Testimonials

When people ask me why I love yelp, I can now throw them a crazy curve ball and
say.... Yelp saves lives!
Learning to kick some ass was a fun and
adventurous way to spend my Sunday.
The class was a lot more intense than I
originally thought.
Ed and his self defense crew ( Bruce and the others who
I can't remember all the names) didn't waste anytime. They showed us how to
properly yell, punch, kick and do painful things to basically all the important
joints on an attackers body. While I hope to never have to use my ass kicking
skills, I'm happy to know one little finger joint pull can make an attacker cry
like a little girl
-- Annie

Wow.. Almost just got robbed in the parking lot of Philosopher's Stone..... Lucky (for the guy who tried his best) that the owners of the establishment came out about 3guys deep.. Because I am 100% confident in my training that I would have put him ass deep into the pavement before he had the chance to lay his grubby paws on me or my boyfriend. Thank you Ultimate Gym for everything you do for me ? your fight * your choice!! And he was about to mess with the wrong gal. It was scary... We were walking to the car to leave, dude snuck up on us.. Pointed out he had a buddy in the car behind us.. I was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst..

Owner of Philospher's Stone and 2 bouncers walked out because he was being sketchy all night and apparently  they saw what was happening... Then he got in a confrontation with the owner.   I'm lucky to have people in my life who teach me the correct ways to protect myself incase something like that happens...   !

 

-- Meagan

Ultimate Gym is the coolest place around.  There is no telling what you may experience there.  There have been motorcycle and car photo shoots, commercials, sparring events, all kind of martial arts classes, boxing, aerial silk, crossfit, kettlebells, a bootcamp and a 5,000 sq. ft weight room.

Watch the Daytona 2012 race and you may see what was shot at Ultimate Gym !  A Subway commercial.

-- Kevin

Echoing my fellow Yelpers, I am very appreciative to Nicole for organizing this
event and to the fine folks at the Ultimate Gym for sharing their time and
talents with us today!

I know that crime can happen anywhere, at
anytime, to anyone... and I feel that this workshop was able to teach us all a
few tricks today that can help if we ever find ourselves in a potentially bad
situation.

I was a little nervous about potentially inflicting any pain
on my fellow Yelpers (sorry Bruce!) but it was good to have a chance to try out
some of the techniques.

But I have to say, one of the most memorable
experiences was when we first arrived and Sensei Ed showed Tonya how to flip him
after he came up behind her and put his arm around her neck!  That was pretty
bad-ass!
-- Julia

Yelp - I'm so glad we started dating, today's self defense class at the Ultimate
Gym was one of our best dates.  All the instructors were knowledgeable and
friendly.  The Ultimate Gym is not for the faint hearted.  No air, no heat.  But
if you want to take classes from passionate, skilled professionals, it might be
worth it!


-- Tonya

It is hard not to feel a little like Rocky Balboa or the Karate Kid upon
entering in this unassuming gym, a converted brick building that must have been
a mill or factory in another life. It oozes character through its multiple
rooms, containing equipment for cross-fit, martial arts, weight training, and
boxing.

The self-defense class itself was fun, and full of contact, and
practical. I particularly appreciated the contact aspects of the course and the
focus on principles rather than exact 'moves'--it is important to find
techniques that you feel comfortable executing and these trainers show
variations so that you can find your own groove.

Also critical with
learning any type of martial art (in my humble opinion), there were no egos,
gloating, or competition in the trainers, making the learning much more
accessible. Granted, it is a little strange screaming, punching, kicking,
kneeing, and elbowing someone encouraging you with a smile on their face, but
this makes it a fun and comfortable learning environment that makes you want to
keep coming back.

Sensei Ed Byers is a real down to earth instructor with
a lot of experience (he's trained everyone from air marshals to park rangers).
He can teach you to bring someone down to their knees nothing more than a pinky
finger or control a would-be attacker with a mag-lite flashlight.

For
the event itself, everyone was lively, energetic, and just plan fun--plus
entertaining to see a different (and sometimes surprising) side to our Yelpers.
My thanks go out to Sensei Ed, fantastic trainers, and participants for a great
day. And thank you Nicole for consistently delivering wonderful experiences.
-- David A.

No, stand back!" *kick, punch, push*

When I got home from this event, I
was proud to show my husband a few of the techniques I learned today. Needless
to say, he was really startled when I yelled and he literally backed away. Not
quite the audience I'll be using that on (and hopefully never), but it was a
great event full of valuable lessons.

I'm not an aggressive person at
all; however, the inner fighter in me had a really good time throwing punches
and kicks. It was in many ways liberating because they encouraged me to keep
kicking or hitting until I got it right. I had a great time with the other
Yelpers and learning their strengths...for instance, Tonya P. has got one of the
loudest voices (when she wants to) that will deter any mugger.

The staff
at Ultimate Gym are the most kind instructors (which in some ways is really
ironic since they were teaching us how to inflict pain) and full of enthusiasm
to teach I have ever encountered. I appreciated their patience as I was learning
the moves and asking a lot of questions. "Well, what if...?"

Each
instructor is the real deal (credentials and experience). They offer all sorts
of martial arts and defense classes. They have a specifically designed class to
help women who have experienced domestic violence. The sense I got from this gym
was that they truly care about each other and members of the
community...greatness.

Thanks Nicole W. for bringing us together! ...and
to all my self-defense partners, I will think of you each time I look at my
pressure point bruises
-- Faith D.

Ultimate Gym folks: Wow! They know their stuff! These instructors were
knowledgeable, encouraging & funny - as in had a sense of humor. I really
enjoyed them having one on one time with each of us, so we knew exactly what we
were doing.

As Bruce pointed out, it was a quick class! I have to admit,
I was a bit hesitant of the layout & what all was going to be covered. It
was fast paced, but allowed us time to practice. I liked having different
partners to work with, I was able to meet yelpers who I didn't know.

I
took away quite a bit of techniques, which I hope I'll never have to use, but
glad I have them!

Now on to soaking my knuckles in some hot water...
-- Angie P.

I didn't realize how much pent-up aggression I have until I had the opportunity
to go to the Ultimate Gym and learn how to kick some ass!  All I can say to
anyone who tries to mess with me in the future is -- "stop, get back!" or I will
hyper-extend your wrist and fingers and bring you to your knees in
submission.

This gym is bad-ass, located in what seems to be a converted
warehouse.  There are punching bags, boxing rings, and speed bags all over the
place.  Being in this environment is making me seriously consider taking some of
their martial arts classes.  They offer 13 types of martial arts classes - who
knew that many even exist??  Certainly not me.

This was an awesome event!
-- Bethany R.

Pulling into the parking lot in front of the repurposed warehouse, you
definitely feel that you may just be on the wrong side of the tracks - and it is
only partially because you just crossed over the actual railroad tracks.  This
is not the nicest part of town.  During the self-defense class you are also
reminded that Noda is perhaps six blocks of redeveloped nicety surrounded by
twenty blocks of ghetto.

On the inside, if you were to throw up a few
sides of beef, you could be in a Rocky movie.  And I am not talking the flash of
Rocky III here.  We're talking the original, baby, back before Sly Stallone
could speak so you had much chance of understanding him.  This is bare floors
and walls, torn and taped mats, not fancy elliptical machines, but that just
adds to the allure.

While some espouse their apprehension about laying
hands on other Yelpers, much less causing any pain, you know there are some you
wouldn't mind hurting if you had the chance.  Most importantly, however, was the
ability to find within yourself how many tools you have at your disposal to
protect yourself if the need should arise - arms, hands, feet and yes, even your
voice.

This was definitely not the standard happy hour event, and there
were no goody bags.  Instead of passed appetizers, some left with half moon
indentations from the yawara.  If I look at the spot long enough, think I can
still see mine.  But if you could handle it, this was the coolest event to date.
-- Chad E.

Thanks to all for a great event!
It's amazing how much pain you can inflict
with so little effort. A little twist here, some pressure there, and the next
thing you know the little girl has the big dude flat on the mat. And it's that
kind of skill i need.

The Ultimate Gym space definitely has a no frills
atmosphere, but the instructors seem to be top notch and that is the most
important thing. On top of their obvious expertise is the all-important fact
that they all seem to really enjoy passing on their knowledge. Some actually
seem to enjoy taking a beating as well, which is cool for you to practice moves
on an actual human punching bag.

i like the fact that you are free to
watch any of their classes since they have a bunch of  martial arts that i can't
even name, let alone know what they entail. The gun courses sound awesome too.
Thanks again for letting us check it out
-- Sam P.

It was very cool to meet Christy Martin at the gym the other day, I could remember watching her fight with my dad years ago, she was tough then. It's amazing to me how high profile the gym has become. IE, ESPN in the house, TV productions have been scouting the facility,the NC film commission always sends film scouts to look at the gym. Ultimate Gym is going to explode in so many different aspects. But there core is crossfit, MMA up and coming fighters. And the boxing program headed by Rubin is building a lot of momentum. This gym will be famous, and infamous for the future of fighting and fitness in Charlotte. My name is Fred and I approved this post.
-- Frederick Hoffman Jr (Fred)

Ultimate Gym and the staff have given me my life back.  I was in an abusive relationship and had to find a way out.  I googled womens self defense and ultimate gym was the first to pop up.  I called the next day about the class and then went into the gym to meet the staff.  I began taking the womens warrior class with Ed Byers and within 6 weeks was able to stand up to my boyfriend and leave him.  If it were not for the training and support from the gym I dont think I would have ever been able to do this.  If you are a woman who is in need of self defense classes this is the place to go!  -

-- A Happy, Proud and Safer Student !

 

This place is flawless, without a doubt the best gym I’ve ever found. There is no air conditioning or cushy accommodations, just 30,000 square feet of exposed brick in the heart of NODA.  There are classes for everything from Cross Fit to practical self-defense and even aerial training. A former competitive climber I’ve tried out more gyms then I can count and I’ve yet to find a broader selection of all the right exercise equipment under one roof and the price simply cannot be beat.

 

 

Jack Neef

 

-- Jack Neef

I love this gym, its hot in the summer cold in the winter. It’s beautiful in its rustic simplicity, 30,000 square feet of exposed brick and steal I beams with every conceivable peice of exercise equipment known to man. It isn't pretty or overly sanitized but therein lies its beauty. It is a gym for people who want to work out and get better weather through one of the many classes they teach or on your own. Put simply its a place for athletes, self-motivated and highly driven individuals to excel and get better at what ever it is they love. I am former competitive athlete and have trained at dozens of gyms. I have never found a place with a better range of equipment or training techniques under one roof that offers that chance for so much variation. From the 20 foot free rope to the kettle bell selection to the various martial arts rooms, I could not imagine a better gym. Plus they just opened a bar next door, seriously this place cannot be beat
-- Jack

"After many years of trial and error, failure and moderate success I have found the best known cure for a "hangover". The Ultimate Gym. One good hour or two of a Muay Thai class and that hangover will be punched or kicked right out of you! You will seriously feel at least %75 better afterward, if not more. It's not so fun at the start but it's worth it at the end. Try it if you don't believe me!"
-- Tommy

Ultimate gym offers no-nonsense, real martial arts instruction with no BS. The owner, Doug, is a straight up guy and I like how he runs the gym. He doesn't play games with convoluted contracts and 'initiation fees' and the BS that other martial arts schools do.

Ultimate Gym is geared towards real fighters. There are a number of professionals that train there. What I like about it is the informal atmosphere but serious training. I usually do the MMA class. I show up, do a hard workout, and stick around for sparring after the class, which is either kickboxing with protective gear or ground grappling.

The gym is located in a brick warehouse building with tons of equipment. If you want to see how real fighters train and get in exceptional shape, come down and try it out.

What I dislike about most martial arts schools are the games they play with pricing and long-term contracts, and also forcing you to go through a curriculumn that you aren't interested in, with silly belts and postures, uniforms, useless warm up drills, etc. With Ultimate Gym, I show up and have my choice of a number of different classes to attend. No one forces me to buy some halloween costume to work out in--I can wear what I like. The workouts are tough but you're working out with an elite group, and some of these guys fight professionally. No one looks at what color belt you have--people respect you based on your ability. Ultimate Gym isn't for everyone. It's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. The workouts are tough. Most people who do martial arts seem to want to just go through the motions in nice surroundings, and if so, there are plenty of places to choose from. But if you want real training in a real gym, Ultimate Gym is one of the few places available in Charlotte. I've also been very pleased with the quality of the instruction.

 The gym is very male-oriented. That's true, and there are few women who train there. I consider that a sign of a true combat-oriented facility. If you go to a professional boxing gym, you won't find many women either. The softer the instruction, the more ladies you'll find. Check out a Tae Kwon Do class or yoga class. Sorry ladies, hope that doesn't sound sexist, but generally you don't find many women doing a class that's oriented around real combat.

-- Rick

My name is Amanda Capitano; I started my training at the Ultimate gym October 2010 in Judo under the teachings of Ed Byers. I first came to the Ultimate Gym inquiring about MMA training, I was introduced to Ed, he explained what the Judo training initialed. That very night I attended my first session and fell in love with the art. I was promoted to a yellow belt with in two months and went to my first tournament in January. I won my division in the “World Cup Ju-jitsu tournament.”  I have great support from my Sensei Ed, my classmates and staff members of the Ultimate Gym. They have always instilled confidence in me with my training and my in competition.  The gym does not encourage competition but if you choose to be competitive they will help you achieve your goals. A wise man said “it is not about winning or losing, it is about going out there and giving it you all.”  I am still attending the Ultimate Gym and now adding Muay Thai to my training,  3 classes of Judo/Ju-Jutsu and 3 classes of Muay Thai. The Ultimate Gym staff and members have become my second family. 

 

If you are looking for a gym that cares about your personal needs and has the people who can see the talent with in you and are willing to help you go the distance I highly recommend The Ultimate Gym is your place to be. The Ultimate Gym is not your typical gym; they have more to offer their clients.

 

-Cappi-

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

-- Amanda Capitano