About Us

American Top Team is widely considered one of the premiere MMA training programs in the world. American Top Team has produced such talents as Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (UFC), Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes (ONE Championship), Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC), and Amanda Nunes (UFC).  

American Top Team affiliates are locally owned and operated, but must demonstrate the ability to provide the same high quality of training to every student, regardless of ability or experience. We provide striking (Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Karate), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (gi, no-gi, women’s), Judo, and Wrestling to both adults and kids - all taught by high level instructors with incredible accolades and decades of experience.

American Top Team Students compete both at amateur promotions and high level professional stages. Notably, Shonte “Shyne” Barnes competed at Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021 and Odie “The Witness” Delaney signed with ONE Championship in 2021.

American Top Team Asheville supports students of all levels: from beginners throwing their first punch to professional fighters competing on world stages. Everyone is welcome. Everyone has the opportunity to grow.

We pride ourselves on our community. Our students support and challenge each other while always leaving the door open for new students to enter the fold. David says it best:

“You owe yourself to come train at American Top Team Asheville. This place is amazing! Overall, the gym is run very professionally but it also has welcoming culture that makes it great for both beginners and pros. I’m focusing on the striking training, and the coach, Steve, is as good as it gets. He’s incredibly knowledgeable, is a great teacher and very patient and relaxed. Classes always start on time and we get right to work. All the time is used for training and working out. Everyone taking classes is very focused on improving themselves and yet there’s a very cooperative and friendly atmosphere. There’s a methodology to the training. Each month, we focus on a new skill and we spend the month drilling and practicing that skill so we can internalizing the skill before moving to the next one. The place is also great for kids. The kids boxing class looks amazing and I can see the kids improving and developing confidence. We also get a great workout so there’s that! I would highly recommend coming here.”

 How much is a membership?

Short answer: it depends. We offer a variety of membership options to meet your needs. The cost will vary depending on a few factors: whether you are an adult or child, the length of commitment, and how many disciplines you want to practice. A one month membership including both striking and grappling classes will cost more, for example, than a 12 month membership with just striking.

Your best bet is to start a trial, see what classes you like best, and talk with one of our administrative staff about what plan works best for you. What we can guarantee is that our prices are highly competitive with other schools in the area.

Do you pay per class?

All of our memberships include unlimited classes. You can take as many classes as you want within your discipline membership and your skill level every day. Even our day passes grant full access to our schedule within that day. Some students take 2 classes a week, others 2 classes a day. Your membership enables you to make a schedule that works best for you.

What classes do you offer?

We offer the following classes:

How are classes structured?

It depends. Every class style is different. Every instructor is different.

Typically, students will start out in one or both of our primary fundamentals classes: Striking/Boxing Fundamentals and/or Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals. In each of those classes, your instructor will show you the very basics of each discipline, providing you with the skills you need to do well in more advanced classes. The fundamentals classes include an extensive warmup which simultaneously instructs primary movements, a technique study, and either light rolling (jiu jitsu) or partner drills (striking).

Students are promoted to advanced classes by instructor approval (striking) or stripe promotion (jiu jitsu).

Our more advanced classes go beyond technique study to include live sparring/rolling - putting learned skills to the test. 

I’m a little out of shape…can I participate?

Absolutely. This is a common misconception that unconditioned individuals cannot participate in martial arts. While our classes can be physically demanding, they can always be modified for each person. There is no better way to get in shape than by doing a physical activity that you enjoy. Many of our students prioritize their training as a form of exercise or as a hobby rather than as a mechanism to compete and see incredible results.

I’ve never done martial arts before, can I participate?

Absolutely. Most students who come to us have little to no martial arts experience. We have two primary fundamentals classes that support new students:

Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals

Students in Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals learn basic movement patterns from standing and on the ground (such as breakfalls, rolls, and shrimps) as well as defensive maneuvers to escape dangerous situations, and offensive submissions from the fundamental positions: guard, side control, mount, and back mount. Once students have proficiency in the fundamentals curriculum and have been awarded two stripes, they can move up to more advanced grappling classes.

Students can expect to be in Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals for 6 months to a year, although most students choose to continue taking this class regardless of rank.

Striking Fundamentals

Students in Striking fundamentals learn basic stance and footwork, the primary 6 punches, a variety of kicks, and defensive maneuvers to defend themselves. Students use both the bag and light, controlled drills with their partner to learn the material. No uncontrolled/unchoreographed strikes are permitted in fundamentals. Once students have proficiency in these techniques, they are promoted to the striking intermediate class, where they will learn more advanced combinations/techniques and more creativity in partner interaction. 

Students can expect to be in striking fundamentals between 1 and 3 months.

What does the Women’s Self Defense Class include?

The women’s self defense class is designed to be as comprehensive as possible, including instruction in kickboxing, jiu jitsu, wrestling, self defense scenarios, and verbal advocacy/deescalation. The class is also self defense oriented and alters techniques offered in sport fighting-oriented classes to be more appropriate for real world application. 

The class is all women to provide a strong sense of community and a foundation for students to build the skills and confidence necessary to feel comfortable in mixed-gender classes. Students of all levels participate in the women’s self defense class, and it is designed to cater both to new students and those with experience.

The class is offered for students 16+ OR by specific parent permission for students under 16. While we do not dwell on fear mongering, adult themes are sometimes discussed or referred to.