My 9-year-old daughter and I have been training with Mr. Phipps at the previous location for almost 3 years. We immediately followed him to his new MMA school Valor when it opened last month. The new location is full of natural light, has a large open floor with lots of new equipment and a welcoming atmosphere.
Training with Mr. Phipps has truly empowered my daughter and I and we are very thankful for having the opportunity to train and learn from such a talented, driven and inspiring instructor. Having a daughter I found it so important for her to learn to defend herself and to have the confidence to get out of any situation.
I have only great things to say about Mr. Phipps, he sets high standards for himself and his students. My daughter and I would highly recommend his school to anyone.
My daughter has been training with the founder of Valor MMA for several years at Modern Martial Arts NYC since she was 4 years old, and where he graduated hundreds of students of all ages.
Like many other parents, we have tried gymnastics, dance, soccer and other extra-curricular, but nothing seemed to “stick“ until she started training with Mr. Phipps.
When he opened Valor, my daughter wanted to follow him right away. I supported her without hesitation, as I have never found a match for his unique ability to challenge each child and push her/him to their maximum individual potential while making them want to come back to next class.
Valor offers a truly unique environment: every class is extremely challenging, yet fun and rewarding. Every student gets individualized guidance and attention — directed not only at her/his martial arts techniques — but also helping them become more confident, well-rounded individuals respectful of others.
Highly Recommend Mr. Phipps
You won’t find a more committed and dedicated instructor in NYC. A true martial arts master with a world of knowledge under his belt and countless awards to back it up. But most important, a great mentor to his students, driven and persistent in his goal to help his students to be the best fighters they could be, as well as important leaders in their community.
Simply, New York’s finest martial arts instructor. Far more than a teacher to his students, Mr. Phipps is a mentor in every sense of the word. He is conscientious, thoughtful and a gentleman of the utmost integrity. It doesn’t get any better. Can’t recommend Mr. Phipps highly enough.
Unsurpassed On Every Level
DK Phipps dedication to my kid is unsurpassed on every level. He is more than just a martial art instructor, he is a positive role model for my child and his influence has made her more confidence over the years in every sense of the word.
Master Phipps is a mentor, an expert, a role model, and a genuine, amazing person. I have never seen anyone give of himself as he does to his students. This school is the real deal! It is not a belt factory. Valor is absolutely the best school in NYC.
Sara Neva T.
New York, NY
Master Phipps is a dedicated and expert Martial Artist. My son and I get to train under a 2x Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee. Need I say more?! He is dedicated and truly builds relationships and cares about the kids and people he teaches. I am happy he has started his own venture as I know it will be great and we are happy to continue to train under him. At Valor everyone is like family. We have had nothing but great positive experience knowing and training with him since 2014 which is why we followed him and happy we did. He also believes in giving back to the community, especially working with kids that didn’t have a great start to life like he did. His story is heartbreaking and amazing. He is helping me with reaching out to kids, from under-resourced areas of the UWS and NYC and giving them the opportunity to learn MMA as an outlet for leadership, keeping them off the street, and owning a door of opportunity. He took his past and turned it into something positive and I am happy to see him living out his dream!!!
Awesome instruction, from a truly passionate Martial Artist.
My son has been training with Phipps for about a month, and there is already a dramatic improvement to his confidence and mental acuity!
This is genius. I have seen many other martial arts studios in this city, and none of them compare. Master Phipps, who runs all programs at Valor, goes above and beyond in training techniques and individualized attention. He knows exactly who is in the room at any given moment, and gives each student infinite patience and attention, while also challenging us and enforcing boundaries and regulations. Master Phipps also possesses an incredible depth of humor, charisma, wit and caring. We are extremely fortunate to learn from him. This is his calling, his passion, and that is exactly what you want in a teacher. I have seen him address bullying amongst both children and adults in a reality-based, honest approach. I have seen him work with both adult and child special-needs populations, and in post-trauma recovering adults and children, and in all cases has had great success in establishing confidence, self-esteem, strength, and power in his students. Many of his students are advanced and quite strong. Many of them are also beginners, and safety is ensured in all classes. We feel safe and supported, as well as highly challenged, at Valor. It is a friendly and supportive atmosphere from the front desk to the families and individuals who participate on the floor or by being there watching in their seats. The school offers many different training and fitness programs as well as spacious changing rooms and multiple rooms for classes and open workout times. It is clean, comfortable and runs very professionally.