Roots Kickboxing BJJ

I have two of my children in the youth Muay Thai class. The class has been great for my two southpaws. Coach Jaime is great very attentive, firm, and fun. I highly recommend taking up some classes if you have kids. They also offer classes for bigger kids and adults. There is also BJJ classes being offered. Great place, great instructor(s).

I began my martial arts journey at Roots, and it’s been a life-changing experience. I started with Muay Thai, and Coach Jamie’s combination of kindness, patience, and toughness helped me grow, even with no prior experience. After a few months, I split my training between Muay Thai and BJJ, before fully transitioning to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Under the guidance of Coaches Vitor and Barry, I trained for my first two competitions and made some amazing friends along the way. This journey has not only boosted my fitness and confidence but has also given me a passion and community I’ll carry with me forever. Though I had to switch to a different gym due to a work move, I know I’ll always be back to visit whenever I can. Huge thanks to the Roots family for everything and much love! If you’re thinking about joining Roots, don’t think, just do it :) You won’t regret it.

Many of my old gym buddies switched to Roots, truly a hidden gem in the bay area! Coach Jamie focuses on one theme (i.e. boxing) for a couple weeks, keeps it simple at first and gradually builds the combo. I've seen way more improvement in my technique here than anywhere else, even after just a few sessions. Most gyms put a lot of emphasis on memorizing combos, coaches rarely adjust your form & don't incorporate enough conditioning. Jamie breaks concepts down into digestible pieces that just click. The coaches here will not let you develop bad habits and will correct you when something could be done better. I had to unlearn a lot of bad techniques because no one had corrected me for years. I'm super bummed theres no gym in the east coast that comes close to the quality of training Ive had here. I always make it a goal to visit Roots when I’m in town :)

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!

5 Star Gym - me and my family visited yesterday and their classes are structured and the quality of instruction is top notch. Been doing Muay Thai for 3-4 years at my local gym and 8 years of BJJ this is a quality school. 🔥