Best Martial Arts

1. Art of War 164 W. Broadway. 541-870-6954. ArtofWar-mma.com.

2. Northwest Martial Arts Academy 755 Charnelton. 541-912-9099. NwmaAcademy.com.

3. McKenzie Martial Arts 125 Silver Ln. 541-729-2455. MckenzieMartialArts.com.

It’s the cross section of students that’s most striking at Art of War MMA, voted by EW readers as the Best Martial Arts center.

There are University of Oregon students, doctors, lawyers and professors — men and women, beginners and advanced students — who are sweating through workouts and learning the fine art of jiu jitsu, muay Thai and mixed martial arts under the guidance of Art of War founder and head coach Jason Georgianna as well as one-on-one demonstrations by his staff.

Classes are held throughout the year, and Georgianna estimates that 150 to 200 take classes at Art of War, depending on the season.

Advanced students often hit the road for competitions, and in September, even Georgianna got into the MMA cage for the first time in more than a decade for a competitive match. He lost that match, but he vows to return to competition again.

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