VALOR Training Center Martial Arts, Muay Thai Kickboxing & Self-Defense Classes in Stockton & Elk Grove

VALOR Training Center has helped me gain focus, confidence and mental strength to face life with my head up high...

Many of my friends have asked me what Valor Training Center is and as most would expect I give a brief description of it being a training center for Muay Thai Kickboxing, which offers classes for all ages.

But for those that have experienced it know that I become very animated and passionate about what VTC really is… A little over a year ago I stepped foot into the facility being greeted by Kru Patrick and the coach’s “Sawadee Khup Mindie” (Hello in Thai) Lol–makes me smile even writing this. Welcoming my son and I into this super positive and incredibly encouraging family. It is so much more than just a gym.

Throughout my time here I have found how important taking time for myself really is. Coming into class some days is a ball of emotion, leaving feeling like I just kicked ass and lifted all the stress off of my shoulders. I can’t even put words to the amazing way it makes me feel.

Cardio kickboxing has helped me maintain long lean muscle tone but even more important was helped me gain focus, confidence and mental strength to face life with my head up high (Knowing that my left kick could do some major damage to whatever steps in my way)!

From the elbows to the hooks from the squats to the burpees, I love everything that my coach challenges me with knowing that the results are going to be amazing! Lol I love my experience at Valor and encourage anyone to come and see for themselves how awesome it really is!!!

Mindie Brown, School Psychologist Stockton, CA

Highly recommend!

This review comes from a mother of an outgoing 11yr old girl and 6 year old very shy boy. I did-no joke, hours of research online, reading many reviews and watching too many YouTube videos on places in and around Stockton. Out of all those videos, phone calls, reviews and websites, Valor Training Center seemed like the best (mostly because of the videos but the reviews helped too). So my husband went to their center with the kids and WOW! Let’s start with customer service: excellent! They greet you the moment you walk in with a smile. They are very welcoming, not just the staff and trainers but the people training as well. It was overwhelming; all the children walked up to our children and bowed, introduced themselves, and shook our children’s hands. The adults that are training greeted us and also the family of everyone greets you with a smile as well, it’s like everyone is family and you feel it right away!

Ego free is a great way to describe this place, no thugs or gangsters. My husband, daughter and son signed up and the training they are receiving is scarrrrrrry!! This is no amateur place. I watch the UFC fights with my husband and then go to Valor to watch my sweet little children being trained with the same moves the pros are using! My family has only been training for about a week and a half, maybe two and they know more than my friend’s and family’s kids that are training for months somewhere else! I’m not an expert on Muay Thai but I’m not dumb either this place has to be the best in San Joaquin.

I’d also like to point out that my son is very shy; he is shy and quiet in school and even with our immediate family. After his first class (my husband had to get in the ring with him and stand by him so he felt comfortable) he was smiling so big and they actually got him to speak up. His coach Stephan is very good with kids, he got him out of his shell and Jr can’t wait to go now. At home he’s so much more confident and he now tells me “mom you don’t have to walk me to class k”. But I’m grateful to Valor for whatever gifts, skills, and training they provide because my kids are so happy there.

As far as my husband, he loves it too. He’s very impressed with how “authentic” the Muay Thai training is. He said “it’s one of the best training camps in the area and they only have been there for about a year and are producing top notch athletes”. He likes the boxing class they have and he’s thinking about taking their BJJ classes as well.

My daughter likes that they have kids sparring classes and they have girls that compete with other places in California. These girls are young and tough! One of them is my daughters age and one them looks about 7 years old and when she kicks the bag it hurts your stomach lol because it is LOUD! These kids are not to be messed with and the best part is, they have so much respect and are so nice.

One more thing, there are women in the classes as well so when I decide to jump in, after I get over MY shyness, eeeek, I know that I’ll be comfortable as well because they are always saying how everyone goes at their own pace and that no one will judge you for that and they don’t. I come every day to the classes and watch and each day from just watching how the trainers like Tony, Chris, Stephan, I think his name is Sabio, and Kru Patrick (yes I know all their names because again, family) and hopefully I’m not forgetting anyone but they are so skilled and the WAY they teach is just amazing! I’m so glad I found this place and didn’t waste years, time and money somewhere else. Super grateful to have such an awesome place in Stockton! 

– Christina Torres Mother of Christina (11 y.o) and JJ (6 y.o.)

I would highly recommend VALOR Training Center, to anyone ranging from the absolute beginner, the experienced fighter!

I just wanted to take the time out to give a special thanks to Kru Patrick, and everyone at Valor Training Center.

Kru Patrick is not only an awesome Coach but also a great man. Not only has he elevated the skills of my brother and I to a whole new level. He has also taken us in as if we were family; we have experienced nothing but kindness, and hospitality from him.

He also trained me, and gave me the knowledge I needed to win the Lightweight Championship Belt at the IKF WORLD tournament!

In addition, under Kru Patrick, we were able to earn a spot on the California Team to fight in Hawaii against the Hawaii Team for an IKF PACIFIC RIM TITLE.  Again, through Kru Patrick’s mentorship and awesome training, I was victorious!

However it’s not just Kru Patrick—my brother John and I have experienced the same kindness, and hospitality from EVERYONE at VALOR Training Center!

This is a great martial arts academy to be apart of, not only will you learn lots of awesome techniques; you will also be treated like family. I would highly recommend Valor Training Center, to anyone ranging from the absolute beginner, the experienced fighter!

Jamie Pheap
22 y.o. Sports Medicine Student
2014 IKF World Classic Champion
2014 IKF Pacific Rim Champion

..best decision I’ve made…

I like to think of myself as a martial artist. my personal definition of martial artist goes beyond the learning of techniques and rank, but an appreciation of the beauty of the techniques, a cultivation of qualities like honor, maturity, loyalty and dedication. My parents putting me in martial arts as a youth instilled in me all those qualities and more and made me the man I am today. Training in martial arts gave me confidence as well as humility. Confidence gave me a good self-esteem, and that self-esteem bled into other parts of my life–my grades were great and, I’d like to think, made me a better person. I had gained a lot of weight as an adult, and as many adults would know, losing weight can often times be a great pain.

I trudged through the muck of weight lifting and running on my own and lost 70lbs but it was difficult and boring. Training in muay thai here has focused my efforts in weight loss. It has given me a greater drive that goes beyond weight loss, new goals and such. Often times at the end of a class I will be soaked in sweat but it didn’t feel like a workout. My mind focused on technique and absorbing all that I can, I didn’t feel the effort I usually do in a work out. I’ve been training at valor for 3 months now and it has renewed my love of martial arts. I didn’t realize that this was what I was missing in my adult life. It’s the best decision I’ve made as an adult.

This is a great training center. I feel like i’m part of a family here, a fraternity of sorts. My fear before joining a training center is that it would be full of macho meatheads. Thankfully I did not find that here. The instructors are great, good people. After my first training session, I knew that this was the place for me. I don’t have children yet but I come early before the adult class starts and the kids session is going on. I see that they are great with kids, teaching technique and instilling confidence, all the while making it fun for them. They go beyond teaching good technique, but also teach them about respect for others, and themselves, and their parents. Give them discipline, and equip them for life as a teenager/adult in todays world. After each week, you can tell in the faces of these kid that their confidence is growing and how much fun they have. It’s also a great way to keep your kids active in the age of an obesity epidemic, asthma and breathing treatments, and involved in an exciting sport/martial art. Training here is very affordable. It is a better value than getting a trainer at a gym.  

– Mikado Benny, Stockton, CA

Condition my body but also my mind..

Muay Thai has helped me to not only condition my body but also my mind. We have also found a great community and a sense of family. Training at VALOR is more than just learning a martial art. When you train at VALOR, you become part of a martial arts family. The cadre of instructors are professional and encouraging while delivering instruction in a “no attitude” environment. My entire family trains here and we have benefitted both physically and mentally from the high level of instruction.

My wife and I have both experienced 30+ pound weight loss and a higher level of physical fitness while attending the traditional Muay Thai and Cardio Bag Rush classes! Off the mat, you can expect to find friendly faces and warm conversation with other VTC members and family. Whether you are six years old or sixty, there is a place on this team for you. I know that I will be associated with VALOR for life!” 

Erik Patten, 41 year old Firefighter, Woodbridge, CA

Hands down, VTC is the place to be

It’s like our home away from home. The parents are very supportive to all students, the students are taught to behave, respectful even to their opponents. Instructors are knowledgeable, very patient & quite goofy making the children feel they’re also having a good time in the process. My 3 children take Muay Thai while I take CBR or cardio bag kickboxing. I’d highly recommend VTC to my family & friends. Thank you VTC !!!

Our 3 children ranging from ages 8, 13 and 18 enrolled for muay thai 2 months after the facility opened in Jan 2012. This place must have started with about 20 people and it must have quadrupled in half a year that they had to move to its current bigger location (and still growing).

Going on our 2nd year this spring, we’ve seen this place grow and have seen the transformation to a lot of the students especially the fight team. A lot of the students have lost tremendous weight, built confidence and found friendship in the process. I know this because I see the camaraderie amongst the group, you walk in and someone always welcomes you with “Sawadee Khup” and the coaches always calls you by your name. Oftentimes, you’ll see parents with their children in the same classes together.

I seldom go to the CBR or cardio bag rush or in another term, is the conditioning class. This is a separate class from muay thai and this is especially pushed in order for the muay thai fighters build the stamina for the fights. This class is being taught Tuesday & Thursday evenings and on Saturday mornings at 8:30. This is one class I enjoy going to & sweat really good while at the same time, I feel like I get to release my stress by punching and kicking the bags under the watchful eye of the coaches.

This is by far the best place in Stockton for this specialized area in martial arts, very family oriented, only HUMBLE people you’ll encounter here, no wonder it got nominated in the San Joaquin’s Best magazine just after a year in business….check it out!!!

– Mel R.

The first aspect of Valor Training Center that caught my attention wasn’t what they taught specifically or the precise location, but the promise of an ego-free environment...

Everyone is always reluctant to start something new, but at Valor Training Center your first encounter with an employee, trainer, or member will start to make you feel comfortable. My first day at Valor Training Center I attended the day class around noon. A trainer who seemed rather young greeted me, but I could still tell his knowledge in the art was present. This trainer, Jorge Fernandez, conversed with me with extreme kindness and explained the processes, cycles, and packages the gym has. To this day, I still credit my decision of joining Valor Training Center to the man who showed me extreme kindness, Jorge Fernandez. Soon, I found out Jorge was simply an exceptionally skilled student! The coach originally teaching day class was out due to a newborn. This is the caliber of people that are molded at Valor Training Center. Our coaches promote discipline, integrity, perseverance, and above all respect.

Valor Training Center also managed to put my life on the correct health course. Before training, I would eat mostly processed food and had absolutely zero exercise. Upon joining Valor Training Center I actually put on a few pounds from the muscle I had accumulated. Be it to lose some of that unwanted extra baggage or to bulk up on muscle Valor Training Center can do it all! I not only look better physically from my long months of training but I feel much healthier!

Our academy possesses an extremely friendly, and cleanly, environment. Upon entering or exiting the building you can be assured that you will be greeted will a “Sawadee Khup!” our term/motto for showing respect. All of our coaches will make you feel as if you’ve known them your entire life. The first coach I was training under most of the time was Coach Tony Dominguez and he treated me like family from the beginning. No one is discriminated or given less time than another student. Every coach will take the time to help you one on one; all you have to do tell them you do not understand what is being explained. Our main coach, or Ajarn, is Kru Patrick Rivera who gives his all to his academy, fighters, and family. Another positive aspect of Valor Training Center is the caliber of our fighters. And I do not mean caliber in the sense that we are more skilled than other fighters. I am referring to the respect that our fighters uphold and the good people that they strive to be. Muay Thai is not simply about fighting; it is a martial art, which entails respect and kindheartedness.

If the environment of a gym full of egotistical muscle-heads trying to one-up everyone they see just does not call out to you, than Valor Training Center could be for you. We pride ourselves on being an ego-free environment. Even if you desire to simply attend classes for exercise purpose but wish to refrain from contact we have contact-free classes!

There is something that I have gained from Valor that I could not find elsewhere. I thought I had the best group of friends in the world, until fallout occurred. The fact that I had Valor Training Center and the people there who really do care for one another made me realize I will survive without those friends. There are still pros and cons you must weigh out when considering to join a membership, but there is something that Valor Training Center has that most other gyms do not. Sure, we have heavy bags, fighters, coaches, a ring, mats, and merchandise, but the true description of Valor Training Center is FAMILY….

- Taylor Hiedeman 21 year old Student, Stockton, CA

Coaches are amazing

Our entire family trains at Valor. It is a great environment. The coaches are amazing. They are not only knowledgeable, but they truly care about each individual. People check their egos at the door,which truly makes a positive atmosphere. I truly cannot say enough about the Valor experience.

My 15 Year old daughter lost over 40 lbs in less than 3 months Training with VALOR!

Her attitude is better because she can release her anger and stress and is more confident and getting better grades in school because she is more focused!!! Kru Patrick, Thank you for the opportunities you have given to my daughter. She has become a stronger, more confident young lady! From the first day and first lesson, Liz was welcomed into VALOR Training Center and felt at home. No one judged her or spoke negatively. Everyone– Instructors AND fellow members encouraged her to continue. The first few times in CBR (Cardio Bag Rush) were difficult but she endured and became stronger, lighter, less stressed and less angry… After a short while she wanted to try the Muay Thai classes. She knew nothing about it at the time but the Instructors took their time to teach her 1 on 1 when she needed it. She never felt left out and always felt part of the group. She has now developed a love for the sport of Muay Thai and looks forward to classes almost everyday!  

So far, Liz has lost over 40 lbs, is so much stronger, her muscles are more prominent and her attitude is much better since she is able to control her anger and her stress. “Take anger out on the bags” is Liz’s new favorite saying! VALOR has boosted this 15 year old’s confidence and she is getting better grades in school because she is so much more focused! We are very proud to be a part of such a wonderful training center! The family atmosphere feels like such a close TEAM! I would highly recommend VALOR Training Center to anyone no matter what your age or weight or experience. YOU will become a PROUD member of the VALOR Family! Thank You Again!    

Carmen Gomez Mother of 15 year old Liz Gomez and PROUD member of the VALOR Family 

Clean environment. Friendly staff

This is a fantastic training academy!  Kru Patrick Rivera is friendly, and strives hard to make this a family environment. However, he knows when to turn the intensity on, and how to drive his student to excel and be the best they can! I cannot say enough about this place. Clean environment. Friendly staff. Great place to make some new friends too!”

– Dr. Robert Shapiro 39 years old Stockton, CA