Plus One Defense Systems

West Hartford, United States

5

Open now

10 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 860-922-5343
Website:
www.teamplusone.com
Address:
9 Tolles St, West Hartford, CT, 06110
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 miFlatbush Station
0.5 miElmwood Station
1.1 miKane Station
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Bike Parking
No
Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 6:00 am – 10:00 pm
Open now
Local time (West Hartford) 20:52 Friday, 20 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 6:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday 7:00 am – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 6:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thursday 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday 6:00 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Plus One Defense Systems provides students with a systematic approach to training, in an atmosphere that is ethical and well-​rounded. We are unique and different from any school in the West Hartford area, and our facility is top-​notch. (Check-​out the virtual tour.)

Located at 9 Tolles Street in West Hartford, Connecticut, we have a staff of diversified instructors and offer martial arts instruction in Kung-​Fu, Karate, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, Jujutsu, Freestyle Kickboxing, Judo, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts/​MMA, Capoeira, Kali/​Silat, Kettlebell Training, and soft style arts… all under one roof.

We are open six days throughout the week. Our facility has two floors which includes: several thousand square feet of mats, an MMA cage, a boxing ring, a full fitness center (with cardio equipment, machines, and free weights), showers, a full complement of training equipment, a wi-​fi lounge, and 17 staff members…

History

Established in 2002.

We started teaching martial arts in Connecticut in 2002. We now have a staff of 12 people, and we teach a variety of different martial arts. If you are looking to train in the martial arts and you live in Connecticut, you really should check us out. We offer a free trial program, and we will gladly introduce you to a number of different martial arts styles (including Kung-​Fu, Karate, Mixed Martial Arts /​MMA, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiujitsu, Submission Grappling, Aikido, Jujutsu, Kali /​Silat, and Capoeira.

Our trainers are well-​versed and we can help you get on the track to becoming stronger, healthier, and happier. We offer group classes and personal training sessions.

Please visit us online at www​.team​plu​sone​.com or call 860−922−5343 if you have any further questions or would like to schedule your first session.

We hope to train with you soon!

Meet the Business Owner

Darin R.

Business Owner

I don’t want to spend too much time on this section, as we have many instructors at the school. I started training when I was 7 years old. I’m now into my mid-30’s and continue to train and teach the martial arts. My background is varied, and I enjoy learning and sharing what I have learned. My full bio is online at www​.team​plu​sone​.com along with the bios of our other instructors.

Come check us out. I think you will find it well worth your time.

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10 reviews of Plus One Defense Systems

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Middlebury, CT
I came here about a week ago for a Unilocal Fit Club one hour workout with Plus One with my fiancé. Let me tell you, we had the time of our lives. Everybody (down to all the other Unilocalers) were so friendly and welcoming! Darrin was our teacher (also owner), along with his wife and some other helpers, again SO welcoming and sweet. We started out with a quick warm up and then got down to it. The night consisted of learning basic Muay Thai and Jui Jitsu moves. Because this was only a one hour class, Darrin had to move quick through everything, but he did it with such grace. Even though it was a fast paced class, the moves he taught us stuck. He even used my fiancé in one of his examples!
Darrin and his wife were so professional. I’ve been in classes before where the trainer can really make you feel like you aren’t doing something right, or you are beneath people for not knowing as much as they do, and I not ONCE got the feeling ever here. I felt as if I was an equal and I had been training with them for years. I felt right at home and felt like I knew a thing or two :)
They offer many different classes, and even though its about a 40 minute drive for us, we committed to one month with them as we have been interested in doing defense learning like this for quite some time, and we hit it off so well. I recommend Plus One to ANYBODY that is interested in learning more about self defense, and/​or looking for a gym (they also have a gym connected to the self defense portion). They also have amazing hours and classes all day (even late at night for us peeps that work long days). I cannot wait to start my month with Darrin and the crew and hope to see some fellow Unilocalers there!
ETA: The only thing I may complain a tad bit about is their parking. My fiancé and I got there early for the Unilocal Event (about a half hour) and there was absolutely no parking. We had to park on the road, which isn’t to big of a deal. But just a FYI to any newbies that don’t know the area (like myself.
Place rating: 5
Manchester, CT
What a great space! Going down the list, I find myself asking, what DOESN’T Plus One Defense offer?
Kung-​Fu, Karate, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, Aikido, Jujutsu, Kickboxing, Judo, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts/​MMA, Capoeira, Kali/​Silat, Kettlebell Training, and Tai Chi — the team at Plus One manages to offer instruction on so many schools of training that it’s almost mind boggling! At any given time, you can walk in and there will be some sort of class going on.
With 9000 square feet of useable space, there are two floors that include an MMA cage, a boxing ring, a fitness center (with cardio equipment, squat racks, benches and free weights) and men and women showers — Plus One really does have so much to offer.
Pricing for membership options are priced competitively, most students pay about $ 100 per month. If you’re unsure of where to start, Plus One does offer a free introductory session to help you get acquainted and find what martial art form works for you.
Check out what Darin and his awesome team have to offer, you won’t regret it!
FYI:
Mon, Wed, Fri: 6am-​10pm
Tues: 7am-​10pm
Thurs: 12−10pm
Sat: 915am-​530pm
Sun: closed
Place rating: 5
East Hartford, CT
What a hidden treasure! I came to PlusOne Defense Systems for an introductory Unilocal class. I had done karate as a young kid but that was many MANY moons ago so I figured I would give this a shot to see what I could gain from it. This studio has all kinds of martial arts available to learn and practice, as well as a workout area, but my intro class covered Muay Thai and Brazilian Jui Jitsu. Darin, the 5th degree black belt owner, brought us through a 60 min crash course that covered both rudimentary warmups as well some advanced power moves that changed the way I thought about the simple task of «getting up.» He and his wife did an awesome job demonstrating difficult techniques and making them easy for us to replicate. In addition to being great exercise, this was most definitely a confidence-​building experience. As shown, there’s potential to learn a whole lot and it won’t take forever to learn it. I see myself becoming a regular here very soon…
Place rating: 5
Manchester, CT
I did a free class last night with some other Unilocalers. It was great! Was a great workout, learned some new Jiu Jitsu moves, and the instructors were awesome, insightful, and fun. Me and my boyfriend will definitely be back soon!
Place rating: 5
Manchester, CT
I came here last night with my husband as my plus one for Unilocal’s Fit Club class. I was a complete newbie to martial arts and my husband hadn’t taken a martial arts class since he was a child. However, Darin did a great job teaching us various Brazilian jiu jitsu and muay Thai moves. I definitely need more practice but Darin’s explanations and demonstrations, along with his helpers assisting around the room, made it feel like I could learn very quickly. It was also a great workout, as evidenced by my soreness today. It is probably important to mention that I don’t really «work out» but am *kind of* active. I saw others who looked more athletic than myself look just as creamed by the frog/​squat circle move and the burpees though! Darin was the perfect mix of making me motivated to push myself, yet not feeling shamed about not being able to do everything that I wouldn’t want to come back. He and his wife who demonstrated the moves were clearly experts in martial arts but also really nice people. The facilities were also super clean and well maintained. Both my husband and I had a great, fun time and would recommend this place to anyone and everyone.
Place rating: 5
Hartford, CT
Attended Unilocal’s Fit Club class here yesterday and it was a great time. Located inside this warehouse, there is space to host an array of classes. The hour class I attended covered a bit of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muy Thai (sp?). Darin made the hour fun and challenging for us. I recommend this gym for anyone who’s looking for a different way to work out.
Place rating: 5
West Hartford, CT
I came here last night with my boyfriend for a free one-​hour session for Unilocal Fit Club and had a fantastic time! I did Japanese jujutsu for a few years in college, but had never tried Brazilian jiu jitsu or muay Thai so I was beyond excited to get back into martial arts. The sensei (unfortunately, I forgot his name, but he’s the owner) who led the class did an excellent job of warming us up, exposing us to the basics, and even teaching us the scissor sweep in the very limited amount of time he had. You could tell he had put a lot of thought into giving us the best first experience possible, so I really appreciate that! He was also very accommodating of everyone’s different fitness levels and led an engaging class.
The gym itself is really tucked away and could use a little more parking, but the inside is great with nice clean mats and cubbies to put your belongings away in. I was particularly impressed that they had a boxing ring set up in the back – definitely would make for more intense kumite! They also offer an impressive array of classes, including an all-​female jiu jitsu class, which I’ve never seen done before, but is actually a brilliant idea.
Overall, I was super impressed with this gym and would definitely go back or recommend it to friends. I would’ve signed up for a month of jiu jitsu right then and there, if not for being too busy with med school. Maybe in two years once things die down… If you’re interested in martial arts though, definitely check this place out!
Edit: I just checked out their other reviews, and they have 21 other stellar ratings that are buried under Unilocal’s filter. Hmmm… hopefully someone on Unilocal can sort that out, but I recommend taking a look at those as well.
Place rating: 5
Boalsburg, PA
This place is fun, creative, well-​rounded, and (most importantly) trustworthy. Plus One’s specialty is their self-​made martial arts style, a blend of karate and kung fu, which appeals to those who like a more traditional style of martial arts. If you prefer Brazilian jiu-​jutsu, kickboxing, and anything that’s like MMA, those classes are available too. There are some special classes for weapons, Capoeira, and other unique things you can’t learn in most places.
The price is good considering you can tailor your own training schedule for your interests. The training areas feel new and clean, and there’s a gym attached with training machines as well. If you want the bang for your buck on top of great instruction, I’d highly recommend this place. They are also open and flexible with their policies. As a student, I felt like I was valued, and that feeling is often missing in other places that are more interested in your wallet than you.
Overall, I’d give this place a shot. They offer some popular classes for kids too.
Place rating: 5
Tucson, AZ
So, I travel a lot for professional conferences, and I am always looking for places to roll (BJJ). During a visit to Connecticut, I randomly found Plus One Defense on Google. There were so many great things about my visit, I hardly know where to begin. First, I really liked the general attitude of the place. Being an outsider, there are times where studios will treat you as a stranger — almost a human punching bag. Here, I was welcomed and each of my partners mirrored this attitude. Everyone was friendly, but when we stepped on the mat, it was time to «get after it.» I really liked rolling with the instructor Greg because he matched my pace and kept pushing me throughout our matches. Also, the cost for a day pass was only $ 10 and it included access to the entire facility — including the full weightroom in the back. Overall, this was a great experience, and I cannot wait for my return to New Britain, CT, so I can go back to Plus One Defense Systems.
Place rating: 5
New Haven, CT
I cannot recommend Plus One enough.
First, they have a simply BEAUTIFUL training space. Two dojos, an Octagon, a Boxing Ring, a weights room, showers and changing rooms, comfortable spaces for parents to sit while kids are in class, and televisions where they can watch their kids in class or what’s on the boob-​tube, as well as wifi.
There are tons of classes in a variety of martial arts, and once a member, you can take any class you’d like.
But the best thing about this place are the people. Sensei Reisler, the owner, is just simply a GOOD man: he cares about his students. You won’t find any «THERE IS NO FEAR IN THIS DOJO!» here. Everyone is friendly and respectful.
I’m disabled, which means I can’t do a lot of things y’all able-​bodied folks can do. So I knew that when I approached a teacher, I needed someone who treated my disability as a learning opportunity– a chance to modify technique for my problem. I can’t do fancy Muay Thai kicks, I can’t grapple like an MMA fighter– but I still need to learn how to stay safe. And that wasn’t a problem for the teachers at Plus One.
Beyond that, though, not one of the teachers or students has blinked twice at my disability, or the fact that I’m a newb. I was welcomed with open arms. Folks here care about the other folks here– we train to kick ass, but the atmosphere of caring and respect gives folk the skills never to have to kick ass. And when it comes to self-​defense, the best defense is always to avoid a fight.
If you’re unsure, check it out for yourself– come down and see. Trust me, you’ll be a convert right quick.