Alpha Omega MMA

When students kick into one of the heavy bags dangling over Alpha Omega MMA's 20,000-square-foot training facility, they're following the same path trod by the gym's crew of professional and amateur fighters. A quintet of instructors trains clients in everything from the graceful takedowns and joint locks of Brazilian jiujitsu to the devastating short-range knee and elbow strikes of muay thai. They divide class groups up by student expertise, providing a venue for the casual exerciser to seek some conditioning and for aspiring fighters to hone their skills.

Kids leap into the fray with self-defense classes that center around a bullying-prevention curriculum, teaching tykes to stand up for themselves without resorting to violence unless it's absolutely necessary or limited to drop-kicking an imaginary friend into the sun to prove a point.