Lake Effect Martial Arts

“I'm originally from Buffalo but now live and train out of state. I dropped into Lake Effect when visiting home. The facility itself is awesome and extremely clean and well kept. Instruction is top-notch and Michael and his coaches give individualized attention to all students. The culture is really welcoming and friendly, I felt right at home when I walked in. Lake Effect is officially my new home away from home! Thank you!”

“I am super impressed with Lake Effect, the gym is always clean and inviting. The instructors are amazing and really put in an effort to ensure the students are getting the instruction they need. The culture is amazing, when you walk in you feel welcome and everyone has respect for each other. I am so glad I found this place it is a ton of fun and I encourage anyone thinking about BJJ to give this place a try I truly cannot say enough good things about it.”

“I’ve lived and trained jiu jitsu in New York City, Pittsburgh PA, Toronto Canada and Frankfurt Germany for Work at some of the most regarded Jiu Jitsu academies in the country. Lake Effect Martial Arts located in Buffalo, New York stands out among all of them not only for the technical quality of the jiu jitsu instruction & self defense development but mainly for its sense of community. For reference’s sake I spent 2 full years with Lake Effect. Head Professor Michael Katilus is a well respected professional in WNY and runs this academy as a passion project outside of his daily living. For this reason everything is done for the right reasons and for the positive development of his students. His supporting cast of over 6 jiu jitsu black belts share the same through line and are a highly respectable band of Police officers, University Professors, Master Chef, Military Airplane Mechanic and more. Special mention of Coach Chris Former Active-Duty Marine turned stand up comedian and butterfly guard master in his retirement. The students of Lake Effect are equally interesting individuals and i’m happy to call many of them friends. If you are looking for great life development of your kids or nephews/nieces look no further. If you are an adult looking to become a great jiu jitsu fighter and challenge yourself in a positive community look no further.”

“Looked up some possible places while in Buffalo for the week for some work related training. Found this place and reached out. Coach Michael responded, welcoming me to drop in and provided some good info. When I got there the environment was very welcoming, from the instructors down to the newest white belt. I never felt like anyone wanted to prove themselves against the "stranger", a vibe I've gotten on occasion when I drop in on classes during my travels. Got some good drilling in to work on muscle memory, and some good positional rolling for practice and to get the heart rate up. Overall great class.”

“Absolutely terrific place for my grandkids to get out the wiggles, get some good exercise and learn how to defend themselves. So happy this gym exists!”