Darkwolfmma — Local services in DeBary

Darkwolf MMA: A World-Class Experience

Darkwolf MMA is more than deserving of a five-star rating. Disregard any negative comments you might see; they likely come from individuals unfamiliar with the inner workings of MMA gyms. FYI, I'm just a proud father of a 13 year old son that you can meet when you come to the gym. My name's Christopher "Chris" Lee and just started bringing my son to Darkwolf January 2 of this year.

Championship Excellence: At every Jiu Jitsu youth tournament I've witnessed, someone from Darkwolf has always emerged victorious in their weight class. Impressively, my son, a newcomer and new to the sport, clinched second place in the past two tournaments--a remarkable achievement! Even if they didn't place, it wouldn't indicate bad training if you knew anything about how MMA or Jiu Jitsu works.

Beyond Training: Becoming a world-class fighter is a complex journey that goes beyond training. The trainers at Darkwolf are exceptional, offering expertise that encompasses the psychological, disciplinary, and nuanced aspects of MMA.

Fun and Skill: The fusion of rigorous skill-building and a lively, engaging environment is truly special. Witnessing the children's joy during training sessions is a reflection of the gym's commitment to nurturing every aspect of their growth. The varied skill levels among the children are a delight to observe, showcasing that the journey to mastery is as much about personal dedication as it is about quality training.

World-Class Potential: The potential for producing a world-class fighter at Darkwolf MMA is undeniable, given their excellent training regimen. It's hard to imagine how they could improve. If they never produce a world class fighter (a rare feat), it has nothing to do with their lack of ability to train a world class fighter and more about the dedication of the fighter themselves.

Thank you, Darkwolf MMA, for your outstanding contribution to the martial arts community!

Celebrating the Lohsen Family's Martial Arts Mastery

David Lohsen: The At-Home Training Expert/Professor. He extends his martial arts expertise through instructional YouTube videos. These tutorials are invaluable for those practicing at home, ensuring that your training remains on point even away from the gym.

Melissa Lohsen: A Champion of self-defense, or Warrior, as endearingly called by some. She is a standout instructor at Darkwolf. Not only does she excel in connecting with children, but she also offers valuable self-defense techniques through her YouTube videos, empowering women and girls with the skills to protect themselves. Even disabled males like me can learn from this, lol.

Christian Lohsen: An instructor and a star at Darkwolf MMA whose fights can be found on YouTube. Those videos display an impressive array of skills, from precise strikes to fluid grappling techniques.

Together, the Lohsen family exemplifies the spirit of Darkwolf MMA, blending passion, skill, and a sense of community. Whether you're watching Christian's fights, Melissa's self-defense videos, or following David's detailed tutorials, the essence of Darkwolf MMA is always present.

A round of applause for David, Melissa, and Christian Lohsen for their significant contributions to martial arts, both in and...

Pros: Knowledgeable instructors; very friendly atmosphere; free week trial

Cons: Wish they had earlier classes (6am) to really eliminate training excuses for myself

In October of 2016 I finally pulled the trigger on signing up for BJJ. I'd been doing a lot of research about nearby schools and this one was ultimately the best bang for my buck and was nearest to my home. I had some judo training when I was 12 but nothing serious or BJJ related; In fact I had been pushing the notion of finally practicing BJJ/MMA for 14 years because of college, family, etc.

Personally I was comfortable with the idea wrestling with someone immediately but wasn't really expecting to jump into anything serious. Usually a lot of martial arts schools have an introductory period and I figured I'd have to use more than the free week to really find out how I felt about it which kinda stinks since you can't gauge if you will really enjoy the activity later. That did not happen here. The class was about 12 people deep on my first day and the Sensei spent a few minutes explaining side control and later showed me how to start drilling what the others were doing. It was fascinating to see how easily you can isolate and dismantle a body part! I was asked if I felt comfortable sparring and I agreed. There was no voodoo in this stuff either I could easily see how you can end up in the position in a fight and how to get to the submission. By the end of the night I felt confident enough to start "rolling" or sparring with the other members who were very polite and not overtly-aggressive. My larger opponents didn't resort to just placing their bodyweight on me and everyone kept the sparring friendly and applied only enough pressure to prove you'd gotten submitted. As the week progressed I expected to find holes in the instructor's logic or perhaps a messy/unsafe approach but what I was happily mistaken. Each day I was provided a clean- Gi (Uniform) and was allowed to participate in class with little hand holding (I got my attention called for grabbing a finger which is a no-no for obvious safety reasons). During a few of their open mats they've had a few high profile MMA/BJJ practitioners come in and perform seminars (I really wish I knew how much a big deal this was before I blew it off) In short it was love at first roll. If you're looking for MMA or BJJ DarkWolf MMA to get healthier or defend yourself this is my highest recommendation. I'll be training there for as long as I can and look forward to my own BJJ journey. If anyone has any questions send me a message or leave a comment to my review and I'll get...

Left with a bad taste in my mouth and not going back. I have been training about a year and a half and was visiting family so I wanted to drop into a local gym and train a bit.

Pros The class was pretty good I learned a new technique.

Staff seemed friendly and welcoming

Concerns During the live rounds I injured my elbow. I do not know the belt of the person who did it, but by the way he moved and was in control he definitely seemed like an upper belt. From what I remember it went like this :

He stared in my closed guard easily passed to side control and then mount.

He was already in the driver seat. Then started working for an arm triangle.

It was getting tight so I “answered the phone” to defend it. That leaves you open for a 1 handed Americana.

Dude starts going for that. So I straighten my arm out to defend it. He is still 100% in control

Immediately he does a move I’ve never seen. Using his head as the fulcrum for arm bar or something and yanks my arm and made my elbow make a crunching noise I’ve never heard. He immediately stopped once the noise happened and checked to see if I was ok. The coach asked if it was a crunch or a tap.

It didn’t hurt too much at the time so I finished out the class. Next day any movement in my arm hurts.

My elbow was injured before I even had a chance to register I was in danger to tap. Maybe I should have tapped at the Americana. However, every experience I’ve had rolling with upper belt if you are put in a bad spot, they let you realize. Then they slowly bring on the sub especially joint locks. This dude had me in a dominant position still cranked an armbar until my elbow popped really fast.

I planned on doing a couple more classes while I was in town, but I can’t even if I wanted to.

Note: I edited my original review after the school reached out to see how I was doing and explained what was seen on video. A lot of people seem enjoy the gym, but I will not...