Uflacker Academy — Attraction in Lake Township

I have been a life long martial artist in a family that owns a Taekwondo business. I started off in Taekwondo from the age of 3 and grew up strictly practicing only TKD competitively all around the world. Martial arts has ALWAYS been in my life. As I got older and started to teach more than train, I needed to find a new outlet with my time that my body and mind was already accustomed to without stepping away from Martial arts. Skip to the age of 25, I was already friends with one of the professors at Uflacker named Professor Marcos Estrada JR. We one day had a conversation over social media about me helping him understand the striking aspect from a taekwondo standpoint for one of his upcoming fights. I agreed without hesitation. The only stipulation was that he show me what this “Jiujitsu” thing was that everyone in the UFC was talking about. He agreed and we met one Sunday at my family’s academy to train. After going over the striking we agreed I was going to help with, Professor Estrada tells me to get on the ground and he proceeded to mount me and said “get me off of you”….. me thinking I’ve done martial arts my whole life, and training as heavily as I did…. This should be easy! I quickly learned that all the extensive training I had done up to that moment, meant absolutely nothing the moment someone is on top of you with the knowledge of how to keep you there. And that’s where I was hooked. I NEEDED to learn everything about this art and I needed to teach my children this to protect themselves in the chaotic world we live in. Immediately after our training session that Sunday, I went that Monday to sign up and have been there ever since without looking back. I have zero regrets to choosing Uflacker as mine and my family’s academy. Professor Christian and all of his staff are true professionals in their craft, their ability to cater to all students no matter their teaching style, and the tried true experience that Professor Christian has, positions you in a training environment around other practitioners that will only level you up. Whether you’re looking to train for exercise and self defense purposes, or you’re looking to compete and truly challenge yourself. The family at the U will support you in achieving all your goals…. On and off the mats. Love yall! Thank you for all these years. Cannot wait to watch my kids grow up on...

I have trained martial arts including BJJ for nearly 20 years now at various schools, while competing in BJJ and fighting MMA in Illinois, California, Oregon, and Vegas. Having trained here for over a year, I can say Uflacker Academy is top tier by every measure.

Professor Christian’s world class experience and lineage are apparent in every class. Instruction is detailed and understandable. Professor Christian and his instructors are always engaged and dedicated to the students, providing help and advice during drilling. The curriculum structure is excellent and cohesive. Classes are approachable for beginners, while also providing game changing details that still shock black belts with their simplicity and efficacy.

Safety and cleanliness are paramount here. The facilities and mats are always clean. Training partners are helpful and respectful. The culture is excellent and the academy has something to offer for everyone. Uflacker Academy is an excellent choice whether the motivation is fitness, self defense, confidence, fun, or competition.

There is a strong emphasis on self defense here, as well as standup/takedowns. This makes the academy a premier choice for law enforcement, veterans, security, and women. There is a strong population of women that train here across all experience levels, including many spouses and families. Truly approachable and welcoming for anyone.

Lastly, I have to mention the kids program. My daughter (3.5 years old) has been going for a month now. I am blown away by the quality of the program. They are phenomenal with the kids, providing a great balance of fun, discipline, confidence,...

I have been training at Uflacker Academy for a little over a year now. On my first day, Professor Sladjana worked with me through my first class and taught me how to do all the drills. There were not always other girls to train with in the class, but Professor Sladjana or Professor Christian would always step in to be my training partner for the class. Coach Kevin and Coach Marcos are great, they are always on the mats helping all the students with their techniques. Everyone at the academy does a really good job to make sure you are comfortable and are able to learn the techniques safely and correctly. All the girls at the academy get along very well and always help to make one another better. Sometimes I do have the opportunity to practice and roll with the guys. At first I was a bit intimidated by the guys, but they are all very friendly, professional, helpful, and fun to roll with.

Professor Christian is a great instructor. Many times he has worked closely with me to make sure I can learn the technique correctly. Professor Christian and the coaches also helped me prepare for my first IBJJF tournament in which I placed second. Professor Christian and Coach Marcos were there to coach me through it and were very supportive. I’ve become stronger physically and mentally since I started training. It is intense training, but it’s also so much fun. I’m glad I signed up after...