Parents looking for kids martial arts, kids karate, or after-school BJJ in West Hartford train at Plus One Defense Systems — 9 Tolles Street, a 10,000 sq ft dojo with a cage, a ring, and classes six days a week. Kids are not an add-on here. They have their own age bands, their own class times, and a real belt path. The first class is free.
Juniors (ages 5–8)
This is the after-school band for younger kids. Classes run in the late afternoon so school pickup still works. Juniors train karate/kung fu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai kickboxing in age-matched groups — not mixed into adult mats.
- Monday 4:45pm — 5–7 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Tuesday 4:30pm — 5–7 Kung Fu / Karate
- Wednesday 4:00pm — 5–7 Kung Fu / Karate
- Thursday 4:30pm — 5–7 Muay Thai Kickboxing
- Friday 4:30pm — 5–7 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Saturday 9:15am — 5–7 Kung Fu / Karate
Times follow the live class schedule. If a day changes, the schedule page is the source of truth.
Youth (ages 8–13)
Youth classes go longer and cover more of the real game: BJJ (gi), Muay Thai kickboxing, karate/kung fu, and capoeira. This is the band for kids who want after-school training that still has a black-belt path — not a once-a-week rec class.
- Monday 5:30pm — 8–13 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu · 6:15pm — 8–13 Muay Thai Kickboxing
- Tuesday 5:15pm — 8–13 Kung Fu / Karate
- Wednesday 4:45pm — 8–13 Kung Fu / Karate · 5:30pm — Youth Muay Thai Kickboxing
- Thursday 5:15pm — 8–13 Muay Thai Kickboxing · 6:00pm — 8–13 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Friday 6:00pm — 8–13 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu · 6:45pm — 8–13 Muay Thai Kickboxing
- Saturday 10:00am — 8–13 Kung Fu / Karate · 11:30am — Youth Capoeira
Why parents pick Plus One
- One membership covers every style the schedule offers — kids can try karate, BJJ, and kickboxing without a second tuition.
- Women’s and kids classes are real programs, not a Saturday add-on.
- The building is 10,000 sq ft with a regulation cage and a ring. Youth MMA-curious students train in a facility built for it, with age-appropriate classes.
- Lineage is public: Kyoshi Darin Reisler and Mestre Marcus Aurelio (PRIDE, fastest UFC submission) on the BJJ side.
Youth black belts from this floor
These are students who earned youth black belts at Plus One — proof the kids program has a destination, not just a trial week.
- Jordana Connell — 1st degree youth black belt
- Leila Kucinskas — 1st degree youth black belt
- Isaac Molina — 1st degree youth black belt
- Kayden Myrick — 2nd degree youth black belt
- Nora Mariano — 1st degree youth black belt
- Evan Danyliw — 1st degree youth black belt
Anti-bullying is part of the class, not a poster
Parents already know school brings new people — some who inspire, some who do not. Bullying is not only physical. It is verbal and indirect too. Kids classes here train the mental side (prepared, not frozen), the emotional side (respect, humility, listening), and the physical side (distance, getting to a teacher, a real skill if someone puts hands on them). That material used to live across several blog posts. This page is the parent URL for it.
How to start
Book a free intro and pick a real class time from the dropdown — not a “we’ll call you.” Wear comfortable clothes. We are at 9 Tolles Street, West Hartford, CT 06110. Phone 860.922.5343.
Adults looking for BJJ, MMA, karate, or krav maga start on those style pages. This page is for kids and the parents driving them.