Martial Arts in Arlington

After winning a gold medal in the US National Kuoshu championships and fighting as a member of the US Kung Fu team, Gary Berger decided to bring his skills back stateside. Classes started small, but Gary slowly began attracting both students and instructors until his humble operation became the Baltimore Martial Arts Academy. Under Gary's direction, the center now offers an extensive martial arts curriculum in styles such as muay thai, kung fu, aikido, and Brazilian jiujitsu. Coach Gary cultivates an environment based on respect, hard work, and personal growth, where criticism is frowned upon and egos are checked at the door along with oversized suitcases. Gary’s wife Danyelle heads up instruction of the gym's fitness classes, which include kettlebell, kickboxing, yoga, and Zumba. Between its many martial arts offerings and more general fitness classes, BMAA boasts a diverse student body, including athletes, casual exercisers looking to burn calories, and even children with physical or mental disabilities taking part in Coach Gary’s special needs classes.

For more than 25 years, instructors and owners Ron and Julie Elrod have shared the knowledge they gleaned as direct students of Soke Hatsumi, the 34th-generation Ninjutsu Grandmaster. Inside the Elrods' 5,000-square-foot facility, adults and children study the foundations of Japanese martial arts in a way that sharpens their minds, centers their spirits, and strengthens their bodies. Along with traditional martial arts, the Academy’s curriculum delves into cardio-kickboxing classes, where fast-paced punches and kicks burn calories without the hazard of using lighter fluid as a dipping sauce. The low student-to-teacher ratio of these classes allows instructors to observe closely as their pupils take on freestanding heavy bags. Both male and female students participate, and the school provides mitts and handheld pads so that students don't have to fashion equipment out of old copies of the Saturday Evening Post.

Practicing martial arts for the past 20 years, Sean "The Silverback" Stoopman has earned master bodyguard instructor certification, a Brazilian jujitsu purple belt, and a first-degree black belt through Israeli Krav International. He now lends his notorious nickname and ample expertise to teaching classes at Silverback Academy with the aid of five other trainers, each with a litany of their own achievements.

The school's disciplines are split among the practical striking, locking, and stress tests of krav maga training, and the competitive submission grappling art of Brazilian jujitsu.