Krav Pro Martial Arts — Attraction in Duluth

I have been attending Krav Pro training classes for around five months now. I started @ 226lbs/5'9", though I didn't considered my self out of shape but friends who knew me did comment that I was getting a little "husky". My martial art back ground was a little Judo, Wada Ru Karate and kickboxing as well as the USMC martial arts program. I recently retired from a career in the military so I am not unfamiliar with tough training and being challenged. Knowing Krav Maga originated in Israel for the IDF, I figured this was for me. Fortunately Krav Pro offers a free initial class to allow you to figure out if they are a good fit for you and you them. Thoughts after my 1 hour free class -The bad (but in a good way) Was I seriously that out of shape, has it been so long since I have been training or is this stuff really this hard? Getting through a 1 hour class was tough, but not because the instructor/s made it hard, they did encourage you to put in the effort. But is was tough! Lets be honest, if you ever do find yourself in a bad situation in which you have to fight to survive, your heart rate is going to be up, you are going be scared, and you are not going to remember complicated movements. The good- Krav Maga is a perfect personal defense method/style for a guy like me, its basic movements, no complicated choreographed katas, just good ole basic caveman movements! Class was intense, well taught, progression in the methods was good for beginners but not boring even for experienced. This class and style was exactly what I was looking for. The instruction was spot on for the level of training. They motivated you to work hard and be intense, but they also encouraged you if you we tired, slow (recommended if you are new anyway), or just having a hard time with a certain technique. Like I said before, I have been challenged physically a lot in my career. But I looked around me, there were IT folks, doctors, cops, college students, guys, gals of all shapes and sizes there giving 110%. When I spoke to some of students after, these guys and gals experienced this their first time too. That's what was great about Krav Pro, not only are the instructors great but the students are as well. If you are down, tired, don't "get it" then your class mates help you, they motivate you, they help pick you up. That's the sign of a great training center. Enough about me and my first day - Krav Pro offers both Krav Maga, Kickboxing and Kids classes. I can only discuss my experience with the basic (white belt level) and kickboxing because I haven't been able to attend the advanced classes yet. They started a new curriculum a few months ago and I found this to be a better method of progression. In the 1 hour class you will cover several techniques every class for the entire week. You will go over a few Striking methods, a defense (choke from side, back etc...) and then they will have you put it all together at the end of class, sometimes with the lights off and music blaring. Like I said, INTENSE! What's great about this curriculum is if you can only make it once or twice a week then you will get the training needed to progress in the program. The kickboxing class is a great class as well. Focus is on fitness and hitting S@#%. That's what I am good for! CAVEMAN!! This a a great class to attend if you need to work on your punching and kicking. And a great way to get warmed up ( or worn out) prior to a Krav class. I highly recommend you do both classes. Fast forward to today. 203lbs, I feel better, I can now survive several back to back classes and I just feel great! I have never lacked confidence in my abilities to protect myself or my loved ones but now I have ALOT more confidence and way more tools in my tool box to stay safe. I am excited to keep progressing and learning...

I have been attending classes at this facility for a few months now and I have loved every minute of it. The faculty is kind, considerate, and takes time to get to know you. I have several examples of this:

1.) My first time going I made the mistake of having a small meal, went to class, and pushed myself a little too hard for someone who hasn't had a regular exercise routine in a while. I was feeling discouraged and sick (which was apparently visible in my pale complexion). Richard, one of the lead managers, pulled me aside, gave me a Propel bottle on the house, and talked with me for a bit. He told me about the variety of people that take these courses (elderly, middle-aged fathers and mothers, overweight, poorly-contidtioned, etc.) and although the instructor will push you, you will not be discouraged from taking a break if you feel you need one. I've taken him up on this plenty of times (I probably take more water breaks then anyone else in Basic), and because of the different shapes and sizes we all come in, I feel very comfortable finding someone on a similar athletic level to train with.

2.) Everyone on the staff knows your name. The instructors take their time to memorize your name and face to make your experience more personable. Even staff members with whom I've never had a formal introduction at least know how to spell my name correctly when they hear it. I can't even walk into the place and make eye contact with a staff member without them coming across the room to shake my hand and ask me how things are going.

3). They have recently begun a practice for first-timers where they pair you up with someone who has been around for a while. This way, you have someone who is able and willing to help give you pointers and understand the technique better as well as give you another friend that you can talk/partner up with on your future visits.

I have talked with a few of the other students and first-timers and I have noticed that many of us share a few things in common:

1.) We don't like to train alone. We could have signed up for a gym, or just started a running routine, but we get bored from the lack of socializing and eventually quit.

2.) We prefer activity over exercise. Before I continue, I want to clarify that I don't mean that you will not get a good workout. Every time I go I get an amazing workout in. So what do I mean? Exercises are repeated actions with the sole purpose of strengthening and conditioning specific muscle groups (running, lifting weights, etc.); Activities are actions which raise our activity level and, while they do help strengthen muscles and condition the body, it is often less effective and results take more time. So, the pros of exercise is that it is more effective, but the cons are that the repetition in a single hour can be very dull; Activity has greater variety, but it will take a little longer to achieve desired results.

Now, the beauty of Krav Pro is that it is a perfect balance between exercise and activity. The activities in Basic are designed to help develop large muscle groups and cardio health, all the while providing you with variety to keep you interested. As you advance past Basic and earn the "Yellow Belt" status, you have more options made available to you. You can attend Combat Fit (which is a class for conditioning and building muscle more intensely) in addition to still having access to the Basic course, and you can also take part in Black belts in Training 1 (BBT1) course which will focus on fine tuning techniques.

From my experience, I have noticed a huge difference in my physical health just in the few months I have been training here.

It's a great place, with awesome people. Come...

Let me preface this review is about the business and not the practice. The class itself is great. Instructors are attentive but not intrusive and allow you to go at your own pace. They encourage you to keep going without pressuring you or making you feel less than if your stamina isn’t comparable to the rest of the class. That being said, the business side is where things take a HARD turn. After explaining my husband is a truck driver and has a schedule that literally varies every two weeks, it would be hard for us to commit but we were willing to pay for a month and see if we could make it work. It worked for about 3 weeks until my husband switched to working nights. When we signed up we were told it was totally fine. That we could pay for the first month and BEFORE we committed to any additional months we would pay THEN if we wanted to continue. If not then no harm no foul. We initially came in 9/30 and on 11/10 my husband called and spoke to Sarah to explain our absences and reasoning. “No problem! Come back whenever things are settled for you guys” is what we were told. Cut to yesterday, 12/08 and I see we were charged $270 for November AND December. When we called we were then told they needed a WRITTEN notice of cancellation which was never EVER discussed with us. We called and spoke to Sarah who told us it was fine. There was no mention of a written notice. If this wasn’t a purposely hidden practice then wouldn’t they have informed us during that call? They certainly didn’t tell us during sign up but hey, even if I’m wrong and they did, WOULDN’T YOU THINK THEY WOULD MENTION IT IN THAT CALL ON 11/10?? Honestly this has left such a nasty taste for both us especially since the class was enjoyable. We don’t appreciate being price gouged and having hidden clauses that screw people over...especially in a pandemic when times are so tough for everyone. We paid $370 for that one month we attended, $270 for November and $270 for December. You tell me if 4 classes are worth $900. If you try them then just be aware of their shady policies and watch...