Steel City Martial Arts — Local services in Castle Shannon

While I grew up in Pittsburgh, I now live in Chicago. I took up BJJ a little over 3 years ago, and I always try to find a place to train when I travel for business or pleasure. Well, 3 years back as a "newbie" white belt I was scouring the internet for places to train while visiting family in Pittsburgh. At that time, the options were relatively very few. Fortunately, I was able to find Steel City Martial Arts (SCMA).

My first time at SCMA, Sensei Sonny was very welcoming. He and his top-notch instructors teach a very technical style of BJJ under the auspices of the highly regarded and renown instructor Pedro Sauer. While very technical, the students at SCMA are as tough and as skilled as they come. However, you can really tell SCMA fosters a family environment. Although a nice guy, Sensei Achille tolerates no bad apples in his school!

Since that first time over 3 years ago, I have trained at SCMA every time I have come back to Pittsburgh. I have befriended various instructors and students there, and I look forward to each visit. I have even taken private lessons there (quick aside- if you want a great private lesson, ask for Brad: nicest guy in the world, yet a beast on the mat who also happens to be a good instructor).

BJJ has become very popular, and the sport has grown tremendously (including here in Pittsburgh), and I have been fortunate to meet a variety of practitioners and train at other places in the 'Burgh. That said, you will find no academy better than SCMA in the greater Pittsburgh area (or anywhere else nationally for that matter). The school, the instructors, and the students are truly first class. One thing is for certain, I will always come back when I'm in...

I have been training at SCMA with my 9 yr old daughter Hannah for about 4 months in their karate/self defense program. I am 43 with no former karate or BJJ training and one who really doesn't dig gyms or treadmills. So Hannah and I were both apprehensive about getting started... that ended on day 1. The hardest part was making that call and walking in the door.

From day one and every day since, we've been greeted with respect and encouragement from Sensei (Sonny) and Lisa Achille, the instructors and the other students. There is a broad range of ages and skills here (both men and women), with no attitude and no pressure, but lots of respect. I constantly hear "do your best" and "give it a try"... consistent encouragement.

Every class is different, which I really like, and challenging to both mind and body. Classes generally include conditioning and stretching, group drills, instruction appropriate to your rank and hitting bags or drills with a partner. Your program includes 3 classes per week, and trust me, that is plenty. For me, the class times are perfect so I can go right after work. They have a Saturday morning class that you can attend with your child if you prefer. They also have a Mothers and Fathers Day class where they invite all of the moms and dads of the students to attend with their kids.

I find the cost to be very reasonable as compared to a good gym membership or other high quality fitness program, with incentives for longer contract terms or more students in your family.

The bottom line is that both Hannah and I truly enjoy our karate training at SCMA -- we look forward to every class. Walk in that door, you'll be glad...

By all accounts, I am the least likely person to take a karate class. Let’s just say I was built for the library, not the roundhouse kick. And yet, one day, a few months ago I found myself calling Steel City Martial Arts and inquiring about taking a class or two. I picked SCMA based on a reviewer saying they never had any prior experience and immediately felt welcome. How very right that reviewer was.

As an adult, walking in the door the first time is an intimidating thing. And coming back again takes a certain level of drive and will power that cannot be taught by any instructor...you need to find it within yourself; but the people at Steel City Martial Arts make it a lot easier.

You’re going to sweat and your muscles are going to occasionally hate you which, in turn, will make you want to give an evil eye to the instructor asking you to contort your body in a way it hasn’t since 1987. But here’s the thing…the instructors at SCMA don’t yell and they don’t mock. They teach through positive reinforcement and push you to be better in all the right ways. Sensei Achille and Lisa Achille have created an encouraging and respectful learning environment for students at all levels and athletic ability. Not only are all the instructors this way, but the students are as well. You a greeted with handshakes and smiles and that alone is a pretty wonderful thing. Is it easy? No. Nothing worth doing ever is, but it is very much worth walking in the door that first time and continuing to do so...