Roots

"Long overdue review and I'm surprised there hasn't been much recent reviews given how crowded this place can get. I've been at Roots for over a year now and so far loving it! I've tried out several fight gyms and I would say Roots has the best coaches and structure relative to other gyms that I've tried, and the main reason why I switched over from another one. I do Muay Thai only so can't speak on the other classes, but I've heard only good things. What sets Roots apart from the other gyms can best be summarized into the following: 1) Excellent coaches and classes that focuses on techniques and safety, while building up your cardio. Coach Jaime is extremely passionate at teaching and he's by far one of the best coaches I've seen. He is not shy about providing constructive feedback and will call out bad habits that may result in injury to yourself and/or others. That's what a martial arts gym need. I can't tell you how many times I've witnessed students and even coaches getting injured/hurt because of the lack of safety and common sense. Also, he knows what each person needs to work on which is quite impressive given the hundreds of students he sees everyday. You don't just follow combos like a robot, Jaime explains why things are done a certain way which I feel like most coaches I've trained under don't explain in that level of detail. Understanding why helps me remember these details faster and incorporate into my training. The other coaches (Barry, Chris, etc) are also great! They know their stuff and are super friendly. Coach Barry teaches the sparring class and he gives more advance drills for students to work on, while making sure each student is improving. He also spars with his students which is hard to find nowadays! Coach Chris teaches the intro classes and he occasionally goes around and provides little feedback to improve your game. 2) Great community. No egos and everybody just wants to improve. I never once felt uncomfortable or at risk while sparring at this gym. I used to get lots of cuts/bruises from sparring, and even though I feel more challenged here, I end up with less cuts/bruises now. They focus on technical sparring and are careful who they allow to spar. I feel like that is extremely important, especially being a female and lighter than most people. The more advanced folks are friendly and match to your level and speed so you don't feel like you're getting beat up. 3) You'll progress and improve if you continuously take the classes. As I mentioned earlier, bad habits will be called out and the structure of class will encourage you to improve and focus. Also the cost is much more affordable relative to other gyms! Because of these pros, they easily can overlook the cons (e.g. parking is limited, equipment in need of upgrade, MT classes late at 730, packed gym, etc.). Those can easily be fixed, but finding good coaches and a family friendly environment is hard to find. Thanks Roots for existing!"

"Many of my old gym buddies switched to Roots so I was curious to check it out! Roots is truly a hidden gem in the bay area! Coach Jamie focuses on one theme (i.e. boxing) for a couple weeks, keeps the combos simple for a few days and then builds on it overtime so everyone has enough time and practice to drill the technique and build the muscle memory. I’ve only taken about two weeks worth of classes here but I can confidently say that this gym has helped me refine my techniques more than any other gym has. Most gyms put a lot of emphasis on memorizing combos and rarely adjust your form & some gyms don't incorporate enough conditioning. The Muay Thai classes provide the perfect balance of conditioning and technique. Jamie breaks down the concepts into digestible pieces that just click and work well! The coaches here will not let you build bad habits and will correct you when something could be done more effectively. I had to unlearn so much that I didn’t realize I could be doing better because no one had pointed it out for months/years. I’m sad that I moved out of town as there’s no gym in the east coast that even comes close to the training that I’ve had here! If you’re thinking about picking up a new sport or looking for a new gym, don't hesitate. I always try to squeeze in some training @ Roots when I’m in town!"

"So far so good. Excited to see the next 30 days and will update as we go along."

"Excellent gym for both adults and children. If you're thinking of bringing your kids here to learn, I highly recommend it! Schedule a trial class, they'll love it. All the coaches are fantastic with the kids, and get along with them like a friend, while still having their respect. This is absolutely a hidden gem."