New Breed Training Center

Boxing is a metaphor for life. When you get knocked down the only thing you should do is rise up again and knock your opponent out.
After getting knocked down in several areas of my life too personal to discuss on Unilocal,a close friend recommended New Breed.
My awesome friend had been doing jiu jitsu w New Breed since its inception and I’ve attended a few of her matches. I love the family aspect of the training center and how you are welcomed into the group.
I’m such a newbie but boxing trainers Rita and Bob are incredible. Rita is a legend in women’s boxing and if you’re going to learn– you gotta learn from the best! Bob has always been so great with pointers and he’s worked with MMA professionals like actual UFC fighters.
The rates are very reasonable (you pay per month and can attend as many times as you want). The center has ample parking and it’s always packed.
What I love about New Breed is that everyone’s there because they are committed to physical fitness.
I owe this to my friend who recommended I sign up. Best idea ever.

The instructor was a young «frat boy» who appeared more interested in hanging out then instructing. There was a young blonde girl also trying out the Muay Thai class and he paired us together– perhaps pairing two confused newbies together wasn’t the best decision– but the blonde got lots of attention and guidance from him– all I got was criticism! I left in tears.

I was a student here a few years ago and can’t say enough good things about Mark and his gym. Great environment and all the instructors really care about your progress. If you are thinking about training bjj, muy Thai, wrestling, or just need a fantastic workout, give New Breed a try. You will not be disappointed.

i visited to check out a class and it was a great experience! i felt welcomed and great workout while learning the art. instructors are caring as well as the students. nice clean mats and open space

New Breed has excellent instructors and a very helpful and friendly staff. I came here originally to do Muay Thai at their old location in Skokie. They quickly outgrew that location and moved to the spot where they reside now which is super convenient, since I work within walking distance.
Since I’ve started training there, my free time had dwindled to almost nothing, so I don’t really have the ability to dedicate an hour and a half to Muay Thai class like I used to. Thankfully New Breed also offers their Function Fitness class which is focused around general conditioning. It’s a great class which usually runs 30 – 45 minutes so I’m able to get a workout in within the confines of my hectic schedule.
Regardless of whether you want to train in Jujitsu, Muay Thai, or just do some general conditioning, they have classes available at multiple times, and I’m sure you’d be able to find something that meshes well with your schedule.

came in for a test run, instructor was very welcoming and had 2 classes. one for basics, and the second more intermediate-​advanced. I stayed for the basics and learned a lot. Gym is clean, and students are dedicated and disciplined.

Note: I started here with no wrestling or grappling experience and had the athletic ability and fitness level of a wet mop. This place is very beginner friendly.
The basics are found on their website and in the other reviews here. Regardless of your schedule, you’ll find a class to attend. There are early morning drilling sessions, late night drilling sessions, and classes at all hours of the day. If enough people are willing to train at a certain time, they will bend over backwards to accommodate that need. The quality of instruction is at a very high level, there is little ego and everyone is there to learn and make their training partners better.
That’s readily apparent and doesn’t need more elaboration. Below are my own personal reasons of what makes this place special to me.
TRUST
There is an inherent danger when training martial arts as the intent is often to disarm or disable another individual. Therefore, when practicing these situations, participants are exposed to a certain amount of risk. When learning a new move, whether it be a joint-​lock or a choke, the move must be practiced on another individual for learning to actually take place. Due to this, your training partner, quite literally, holds your long-​term health in their hands. That being said, I have never been in a situation while learning, drilling, or sparring where I have been afraid for my safety. My training partners have always pushed me to be better but they always recognized my limits and had the restraint to teach me but not harm me. With safety a guarantee, learning can take first priority in every training session. I’ve found this to be invaluable.
PASSION
I have met very few people in life who describe their vocation with the words «it’s not about the money» and actually meant it. Mark Vives is one of those people. His philosophy for the school is to provide a safe environment where Jiu Jitsu is taught and these priorities are in place before a single cent is collected. If you don’t believe me, sign up for a free week then after it’s over say you’re not interested. You will then be provided with a list of other schools that might be a better fit for you. They just want you to learn Jiu Jitsu here, they don’t care where you learn it. But if you stay, holy cow will they teach you. Everyone here is incredibly generous with their knowledge and will readily spend time after class going over techniques and helping you with problem spots.
I have nothing but good things to say about this place and the people that frequent it.
tl;dr They offer a free week so just sign up and do it already!

When relocating to the Chicago area, owner, Mark Vives, not only gave time to show me his academy, he also provided me a comprehensive list of almost every bjj school in the area. With no pressure to commit to contracts, Mark wanted to make sure that my family and I made the right decision with Newbreed. I am happy to say that we did make the right decision and now not only have I found a top notch BJJ school, but a place where my family also trains. A fantastic school with hands down the most comprehensive schedule in the Chicagoland area. Highly recommended.

i ve been training here for a year
i really did my research before deciding to go with this place «the schedules are very flexible, there is a lot of jiu jitsu!!!
this place is very relaxed, i love it,
people who train here are great no jerks so far!!!
mark the trainer is a great guy big heart he. loves to help in many ways
anyway can t talk much have to train!!!

Great gym! It’s not just a gym though. . it’s like a family. Fun people, no egos, awesome instructors and a nice big place to roll around. They have bjj, Muay Thai, boxing, submission wrestling and core training. And don’t forget the kiddies — bjj and boxing.

Mark Vives is a very passionate about the art and it shows during training. All the instructors teaching there are very skilled, humble and willing to help you with your «game». The gym is well kept, very clean and huge! I used to attend the Skokie location before the move and its approx 4x bigger. This is definitely not a cookie cutter school either.
Everyone that I’ve met so far at the Niles location are awesome, very down to earth and just a bunch of good people. Would I recommend this school if you’re looking? HELL YES.

What are you doing reading this review? Get to New Breed and train!
Great instruction and practice partners with world class facility. Their training schedule is fairly easy to work around too.

I started Jiu-​Jitsu almost a year ago and it’s been one of the best decisions i’ve made. The atmosphere is light and the jokes are plenty, yet workout are hard. Don’t be put off my the smell of sweat once you enter though, its worth staying and signing up!

Excellent training school. I’ve trained at a handful. The staff is friendly, helpful, and well skilled. I haven’t met a jerk yet in the few months I’ve been there. Everyone is focused on the sport of training and I don’t think I’ve met a single person with a goal of being a tough guy.
As soon as my son is old enough I’ll be taking him here as well. The kids training is awesome. They’re learning the same skills us adults are learning so that the transition to regular classes will be seamless.

I’ve been with New Breed since Jun 19, 2006. We used to be in a small place in Evanston. Then we got better and bigger and moved to Skokie. Again, we got better and bigger and went to Niles.
New Breed has been great. I don’t want to write a lengthy review so these are my takeaways:
1) Great teaching/​coaching
2) People are promoted based on ability, not frequency of attendance or anything else
3) Multiple championships
4) Very fair price compared to other BJJ schools
5) Fun environment
6) No egos– This is an important one. When you spar, you don’t want to roll with someone that won’t tap because they just don’t or who will play a crappy game because they just want to win and not learn
I’ve been here for a long time and you won’t see as many die hard, loyal teammates at any other school.

I think it’s time to update my review. I am now coming up on 2 years training at New Breed. I have learned so much, not only about Jiu Jitsu but also about my self. New Breed is not a business! New Breed is my second home and my second family. There are no egos, everyone is down to earth, and you will learn. The instructors are absolutely perfect for me and what I need. The weekly schedule has classes beginning as early as 6:15 am and ending around 9:30 pm. Regardless of your work schedule, there is a class time for you, so there is no excuse not to train! I have no intention of ever leaving this school, I have found my permanent home!!!

I’ve been here for a little over a year now and since I’m leaving soon I feel like it’s time to write an update. A lot has changed here since then. New location, change in programming. The new facility is HUGE, a definite upgrade over the old place. Not only is there more mat space but a weights area and heavy bags. More than one classes can run at the same time which means a larger variety of classes, more advanced level Jiu-​jitsu, Muay Thai and even two dedicated MMA classes a week.
What has NOT changed is the quality of instruction, the friendly, laid back atmosphere and it’s competition focus. All of the instructors there are really laid back-​there are no formalities here, which makes it really easy to ask them for help with techniques or questions about how to do moves. Walk up to anyone for help or even some practice and they’ll be more than happy to do so. A couple months ago, Mark the head instructor said it best: «this isn’t a business, it’s a family.» You can tell from the beginning that this isn’t just a school to just learn but a place where people come together to share a common interest, almost like a clubhouse.
While I like the new facility and the space what I’m going to miss most is the people I get to see week after week.

If you are looking for an old school traditional martial arts academy, this is not the place for you. As you can tell by the 5 stars, this is not a negative comment in any way and I am truly impressed with this school and have nothing but good things to say.
While the primary focus is being a BJJ school, they do offer Muay Thai classes as well. They offer classes in the morning, afternoon, and evening so most individuals can find some time to get their workout in. To my knowledge there are no long term contracts and everything is just a monthly withdrawal. Price wise, this school is one of the most economical and does offer discounts for the military/​police too.
«New Breed» is not just a marketing ploy/​catchy name but more so a true representation of their philosophy and teaching. I’ve been to a few other schools during my travels and while a class or two at those places may not be sufficient to come to a full conclusion, I have to say the instruction/​organization of the classes at New Breed are the best. The classes don’t feel like a canned lesson that I’ve felt like I’ve experienced at other locations and Mark also points out the finer details that I feel the other places didn’t spend time covering. And while you’re practicing whatever it is you learned, Mark will spend time with most everyone pointing out these details or answering questions. Another great thing is that you also spend time drilling what you’ve learned in class to reinforce what you’ve learned.
One of the great things about New Breed is the atmosphere. Like I said above, it’s not a traditional old school place and there is no «Sensei/​Sempai/​Master» titles here. It’s a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere here where everyone gets along. Another great thing about New Breed are the higher belts that are always willing to help you out and spend some additional time with you (sort of like a mini privates). And let me say this about all the higher belts here, they ALL have a solid game. The amount of talent/​skill is here very impressive and it shows in their competition record (you can also check some of their vids on youtube).
All in all, I am very impressed and recommend you stop in to check it out.