I received the weakest fist bump from Dan, who just kept ignoring me as he kept talking to my classmate about how the CrossFit Competitions seem to be including more swimming and all that jazz. At the time I didn’t realize the intense neglect I received because I was focused on breathing and just how great I would feel after I recover.
It wasn’t until later that evening, that I realized just how neglected and how almost «bullied» I felt by my instructor! The next day I decided to check out another CrossFit place nearby and although they charge the same amount in one month that Class One does in six, the attitude from the person up front was so friendly and genuinely apologetic for my experience at Class One that I signed up for the foundations class, immediately!
Ultimately, I had the worst gym experience ever at Class One, the kind that you hear about in news articles condemning CrossFit and all the injuries associated with their «pain is gain» culture. But! I did find out that I like the idea of CrossFit and saw just how good my overall health can be if I can build up to that sort of WOD — notice I say BUILD, not simply THROW myself into that deep-​end!
If you read this entire review thank you and sorry — as I said, this is the first time I have ever felt so passionately about an experience from someplace listed on Unilocal,I hope this account helps you.

Why do I train martial arts at Class One?
I train there because I love the people. The coaches, my fellow students, the fight team — everyone is there to train safely, respectfully and to push each other to achieve their goals. Want to work technique and hit the bag or pads? There’s a class for that. Want a heavy cardio workout? There’s a class for that. Want to train and spar with the other fighters and compete? There are classes and opportunities for that too. There’s never any pressure for me to train outside of my comfort level and the coaches are always willing to help me train around any injuries I might have. Love my gym!

Place is awesome. Truly a unique gym that has it all. Don’t know of any fitness/​sports facilities that provides crossfit, Muay Thai, boxing, jujitsu, wrestling, karate, kickboxing, and more all under one roof! Coaches are top notch and really care about the people who come.

So this Unilocal review is way overdue. This place is literally my home away from home. I’m not kidding. I started going here for the mma program. I found myself hanging out after class and just chatting with the CrossFit coaches most of the time, so I figured may as well get some lifting in. The CrossFit and mma programs here are legit. You’ve got the best of both worlds here. Learn how to properly lift weights with really dedicated knowledgable coaches, and also learn how to defend yourself with top of the line coaches.
The Muay Thai coaches pay attention to detail which is key in martial arts. The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach, Luis Azeredo, needs no introduction. He’s also one of the Muay Thai coaches as well bringing his Chute Boxe style to the C1 program. Come in and try it out. You may surprise yourself. Leave your ego at the door please. OSS!!!

I HATE gyms.
But I am absolutely OBSESSED with Class One. I joined last summer and have gotten in the best shape of my life and still improving.
The instructors (Sam & Steve) are super professional and just awesome guys. Both have different styles but they both take lots of care to make sure you keep correct form when doing complex movements. I never would have even attempted some of the stuff I do here at a regular gym.
The Workouts of the Day are always hard but attainable and they scale it to your fitness level so everyone from the most beginner all the way to most in-​shape people are all getting a physically grueling workout.
The MMA classes are insanely good. If only I had more time. All of the MMA classes are taught by real fighters with belts to their name and the classes have beginner to advanced people in them.
Everyone is friendly and respectful to one another and after a few classes you realize why people treat C1 like a family.
Stop wondering if it’s worth the $. It is. Stop making excuses — just give it a try, you’ll be hooked.
The money you spend on C1 is an investment in your body and health and way cheaper than hospital bills will be when you’re old, fat, and can’t move.

WARNING!
I joined this place a year and here’s what happened to me:
Lost about 15 or so pounds
Increased mobility
Increased strength and muscle mass
I workout with a great group of encouraging people
I basically have private instructors that are constantly helping you and teaching you new things
Somehow I started to eat better
Started to sleep better
I find myself waking up at 5:30am to go to this place!
I’m in better shape today because of this place and its staff.
Great place. Great people. Awesome workouts!

The MMA gym I’ve been waiting for.
Class One finally combines the fitness that I want from a good workout (one that will get me into fighting shape) and the techniques I want to learn. You’ll sweat your butt off, but you’ll also get one-​on-​one instruction that is tailored to your skill level.
For example, at the end of Muay Thai, we spent several minutes sparring with each other. Luiz didn’t just cycle everyone through everyone else; he took a few seconds and made very specific matchups. Same with BJJ-​although it’s rare for white belts (or even blues) to practice takedowns/​throws, he could tell that we were ready, and again, specifically chose matchups for a «ring of fire”-if you win, you stay in the middle. Same with rolling; he could quickly tell who was at what level, and would match people up accordingly.
I just think it’s awesome that they employ Luiz Azzeredo, a true high-​level MMA fighter who is one of the few people to beat Anderson Silva. That should give you an idea of how good the instructors here are.
And I haven’t taken any of the Crossfit classes yet, but I’m sure they’re awesome too.

This place is awesome. I came here to start doing CrossFit again and the people are very nice, the gym is well equipped, and the trainers are really good. I look forward to coming here every day I go. They have free classes on Saturdays to check it out and I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s a bit more expensive than my membership I had to NYSC but I’m going more often and working out harder. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that it’s two blocks from my apt…

great classes, top notch trainers!