Does Freestyle Fighting Academy teach self-defense?

Yes. Our martial arts training is self-defense training. There is no separate self-defense course, seminar or curriculum — the mixed martial arts, Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu we teach at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami is the self-defense training. Adults who come to us for self-defense start in the Intro Program, which is the beginner track for adult MMA.

Why is there no separate self-defense class?

Because a short self-defense course teaches techniques you have never had to make work against someone who is genuinely resisting. Mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are practised every session against a training partner who is actually trying to stop you. That pressure-testing is the difference, and it is why we route self-defense students into the regular martial arts program rather than selling them a shorter one.

Is the training taught by anyone with real experience of it?

One of the instructors on our Adult Intro Program is a retired police officer. He started his own training at Freestyle Fighting Academy over a decade ago for exactly that reason — self-defense — and he now teaches the beginner track that new students join.

Who trains at Freestyle Fighting Academy?

People from all walks of life, men and women, all ages. Martial arts is for everybody. About 95% of the people training here are ordinary students rather than competitors, and every program runs a beginner section as well as an advanced one.

Where do I start if I have never trained before?

You start with a free private lesson. Send the form, or call or text 305-225-4610, and Freestyle Fighting Academy calls you back within 24 hours to arrange a time. The appointment is a one-to-one MMA lesson with an instructor and a tour of the gym, and it comes with 30 days of group classes, a uniform and online video access at no charge, for South Florida residents at the Miami location.

Self-defense in Miami, taught by people who came here for it too

Our martial arts training is self-defense training. Freestyle Fighting Academy does not run a separate self-defense course, because the mixed martial arts, Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu we have taught at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami, FL 33174 since October 2001 is the thing that actually works. Adults who come to us for self-defense start in the Intro Program, the beginner track for adult MMA, with no experience needed.

Start my 30-Day Free Trial Or call 305-225-4610

The free lesson and the 30 days are for South Florida residents, at our Miami location.

Mike Rio speaking to camera in front of the punching bags at Freestyle Fighting Academy, with an on-screen caption naming his wrestling titles — Mike Rio on what training here is like. This video opened this page on the old site.

Why there is no separate self-defense class

Plenty of gyms sell a six-week self-defense course. We do not, and it is worth being straight about why: a short course teaches you techniques you have never had to make work against someone genuinely trying to stop you.

Mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are different in one specific way — every session you practise against a training partner who is resisting. That is the whole point of them, and it is the part a demonstration cannot give you. So rather than selling you a shorter program, we put you in the same one everybody else trains in.

If that sounds like more than you were looking for, it is worth knowing that about 95% of the people who train here are ordinary students, not competitors, and that every program runs a beginner section as well as an advanced one. Nobody is put in front of a room of experienced fighters on their first night.

Is this really self-defense?

One of the instructors on our Adult Intro Program is a retired police officer. He started his own training here over a decade ago for exactly that reason — self-defense — and he now teaches the beginner class that new students join.

That is the most useful thing we can tell you, because it answers the question underneath the question. You are not really asking whether we offer self-defense; you are asking whether it works, and whether the person teaching you would know. Someone who spent a career where the answer mattered chose this gym, stayed, and now runs the beginner track.

“Four months ago, I joined the Intro Program with Coach Brian, and it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. They create a positive, supportive environment while constantly pushing you to improve.”

Manuel CastellanosParent of a member who started training himself

Who actually trains here?

People from all walks of life, men and women, all ages. Martial arts is for everybody.

The picture people carry into a first phone call is a room of twenty-year-old fighters. The reality is closer to a cross-section of the neighbourhood: parents who came in with their children and stayed to train themselves, people in their forties and fifties starting from nothing, students from FIU across the street. Competitors are a very small part of what happens here.

If you are a woman looking for self-defense, the answer is the same program — the adult Intro Program, Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We say that plainly because we also run Women Only Fitness Bootcamp, and it is a fitness program that teaches no martial arts at all. It is a good workout. It is not self-defense training, and we are not going to point you at it as though it were.

“I’ve been here for over 18 years, and I wouldn’t go anywhere else! My children now train here. As a woman in the sport, I’ve NEVER felt disrespected or uncomfortable at FFA.”

Christine VicensMember of 18+ years · has competed at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships

Where would I start?

In the Intro Program — the beginner track for adult mixed martial arts, and where every adult with no background begins.

A line of adult students standing in fighting stance with their hands up, wearing hand wraps and gloves, during a striking class on the mats at Freestyle Fighting Academy in Miami — An adult class working striking. Beginners and advanced students train in separate sections, so a first-timer is never put in the advanced room.

You send the form, or call or text 305-225-4610
All three reach the same people. The form asks for a first name, an email and a phone number, and nothing else.
We call you back within 24 hours
A member of staff calls to find a time that suits you. If you would like to bring a spouse or your children along and have them take part, you are welcome to.
You come in for a free private lesson and a tour
A one-to-one MMA lesson with one of our instructors, plus a look around the gym. You learn the basics: the jab, the cross, the hook, the roundhouse kick, the closed guard, the rear naked choke and the armbar. It also comes with 30 days of group classes, a uniform and online video access, at no charge.

The free lesson is for South Florida residents and is available at our Miami location only. It stays open for one month from the date we send it to you.

Students who progress can be invited into the Combat Athlete Program, the advanced adult track — but it is entered by invitation rather than by signing up, so you will not end up there by accident. See every class we teach and how the groups are split.

Who would be teaching me?

Thirteen coaches teach across the kids, teens, adult and bootcamp programs, and every one of them has completed our own 12-week Instructor Program and holds a diploma in it. The course is pass or fail, and it is about the science of teaching — how to deliver a lesson, handle problems and run a room — rather than about martial arts technique.

That matters more than it sounds for someone walking in nervous. Being taught by an excellent martial artist and being taught by someone trained to teach are not the same experience, and the second one is what decides whether you come back for a second class. Meet the coaches, grouped by what they teach.

Where are we, and when can you come in?

Freestyle Fighting Academy is at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami, FL 33174, Across the street from FIU, in the Publix Shopping Center, and we have been here since October 2001.

The facility is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and staffed. That is when the building is open to members; the class timetable is a separate thing, and we do not publish it online. Ask us when you visit and we will go through it with you.

There is free parking at the address. It is a strip mall lot with plenty of spaces, so you can park directly outside before your first lesson.

Call 305-225-4610 Or text us info@ffagyms.com

Directions and parking · More about the gym and every program we run

Frequently asked questions

Does Freestyle Fighting Academy teach self-defense?: Yes. Our martial arts training is self-defense training. There is no separate self-defense course, seminar or curriculum — the mixed martial arts, Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu we teach at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami is the self-defense training. Adults who come to us for self-defense start in the Intro Program, which is the beginner track for adult MMA.
Why is there no separate self-defense class?: Because a short self-defense course teaches techniques you have never had to make work against someone who is genuinely resisting. Mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are practised every session against a training partner who is actually trying to stop you. That pressure-testing is the difference, and it is why we route self-defense students into the regular martial arts program rather than selling them a shorter one.
Is the training taught by anyone with real experience of it?: One of the instructors on our Adult Intro Program is a retired police officer. He started his own training at Freestyle Fighting Academy over a decade ago for exactly that reason — self-defense — and he now teaches the beginner track that new students join.
Who trains at Freestyle Fighting Academy?: People from all walks of life, men and women, all ages. Martial arts is for everybody. About 95% of the people training here are ordinary students rather than competitors, and every program runs a beginner section as well as an advanced one.
Where do I start if I have never trained before?: You start with a free private lesson. Send the form, or call or text 305-225-4610, and Freestyle Fighting Academy calls you back within 24 hours to arrange a time. The appointment is a one-to-one MMA lesson with an instructor and a tour of the gym, and it comes with 30 days of group classes, a uniform and online video access at no charge, for South Florida residents at the Miami location.

Start your 30-Day Free Trial

Leave your details and we will call you within 24 hours to arrange a time. The appointment is a free private MMA lesson with an instructor and a tour of the gym.

Here is everything you get, at no charge:

Train mixed martial arts for 30 days
Get a FREE uniform
Get a FREE private lesson
Get instant access to FREE MMA and self-defense instructional videos

In your private lesson you learn the basics: the jab, the cross, the hook, the roundhouse kick, the closed guard, the rear naked choke and the armbar.

And if you join, you have our 60-day money-back guarantee: attend all of your classes in the first 60 days, and if you are unsatisfied, get your money back.

Call or text 305-225-4610. The gym is staffed 24 hours a day, so someone picks up. Prefer not to talk on the phone? Text us and we reply within 24 hours.

For South Florida residents, at our Miami location. The offer stays open for one month from the date we send it. Bring a spouse or your children along if you would like them to take part.