Anderson’s Martial Arts Academy

Worked out with Colo this morning… What a class!!! Jenel you were missed but the mix that we got compensated!! sliotar toss and plank boll roll partner tabata and then some… Anderson Martial Arts, the way to go!!!

Dropped in for some jiu jitsu training while in NYC for work (purple belt visiting from MN). I have trained throughout the US, and rarely have I seen such a welcoming group of training partners, a great multi-​level, open concept facility, and good instruction. We were even led through some great cool down fitness stretching and yoga after the open roll, which I have never experienced. Very highly recommended!

I had been looking for the perfect martial arts school for four years when I stumbled into Anderson’s. TLDR; I signed up immediately, without even taking the free one-​on-​one session. This place is the real deal. If you want to train hard and take a serious, respectful approach to martial arts while having a great time with a kickass community, this is the place.
From day one the instructors at Anderson’s were welcoming and patient with my never-​done-​anything-​like-​this-​before questions, and thanks to them I’ve been learning quickly. Within weeks of signing up, I bumped up my membership so I could train more in Jeet Kune Do and in the other styles Anderson’s offers. It’s clear that everyone at Anderson’s takes both the physical and mental aspects of training seriously, but there’s also always room for laughter and fun.
This place is definitely home to a supportive community, and even when you’re an intimidated newbie you’ll feel like you’re part of the family. It’s easy to get hooked on training here — even as a white belt with absolutely no experience I was encouraged from day one to push myself and be the best I could be. That’s an incredible experience at any stage of training.

Great martial arts studio right near the R train. They have various classes available that last until an hour. I’ve only tried the Kettle Bell Kickboxing classes but they are excellent for strengthening your core and overall body if you put in the work. Run by Dasha and her team up in the main floor, classes can get full during after work hours so book a day ahead. I’ve definitely seen results and it is a hard workout. You will sweat if you put your hard work within that hour long session with weights and some cardio. Summer season anyone?
Bring a water bottle. No need for a yoga mat as they provide that, although I recommend wiping them down if you’re self conscious of other people’ sweat getting on you as well. There are no shower rooms that I know of but they do have a locker room for women downstairs. Bring a lock if you need one.

I just rejoined the school after three years. I went to several other schools during that time and It brought me right back to this place. Full Circle. The curriculum here is the best (in my opinion), and there wasn’t any other school (or group of people) that made me want to show up like this one. The atmosphere and community makes you feel like you are part of their family. Some of my favorite things about the school are that there are a variety of classes and times, the instructors, and the fact that we actually spar and apply what we learn.

Anderson’s Martial Arts Academy is an exceptional school and facility. It is run by Sifu Dan Anderson and his wife Simo Dasha Anderson. They are highly motivated and knowledgeable individuals dedicated to teaching, both their understanding and mastery of martial arts, and to the physical fitness and quality of their students lives. There are tow main components to the school, the martial arts program and a fitness program which is under the aegis of Simo Dasha.. As i participate in the martial arts program that will be the focus of this review. That said, i have been the beneficiary of the fitness program as elements of it, and Dasha continual research into to fitness are integrated into the program. And Simo Dasha has been very helpful with specific exercises that have greatly helped mitigate some old injuries.
The martial arts program for adults is designed for all ages, abilities and desired level of involvement. (there is also a program for children) the ages range between 15 and early 60’s. and while the program is physically demanding, age does not have to be an impediment. In fact that way things are taught age can be an asset if one has learned discipline and how to think over the years. In fact i recently watch two advanced students over 50 receive belt promotions based on their knowledge, physical excellence and consistent training. Sifu Anderson seems to consistently attract a high caliber of student, both in terms of character and commitment. There are professional and amateur fighter here (who win most of their fights). housewives, students and a broad range of occupations and interests. As a matter of course the advanced students work with the newer students. when i first started training there the senior students and the fighters were the most welcoming.
This is not a Karate School. The overall curriculum is Jeet Kune do. Also included are Kali, a Fillipine based weapons system, western boxing, Panatuken (Fillipine boxing) Muy Thai, Silat and Brazilian Ju Jitsu and street fighting. Jeet Kune Do (JKD) was Bruce Lee’s personal system which he developed out of frustration with classical systems he felt did not work, or worked for some people but no for others. Hence is phrase, «Using no way as the way.»

Anderson’s Martial Arts Academy​is one of the best Martial Arts centers, period. It is also the only place (that I’m aware of) in NYC that has a direct connection to the Bruce Lee/​Dan Inosanto Jeet Kune Do lineage, as Sifu Anderson was a student of Guro Inosanto.
They have high level Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Filipino Martial Arts (Kali), MMA and Boxing, all of which are taught by high level martial artists if not Sifu himself. They also have a kids program and Kettlebell Kickboxing fitness program.
The energy/​vibe there is great. The teachers, staff, fighters and students are all very friendly, humble, encouraging, and positive people. Anderson’s embodies the true spirit of modern martial arts, and I feel honored to have gotten to train there.
I highly recommend this place for anyone who is serious or even curious about training. The first class or lesson is free, what do you have to lose?! It changed my life, it might change yours!

Amazing facility with amazing staff of experienced martial artists! Great vibe and legit martial arts instruction, highly recommended!

The Anderson’s community is the number one reason I would recommend this facility, followed very closely by the level of training. Once you begin training you’ll quickly see how supportive everyone is… You’ll never see a difference in the attitude of the higher belts, and the fighters (I think much of this gas to do with the great variety of arts they offer, the diversity of the students, and also the attitude of the staff and owners). Everyone is always happy, smiling and laughing. However if you do your research the Academy is one if the longest running in NYC– they were the first to offer Muay Thai in manhattan, the second to offer a Brazilian jiu-​jitsu program and still the only ones certified to teach Inosanto Lacoste Kali (weapons) and Bruce Lees JKD.
No matter your goal– self defense, competition, fighting, MMA, teaching, Weightloss or just being a kid again– this is the spot!

I have a receipt for a 10-​pack, with an expiration, with no mention anywhere on the receipt of «auto-​renewal» and I never had the expectation that I was committing myself. Auto-​renewal is not a choice mentioned anyplace on the website either.
The owner claims that they are «awesome people» yet he goes on Unilocal to mock me for not checking my credit card statement and pretend that I was too dumb to know that what I purchased was misrepresented. Enough said.

On the upside, the session I had with Gus this morning was great!
Down side: I hate the dishonesty.
I purchased the 10 pack from groupon last week, and on the very same day I called to ask a slew of questions, one of which included information as to what exactly is kettlebell kickboxing. When I spoke to Gus on the phone, he informed me that it was not ACTUAL kickboxing, but kickboxing moves are incorporated in there. I informed him that I was interested in KICKBOXING, and not KETTLEBELL kickboxing. He told me that instead of doing the kettlebell kickboxing, I can do the standard kickboxing instead. He wanted me to come in, and try out the kickboxing first, to make sure it was something I really wanted to do. After the session which consisted of him showing me the different martial arts practices offered at the facility (kickboxing being one of them), he sat me down and went over the classes with me. Asked me the classes I’m interested in, THEN flips over the schedule, and shows me the price list. I restate what I was told on the phone, and he told me no I can’t do that, and kettlebell kickboxing are the only classes I can take if I’m not interested in being billed MONTHLY $ 150 (unlit training).
Now I’m not saying I have a problem with kettlebell kickboxing, it’s just NOT what I was looking for, and it would have saved me the entire trouble had he just been honest with me from the beginning. Not waste my time, nor his. Needless to say, I called groupon, and received a refund after informing them about my unfortunate experience. I almost feel as if the dishonesty was a trap to get me past the 3 day refund grace period offered by groupon so that i wouldn’t be able to claim a refund.

If you’re considering taking up martial arts then I highly recommend giving this academy a try. The rotation of the curriculum keeps things fresh and develops an understanding of multiple styles. The instructors are attentive to all the students and do all they can to help you improve. And last but not least, the staff and students are very welcoming and you’ll find yourself making friends sooner than you realize.

This review is for Kettlebell kick boxing
I found this kettlebell kickboxing on Groupon… 10 sessions for $ 45. I work out a lot and have done kettleballs many times but always try to switch it up and try new things to get a good workout. Let me tell you. I LOVED this class. It got my heart rate up, I was sweating, and even learning new things. The one hour class went by SO FREAKING FAST!!!
I rarely find a good Groupon that is worth the money and this was a GREAT price. I can’t wait to go to my next class and I will most likely sign up for more sessions once I am done with the groupon! I highly recommend checking them out !!!

Repost from what I wrote on the «Kettlebell Kickboxing» Unilocal… seems like there are a lot of reviews for that on here so I figured I would share:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kettlebell Kickboxing! I started this program about 2 years ago because a friend of a friend knows Dasha. Wish I would have known about this sooner!
I’ve gone to the classes in Chinatown but I also have 3 of the 4 DVD packs and mostly do KB through those because it’s more convenient. Everytime, I am an extremely sweaty hot mess and feel amazing. The next two days, I feel it too. If I am consistent with the program, I definitely see results.
As for the DVD’s– I love them and the variety. It’s been fun seeing the progression of each series from the next. I personally don’t see any issues with the quality (?) as stated below. I find them super convenient and they are a great addition to my routine.
I also haven’t personally had any customer service complaints, but I can see that they have grown an incredible amount in a short period of time… so I would imagine that they just need to catch up.
Highly recommended :)

Kettlebell kickboxing … what is that? That was the first thought I had when I saw the Groupon for 5 classes. I threw caution to the wind and brought the Groupon just out of curiosity. That was in 2012. I opened the online account and made a online profile to register for my 5 classes. I didn’t even bother looking at it until this year (2014). I had completely forgotten about this. Without any qualms I accepted that My Groupon has expired. Just for hell of it, I logged on to my account after I sent the password reminder email. Much to my surprise I was able to signup for classes.
Happy and excited that my Groupon had no expired I didn’t waste a minute signup for classes. First class was with Dasha. I believe she is main instructor for the Kettlebell kickboxing. However due to NY subway’s during the rush hour I wasn’t able to make it to the class on time. They have a rule, if you are unable to join in by the first fifteen minutes you will not be able to attend the class. Since I was late and they have a STRICT 24 hour cancellation policy I wasn’t able to attend the class. However after speaking to the one of the staff member’s at the front desk I was able to take a later class known as boot camp. Oh man that was boot camp. I was sweating like I have never before. It was great, challenging exciting and most importantly fun.
The classes do fill up very quick so if you like to take these classes you must have to register at least the morning of the class. I love the instructors. I had various ones, and they are all encouraging and caring. The classes are very challenging so get ready to work. There are women from all different fitness levels. No need to be shy and scared. I have one more class left… sadly. I saw a Groupon for more classes. If I wasn’t committed to other Groupon’s I would have purchased it again.
The facility is clean and innovative. As you are walking to the locker room you can look down see other martial arts classes taking place. The hallway floor is made of sometime of clear hard glass material. So even though it’s completely safe to walk on it you still tend to look down and walk a little slowly. May be it’s just me or that was the idea behind the glass floor. Warning though bring you own water bottle.

Anderson’s is the third martial arts school I’ve trained at. I have lost 30 pounds training here in the past couple of months.
AMAA is a great and well rounded mma school. They teach a variety of martial arts including jiu jitsu, mma, jkd, kali, boxing and muay thai. They also have a women’s jiu jitsu and kettle bell kickboxing class.
The school is very clean and the staff is courteous and friendly. The large range of martial arts gives students a great variety to choose from.
For some this can be overwhelming but I honestly feel it gives people a taste of everything thus exposing you to a larger world of martial arts.
AMAA has pro and amatuer fighters. Which demonstrates that the instruction you receive is of high quality.
I honestly feel Anderson’s has been the most well rounded, no nonsense martial arts school I have been to with open minded program and commitment to martial arts unparalleled. I can’t say enough to the level of training and trainers.
Thank to everyone in the school who has helped me improve and not quit.

Note that my review will focus on the disciplines I chose to specifically study, which are:
Panantukan (Filipino Boxing)
Filipino Kali (Stick Fighting)
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do Street Fighting
How I found out about AMAA —
I first read about AMAA on a website, how to fight like Jason Bourne (Google It), which is run and maintained by a long time member of AMAA. Being a huge fan of the Bourne Trilogy, and concurrently being in the market for a martial arts dojo/​academy, the timing was perfect. After visiting the location after work 2 weeks ago, asking a million questions, touring the facility and scheduling my free private lesson, I researched the hell out of this place before showing up for my tutorial.
Free Intro Lesson and Signing Up
My tutorial went off without a hitch. Gus’ proficiency in all the disciplines I expressed interest in was impressive to say the least. My primary concern lay in the fact that this academy is regarded to the point where I hesitated on the basis that being an amateur, I would not fit in and would be more suited for something more universal like Krav Maga. Gus insisted this was not the case, and at that point, I made the decision to try it.
Class Structure and First Impressions
After warm ups (Various cardio and strength exercises), instructors demonstrate combos to be practiced with a partner.
For my first class, Jeet Kune Do 1, my partner was a clearly experienced fighter (I am embarrassed to say I forgot her name, but she was really cool). She was patient and encouraging, insisting that I take my time and not get hung up on keeping up, but focus on form. When I went from wielding the boxing gloves to the practice pads, I was terrified she would clock me by accident, because she hit hard! However, she took the opportunity to teach me by offering ways to remember how to perform combos and other more specific strikes. She basically gave up her lesson to help me, and she is NOT an instructor.
In my first Kali class, I had a better chance of hitting myself with the sticks than someone else, but again my partner took her time in showing me all the attack angles, the associated numbers and the combos we were practicing.
Every one of the 5 sessions I attended last week was comparable to the two instances I explained above. I am particularly hard on myself when I can’t do everything perfect right away, which was to the amusement of my partners, who insisted it was ok that they teach me, and that I take my time in learning.
Class Content
Not to sound like a dope, but search panantukan, jeet kune do, kali stick fighting, and open handed kali on youtube. There are self-​defense applications to all the sessions I have taken so far, even though many of them focus on fundamentals like boxing to build a base. However, once they build up your fundamentals, they progress to self-​defense/​self-​preservation tactics that are geared exclusively toward street fights.
Instructors tailor individual comments to your particular skill level to ensure you are progressing properly, which is a valuable aspect of each session, and in my opinion, the most valuable part aside from practicing with a partner.
Environment and Instructors
Gus explained in my intro lesson that students and instructors who do not wish to work with newcomers are not welcome at AMAA. No offense to Gus, but I doubted this as a slight exaggeration on general principles. However, Gus was being perfectly honest as I came to find out.
The instructors are not only proficient, but excellent teachers. They have multiple ways of breaking down combos, explaining the nuances of stances, strikes, blocks etc. That brings me to another point; the ratio of instructors to participants is more than satisfactory. Every session I have attended I have had instructors work with me personally to ensure I am acclimating properly and basically offer individual coaching. There are multiple instructors walking around, giving tips, and preparing the next set of combos. The sessions are organized and waste no time, every moment is instruction and practice.
Price
For my schedule, attending at least 5 times a week is not an issue. If you sign up for the unlimited session plan, which is $ 200 per month, it is the best value if you can go at least 20 times per month. Look at the class schedule they offer first, decide what sessions interest you, see how many you can realistically fit in and do a cost benefit analysis.
Final Comments
I joined AMAA to get fit, and to learn about a lifelong interest. What I got was a mixture of personal training, boot camp, skill development, private instruction, sparring partners and a great environment to meet people who share a similar passion and develop within the community aka AMAA.
Call them up, visit their website, visit their academy, sit down with them and see what I mean.
Good people, great training and more fun than you can imagine. Don’t miss out!

Love the kettlebell kickboxing classes here! Such a good workout.
They recently moved next door and are located on the ground floor. The new space looks fantastic and the lockers are now located downstairs. However, for some odd reason, the locker room smelled like cigarette smoke…
The instructors are upbeat and offer pointers to fix your form if they notice you doing something incorrectly. My only concern is that there are usually a LOT of people in the class, so there isn’t as much individualized attention as one would like. You may be doing something incorrectly and not be aware of this if the instructor is not focused on you at the moment. Get there early to get a spot in front of the mirror.
Prefer going on weekdays to avoid the crowds on the weekends.

Bought a Groupon deal because my friend was teaching about this studio and linked me. I gotta say, I really didn’t have high expectations because I’m a bit iffy when it comes to buying deals for gyms and spas. You never know what to expect, ya know?
But Anderson’s definitely exceeded my expectations. The instructors are really attentive. They want to make sure that you’re doing the moves in the correct form. And people taking the classes are friendly with one another and motivate each other. Kettle bell kickboxing is a fun interactive group fitness class. No one belittles you. It’s just all about transformation and change for the better.
The studio is pretty neat and I give Anderson’s a +1 for cleanliness. Staff is also really nice and enthusiastic (without being overbearing).
Well definitely be coming back for more!

Be prepared to sweat and work at Anderson’s Martial Arts Academy. Don’t worry though, you’ll love every second of this high-​energy workout.
I’ve only taken classes with Jenel so far, but I love her even though she is really intense. She will warm you up and then review with you the different moves that you’ll go through, showing you different variations of the moves. Then it’s go-​time while Jenel walks around the room instructing and correcting proper form.
It is much easier to get into the morning classes than it is to get into anything that is after 5:00pm, but if after 5:00pm is your only availability, then I suggest looking weeks ahead.
I came in with a Groupon (5 classes for $ 25) and my only regret is not purchasing the 10-​class deal instead. They were very easy to work with in terms of redeeming the classes and starting an account.