Back to Basics Martial Arts & Fitness

Best martial arts gym I’ve trained at in the US!!! With 10 years of Muay Thai experience in France and several fights under my belt, I can confidently say this is by far the best gym in Boston. Warm welcome, skilled and supportive instructors, and flexible membership options - everything you need for great training. Thank you, Jeff, and the entire Back to Basics team!

I joined Back to Basics at the end of summer last year, and from day one Jeff and his team of coaches have been incredibly welcoming, accommodating, and approachable. The classes are thoughtfully designed to build your skill set step by step, so it doesn’t matter if you have zero prior experience. The progress I’ve made—thanks to Jeff’s hands-on adjustments and the consistent coaching from the entire team—has been invaluable. These guys are absolute pros. All of the coaches actively fight, so they truly know their craft (you’ll occasionally see a black eye or two in the studio, which says it all). I found the studio to be not only a safe place to train, but also a lot of fun, with great music that keeps the energy up. They also offer a free Jiu-Jitsu class for women every Sunday at 10am, led by Victoria—Jeff’s wife and a brilliant coach—an absolute badass. If you’re curious about Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, or boxing, I highly recommend giving Back to Basics a shot.

Coach Jeff and the entire team at Back to Basics are truly exceptional. I’ve trained in multiple martial arts disciplines in three different countries, and I honestly have never seen a gym that blends individual arts into a complete MMA system as well as Back to Basics does. Jeff is incredibly knowledgeable across striking, grappling, and MMA, and he has a rare ability to build a strong, technical base while still pushing you to grow fast. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced fighter who wants to compete seriously, he can help you level up in every area. What really stands out is the culture he creates. Martial arts can be an individual sport, but Jeff makes it feel like a true team — a supportive, family-like environment where everyone is encouraged to improve and help each other. He genuinely cares about his students and takes the time to explain details the right way, making sure people actually understand and progress. No matter your age or your goals, you can learn and evolve here. I can’t recommend this gym enough. Thank you, Jeff, for everything you do for all of us — Back to Basics is something special.

In all my years doing boxing, this was one of the best gyms I ever trained at. Jeff finds something in everyone that can be improved immediately, and you leave every training session having made progress. Everything is done in a funny and warm manner without any ego, which also makes it a great gym for beginners. That's why I also enjoyed taking some classes in BJJ, even though I'm a complete beginner. As soon as I'm back in the Boston area, I'll be back with Jeff and his great team at Back to Basics! Thanks for the last 6 months. 🤝🏼

I trained here over the summer for about a month and it was fantastic. Roger is great at breaking down different positions and concepts in jiu jitsu into systems that people from any skill level can understand and implement. Jeff’s style of teaching in wrestling with a high rep, controlled approach made me see significant improvement in just one month, and the Muay Thai classes went really in depth into how to do each defense/strike, how to move your feet and head correctly and how to hit without getting hit. The gym itself is super clean and has tons of equipment that is kept super clean, and everyone is really friendly and helpful when it comes to understanding different paces in sparring and developing your game.