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August 2023 by Jonathan Flores Deleon
The first thing I did when I arrived to Grand Forks was search for a place to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I came across Progressive Martial Arts and had to give it a try. Having trained before, I already knew what I was looking for in a gym: good training curriculum and a great environment to practice. In my experience, it can be hard to find these two things in one gym- it’s usually one or the other. Needless to say, I found it! Here I am 2 years later with enough technique to feel confident enough to compete and with a team I can call my second family. I owe it to this gym for continually helping me hone in my technique and provide a space I can escape and just train.
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August 2023 by Jonathan F.
Very technical. Great community. Offers classes in Gi and No Gi, striking, and MMA throughout the week. The first thing I did when I arrived to Grand Forks was search for a place to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I came across Progressive Martial Arts and had to give it a try. Having trained before, I already knew what I was looking for in a gym: good training curriculum and a great environment to practice. In my experience, it can be hard to find these two things in one gym- it's usually one or the other. Needless to say, I found it! Here I am 2 years later with enough technique to feel confident enough to compete and with a team I can call my second family. I owe it to this gym for continually helping me hone in my technique and provide a space I can escape and just train.
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August 2023 by Louis Miller
I looked at the website, called the personal line of the owner/lead instructor and spoke with him for a bit, and visited a class. I didn’t stay very long, only about 10 minutes, and chatted with the instructors, for 20 minutes before the class began.My impression of this school is that it is amateurish. It isn’t a self-defense school and may not even be a martial art. The lead instructor didn’t lead any of the students in stretches, at the start of the class. There is no Asian art or calligraphy, on the walls. There was no discussion of Asian philosophy, in the class and nothing about what types of attacks might come your way, for example, man holding a gun, punches, kicks and how to defend yourself.When I say this is not a self-defense school, I’m not trying to be insulting. I’m just saying that there is an emphasis on winning in a fight and attacking, rather than defense.I’m not sure how useful the exercises will be in making someone a better fighter in real world situations. Maybe, they get in enough time wrestling, so they feel comfortable pushing someone down on the ground and being able to use their body weight to hold them in place, while they call out for help or ask someone to phone the police. There are a lot of gun owners, in this community, so having a way to subdue someone, without using a gun might be useful. Maybe, the gym has saved some criminal’s life. But, that still doesn’t make it a good school.There was no rolling or blocking in my class. To be honest, there are other classes and each one teaches something different. The style of martial art they specialize in is Brazilian Jiu-Jitstu. There was nothing on the website about the history of either Jiu-Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.The lead instructor was leading the exercises, while his son, just observed. This school seems to be run as a business. In other places where I’ve lived, they have run martial arts studios as non-profits. The instructors, at other schools, have day jobs and just show up, part-time, for a few hours a week. They might earn a few hundred at the end of the month, but not enough to live on.There are no formalized belt tests or belt testing fees. They just promote you based on personal whims. I asked the junior instructor about other martial arts schools in town and either he was not being truthful or he had no knowledge of his competitors. What kind of business doesn’t keep an eye on their competitors, either to know they are inferior and to keep people from going down a bad path or to learn from them and do a better job, themselves?The monthly dues were not displayed on the website. They charge $95 per month. $1,200 a year is a lot of money, especially when a lot of people are having trouble affording food, with inflation.I would say you would get more for your money by buying a Tai Chi video or training with weights and dieting down so the muscles are visible. Or just doing push-ups regularly enough so you notice an improvement over time.The students seem good natured, so the instructors have the luxury of not needing to teach them to use their newfound skills with restraint. But, that is usually part of the responsibility of a martial arts school.
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July 2023 by Kenneth Bond
Best Martial Arts school in town! I have had the pleasure of training here for almost 2 years now and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Ken and Josh are incredible instructors, and they are very attentive to the individual needs of the members. It is hard to find a gym with the type of family environment that PMA has. Come check us out!
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July 2023 by AJ Ahmed
Best BJJ group and atmosphere I've ever been a part of.
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December 2022 by Caleb Weller
Just a staple restaurant for consistent good service. Great atmosphere for the outgoing but cozy enough for the stay at home type too
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June 2022 by Marc Prado
Great coach, friendly academy, and strong grapplers. Any grappler traveling to Grand Forks, ND drop in! These guys do not disappoint.
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March 2022 by Aunna Srnsky
Great instructor, lots of different color belts and people of all experience. very safe place with lots of nice people. definitely recommend!
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March 2022 by Cody Bossman
Very hospitable, knowledgeable and skilled people here! Definitely stop here if I’m grand forks! Thanks for the rolls!!
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March 2022 by Gina Hardley
Ken and Josh have been great teachers and very helpful. As a new student with no knowledge of BJJ, they have walked us through each move and encouraged us every class. They are very knowledgeable and have a passion for the martial arts and teaching. Highly recommend even if you have no prior experience in BJJ.
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January 2022 by Tyler Manske
You won't believe how attentive and professional Progressive's self defense instruction is. They have great personalized training that will give you confidence and a great workout! Give them a chance and come be a part of our family.
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June 2021 by Eryn McGrew
The foundations of Jiu Jitsu is a great work out and really helpful when it comes to being smaller in stature, learning more self defense!! Definitely a must!! The atmosphere was welcoming and the instruction was great!!
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October 2020 by Josh Johnson
The best place to train BJJ, Striking, and functional fitness. Plus they have the best water fountain in the tri-state area!
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February 2020 by Nathan Foster
great place to train! everyone is warm and welcoming. they also uave a high quality instructor! I recommend this gym to anyone who in interested in upping their game!
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January 2020 by Brent Rogers
I was visiting Grand Forks for a couple weeks over the recent holidays and was thrilled when I found Progressive Martial Arts. I’ve been training bjj for a few years and have been to a number of gyms and these guys are top notch. Ken and Josh are skilled and thoughtful instructors. Their dedication to their students and to the sport were immediately apparent. Everyone there was very welcoming and seemed genuinely happy to meet me – a very nice reminder of the camaraderie within the bjj community. Whether you’re thinking of beginning your bjj journey or have many years of experience, Progressive Martial Arts is your place in the Grand Forks area. 5/5 stars
