My martial arts journey started when I was 19 years old in the fall of 2009, 6 years before I joined Tri State Mixed Martial Arts. In the years leading up to me finding martial arts, I struggeld with dyslexia and my mental health. In school, I was bullied profusely and would often miss weeks of school at a time. In my Jr. Year in high school, life took a sharp turn. At that moment I realized I did not like the person I was. I made a choice to do... to be better. Martial Arts saved my life. In February 2016, I joined Tri State. The moment I walked through those doors I knew this school was something special! I was in awe at the professionalism of the staff, the culture, and the school as a whole. I joined that day! After some time training at Tri State, Sifu Jeff offered me a position as an assistant instructor. It has been such an honor teaching. Teaching was very new to me and I was a bit nervous at first. Sifu Jeff gave me a gift to help kids, the kind of help I wish I had when I was their age. My hope is to be a positive influence to others the way Sifu Jeff has been to me. Tri State is home!

Takeo has matured, increased in self discipline, and grown his knowledge of Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ahead of our expectation. Since his start in the program it has aided in grooming him to put in hard work and see the reward for his determination and application...

I have been working out at Tri State for about 5 years, I started this journey a bit later in life, it's been a bit of a challenge however pushing through the challenges is very rewarding. Someone once asked "When is a good time to plant a tree?" A year ago? Kinda tough to go back and do it if you haven't already A year from now? I will probably forget about it by then

Best Martial Arts school around. Our daughter has been training there for almost 7 years. The respect, discipline and skills she has learned there are immeasurable. She received her 2nd degree Black Belt in the children's program and now trains in the adult program. She is a member of the BBC and is an instructor also. I cannot say enough about Jeff and the entire Tri State family. That is what they are, family.

I am so pleased with Tri State. My family were members a few years ago and moved to a different state. Since starting the online classes my kids were able to join the classes. They were excited to see old friends and teachers. The staff is so helpful and cares about the students. I’m thankful to Jeff for giving us this opportunity all the way across the country.

I started training at Tri State in November 2017 so its almost going on 3 years this November. I have changed in a way that I am more confident and self assured of myself. I am more motivated than I was before I started. I have gotten a lot faster and stronger since starting my martial arts journey. Also I have dropped a lot of weight and making better choices for myself. Finally most importantly I have gained and developed self discipline since starting and I am more focused than before. I have a clear path and direction I want to be on. That is how I have changed since coming to Tri State.

Since training at Tri-State I can say that my life has completely changed. My reason for training was because of the “freshmen 15” in college. Being athletic my whole life I needed to find something to get into after my freshmen year at college I wasn’t doing anything except eating and watching tv My mom also passed 2 months before joining the school and training at the gym helped deal with everything that comes with that (exactly like Sifu Aiden). Since joining I have found a career that I love doing and a passion in life I never knew I had. It was the best choice I ever made walking into those doors (a different set of doors since he switched schools ) 7 years ago. Funny enough it’s been exactly 7 years I’ve been training under Ajarn Jeff. Thank you to everyone who has came into Tri-State because all of you impacted my life in a major way and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. And Thank you to Ajarn Jeff for changing my life in the best way possible

This place is absolutely amazing. Been going for about 8 weeks now and it was the best decision I've made. The instructors and the owner Jeff genuinely care about each and every student and want to see them all succeed. They make you feel at home right away and the respect for martial arts as a whole is evident as soon as you walk in the building. Regardless of your skill level, you can find a class that suits you. Tri state not only offers a family friendly environment but also gives you an opportunity to train along side some extremely talented Brazilian JiuJitsu and Muay Thai practitioners/competitors. If you're interested in truly learning the fundamentals and foundations of martial arts, look no further.

Training at Tri State has changed my life in many ways. I first started because I wanted to challenge myself. The very first thing Sifu Jeff has taught me is to don't try to fit into the art, make the art fit you and I've been applying that to every aspect of my life. Even before starting Tri State, I was already athletic but the training has pushed me even further. Another thing I've learned is to stay calm under pressure and focusing more on learning and having fun with the process instead of the end result. Also it's helped me become more confident and I'm eager to challenge myself whether it's physically or mentally. Thank you Sifu Jeff and everyone else who's helped me along the way.

Since beginning training at Tristate my son's life has changed quite a bit. He began in 1st grade. He begged to join "karate" something I know nothing about. He tried a few classes and said "Yes mom. This is what I want." Anything for my Buggy. We signed him up, and, of course the honeymoon stage. He loved it. Loved the coaches. Loved his classmates. Then things were getting rocky. He was struggling in school. Fighting with me and my husband to do homework. I almost took him out. His schoolwork can't suffer for an extracurricular activity. I talked to Karen. She had Sifu Jeff meet with me and then me and Chase. After some encouragement and this Mama feeling like she was at the end of her rope, some hope. Chase isn't just a kid who doesn't want to work or read. He has severe double vision. Sifu Jeff continued to encourage Chase through his own struggles. Chase feels so privileged that he and Sifu Jeff share a learning difference. He looks up to Sifu Kasaun and Sifu Aiden. He is happy when they say his name or call him out that he's doing a good job. He started at age 6. He is 10. He struggles with wanting to go to class but each time he goes he feels proud. Each belt he earns makes him strive to the next belt. Our family is incredibly thankful to Sifu Jeff and all the Tristate family. From this Mama: Thank you for all you do. We can't wait to be back in the gym together but am so thankful you have adapted to current conditions.

We have been attending Tri State for a number of years now and just love the MMA school. It has helped with my sons build confidence, respect, discipline, healthy lifestyle choices and fitness along with an amazing detailed martial arts background. The instructors are great with the kids and the owner Jeff is on the mat every day working with the children. My son has come a very long way under their guidance and we could not be happier with the program. The support staff are amazing as well. It is a great family atmosphere

I signed Gabby up at Tri-State for a couple of reasons. The first was that she was being bullied in school and the second was that she was having anger issues stemming from some issues at home. Since starting, she has gained some confidence in standing up to bullies but the biggest change is that she has a much better handle on her anger. At times, when she starts to get really angry about situations that are out of our control she will let it out by working on her training instead of screaming, yelling, and hitting/kicking things around the house.