Reaction MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

I don't ever recommend this horrible gym. The people are rude, unsafe in practice, disrespectful, and overstep boundaries. My jiu jitsu experiences ended in being pinned to the wall and choked, being wrestled unsafely to the ground and so much more. It was almost as if they needed to prove to themselves that they could beat a beginner. I also overheard a experienced member state how he "beat the new guy up!" The coach isn't very helpful and neither are the other members. Furthermore, during the surprise of this terrible gym, all 3 of the coaches that walked around during that day didn't say a word about the extremely dangerous moves that were performed. If I could rate 0 stars I totally would, and If I could shut down this place I would In a heartbeat. Edit after the owners response: I hope that the 16 year old is alright, but sadly he has the wrong guy. I never rolled with any females under the age of 25. This review was made a few weeks after my experience so that excuses from the owner about that day couldn't be loosely gathered. Btw, that footage I hope is posted of my day so that people can understand what happened. Once again- this gym isn't for anyone, let alone beginners.

Best gym in the bluegrass, the coaching staff is incredibly knowledgeable. The environment present is optimal for great growth in fighting ability, and self defense mindset.

Awesome! I’ve never been around a better team/environment more willing to help you learn and grow. Everyone here are friendly and willing to help whenever you have any questions or need help with something. You will be taught not only how to be a better fighter and grappler but more importantly discipline, consistency, confidence, and mental fortitude. You’ll get In excellent shape and your mind as well. Professor Rob is definitely someone who comes in every single day, gives you his best regardless of how he feels, and will change your life for the better. I couldn’t recommend Reaction enough!

I have had the honor to train with Professor Rob and coach Kevin and the experiences were incredible each and every time! The knowledge, professionalism, and passion from both gentleman has not only been beneficial in my training but also inspiring in my day to day life! In my opinion, if you live within 2 hrs of this facility and are currently training or wanting to begin training in martial arts this is the only place to go! You will not be disappointed!

Professor Nickerson and all the guys I have met from Reaction MMA are top notch. Not only great training partners but also always want to help you improve not only your Jiu Jitsu, but also help you improve yourself overall. If you’re looking for a spot to train, this is it! Professor Nickerson is always helpful and goes above and beyond for his gym, training partners, students, and even taking additional time to help those outside his own gym. Great place and a Great Professor!

In the almost 3 years of training at Reaction, I have gained not only a skill set, but have been a part of one of the greatest groups of people I’ve ever met. Everyone wants everyone to get better and is always willing to help and push eachother. Professor Rob instructs and coaches ever single day with a level of passion and intensity that you will not find anywhere else or with as much technical/tactical detail. I’ve not only become better as a jiu jitzsu athlete, but also have become a much better Godly man and a better person. Really is like a big family.

I am an older disabled veteran and I have to be careful who I train with so as not to get injured further. Along with my physical injuries I also have PTSD and use training to get the relief pharmaceuticals never gave me. Everyone at Reaction MMA has always been accomodating and worked within my limitations when we train together. I greatly appreciate Professor Rob and his teams discipline and skill along with their ability to meet my specific training needs. Not only are they great training partners but several of them have become good friends. Professor Rob is exceptionally knowledgable about BJJ and has always sacrificed his time to help make me better when I am struggling. His facilities are clean and and the instruction and commraderie are world class. I am thankful they have become a part of my continued education and wellness.

If you are considering checking out this gym I highly recommend using the free 1 week pass to do so! I've only been coming here for about 3 months now but I can already say that I will continue to come here for as long as I live in the area. I came to Reaction MMA because my life lacked any sort of physical discipline and my mental health was beginning to take a toll. I wanted a place where I would have a community of individuals around me to motivate me to stay consistent. I have been to weight lifting gyms before, but it has been hard for me to stay consistent on my own. All I can say is I finally found what I was looking for. There is a great community of classmates and instructors that all work together to slowly but surely bring out the best of me, one day at a time. All I have to do is show up, and as a bonus I've managed to make some friends along the way. I cannot lie it was definitely hard on my body at first but as time has went on it has become easier for my body to keep up and enjoy the art of Jiu Jitsu/ Boxing. Most importantly though I feel that my overall wellbeing has improved the most since I first began this journey. It's on the days that I don't show up when I'm reminded of why I chose to come here in the first place. So, if you find yourself in a situation like mine where you feel like you need an external support system to help keep you motivated do yourself a favor and come check us out!

My biggest regret was not starting here sooner! I am a travel nurse and am only in places for a short time. Kristin was very accommodating on pricing for me given my situation. I started training there in November of 2022, mainly doing the jiu-jitsu classes. Professor Rob and all the other coaches were very knowledgeable, and you could tell they have a real passion for teaching this art, which only benefits you as a student. I can confidently say that if you are in the Lexington area and want to learn jiu-jitsu from a great professor who is going challenge you to not only be a better jiu-jitsu practitioner, but also to be a better person, that this is the place for you. Also, every training partner I had there was excellent. Just a great group of people. I look forward to going back to train and roll with everyone at Reaction anytime I am in Lexington.

A long-time friend of mine tried to convince me to come to a Jiu Jitsu class for a couple of years. Every time we would get together, his time updating me would also center around how much he enjoyed the sport and the school. It has been seven months since my first visit and I can truly say I wish I had taken him up on his first offer.I am not gifted athletically and I have never trained in any martial art, so starting something like this in my upper 40s was intimidating. All the students, instructors, and professors are welcoming and friendly. Its hard to look around a room with 60+ students leading up to class and not see a smile.Regarding the instruction, it is a mixture of skills and concepts that work as proper self-defense training as well as sport Jiu Jitsu.There are basic classes twice a week that hyper focus on starting with simple movements that then translate into useful skills over the course of several weeks. I cannot recommend these classes enough for beginners looking to learn, but there are many higher belts that show up to these classes to hone their own skills and to help coach the students.The adult classes will move more quickly through the moves, but it is never hard to find a partner that it at a similar skill level and if you need to spend more time on the basics of the move, a coach is never too far away for correction and reteaching.Finally, the culture. The Professors demand effort from the team, but you see from your first visit that they never ask anything of you that they are not willing to do themselves. Everyone there is searching for a better version of ourselves and at Reaction, a rising tide does lift all ships.