There are beginning students of all ages in every class. We have a rotating curriculum so it’s easy for new students to learn the basics, while more experienced students perfect the subtleties of the techniques. Beginning students usually work with an assistant instructor or a more experienced student during class which helps them get up to speed quickly.

Our group classes are for ages 12 and up; however, we have three options for younger students:
Karate – family classes for ages 7 and up are offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at our academy through Transform Martial Arts (separate membership).
Private lessons – offered through Three Rivers for ages 7 and up; available seven days a week, day or night, with the instructor and in the martial art style of your choice.
Team lessons – offered through Three Rivers for ages 7 and up; a minimum of four students is required to form a team. These are semi-private lessons that can be scheduled at your convenience.

We do offer self-defense classes, with jiu-jitsu being our most popular class as well as our most practical self-defense art. We don’t have classes exclusively for women, however, because our group classes are mixed, but we do have private lesson options. Private lesson packages can be shared between two people at no extra cost.

If you have a friend who would like to join you, you could partner together during our regular group classes. Team lessons are another option if you have a group of several women interested. These are semi-private lessons that require a minimum of four members and can be scheduled at your convenience.

Our students are a wide range of ages, from their seventies to teens. Many are adults who work in a variety of fields, including law enforcement, medicine, and other professions. Some are students still in school. The majority live in Paducah and others travel an hour or more to train at the academy.

Some have been our students for decades and others for only weeks. They train for a variety of reasons, including fitness, wellness, self-defense, discipline, and a sense of community. There are a variety of rank and skill levels in every class.

One comment we hear often is how friendly our students are. They are interested in learning and work to better themselves, but they are also interested in this for their training partners and are very welcoming to new students.

We are primarily a self-defense academy. Classes typically start with a warm-up period, then the majority of time is spent in technique work with a partner after a demonstration and explanation by the instructor.

Our jiu-jitsu classes are followed by an open-mat sparring session, but students are required to be members and have trained for at least one month before attending these sessions.

There are three options for membership:
Group classes – $105 per month for up to 8 group classes of one art or $130 per month for unlimited group classes and arts.
Private classes – $50 for one half-hour lesson; $170 for four half-hour private lessons; $300 for 8 half-hour private lessons. They can be shared between two students at no extra cost. Additional students can join for an extra $20 per package.
Group + private classes – get a 15% discount when combining group and private lessons on a monthly plan. Any combination of group and multiple private lessons can be used.

Electronic transfer from a debit or credit card is required for group and group + memberships.

For a group class membership, we require electronic transfer from a debit or credit card for tuition payment and suggest a one-year membership commitment; however, this commitment can be canceled at any time by giving us a 30-day notice.

Yes! We have a family discount of 25% off the second member and 50% off the third and additional members. We also offer $10 per month off of full-price group classes for members of The Gym. Discounts apply to group options only and cannot be combined with plus packages.

We also have a package for law enforcement professionals that is a discounted membership, including any four group classes plus two half-hour private lessons for $130 per month.

Yes! We have two different trial offers for new prospective students:

15-day unlimited group class pass – For $35, try any and all group classes on our schedule. This pass does not include open-mat sparring sessions, which follow each jiu-jitsu class. You must be a member and train with us for at least one month before attending these sessions.

Half-hour private lesson – For $35, take a half-hour private lesson with the instructor and in the art of your choice.

For out-of-town students or visitors, we have a one-day academy pass for $35. It includes access to all group classes offered the day of the pass with the exception of our open-mat sparring (rolling) sessions, which follow each jiu-jitsu class. You must be a member and train with us for at least one month before attending these sessions.

If you are a new student, the best way to get started is to take advantage of one of our trial offers. For $35, you can take unlimited group classes for 15 days or you can take a half-hour private lesson in the martial art and with the instructor of your choice.

Please click one of the links below to register for your trial pass: