North Andover Jiu Jitsu

"Overall, I think it's bad. There are some pluses but the teacher is the most important part and I did not enjoy him at all. Parking: plenty of parking in front and around the building. Pricing: they offer multiple pricing options which is very convenient. Month to month, 3-6-12 months. Obviously the longer term you do the less you pay per month. They have a 3 day grace period from when you sign up where you can cancel if you change your mind. However, I don't like that you can't see the prices anywhere except in person. This is, in my opinion, a predatory sales pressure tactic. People should be able to see the prices on the website or somewhere else easy to see. Another tip on this: this place clearly spends heavily on advertising, at least on FB and Instagram. Anywhere that tries so hard with advertising is somewhere you should be very wary of. Class: class is fun. I do the adult MMA, which I would say is not particularly beginner friendly here but this is a plus to me as I already have experience. They don't put stretching and jump ropes or rolling or whatever in the class, the class is just 100% getting into the martial arts which is nice, less time wasted. So it helps a lot if you have at least some experience (e.g, you know how to roll, how to fall safely, how to throw a punch/kick, footwork, basic stuff.) They also do sparring often which I like. I also like that there is plenty of space; I've been in other gyms that you're almost shoulder to shoulder with people, but the mat area is very roomy and accommodates everyone well. There's also a little locker area where you can keep your stuff which is nice. Service: I really don't like interacting with the front desk lady, she's very frigid and I always get the impression she is slightly annoyed to have to look up from her phone to interact with anyone. Kyle (the instructor) is pretty bad. I'm sure he's a great fighter, based on all the medals and trophies on the wall. But being good at anything doesn't make you good at teaching that skill. Kyle is impatient, disrespectful, dislikes being asked questions, and overall unpleasant to be around on the mat. Every time he came over to me and my partner I tensed up because I knew he wasn't going to listen to how I felt performing a technique, he would just tell you to do something fast, slap you around while trying to teach you something, or use the bag. I need to ask questions about techniques to understand them from a technical perspective and he told me to stop asking questions and just do it. Didn't enjoy that. This is a very sport focused place, so if you're looking for self defense skills I recommend looking elsewhere. A few of the skills I learned here, I would not use in places like the street or anywhere where there is a hard surface. Things he has said like "this is MMA, not karate" have also made me question his teaching expertise. Any good MMA teacher understands that MMA means mixed martial arts, and if someone can use karate effectively and that's what they're comfortable with, they should use that. Schedule: the schedule is pretty good. 7 pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday adult mma and 1 pm saturday kickboxing. My only gripe is to see announcements for holidays and special events, you have to go to their Instagram. I don't use social media and I don't want to start just to see if classes are on or not. This info should be somewhere easy to see like the website or a member portal."

"As soon as our son began attending the youth program, we saw immediate improvements in self regulation and decision making. It's raised his confidence and strengthened him physically. The instructors are obviously deeply invested in each child's success - they want the kids to enjoy themselves and add many fun aspects each class. It's been incredible. Highly recommend!"

"I travel a lot for work and so try to stop in at gyms along the road so i don't miss training. I popped in here for a Tuesday night gi class and really enjoyed it. Great instruction, friendly students, and a good atmosphere. I rolled with several strong people while here. I have been training for a few years now and you never know what to expect coming into a new gym. Can highly recommend and i will definitely be back along my travels"

"Big shout out to North Andover Jiu Jitsu! Honest review here..Decided to sign my 5 year old son up 3 months ago because he had his first bully in school and I wanted him to learn to defend himself if need be, and I’m glad I did. Not only has it given him a little confidence, but discipline as well. Coach Kyle does a great job at preparing them for actual jiu Jitsu and making it fun along the way. This place has a great balance for those that just want to train recreationally but also for those that seek to compete. I sat and watched my sons classes for 2 months before I decided I had to join for myself. 1 month in for me so far and I love it. Great energy from the folks that train here and all I can say is that I wish I’d joined sooner."