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December 2023 by Jahsaya Roahnoah
This place is not for real fightersIf you want to actually grow in the striking department for actual competition I recommend somewhere else
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March 2023 by Maria L.
No bueno. They make you sign a contract for the weight loss program that once your program is over, they start charging you $69 per month. The only way to cancel is to get your attendance records from Mat Life and send them to their collection company registered mail. They told me if I didn't do that, I would have to buy out the rest of my contract. The facility itself is in need of maintenance and cleaning. The room is too small for this large class. There is only one bathroom for both men and women and it is super nasty. The owner is abrupt, rude, always late if he is teaching, and he gives off a vibe that he is too good for the job he is doing. On the plus side, I did like Justin the instructor. I would have never complained because of him but this $69 per month thing and having to jump through a bunch of hoops to cancel means I will never go there again and never suggest it to someone else. There are other classes in town with places that have a much better reputation and are clean.
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March 2023 by Cate C.
Do not do the 16 week program. They make you sign a contract that makes you pay for a year at the end of it if you don't go to 3 times a week during the 16 weeks. Seriously. Its predatory. Plus the facility is disgusting and dirty. And they don't have a phone for you to contact them. They also have a lot of complaints on BBB. AVOID!!!!
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June 2022 by Jon Forel
I entered mat life's doors with enthusiasm with hopefully finding a place to train. I was greeted by one of their "coaches" Natalie Stone. She said she NEEDED either a yes or no from me if I wanted to join because "we don't coddle babies here". She proceeded with her pitch about the gym and what they offer. I asked if I can watch or participate in a single class, she sternly says "NO". She says I would need to sign a contract for their 6 week program and purchase all new training gear from them before I can participate in a class. The price was several hundred dollars and their training gear was cheap to say the least. After she was done with her pitch, I told her I wasn't interested. She passively aggressively said "thank you for wasting my time". She was grossly unprofessional and dreadful to deal with. After doing some more research I found out that several of their "coaches" have less than a year's experience and provide terrible training. This is why they want you to signup and pay everything in advance before seeing the quality of "training" they provide. This "dojos" business practices are shady and dishonest. I wouldn't trust them with my training nor my money. Avoid!!!
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February 2022 by Ahmed Lababidi
Nice new fitness training center. As a medical professional, I really appreciate how staff are able to accommodate my hectic schedule. Coach Natalie is invested in the fitness health of my wife and I; we are valued at Mat Life!
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February 2022 by Marwa Moukhallalati
Excellent gym with outstanding staff. My husband and I love training with Coach Natalie!
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October 2021 by James Modica
This is a great place to train. My wife and I do BJJ and our kids do karate. The couple that owns and runs the gym (Jason and Carly Dodd) are very welcoming and promote a family-friendly environment. I can't recommend Mat Life highly enough.
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June 2021 by Liam Jose
I’ve been going to Mat Life for quite some time now and I can honestly say it’s my favorite place to train. The coaches know what they are talking about and all of them are truly good folks, that want to see you succeed. There is also a great sense of community among everyone, and it is a very welcoming place. I highly recommend you go to this gym if you’re looking for a place to do martial arts. 10/10.
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April 2021 by Patrick
Gave me a hobby that I enjoy and that made me more productive and a lot healthier. Staff members are super friendly and caring. This is where you wanna be :)
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April 2021 by Lou Ella
I was in a very bad car accident last year and do not have great mobility. I was looking for a great work out to start when i came across matlife.I started my 3 week trial. The price is reasonable especially when it comes with all the gears needed for training. I was really happy about that.Im very self conscious especially working out or training with other people. But I feel home here. Not only the instructors are cool. They really do work with you.Most places have their own ways of teaching and techniques but I really do like their ways here. Sparring on your first day? LOVE IT! I mean, if you’re not ready to train, why show up? If you’re not comfortable, or you have questions, SPEAK UP. Also, Coach was making jokes on me on my first day. Im glad he did, coz it only made me do better. and It makes me less sensitive and tougher ? trying not to be a cry baby. Is that part of the training coz if so, it works ? such a funny man.You also get to spar every class for 20-15 mins.Who wouldn’t want that? You get to test what they teach you. And it makes you feel more comfortable punching somebody ? love them. The students here really work with you. You just have to learn how to communicate.I wish more women will join the co-ed class coz its not really that bad. I enjoy it coz during sparring. I also see and learn my teammates’ techniques. I actually gained mobility and I am a bit more flexible.For a small business I am glad that this business is thriving. They sell everything you need! How convenient!!! Also, they just started this fat loss program and Ive only been a member for weeks and i lost 13 lbs.As a new student of this establishment, I can say that I have been more disciplined, i am beyond grateful to be a part of the matlife family, everyone is like family, and I always cannot wait to be in class.This is definitely a good place to start. If you think youre a pro and better than the coaches here, go and teach else where ???Cannot please everyone. But I AM A PROUD MATLIFE STUDENT.COME TRAIN WITH US!LETS GET STRONGER TOGETHER!Shout out toCoach Jason, Dani, Both Natalie, Matt and Carly!For always motivating us to do better daily!!
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April 2021 by Jennifer Gallot
My Partner and I trained Muay Thai with Mat Life from January 2021 to March 2021 (originally was supposed to end in April 2021 but skipped an entire month out of our contract because of how bad it was). There are way too many things wrong with this place but i'll try to concentrate it into 4 things:1. Not Muay Thai/Dutch Style Muay Thai: What they teach is more of their own unique blend of kickboxing with Muay Thai "influences" which isn't a problem if they advertised/sold it as that (but they don't and will even go as far as to say that it's Dutch Style Muay Thai). All the coaches (including the most "accredited coach" there Jason Dodd) that teach Muay Thai teach off balance stances and combos that go against basic body mechanics that only the senior students know not to follow. My partner and I learned more from watching youtube videos about Muay Thai than we ever learned here.2. No Sparring Rules or Etiquette/ Way too much sparring: There was no instruction or rules for sparring. They will literally let anyone (newbies on a first trial) walk in and spar if they want. It's shocking how many of their own senior students don't know the difference between sparring hard and light. They also spar every class which wouldn't be bad if they gave goals or rules for sparring. The sparring felt so aimless that it feels like they purposely made sparring an everyday thing so they didn't have to teach for those 20-30 minutes. Not to mention that sparring everyday isn't healthy for students especially if they aren't training for a match anytime soon.3. Sexism: For a place that advertise themselves as an "Anti- Machismo zone" that is "empowering women" (their words not mine), they don't, especially if you're in the co-ed class. I have health issues concerning my ovaries and made them aware of these issues when I was on my free trial in my application and in person. Not even a week into our contract, Jason (one of the owners of the gym/head coach and husband of Carly, the person who assured me that my health needs wouldn't be a problem for class) made a distasteful period joke at me as reasoning for me taking a break on sparring day. After giving him a disapproving look, (no apology was made) he then proceeded to ignore me for the rest of my contract. I even talked to some of the other girls in the Muay Thai class and they had similar stories of either the coaches or the senior students treating them differently. I personally think that the women's only classes were probably created because of these issues and it isn't a good long-term solution, but instead a bandaid on a bullet hole.4. Sell, Sell Sell: They are always selling a new program or gear and seem more interested in making more money off of you than actually teaching you or improving your skills.The only reason me and my partner stayed here as long as we did is because of other students' hospitality and kindnesses. I DO NOT want to be contacted by any of the owners of Mat Life or employees of Mat Life. Just do better for your future students.TLDR: Bottom line is this place smells like a scam (on the Muay Thai side of course, I can't speak on the other classes). I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone actually interested in Muay Thai or Dutch Style Muay Thai /Kickboxing. If you don't believe me, It checks off a bunch of boxes on literally any McDojo red flags list.
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April 2021 by Soraya Lubrano
A great place for adults and kids! My girls feel at home here
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April 2021 by Beau Funk
Most uncomfortable place I have ever trained in my ten years of BJJ. Owners are married and involve many in their personal squabbles. Nearly every person that was there 2 years ago is gone. Owners constantly push their religion on people. Nobody stays long. Place is constantly changing because they are always trying to find new ways to make money. There are far better places to train in Gainesville.
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January 2021 by M Johnson
I’ve been training muay thai at Mat Life for a little over a year and a half, and it’s been a wonderful experience. I’ve learned a lot about myself, muay thai and I’ve met some great people along the way. I’d definitely recommend Mat Life to anyone looking to learn self-defense, while transforming their body and mind.
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January 2021 by Brenda Ortiz
like everything nice people, training, the place is in a very good location that makes it easy for me love the environment
