Chicago MMA Club

I took the MMA class with Brian. I did not expect such a butt kicking workout. It was great! Our class was fairly small, it was just me and two other members. I have taken cardio kickboxing classes before but this class made me realize that I have been punching and kicking incorrectly! We started out with a quick warm up with squats, jump roping, and other various excersizes. The rest of the time, we did combo of punches and kicks. Brian was a great teacher! This was my first MMA class and Brian was very patient in teaching me the basics of how to punch and kick and teaching me how to fight up close as well. I definitely left the class feeling sore and that I got a good workout in! This class is a great class to take if you want to add something different in your work out routine and still get a serious burn/​sweat in!

This is a review is for Chicago Muay Thai Kickboxing Club and the new MMA program lead by Brian Gassaway. I train at this gym for over 2 years now and would like to share with everyone why it is worth joining this gym.
Jim Glasgow; passionate martial art practitioner for nearly 20 years and instructor; opened CMTKC gym 3 years ago. He and his associate instructors were able to create and continuously maintain a balanced environment where each student can find what they are looking for. No matter your level and physical attributes they will help you to unlock your real potential as a martial art practitioner and most important as a person.
The school is not centered on talented or high potential practitioners. It is a friendly environment where each student contributes to the school brand. You will not feel intimidated but instead comfortable right away. Especially for the mma program which is like every class a great workout and lot of fun specially the ground game part. You don’t pound each other as you may think. Again they adapt to your level, instructors and students will help you no matter you level.
Values like respect, good manners, team spirit, hard work, consistency, efficiency, hygiene and more are promoted. High ego, disrespect and mean people are not welcome in the gym
The instructors truly understand these values and it can be seen not only by the way they naturally interact so friendly with everyone but mostly by the lifestyle they maintain.
The community is built upon students that train for diverse goals (being fit, coordinate, stronger, release the pressure, gain confidence, learn about yourself, …) but are all aligned on one that is learning the art all together. Its community is like a little city, people from various work background, ethnicity, age and belief. No matter how important you believe you are in the society, we are all equal in this gym.
We are all friends. It is very hard to not become friends with such open and positive people. It is also contagious.
I could talk about so many great things about this school like the instructors, various seminars, self-​defense, competitions and second location at Evanston.
In summary, we all started from complete beginner. The hardest part is to show up.
Thank you CMTKC to be part of my journey to continuously grow.

Whether you’re a beginner with no fighting experience wanting to learn basic self-​defense or a seasoned fighter looking to sharpen your sword, I couldn’t recommend this location more highly. Located smack in the middle of Lincoln Park, it’s easily accessible by foot, train, or car. I was blown away by the level of instruction. The jiu jitsu classes are taught by certified Gracie Jiu Jitsu brown and black belts and the MMA/​Muay Thai classes are taught by a UFC veteran. There was a fair mixture of women in the jiu jitsu and muay thai classes, so I would do away with the notion that this is a male dominated sport. This is a great place to feel out different styles of martial arts. Prices are very flexible based on what programs you would like to sample. Clean facilities, nice showers, spacious locker rooms, world-​class instruction, ample parking, state-​of-​the art equipment, and a buffalo wild wings right next door… what more could you possibly ask for?