The Ultimate Self Defense & Performance Center

Terrific club! I was looking for a judo or BJJ club where I might get a workout in while in town (I am a judo player), and came across Andrea’s dojo. The instructors and students are all very friendly and the facilities are great. I have enjoyed the BJJ classes I have attended with Michael, and there’s a good mix of students in the drill and instructional classes. I look forward to my next trip to Boston!

This is the best martial arts gym in the area. Sensai Andrea and her staff are 100% committed to promoting excellence in martial arts, self discipline, respect, and honor for yourself and your community. The mats and her equipment are excellent quality and allow for a variety of training opportunities. The owner has multiple black belts, a masters degree in Physical Therapy, and certifications in multiple types of training techniques. She has a BIG HEART and is simply THE BEST!!!

Location/​Owners:
When I first moved to Boston for school, I wasn’t very active. After a semester of sitting around studying and feeling kind of sluggish, I decided to find a place where I could learn Brazilian jiu-​jitsu. I shopped around a few different gyms, finally visiting Ultimate Self Defense. I walked inside the dojo where I was promptly greeted by Sensei Andrea, Sensei Tina, and Lenny. They were extremely welcoming and very humble. They offered to lend me a gi (uniform) and let me try a BJJ class for free; I had to decline but came back the next week to start my free trial of BJJ classes through Kimura BJJ based in Watertown MA. This is when I met Michael Fontes, the Kimura black belt and BJJ instructor at the South Boston location.
BJJ:
Coach Michael is an excellent teacher. The class sizes are relatively small compared to other gyms I visited, and the price is about, or just below average. What really makes Kimura South Boston/​Ultimate Self Defense a great place is the sense of comradely and family that you get after training a few classes. Everyone is at the dojo to learn something new, and everyone works as a team to motivate and improve the skill of each individual. In the time I have been at the dojo, Coach Michael has helped develop «my game» that is based my body type, strength, and flexibility. This is the kind of individualized training you won’t get anywhere else without paying for private classes. I should also add that I have never been pressured to go too far, and I have never been injured. They have also been extremely understanding when school has gotten busy, never giving me a hard time for missing a few classes and putting my education first.
Judo/​Karate/​Kids Classes:
While I have never taken a judo or karate class at the dojo, I have witnessed many while waiting for BJJ class. The instructors for these classes are great with the kids, and help them develop discipline while having fun. In my opinion, it is the perfect mix of allowing a kid to be a kid, while still letting them have fun a burn a little energy. I have also noticed a trend: many parents bring their kids to classes and then find themselves taking classes a few months later! It’s a great family activity. On a side note: the adult judo program is also excellent; I believe there are 2 or 3 student currently training at the Olympic level and one student who even offered scholarships by many schools for his abilities in Judo (as well as great grades!), he is now in CA training Judo and BJJ.
Overall: This place is world class. Everyone works as a team and I leave happy every time. I am proud to be a member and I hope you come check our school out! Kimura!

I recently signed my 3 year old daughter up for karate, 1 day a week. She absolutely loves it! Sensei Andrea & Sensei Tina are great with the kids, and my daughter instantly knew that she had to listen and follow the instructions. Typically I don’t stay for the whole class, I drop her off and come back to watch the tug of war competition, or her final skills evaluation and am always impressed by how much she attained! This is a great place for kids to learn not only how to defend themselves but to build self confidence and control. Not to mention make friends, because all the kids have been very nice and friendly to my daughter. I highly recommend :)

This place is great for both young and old. With kids and adult workout classes all levels welcomed with no judgment Andrea has been at it for twenty plus years

I met Andrea, the owner, when I was shopping around for a martial art (and secondarily, a place to learn it once I settled on one). We got to talking, and I expressed my concern that I would be the odd «man» out in a martial arts school where everyone else was stronger, fitter, faster, and, well, male.
Andrea invited me to her school to join in on a class and see that there were women – a plurality of men, women, and children – who practiced together. Everyone in the class was warm and welcoming. The folks I trained with made me feel like I had been coming there for years rather than having just stepped nervously across the threshold.