Modern Martial Arts and Fitness is a martial arts academy located in Pasadena, CA. Our coaching staff is dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whether those goals are to improve your level of health and fitness, acquire self-defense skills, practice cutting-edge martial arts techniques, or even compete in combat sports.
Our hope is that our modern vision of a martial arts and fitness gym has a positive impact on your life as we empower you to empower those around you. Group classes and private lessons are offered for men and women in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Our hope is that our modern vision of a martial arts and fitness gym has a positive impact on your life as we empower you to empower those around you. Group classes and private lessons are offered for men and women in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is best described as the art and science of control that leads to submission. Although its history continues to be debated, according to most accounts, the development of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) began when Master Mitsuyo Maeda traveled to Brazil and began teaching a young Carlos Gracie who, at the time, was not strong enough to perform many of the techniques.
No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, or No-Gi Submission Grappling, uses many of the traditional techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but does so without the use of the gi. Without the gi, students and competitors are able to move more quickly and freely, and you may find that it is quite difficult to secure meaningful grips on an opponent without the collars and sleeves that you are used to grabbing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class.
Wrestling classes at Modern Martial Arts and Fitness are designed to teach students how to ground an opponent through the use of tackles, throws, and sweeps, to be used in conjunction with the skills acquired from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu classes.
Techniques are taught with the potential of joint locks and strangles in mind and are designed to give those practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu an edge over other Jiu-Jitsu practitioners who may not be adequately skilled in the ability to take their opponents to the ground.
Techniques are taught with the potential of joint locks and strangles in mind and are designed to give those practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu an edge over other Jiu-Jitsu practitioners who may not be adequately skilled in the ability to take their opponents to the ground.
Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing, is a Thai form of kickboxing, commonly referred to as the "art of eight limbs, " due to its use of not only punches and kicks, but also elbows and knees. Muay Thai is the dominant striking art of mixed martial arts competitors, as its style of striking is much more powerful than many traditional martial arts.
Youth Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling art that emphasizes control over oneself and one's opponents through the use of leverage and technique. It is, perhaps, the single most beneficial martial art for kids to learn, as it teaches them the skills necessary to control an aggressor without causing serious harm.
Reviews (10)
Alex M.
Dec 13, 2021
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This gym is simply excellent. Justen, the instructor, is extremely competent and his explanations are very precise and detail-oriented. The breath and depth of his understanding of every technique is incredible. On top of that, the lessons have a clear logical coherence and build on top of one another from one lesson to the next. The prices are definitely more than fair when comparing to other local academies.
The culture at the gym is also very friendly and welcoming. Clearly, the instructors place great emphasis on using positive reinforcement and also on making martial arts accessible to beginners
The culture at the gym is also very friendly and welcoming. Clearly, the instructors place great emphasis on using positive reinforcement and also on making martial arts accessible to beginners
Stephen Takashima
Nov 27, 2021
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Super grateful for Modern. Justen really is an amazing teacher; super analytical and extremely technical. BJJ is young enough that it has been changing and evolving rapidly, so it's super valuable to have a coach who continually tries to challenge and improve his own understanding of the art (which is already unbelievably deep). Instead of getting wrapped up in dogma and tradition, Justen genuinely evaluates the function of everything he does, then breaks that down to ensure everyone understands *why* we are doing something and the underlying principles/mechanics behind it.
Gym culture is super
Gym culture is super
Yi Pan
Nov 21, 2021
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I've joined Moder Martial Arts & Fitness's BJJ class for three months with previous experience. Justen is a solid coach for anyone interested in starting or advancing their BJJ skill. I appreciate how he teaches in a logical and detailed process. I am able to refine where I know and explore the new areas like the attach of legs. Also, his institute is the only one I found with requirement of a fully vaccination. I cannot appreciate his effort and commitment in preserving the sport as well as his students' health.
Rohit Dilip
Nov 18, 2021
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I have been training regularly at Modern Martial Arts for a couple of months now. Normally, I attend all or nearly all classes in a week. I have trained at a couple of gyms previously, and can confidently say this is one of the best gyms you can ask for. Justen's style of training is very precise; he has thought carefully about every position and teaches them very systematically. My BJJ has improved quickly because instead of learning a handful of seemingly random positions each class, we've methodically gone through a variety of positions and learned a sequence of appropriate responses from each
Yusuke Kojitani
Nov 16, 2021
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Modern Martial Arts and Fitness is a great place to train for all levels of BJJ and wrestling. Coach Justen's extensive knowledge and ability to breakdown technique makes learning much easier. The atmosphere of the gym is very open and welcoming. Prices are also comparable or better than other gyms. If you are looking to start training or for a new gym, I would highly recommend Modern!
Cecilia Baron
Nov 07, 2021
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It is always a pleasure to come and train at Modern Martial Arts and Fitness not only for the great teaching quality of Muay Thai but also for the atmosphere. I feel comfortable and welcomed there. I am glad I could find a professional and friendly place to improve my skills and enjoy practicing martial arts. A big thank you for what you do!
Rasheed Akbarut
Oct 23, 2021
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I attended Modern MMA for about two months before moving out of town. Justen, Savannah, and Cherie run an operation that I cannot speak more highly of. As someone without martial arts experience, walking into a new gym learning a new sport can be somewhat nerve wracking, but from the second I walked in and was greeted by Cherie at the front desk, to the first session with Justen and Savannah up until my last, everyone I interacted with engaged with courtesy, respect and a smile. Yes the classes are tough (you will not get a better workout in any other group fitness format), but the feeling of accomplishment
Tyler Toshikiyo
Oct 21, 2021
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Andrew Kwong
Aug 01, 2021
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Modern martial arts is the place to be if you want to learn the full scope of martial arts and be a mixed martial arts in the safest and most efficient way possible. Everything about the way the classes are taught and how we spar is very modern. For example, the students are given detailed instructions on how hard to spar and what tools to use in muai Thai class. This is different from other gyms I experienced in the past where sparring is kept vague leading a newcomer to be confused on how to spar. Overall first class is free and if you ever watched ufc and thought that it would be cool to try
Jin Kim
Jul 25, 2021
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Best Martial Arts Gym I've been to in a long time. It's fun to train here and everyone is super nice, and there's FREE STREET PARKING! Pretty much everything that a gym needs to be: clean, effective teaching strategy, and great staff. There's a Pro-fighter who trains here and the coach is really good about giving people tips on how to get better.
