MBD Martial Arts Academy

Our kid attends this place both at the local school in the afterschool program as well as in the main studio. Michelle is amazing with the kids in knowing how to motivate them and how to balance her own instruction to be demanding, hold kids to a high bar, but at the same time encourage them, support them and reward them for a job well done. Many parents in our school say how much their child transformed thanks to MBD, and I can attest to that as well. Our child’s self-​confidence grew by leaps and bounds; he became calmer and better focused. We also felt that the school instills important values like hard work and self-​discipline.
From the organizational point of view, we also have only good things to say: Michelle sets the school’s schedule in such a way that we get a lot of choice in which sessions to attend during the week. The school is also very good about make-​ups.
GREAT BIRTHDAY PARTY venue!!! We did ours at MBD and did not regret it. Other parents chose to stick around because they were so intrigued by the myriad of activities Michelle and her crew organized for the kids. The b-​day kid gets to break a wooden plank at the end by smashing it with a karate move. Kids had a blast. The price is also very affordable, especially if reserved early in the year.

My son has been coming to MBD for 5 years. He was a very shy little boy with low muscle tone, and very little confidence. As he went from yellow to orange, I knew this was for him. He is now a second brown belt, and is part of the STORM team and very proud. They have the most amazing instructors who love what they do, and care about the kids. They have a little dragons class that age range from 3 – 6 years old, and all levels youth karate from 7 years and up. They also offer kids and Adult Krav Maga classes and women self defense classes. I take a KM fit class on Saturdays and love it! Coach Sue is amazing!!! Sensei Michelle had a vision to have a amazing Karate school. Our kids have gained a special gift that will always carry with them, and the end result, they have gained the best of friends!

My six year old daughter is a student here and she really loves it. The teachers are fantastic, as are the classes. Sensei Michelle generously donated free classes to our school’s raffle and, also, taught our Girl Scout Troop a fantastic self defense class. It’s so nice to see a business give back to their community! Thank you!!!

My child is getting more than a martial arts education at MBD. He is benefiting from amazing role models and mentoring. Sensei Michelle is a real gift to the children that she works with and inspires the young adults and kids to be their best in a variety of ways. It is a caring and safe environment for students of all ages. I am grateful that we chose to walk through the door and do the free trial class. My 7-​yr-​old is gaining confidence and learning to work hard. Watching him advance is a joy.

I’m a 67 senior and I have been attending Krav Maga classes using Groupon.
I was a little skeptical at first, but Michelle and Ben really made me feel at home.
Even though i“m using a coupon they treat me as if I were a long time member. Ben takes the time to instruct me in a very patient manner.
The other students in class also help to teach me the correct techniques. If you want a great workout and to lean self defense I highly recommend these classes.
To you senior citizens… YOU CAN DO IT!!! and believe me I’m no superstar.

When our son (6) asked to start karate, we stopped by the dojo to check it out. Sensei Michelle was so warm and welcoming, that we signed him up for the little dragon classes right away. A few weeks in, our 4 year old daughter (then 3) wanted to start, too, so we signed her up as well. Both enjoy the classes a lot. Our son especially has gained confidence (which we had hoped for) and he has a great balance now. All the teachers are fantastic and very patient. We were fairly new to the area, and don’t have family close by. The dojo feels like a family away from the family.

MBD Is awesome for many reasons.
1) Customer Service is excellent. Whenever I call/​email I hear back almost immediately with a thorough, professional response.
2) Pricing is outstanding to reasonable depending on what you sign up for.
3) Quality is great! My 2 sons (4 and 6) have enjoyed the Little Dragons Class, my spouse liked Muay Thai, and I liked Krav Maga Bags. They run everything professionally and take into account the special needs of each student so we have never felt *too* pushed but have always been challenged just enough.
4) Absence policy & scheduling is excellent. I like that once I pay for a designated amount of classes, I’m not penalized if I must skip a week or come to the class on a different day that week.
5) Class sizes are great.
6) I don’t know exactly how MBD manages to do this, but the people there are all super nice! The teens are so sweet to my baby and me while we wait, and my family has had a great experience with not only the staff but also the clientele there. I think MBD just creates a great environment that is challenging but not cut-​throat competitive, so everyone’s nice! I love it.
Check it out!

I have 2 kids went here for 5 years. Michelle place is excellent. I’m happy that send my kids here they able to learn so much and build up their confident. I highly recommend.

After moving to downtown Des Plaines in September of 2012 I kept walking by this place on my walk back from the train after work. I had always wanted to try some form of martial arts but never seriously looked into it. I checked out the website and saw a great mix of different classes that looked appealing. I emailed and quickly received a reply from Michelle, who runs the academy with her husband Ben. I was encouraged to come try a class for free. I really wanted to try Krav Maga, and quickly fell in love with the class. This is the best decision I have made for my overall fitness and sense of self. As a woman, it is so amazing to know how to effectively defend myself in any scenario. The dynamic of the academy is so friendly and family/​neighborhood focused as well. I love supporting this academy and have had the amazing opportunity to take a class under Sam Sade, the founder of Alpha Krav Maga International, Inc. The muay thai, krav maga ground (jiu jitsu type grappling) and mma classes are also great. I particularly like muay thai, and feel it is a great compliment to krav maga. Overall, have never felt more in shape and self confident.

Excellent is the word to describe this place! My 3 kids have been taking lessons for a few years now and it has taught them not only the art of karate, but also discipline which trickles down to school and other things in life. They have an awesome children’s program which also teaches them how to deal with situations when approached by strangers. My daughter loves the kick boxing class and I might even try their adult classes one day.
Prices are affordable and the workout area is huge. Keep up the good work!

Great Martial Arts school and with amazing sensei Michelle that knows how to approach children and teach them confidence and discipline. I’ve had my child in her school for almost 2 years now. If you have a children ages 3 and up you should definitively try this school out.

Love this place they’re cardio kickboxing classes are awsome! I was hooked the first day… and the monthly membership fee is too good to be true. They give u a free class to try out. Highly recommend this place !

We hired MBD Martial Arts to do an After School Boot Camp at ICS and she did an amazing job! We had a great response and the kids loved it!
The only reason I am giving her 4 stars is she couldn’t come back for another session and I would love for her to come back!
I also send my 12 and 4 year old to her Children’s Escape seminar, it was a couple of hours and great, my 4 year old still remembers what she learned, although I am going to send her again at least twice a year to keep her aware.
My 12 year old was a little old for the class so they offered to do an older class, me and a couple of other mom’s enrolled our daughters and it was great! The girls loved it, and us mom’s loved going for dinner and catching up.
I would definately recommend stopping in and checking it out, the prices are great and the teachers really get to know the kids. I would and have recommended them out.
Tina G. Des Plaines Mom