World Martial Arts Jax has been Jacksonville, Florida’s most cutting edge martial arts school for over a decade. Our staff has over 100 years combined teaching experience. We are affiliated with Guro Dan Inosanto and Erik Paulson. WMA is also the Southeast Headquarters for Erik Paulson’s Combat Submission Wrestling. Erik Paulson teaches at our academy 3 to 4 times a year. He is also an Official UFC Trainer and 2X World Shooto Champion. WMA continues to bring in the world’s best martial arts instructors on a regular basis including Guro Dan Inosanto, Ajarn Chai, Erik Paulson, Sifu Dwight Woods, Rico Chiapparelli, and many more. Gain self confidence alongside of physical fitness to keep you and your family healthy and wise. Our staff is the most passionate group of instructors in North Florida.

10 REVIEWS

  • Lang says:

    I have been to almost all of the martial arts schools in Jacksonville. These guys are the most down to earth. They have been around the longest and many of the other schools spawned out of WMA. They teach so good they produce good teachers. They have the bet network of instructors.

  • Kevin says:

    Just joined and I love it here! So friendly and the instructor knows so much of the martial arts history it amazed me. If you want friendly service and multiple styles in one place. World martial arts is the place.

  • James says:

    New to the martial arts. Shopped several schools across town for my son and I. The head instructor Darwin, was so pleasant and humble. Many of the other places did’nt have that. Been 2 months now and at it has been nothing but FUN.. Thanks Mr. Darwin and also ricardo who helps my boy out in class.

  • Mike says:

    WMA is my family. The students and staff are all real chill very relaxed environment. The head instructor KRU Dar is certified under the worlds top instructors and he is by far the youngest martial arts instructor in the area. He inspires us all and he leads by example. He is so good I can only imagine how good he will be when he gets close to the other local instructors age. I am proud to be part of WMA
    I am a lifer

  • John says:

    I am active in the Military and have been in many Martial Arts dojo’s, I must say World Martial Arts has the most friendly group of people I have ever trained with. The owner /instructor Kru Darwin teaches REAL Muay Thai, he is very young and enthusiastic. He is very knowledgeable about the history and culture of the different arts. What impressed me the most when I first started was how fluid Kru Darwin was with the Filipino sticks, then he taught the next class and was fluid in grappling, then he taught the next class and was fluid with striking. WMA is a very well rounded place, the students are all very humble and welcoming. The school is very clean and spacious. I am going into my 2nd year and hopefully can get my Kru in Muay Thai before I have to move again. Thanks WMA, you have done so much for me.

  • jason says:

    What a great group of people. I love this place. So much history at this dojo. Very impressed. If the weight keeps coming off at this pace I will be a very happy man
    Thanks WMA you guys are great. Jason H

  • James says:

    Never would thought I would say it, I Love Martial Arts! WMA is a great place. I shopped about 7 other places. The pleasant greetings, the amount of history these guys know about the martial arts blows every other place out the water. They really studied in depth the arts, they know the terminology and history of all these arts, amazing. The head instructor is Darwin, and he was taught by the top instructors. I am happy and I feel my energy levels during the day going way up. The group at this dojo is so nice and helpful. The place is also very very clean and tidy. I highly recommend wma to all,

  • Bernard says:

    I am, myself, like Mike above is a WMA lifer. WMA used to be Lee Peacock’s Academy. He sold the business to Kenny Barry and it became WMA. Now it is owned by Kru Dar who is a cousin of a friend of mine who used to go to Peacock’s Academy. Kru Dar was only 12 years old when his cousin used to go to Peacock’s. Now he is my Kru. I have been in WMA for about 6 or 7 years. 3 schools have spawned out of WMA. 3 former instructors who will always be part of the WMA family have opened those schools. Coach Roberto, who is now Professor Roberto due to him getting his black belt in BJJ, is the owner of Gracie BarraSouthJax. Sifu Kris Kofstad opened his own school, Camden Combatives, in Georgia. Bobby Thompson, a brown belt under Royce Gracie, opened Xequemate BJJ. It is safe to say that those schools are very good too. Jacksonville is a large place. Plenty of room for several good martial arts schools. GBSJax,Xequemate,Camden Combatives,WMA,Combat Athletix owned by Mr. Smiley,Bulldog Boxing, The Training Yard. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Come check us out at WMA. I’ll let you punch me a little bit. 🙂

  • Mark says:

    I would highly recommend anyone interested in learning martial arts to join at WMA. The staff is so passionate about the history and lineage of the arts they teach it’s hard not to get motivated around these guys they are super friendly they know their stuff and my class mates treated me like they knew me my whole life. An amazing place to learn martial arts and stay fit. Big thanks to my WMA family.

  • KC says:

    I would like to write about the immoral business practices of some of those at World Martial Arts Jax. There are 2 in Particular I would like to discuss.

    The first of which is Darwin. My complaint with him is more so with his clothing company Nami than with WMA. Darwin has taken orders from me and never completed them and never returned any of my calls or voice mails. When I last spoke to him he was very rude and unprofessional. Further more Darwin as a Muay thai instructor is under qualified. Though he is good with Philippino martial arts.

    The second and more upsetting person involved with WMA is Darwin’s partner Kenny Barry. I worked with Kenny when he was working at Raging Wolf MMA in Buffalo NY. Kenny came to Raging Wolf as a representative of WMA. While in Buffalo Kenny took not just products an equipment from Raging Wolf but also stole money both from the gym and its members. Unfortunately for myself I trusted Kenny. Me and my friend loaned Kenny a large amount of money for which he signed a contract putting up WMA as collateral. I still have the contract. However Kenny and his associates have turned of their phones or changed their numbers and World Martial Arts will not respond regarding the issue. I would avoid this gym at all costs. Both the legitimacy and integrity of this gym are in question.

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