Fitness Clubs
Revolution MMA
Revolution MMA is a beautiful gym that makes the most of its space. The gym consists of a pro shop, octagon, MMA training area and a sound-proof Krav Maga room. Being advertised as Toronto's largest MMA facility seems misleading though, as while some schools are smaller, they don't break up their training area into so many segments.
Revolution offers Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Krav Maga, as well as fitness classes. The also have kids MMA, which isn't common.
A few minutes after i arrive I meet owner/instructor Joel Gerson. I decide to play prospective-student, telling him that I'm checking out gyms in the area. Gerson takes me on a power-walked tour of the gym. When I mention another school, he actually tells me that if I train there, I'll get a staph infection.
The tour lasts less than 5 minutes before I'm whisked to an empty room on the second floor, sat at a desk, given a pamphlet outlining three payment options, and asked to pick one. Not only do I feel incredibly uncomfortable at being isolated and given such a direct sales approach, but I also told him earlier that I was only here for information.
Unlike most gyms, there is no monthly payment option. You need to sign up for a 12 month term at the following rates:
- Option #1: $449 down and $54.95 bi-weekly.
- Option #3: $1499 for the year, plus tax. The cheapest option, but still much more expensive than most gyms.
- Option #2: Something in between 1 and 3. I found this option confusing, but didn't feel comfortable asking questions.
When I tell him I'd like to try a class before committing, I'm told to sign up, and I'll have 10 days to cancel after the first week. I tell him that I won't be signing up today, and his face visibly drops. The meeting doesn't last 30 more seconds. I ask for a brochure that I could read later, and get told "that's why we have a website".
As we leave the office, I walk a bit slower than Gerson. When he gets about 15 feet away, he finally notices. He looks over his shoulder, and I get a "you good?" from him. I nod. He gives me a thumbs-up and disappears. No one notices me leave.
Revolution MMA really is high quality. It gets professionally cleaned daily, the equipment is brand new, the entire training area is matted and the instructors are ridiculously qualified, including professional UFC fighter Carlos "The Ronin" Newton.But in the end, I can only recommend them if you're immune to high-pressure sales tactics.
Writing by Dan Cosgrove. Photo from the Revolution MMA web site
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if you are looking to drop weight , tone up your body ,learn stand up or ground work or even enjoy a good work out this gym has everything you need , everyone treats eachother with Respect and show good positive attitude towards eachother
With one of the largest student bases of any MMA gym in the GTA, Revolution has a solid reputation in the industry most especially when it comes to professionalism and customer service. Having been featured in Toronto Life (BEST OF ISSUE), The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Toronto Sun, National News, The Fight Network, Sportsnet Magazine and many other leading national media outlets, Rev’s attention to customer detail is inimitable.
It is a shame that this reviewer came in with an obvious bias against the club, as it is standard procedure for us to have all our programs thoroughly detailed and explained as part of every tour, in addition to doing a prospective student’s specific needs analysis. To state that this wasn’t done in this case, and that pricing options were outlined after 30 seconds is simply a falsehood.
Tours typically take 15 to 30 minutes depending on how many questions are asked, and whether or not the individual is actually serious about training, as opposed to serious about getting a story. While we might point out the risks of joining the wrong gym, we never, ever specifically bad mouth other facilities.
What is the most disconcerting aspect of this review on blogto is the fact that the same review for the club was posted for no less than 4 or 5 different sections on the site (martial arts clubs, boxing clubs, fitness clubs, etc.). How is the criteria the same for all these sections? What in fact was the criteria for each section? Or was the ranking system from 1 to 10 as arbitrary and subjective as it appears? How is a traditional Karate school in the same category as an MMA/fitness facility? makes no sense.
And finally, if the reviewer would like to come back and objectively try a class on the house when he is actually interested in beginning a program, we would be more than happy to welcome him, but he should be ready to sweat. If anyone else would like to come in for a free tour and personally sit through my grueling “hard sell”, mention this blog post and receive $100 worth of training gear for FREE if you purchase our popular Gold Membership. For actual reviews by real people who trained at our facility Google “Revolution MMA” or use this link:
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Joel Gerson
Chief Instructor/Owner
Revolution MMA
www.revmma.com
Toronto's Leading MMA Facility