Inferno Martial Arts, BJJ & Kickboxing — Attraction in Bentonville

Edit: After I posted the review the owner called me to personally apologize as did the lead instructor - it really does seem that we just had the bad luck of being the ones that fell through the cracks, cracks they both promised me they would close up so no one else has this experience.

Original post: From almost start to finish this was a bad situation that did nothing but dent our son's self esteem and cost us a ton of money.

The Story: We signed up and paid the initial fee about $350, and our son who is 5 and had never done anything like this before started his classes, only to find that they were doing belt tests and all the classes were focused on that. There were NO other white belt beginners in any of the handful classes we could actually attend because of belt testing and them being closed for the holiday.

In one of the class all they did was play dodge ball...In all his classes he was having to watch the others do a move then try to copy it, at no time was he given the basics, as the actual teacher was focused on other kids, after almost every class he would be crying in the car on how he felt dumb and slow.

As a parent that thought this would be a great learning and growing experience it proved to be almost the opposite. But, maybe this is just our bad luck and timing so at the final class (three weeks after signing up) I told the front desk person that we will withdrawal from the class and was directed to the email address of the director. Same day I sent an email explaining everything. I never heard back...ever.

A few days later I was billed for ANOTHER month, when I called to correct what was obviously a mistake the front desk person that answered said we had signed a contract and that there is a 30 day notice clause...we hadn't even been enrolled there for 30 days.

I asked to hear back from the director to work this all out, that was the beginning of June, and I have never heard back from them, not from anyone at Inferno. I waited a month to see if they would get back to me but as of July 8 (today) they have never reached out.

Poorly run, poorly organized with 0...

Not only is this a fantastic top notch gym facility wise, but the faculty is second to none. I've been a part of many gyms over the years, and now after a big move to the area, I wanted to get my 10 year old son into martial arts.

I knew what to avoid when I was in search of a great learning experience for him. I didn't want a school that just went through the motions, I wanted him to learn how to overcome hardship, and gain a real sense of confidence through learning the techniques but also sparring, and I can say Inferno does this fantastically. The kids spar at the end of every class, whether its kickboxing sparring or rolling jiu jitsu, in a safe environment over watched by a LOT of coaches.

But thats not even the best thing that separates Inferno from other gyms I've seen. My son is very timid and was nervous about the whole idea. The first thing Inferno does is two private lessons behind closed doors without the full group, where they have them go through enough moves so they dont completely feel like a fish out of water on their first group day, this is GENIUS. One of the biggest hurdles kids can have if the fear of the unknown and feeling out of place amongst a lot of other kids, and these private classes really help put them at ease.

The second biggest thing I've noticed is the care for the students outside the gym. I get a text and have a conversation from one of his coaches "Coach Kaden" every week, asking about how our son is doing, if he is excited for class, etc. He even sends hand written post cards to our son Monthly, telling him how good he is doing and what to work on. I've never seen coaches show this kind of care for their students outside of the gym.

I'm telling you, (even if they seem pricey compared to others) if you are looking for a great gym experience for your kids, and even for adults (I've signed up as well now), you would have a hard time finding a better experience than what Inferno MMA is offering....

I think that life is all about how you feel. That is probably why we spend so much money on food, clothes and other stuff that makes us feel better, even if it is just for a little while. Sadly the 'feel good mood' does not last, and we have to repeat, the classic dependency cycle.

I found that physical activity, running, biking and workout in general was a great way to capture that elusive happiness. Unfortunately working out by yourself gets old pretty quick, and soon you start finding excuses not to do it anymore, and often quit altogether.

Thanks to a good friend, I was introduced to Brazilian Jujitsu at Inferno Fitness and MMA. There is nothing like it! You get cardio, flexibility and strength training all at once. You are never alone! BJJ requires another body to train, and training is live! You actually wrestle and roll with someone else, competing at all times against your opponent and mostly yourself. It is hard, but incredibly rewarding.

I am so happy that I started doing BJJ (and later kickboxing) at Inferno. I lost weight, gained muscle, confidence and even competed at tournaments. The coaches and staff at Inferno is excellent, just like the facility. You are never pressured, intimidated or treated like a customer - they make you feel welcome, appreciated and part of the Inferno family. Classes are intense and challenging, you get your moneys worth for sure - but always fun and educational. Sounds like I am addicted? Definitely! But addicted to feeling great!

So if you are tired of being tired, and want to change your body and mind come to Inferno and sign up for life! You'll...