As someone who never played sports as a child or young adult (I’m in my late 30s), I was intrigued, yet apprehensive about learning self defense and kickboxing. I was (painfully) aware going into it that I lacked coordination in addition to being a left handed dyslexic person, which has always made me very self conscious. On top of that, I’ve always struggled with my weight and body image and I’m a chronic over-thinker; getting in my own way is my (not so) favorite past time ? My fiancé took the leap for me and he signed us up to take private lessons together with Jimmy in August 2023. I was nervous, but after the first day, my anxiety eased SO much. Jimmy is such a kind, dedicated human being. He really cares and his emotional intelligence is on point. His ability to make me feel comfortable in my own skin is truly remarkable and has helped me grow physical confidence SO much over the last few months. I have had personal trainers in the past, but Jimmy is different. He tailors every lesson to what we want to work on, while pushing us to better ourselves physically and mentally, in an encouraging way. He picked up on our strengths and weaknesses right away and has helped both of us improve our stamina and physical abilities. I can whole heartedly say that working with Jimmy has been the best decision I (well, technically my fiancé) have ever made for my self confidence and physical and mental health. If you would have told me several months ago that I would look forward to spending an hour sweating, punching, and kicking a heavy bag (in addition to so many other physical activities), I would have literally laughed in your face! I LOVE my weekly1-hour session! I am so glad to know and train with Jimmy, both on a professional and personal level. Do yourself a favor - call, sign yourself up, and discover how confident you can be in yourself and your physical abilities with the help of someone who truly loves helping others grow and reach their potential! Thank you, Jimmy, for showing me the person I never thought I could be and for unleashing the confidence I never knew I had! ? ? ? ?
Feb 2023
Not cheap but worth every penny. My son and I do workouts together and he makes them fun for him and beneficial for me all at the same time. Great at meeting you where your at if a beginner. He has help build my sons confidence after the pandemic and bullying and has me feeling the best I have felt in years even though I have done physical therapy several times so glad we have him for one on one personal time and leaning so many great things to do at home to keep myself moving forward.
Sonia Arechiga
Dec 2022
Not cheap but worth every penny. My son and I do workouts together and he makes them fun for him and beneficial for me all at the same time. Great at meeting you where your at if a beginner. He has help build my sons confidence after the pandemic and bulking and has me feeling the best I have felt even after doing physical therapy several times so glad we have him for one on one personal time and leaning so many great things to do at home to keep myself moving forward.
Ronnie Strear
May 2020
I am 67 years old and have been training with Jimmy Smith for two years. Most recently because of the virus restrictions in Bend, I have been training with Jimmy via Zoom. My 70 year old wife and 30 year old children { living in the San Francisco area} have also been training with Jimmy via Zoom. Jimmy is always prepared and on time for every session, and because he is such an experienced fitness instructor, he is able to change the session in the moment because of soreness or injury. I have had numerous personal trainers in several parts of the country, but none are better than Jimmy.
Gale Olson Arneson
Apr 2020
My kids and I participated in on-line, live feed video classes with Jim; he is a encouraging and fun instructor!
Kylie Kallio
Mar 2020
I took a self-defense class with my 12-year-old daughter and a group of women. My cynical daughter was dreading it, and left all-smiles. It was a good experience for both of us. Jimmy was great, and we learned a lot!
Jennifer Herbert
Feb 2020
My daughter in laws and I took a women's self defense class from James. It was the most thorough, informative, 2 hour class I could have imagined. My girls feel more empowered and a little more prepared in the event of the unthinkable. Thank you for giving me some peace of mind and adding to my own confidence in this area also! I highly recommend Smith Martial Arts and their professional and caring approach to this.
Mary Hazard
Jan 2020
Jimmy (the owner and main coach) is an absolutely amazing coach! He makes sure to make time to give individualized instruction to each student even in a group class setting. He encourages you to listen to your body and speak up if any exercise is painful and somehow is always able to come up with an adapted or alternative exercise for the same muscle group on the spot. The morning smith fit classes are a small group intimate setting that really helps to hold you accountable. The kickboxing classes will kick anyones butt but are fast paced and keep you engaged the whole time even as a complete beginner to kickboxing / martial arts. I can't say enough good things about SFMA!
Jen Oceguera
Dec 2019
When we first came to Smith Fitness and Martial Arts in April 2018, our son was at a crossroads. He was struggling with finding his place amongst his peers. Confidence and overall fitness were issues.
Renee Moon
Oct 2019
Coach Jimmy is awesome! He takes the time to help you learn the right moves and is super with the kids. We did the starter package for our daughter and we've been here for almost 5 months now. She loves her class and has so much confidence. My husband and I now do the kickboxing class. Such a great class.
Jillian Thornton
As someone who never played sports as a child or young adult (I’m in my late 30s), I was intrigued, yet apprehensive about learning self defense and kickboxing. I was (painfully) aware going into it that I lacked coordination in addition to being a left handed dyslexic person, which has always made me very self conscious. On top of that, I’ve always struggled with my weight and body image and I’m a chronic over-thinker; getting in my own way is my (not so) favorite past time ? My fiancé took the leap for me and he signed us up to take private lessons together with Jimmy in August 2023. I was nervous, but after the first day, my anxiety eased SO much. Jimmy is such a kind, dedicated human being. He really cares and his emotional intelligence is on point. His ability to make me feel comfortable in my own skin is truly remarkable and has helped me grow physical confidence SO much over the last few months. I have had personal trainers in the past, but Jimmy is different. He tailors every lesson to what we want to work on, while pushing us to better ourselves physically and mentally, in an encouraging way. He picked up on our strengths and weaknesses right away and has helped both of us improve our stamina and physical abilities. I can whole heartedly say that working with Jimmy has been the best decision I (well, technically my fiancé) have ever made for my self confidence and physical and mental health. If you would have told me several months ago that I would look forward to spending an hour sweating, punching, and kicking a heavy bag (in addition to so many other physical activities), I would have literally laughed in your face! I LOVE my weekly1-hour session! I am so glad to know and train with Jimmy, both on a professional and personal level. Do yourself a favor - call, sign yourself up, and discover how confident you can be in yourself and your physical abilities with the help of someone who truly loves helping others grow and reach their potential! Thank you, Jimmy, for showing me the person I never thought I could be and for unleashing the confidence I never knew I had! ? ? ? ?
Not cheap but worth every penny. My son and I do workouts together and he makes them fun for him and beneficial for me all at the same time. Great at meeting you where your at if a beginner. He has help build my sons confidence after the pandemic and bullying and has me feeling the best I have felt in years even though I have done physical therapy several times so glad we have him for one on one personal time and leaning so many great things to do at home to keep myself moving forward.
Sonia Arechiga
Not cheap but worth every penny. My son and I do workouts together and he makes them fun for him and beneficial for me all at the same time. Great at meeting you where your at if a beginner. He has help build my sons confidence after the pandemic and bulking and has me feeling the best I have felt even after doing physical therapy several times so glad we have him for one on one personal time and leaning so many great things to do at home to keep myself moving forward.
Ronnie Strear
I am 67 years old and have been training with Jimmy Smith for two years. Most recently because of the virus restrictions in Bend, I have been training with Jimmy via Zoom. My 70 year old wife and 30 year old children { living in the San Francisco area} have also been training with Jimmy via Zoom. Jimmy is always prepared and on time for every session, and because he is such an experienced fitness instructor, he is able to change the session in the moment because of soreness or injury. I have had numerous personal trainers in several parts of the country, but none are better than Jimmy.
Gale Olson Arneson
My kids and I participated in on-line, live feed video classes with Jim; he is a encouraging and fun instructor!
Kylie Kallio
I took a self-defense class with my 12-year-old daughter and a group of women. My cynical daughter was dreading it, and left all-smiles. It was a good experience for both of us. Jimmy was great, and we learned a lot!
Jennifer Herbert
My daughter in laws and I took a women's self defense class from James. It was the most thorough, informative, 2 hour class I could have imagined. My girls feel more empowered and a little more prepared in the event of the unthinkable. Thank you for giving me some peace of mind and adding to my own confidence in this area also! I highly recommend Smith Martial Arts and their professional and caring approach to this.
Mary Hazard
Jimmy (the owner and main coach) is an absolutely amazing coach! He makes sure to make time to give individualized instruction to each student even in a group class setting. He encourages you to listen to your body and speak up if any exercise is painful and somehow is always able to come up with an adapted or alternative exercise for the same muscle group on the spot. The morning smith fit classes are a small group intimate setting that really helps to hold you accountable. The kickboxing classes will kick anyones butt but are fast paced and keep you engaged the whole time even as a complete beginner to kickboxing / martial arts. I can't say enough good things about SFMA!
Jen Oceguera
When we first came to Smith Fitness and Martial Arts in April 2018, our son was at a crossroads. He was struggling with finding his place amongst his peers. Confidence and overall fitness were issues.
Renee Moon
Coach Jimmy is awesome! He takes the time to help you learn the right moves and is super with the kids. We did the starter package for our daughter and we've been here for almost 5 months now. She loves her class and has so much confidence. My husband and I now do the kickboxing class. Such a great class.