Radical MMA NYC

Coach Rene is a highly skilled and devoted practioner and teacher of MMA. He has a serious dedication to his art, his students and his school. His training is far superior to any other school I've visited. Coach Rene understands and trains MMA on a very deep and complex level. He is able to adapt training to accommodate his student's individual learning styles. The training WILL be difficult but you WILL become much stronger and more skilled as a result. Rene cares about the growth of his students and will make sure you get out what you put in to your training.

Come to Radical MMA for Top Tier training!

I’ve been training MMA for a few years and this is the best instruction I’ve ever received. Top notch facility and first class coaching from coach Rene and his high level staff of highly accomplished instructors. If you want to do MMA right, this is the place for you.

Part 1/2

After I started writing this review I've realized even more just how incredible of a place Radical MMA is. I will never be able to describe it as well as it deserves to be, so in case you have any questions or anything needs to be clarified, please don't hesitate to reach out.

-

I've trained at Radical MMA for over two years now and could not be more happy with my academy. I have trained at other schools before but nothing comes close to the value that Radical and coach Rene Dreifuss have to offer.

Here are my main reasons (unordered) to consider Radical as a top choice for anyone looking to join:

Vetting:
Unlike other schools that let anyone in with no questions asked, coach Dreifuss makes sure to speak with every single person looking to train at Radical MMA. This accomplishes the following; 1. Ensures maximum safety for all 2. Makes sure the mentality of the person aligns with the ethics of Radical. You can rest assured that when you train at Radical there will never be a time you are at risk of getting hurt due to your training partners ego or bad intent. Those people simply do not get a chance to even step on the mat.

Safety:
I have been to other schools where injuries were a normal part of training. And where your sparring partners do not hold your safety as their priority. This is never the case at Radical. Your number one priority is your partner's safety, and not feeding your own ego and making them tap at all cost. In addition, at Radical we put a ton of emphasis on the technique and smoothness of movement over power/explosiveness and yanking of your body parts from locked in positions. When I visited top schools of the world, located in NYC, I was surprised to see higher level belts being so spazzy it seemed like they've been electrocuted. There's a time and place for power and explosiveness but it should not be your first line of attack/defense. Needless to say this causes constant injuries, which keeps you away from training and in general instill poor fundamentals. I myself have been in this situation multiple times in my old academies, having to take off multiple weeks and even months to fix an injury. But never have there been a case where somebody tried to hurt me at Radical. During my two years at Radical I have only been injured due to my own mistake, such as jamming of a finger/toe, but never by my sparring partners.

Sparring Intensity:
This might sound counterintuitive to my previous point but I can attest to the fact that the intensity level at Radical is unmatched, compared to anywhere else I've been, yet with no injuries at all. Excellent foundations + smoothness + healthy attitude + partner's safety as a priority = Intense training. My main reason for not joining a school that was related to jiu jitsu was the “softness” I've associated with the sport, i.e flowy, inverted guard pulling, colorful legging wearing athletes. I was surprised when I got destroyed by every single person in the gym, some of which were 50+ pounds lighter than me, and had to re-evaluate my stance. In between many drilling sessions we have, I spar 3 times a week, consistently, for over 2 years. I'm not killing myself or torturing my body. The sparring sessions are extremely (for me) cardio demanding/strenuous but are low in any damage that would keep one out of training. Therefore, I can get all of the benefits of hard sparring sessions minus setting myself back with any sort of injuries.

Diversity:
Given that we’re located in NYC, diversity comes by default. But to reassure anyone reading this, we have great diversity on all spectrums; age, gender, weight, belts. We even have numerous people that truly do not speak a word of english but are able to train without restrictions due to the supportive environment of their teammates who are able to translate and offer help. There is absolutely no toxicity in the gym and I think people are made to feel welcomed as soon as they step through the door.

I have trained at 5 different BJJ academies throughout the course of my Jiu-Jitsu career and Radical MMA is by far the best.

First and foremost, what separates Radical from many other schools is that Coach Rene provides you with a system of moves that can be chained together as opposed to a handful of random techniques. Instead of you having to guess what to do next in each position, he provides a comprehensive roadmap for you to follow.

Additionally, Radical is one of few places that emphasizes the importance of teaching jiu-jitsu that is applicable to a real self-defense situation or MMA. This includes spending ample time learning takedowns and how to strike/defend strikes while grappling.

As far as the gym itself, it has multiple floors, showers and comes stocked with weights, a squat rack and a bunch of other equipment.

I would 100% recommend Radical to anyone who trains MMA/Jiu-Jitsu, enjoys fitness or anyone who wants to learn how to defend themselves.

I will be in New York with my family 9th April 20 until 16 April.
I'd love to go watch and train in the gym.
Here in Belgium I work out in the gym teammixfight genk.
Forgot I am 46 years young
Greetz

Just awesome and eye opening to train with such well rounded individuals! I had a blast training new techniques and learning the small details that helped improve my game! Thanks so much to Coach Renne Dreifuss, Yurok, Jason, and Jeff. OSU!

I have trained in a lot of schools (being a long time Martial Artist) and I can say truly that I haven't met many instructors like Coach Rene. He works seven days a week, teaching classes, and I have never once seen him give less than 100%, and that's because he has very high standards, not only for himself but for ALL students, and he's very serious about that.and he does take the time to make sure the students get the technique just right. I am used to the “Brazilian” method where a teacher will just show a move once and then be on his phone all class or just focusing on his top “squad, ” training at Radical is totally the opposite. Coach Rene always says everyone matters to him and I experienced that to be true, just be ready for his "old school tough love" style. He is that teacher that we all had in high school who was a total hard grader but that later you appreciated because you really learned a ton. I can assure you I improved more at Radical in 3 months than I did in a year at other gyms. There are some advanced MMA fighters here, but Coach runs a very tight ship and everyone is very mindful and respectful of one another. Plus, we have knife and eye gouge and other street fight defense classes that tie everything together. I'm grateful for finding this school. Osu!

Great authentic MMA gym! Coach Rene Dreifuss is very relatable and kind. Great and quick communication. Excellent teacher, really goes above and beyond. Well organized gym, clear class schedule. Highly recommend!

I trained here for about a year and it is the best place I have trained! The best part is that Coach Rene takes time outside of teaching to learn anatomy and physics to ground his teaching in science and new insights. He makes a point to not just learn everyone's name, but injuries, training background, and when your last visit was. Radical MMA is also very female-friendly - the bathrooms have free tampons and hair ties, offers free women's self-defense classes, and is a really welcoming environment. Looking forward to visiting again next time I'm in town!

Trained at Radical MMA for only like 3 Months and it was one of the best Martial Arts experiences I’ve had by far. If you’re looking for a no nonsense, serious martial arts training then this is the place for you. Many people online consider Coach Rene Dreifuss as a “mean” Coach but it’s all tough love. He will be there to push you and although he’s tough at times, it’s all for your benefit. Everyday that I walked into Radical MMA, I knew it was time to go to work. No fooling around, nothing but serious training. Rene will push you to reach your full potential and beyond. I’ve been looking for a gym with this type of environment for years. Unfortunately, my new job schedule made it nearly impossible for me to make the class schedules but I hope to return one day.

Rene is an awesome instructor. Top notch in technique and takes the time to give you the theory behind his system. This is a great spot if you are looking for self defense jiu jitsu. The training partners were great and everyone is always learning. They train hard. My schedule didn’t jive so I had to move on but that’s on me. I would recommend Radical whole heartedly

Great MMA school, very much recommended. Rene is very good and technical trainer. Trained with Rene when I lived in NYC a couple years ago. Recently I was in NYC for a couple of days and joined a couple of classes. Very friendly atmosphere and learned a lot as always!

This is the best place you can find in NYC for Jiu-Jitsu training! People there are awesome and the coach is a real master!
Thank you for everything!

This academy is everything you could ask for. Always clean and in tip top shape. There is a cleaning crew that keeps it in pristine condition and they clean every day. There are classes going on 7 days a week from the early morning until 9pm so no excuses! There is a weight training set on site if you’re into that.but class truly kicks your butt so you might not get to ever use it LOL. My commute is about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get here and is worth every minute. There are plenty dojos by my house but none that i feel emulate the experience in Radical MMA. Started coming here 3 years ago and it has definitely changed my life in many ways. Coach Rene is tough but truly understanding and shows that he truly cares about his students efficiently learning the techniques. He will make sure you are on point no matter how large the class is and is VERY knowledgeable about MMA. The students here are awesome and will make you feel at home. If you’re looking for a legit mma experience this is definitely the place to go. OSU!

Was in NYC for the holidays and trained at Radical MMA. This is an excellent place to train with great and welcoming people. Thank you so much for the great training. I look forward to coming back in the future!

Rene and Chad are top class instructors making sure that each student not only gets the technique but the philosophy behind the technique. Very attentive teaching. Also there is well advance and helpful students that will help you out if your in need.

Clean gym and respectful people.

Amazing school to learn Mma and self-defense.

Radical MMA is an absolute amazing place to train. Rene is very experienced, and a pleasure to communicate with. The facility is the cleanest gym I have ever been to, and himself and his students treat everyone who comes in like family. Hands down one of the best places to train in NYC. OSS.

I've been training here for nearly five months and I can say my experience has been nothing but positive. With almost 150 members it still feels like an environment where your individual needs are met in every lesson. Competent, caring coaches who know everyone's name (and they even remember what injuries each person has).

I went to Radical MMA for a trial class. They were very welcoming, excellent instructions, very clean facility. Having visited several MMA gyms, I highly recommend this place! I will be registering with them after the holidays.