Great School!!! Period! I wish I had gone to AFTA much sooner in life. The knowledge that Master Bowling possess and teaches is amazing! Many of the students have trained at other schools. They say by far AFTA is the best martial art school around. I am very confident that if any situation should arise, my training of martial arts will help me succeed in handling the situation. The school is very intense and gratifying! Stop in and you will see what Im talking about!

Expect nothing but the best at AFTA Martial Arts.  I enrolled my daughter in martial arts because she was so shy.  I didn’t want her to be a follower, I want her to be a leader.  I found her coming home from school and telling me the things she couldn’t do.  I want my daughter to be confident in what she does.  Eleven months later, my daughter is speaking louder so people can hear her when she speaks.  She is a lot stronger and she holds her head up high.  At home, I’m hearing more positive comments like, “I bet I can do that”.  She wasn’t able to do cartwheels in gym class, but she’s proud of herself because she can now.  These accomplishments may seem small, but she just turned seven and the amount of growth I’ve seen in her is amazing.  I am so proud of her.  Joel Bowling teaches his students respect, discipline, leadership, confidence, and yes martial arts too.  Joel expects nothing but the best from his students and that is exactly what he gets.  He sets the expectations high and his students rise because of that.  AFTA Martial Arts will be a remarkable place for your daughter or son to attend.Thank you,Angela

I highly recommend this school to you, if you want to learn how to defend yourself. Unlike other schools in the area they teach sport martial arts. This school here MOSTLY focuses on street fighting/self defense and real life situations. I have trained at two other school in Rockford, and they dont stand a chance against this school. The way Rockford is getting now, I highly recommend everyone to learn some kind of self defense. If you just want to learn how to defend yourself, and love ones this school is right for you. I wouldnt even waste my time looking into sport schools UNLESS you want to fight in the ring.

A.F.T.A. has been great for my son! He has gained self-confidence and become more of a leader. He has become a natural. He is now much more physically coordinated. The school has prepared him for his own safety, as well as his parents! I would recommend this school to others. When my daughter is old enough she will join also.

AFTA Martial Arts is a great place to learn discipline and self defense. Master Bowling is a knowledgeable instructor that brings experience in real life situations. His classes include all ages and both male and female. Several different levels of belts and degrees are in Master Bowling classes. I highly recommend anyone looking for a great way to learn to defend oneself to check out AFTA Martial Arts.

My son needed to get confidence and learn how to protect himself and this school did that for him because Joe is like a tough love type of individual and the kids/adults thrive on the way he teaches. If I wasnt so busy I would of liked to earned my black belt like my son did. I am very proud of him !!!This school was an excellent choice for my son.....

I love this school! After training at a couple of sport schools and then coming here, I really learned how to protect myself. This is actual self defense. We learn how to fight in the street, and not in a ring. Sport schools teach you how to win in a ring, AFTA teaches you how to win in the real world.

I would highly recommend anyone to go there if you want to learn real combat martial art which prepares you for real life situations. Its more than just fighting though. Learning the mental discipline and everything has definately helped make me the person I am today. Rate 10/10

Great place to teach kids about martial arts and life.

I studied with Master Bowling almost 20 years ago and today my granddaughter studies there as well. In a previous post there are negative comments and it is apparent from those comments that the writer has no concept of what the study of martial arts is about. Martial arts is more than physical contact it involves the mind as well and the advancement of the student to become a mentor and a teacher. Yes higher belts lead the class and through this leadership Master Bowling evaluates these student leaders to make sure they have not only the physical moves correct but more importantly the mental attitude necessary to retain the belt they have earned. Yes I said retain as a belt earned can also be taken away if the student does not live up to the honor each belt brings. If you want to learn this art no one other than Master Bowling should teach you.

The instruction I received at A.F.T.A. Martial Arts and Master Joel Bowling were critical to my development in becoming a successful and well-rounded leader. Mr. Bowling truly leads by example through servant leadership. His focus on supporting, coaching, and mentoring his students is a model that I adopted early on in my career and has carried with me to this day. The respect, encouragement, and positive, yet realistic attitude was and still is refreshing and unique. It is something that changed my life at a much earlier age when I started with A.F.T.A. in my early teens. Mr. Bowling has a unique way of uncovering the strength that already lies within oneself and at the time when I started and the years to come, I needed just that. As I spent more years training under him, his facilitative style helped me grow and develop into the professional I am today.From a practical, real-world perspective the type of martial arts he teaches is not just a business to him; he eats, sleeps, and breathes what he does, and it is evident from the moment you meet him. He taught me not only how to defend myself in a realistic and tough way, however also drew out the confidence that was needed to employ these techniques with skill, accuracy, and speed without hesitation. This mentor/mentee relationship he develops with his students is personalized and unique to each one providing a training experience like no other that you will find throughout the country.Last, I would like to take this moment to thank one of the most influential, positive, and skilled mentors that I will ever have in my lifetime.Sincerely,John DeMaria

I trained here as a young kid from elementary through middle school. I learned many great techniques to protect myself when the time was necessary and Mr. Bowling taught great lessons for life that I still remember and am greatly thankful for today. Its helped me in many ways. Highly recommend.

Amazing place to learn self defense

AFTA training very well may have saved my great grandsons life. He was being bullied by a gang-banger in a small town school. When he had to defend himself off of school property, one roundhouse ended the fight in less than 20 seconds and resulted in the bully getting a fractured nose, and a split lip. My great grandson let the bully have 3 swings before engaging him. The bully wanted to stomp my grandsons face into the cement curb. This training may have saved him from being an organ donor. Such senseless violence. Thank you again, Dr. Bowling! Best money I ever invested.

Great place to go to learn how to defend yourself. Life is unpredictable sometimes. All the higher belts will work with you in order to help you succeed! I get great exercise, and I dont pay much. Would recommended it though.

AFTA Martial Arts is one of the best training decisions I ever made. I am a career combatives instructor and contacted the master for swordsmanship training, what I found was a wealth of knowledge and PRACTICAL SKILLS! That truely makes all the difference in the real world. Although I do not train unarmed self defense with his students I see them everyday I come in for class and I know from my experience they are really receiving in quality training. I highly recommend you try this school if you looking for Real Self-Defense its a crazy age we live in. We must protect ourselves and our children! I hope to see you soon-Frost

AFTA is a combat school, plain and simple. I spent 8 years at a local sport school, which I enjoyed, but there I learned to fight in tournaments with rules and a point system. If you want to learn to defend yourself against an attacker, or even multiple attackers, on the street and in a variety of situations, then AFTA is the school for you. You will still learn a little about traditional martial arts and discipline, and get your fair share of fitness, but the school focuses on self-defense and street survival. Only downsides are the school is a bit dirty and politics occasionally wind up on the mat, which detracts from the class.

A.F.T.A. Martial Arts is an excellent opportunity to challenge yourself mentally and physically. I began training here back in 2010 and set a goal to not give up. I am still here and dont regret anything about it. I have made so many friends throughout the years training here everyone is like family. Training is not taken lightly, If you are serious and are ready to commit yourself to think outside the box with a combat minded style of martial arts this is the right school for you. This style of training is based around one word...survival. This is something that a lot of other schools take for granted in my opinion. From children class to adult mixed martial arts, sport, combat, jiujitsu, kickboxing, MMA, special weapons classes, etc its all here you just need to find whats right for you. What are you waiting for? stop on in and sign up for your free week of training.

Ive known the instructor of AFTA Martial Arts for a quite a while. He is a fantastic teacher and mentor. His students are all friendly and always willing to help. Its an experience and education everyone should have.

I have gone to this school for a long time. I started as a child and later continued training as an adult. I earned my first degree black belt from here. I would highly recommend training at A.F.T.A for real life self defense.

I trained here for 5 years before I joined the Air Force as a cop. The experience and education was invaluable. The self defense/combat mindset and skills that Mr Bowling teaches is unlike anything else you will find. After moving on to professional MMA, the Modern Army Combatives Program, and finding a martial arts school or boxing gym anywhere I get stationed, I would trade it all for more time at AFTA Martial Arts.

I had signed my daughter and I up about 4 years ago for the Self Defense classes. Just in the first night we learned so much from Master Bowling and the other higher belts.Master Bowling not only thought my daughter and I how to handle ourselves in any situation, he had taught us self confidence, and the desire and determination to succeed. Master Bowling is well respected not only from the adult and children students that attend his classes, though, from the parents and visitors that come in and watch the classes.If you are looking for a school that not only teaches you or your child/ren self defense, kickboxing, and martial art techniques, this is the school to attend.

Master Bowling is a very good mentor for kids!

I gave AFTA a 5-star rating for the following reasons:Character Development: I started training at AFTA when I was in the 8th grade. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn about life. My experience at AFTA taught me that I don’t get to give up just because I may have gotten kicked a little harder than I liked or my training partner was bigger, older or more experienced. I also learned a healthy dose of humility and respect for others. I carried these lessons with me into my career where they have served me well.Realistic Training: Don’t get me wrong, being able to connect with a good, solid punch or lock down a tight rear-naked choke are incredibly valuable skills to have. But if you’re not training to consistently and effectively strike your opponents most vulnerable areas such as the eyes and groin on the grounds that it’s somehow “unfair,” you are seriously handicapping yourself in any situation that doesn’t afford you a series of 3 minute rounds and a referee. If your training regime doesn’t include both defense from, and the offensive use of weapons like knives, ball bats and guns, then you are failing to prepare for some of the most dangerous situations you may ever encounter.People Skills: Having it expected that as a 13 year old, I should be able to stand in front of a group of adults and command their respect by leading them through a calisthenic routine in preparation for the beginning of instruction was probably one of the most valuable things I’ve ever done, especially given my current occupation. Training at AFTA also taught me how to confidently and constructively work with people from diverse backgrounds and who possess varying expectations regarding their training.I highly recommend attending AFTA Martial Arts. The skills taught are relevant and the people are friendly and eager to train. Many of the current and former students are LE or MIL and love nothing more than helping you expand your self-defense skill set both inside and outside of class. If you are considering a martial arts school, either for yourself or your children, I can’t think of a better place.

Before i started at AFTA Martial Arts under Master Bowling, I did not have much self esteem nor did I have any self confidence, I have been at this school for almost 4 years now and it has tremendously helped boost my confidence up, it is the best school in Rockford easily, I would highly recommend it for anyone trying to learn how to deffend themselves and others that they love.

A.F.T.A. Martial Arts is the best place for learning martial/self defense... Master Bowling is great with all of his students...He has a different student at each class run the stretching portion for about 15 min... Which teaches the students to use there voices and also how to be a leader...His prices are wonderful for the amount of classes you can attend and the training that the students receive... I sent my child to a different place and all he received was about 45 minutes of nothing but push ups, sit ups and learning to count in Korean... Which that part would have been okay if he would have also learned some maetial arts but, he didnt learn anything until we joined A.F.T.A Thank You !!!! Master Bowling even teaches a womans self defense class occasionally which is very good for any and all females that can come and learn somethings to try and protect themselves in this crazy way that world is changing. ..

Over the years I have and always will recommend AFTA to anyone who is looking to get their child into Martial Arts or themselves. My son struggled with school and discipline. He played baseball and basketball his whole childhood and this didnt help with his focus and discipline where school is concerned. I wanted him to learn these things and signed him up at AFTA. That was the best decision in our lives. Dr. Bowling taught him self respect, discipline, leadership, self-control, survivor skills and one of the most important to also never quit. He also learned self defense, not this sport stuff that you use during tournaments to gain points, but real life techniques that will save his life if he was ever put in that situation. Dr. Bowling truly cares for his students and also takes an interest in their life. When disciplining my son at home wasnt enough I would drop him off at the dojo on a Saturday morning and he spent quite a few hours dusting all the trophies and awards that were displayed. His game system also sat on Dr. Bowlings desk for a couple months until the next report card came home. But, he never quit and he earned his black belt. 10 years later he still talks about his Martial Art days and how he wishes there was a dojo like AFTA where he lives.

Worth every penny

I took the womens self defense class because my son has been a student of Dr. Bolings for 3+ years and I wanted to learn how to defend myself. Living in Rockford, you see on the news where people are mugged, shot, etc. on a pretty regular basis. I wanted to learn enough to not become a statistic. Dr. Boling does just that in this 1/2 day class. You learn how to get out of situations and inflict enough harm to get away. It is a very hands on class for those like myself who are intimidated by the thought of actually hitting a person. You learn several basic moves that anyone can utilize. I highly recommend this class for any woman! Thank you Dr. Boling for showing us how to not become a statistic in this very uncertain world!!!

I took the womens self defense class. I enjoyed learning how to hit and kick in different ways. It was very hands on. Dr.Boling was very knowledgeable and I learned alot. I really recommend this class!

If you are looking for martial arts training you can take into your everyday life AFTA is the place to go. Where as most martial arts traing these days are used as sport an not for real self-defense Joel Bowling is committed to teaching combat martial arts. Afta is a gteat place for your children as well. I would recommend to anyone wanting ro learn to defend themselves.

Bottom line up front: if you want to learn a credible self-defense martial art which combines the physical moves with the intangible spirit necessary to succeed in a combat scenario, then this is the school for you. Dr. Bowling is knowledgeable, experienced, and has a natural teaching ability which combines having patience with students while still demanding the best out of students. He is an excellent teacher of children, adults, experienced martial artists, competitive fighters, and everyone in between.What sets this school apart from many other MMA gyms popping up these days is Dr. Bowlings focus on the intangibles such as determination, hard work, leadership, overcoming adversity, and achieving success with honor. Learning these lessons set me up for success as I went on to pursue a military career. He also covers all aspects of self-defense, from unarmed hand-to-hand, weapons, multiple attackers, etc. and even has the experience to teach traditional martial arts weapons such as the katana or nunchaku.Before serving in the Marine Corps Infantry, I went to this school for six years, earned a 2nd Degree Black Belt, an assistant instructors certificate, and two kickboxing title fights (along with 7 fights undefeated). This was all made possible through the excellent teaching, coaching, and mentoring that I found at AFTA Martial Arts. I credit all of my success in the realm of martial arts, and much of my success in life, to the excellent environment found here.I have employed these skills in real-world scenarios. They work.

I am a 53 year old man, and Ive been a passionate praticioner of martial arts for roughly 36 years. Having dabbled in several styles and done intensive research in my search for what is best for my needs.Im no movie star, so flashy aerial maneuvers arent necessary, Im not a competitor, so sport karate really doesnt suit me. Every style & school will claim theyre the best, but Japanese, Korean, Chinese, etc. While all excellent martial arts, each of them limit themselves to their traditional techniques, all very valuable knowledge, but not necessarily applicable to street survival/self defense in todays age. Early in my quest for something that I could use in real world situations, to protect myself & loved ones, I met Mr. Joel Bowling. We became friends, due to our shared interest. He shortly thereafter began his own school A.F.T.A. Martial Arts in 1984, and I was lucky enough to draw the school mascot/logo image. Besides watching Mr. Bowling progress from a brown belt student, to a master of his own, modern, Tatakai system of real world, applicable martial arts, as well as the positive effects that its had on his multitude of students of all ages, is truly amazing. Yes, Im a friend, but I dont endorse anyone, friend or foe, if I dont feel they provide absolutely the very BEST (whatever) available- based on my first hand experience !I have recommended dozens of parents & friends to give AFTA a try, and if theyre arent already aware of Mr. Bowlings incredible abilities to teach & communicate, they come back singing his praises & thanking me for the great suggestion! Kids grades & self esteem raise, they start being more respectful & helpful, besides the healthy exercise, and self defense training, the attitude change alone is well worth the low price of monthly dues. Its cheaper than just about every other sport/extra curricular activity, and the student (adult or child) will gain a lifetime of benefits on so many levels, and reach greater success in life, because of the healthy discipline & mindset of a AFTA praticioner. In fact, I owe Mr. Bowling my life today because of what Ive learned, as do others, from what Ive learned.Ive worked in personal security, industrial security, corporate security, & bouncing in clubs of all kinds, I am also a retired professional wrestler, & boxing enthusiast.If you wanna dance in a ring for a shiny belt, you can train for that here or anywhere, but..if you wanna walk to your car alone at night-safely & feeling/being safe, if you want your kids to listen & be respectful, & do better in school, or just build up genuine confidence & live a healthier, happier life, .... AFTA is what youre looking for. Be done with bullies, unwarranted insecurities, other poor habits due to lack of focus or discipline, and bring BALANCE into your life, your entire familys lives! Its a great family activity for families to do together!Youll develop a repoire & respect on a whole deeper level with each other in sharing the awesome experiences of training, as a well becoming a well rounded person & practicing martial artist!Obviously, I cant recommend AFTA enough!Im not being compensated for this review in any way, its a genuine pleasure to share with you what volumes of citizens & law enforcement people already know, as well as the whos who in the wide world of martial arts! Mr. Bowling is one of the very best! A multiple inductee of the Black Belt Hall of Fame, whos highly recognized & respected literally throughout the world as one of the absolute best martial artists /instructors on the planet! You can do as I have done over many years & check em all out, but make sure to include AFTA, because, as youll discover, AFTA IS the REAL deal!!!!!-Dan Magner

5 stars all the way. AFTA martial arts is all about self defense. No katas, no nonsense, no wasted time on worthless techniques that dont work. It is entirely combat focused; all training revolves around surving the fight you hope never comes. Its the only martial arts school Ive ever attended that regularly practices stripping a gun from an attacker, knife defense and two on one sparring. Grappling and submission wrestling are a huge part of the AFTA martial arts program, which sets it apart from all other traditional martial arts schools. Master Bowling is an excellent instructor; his understanding of self defense is second to none and his dedication to his students mental and physical readiness for a life and death situation is reflected in his lessons. AFTA is the spring board that set me up for a lifetime of success in martial arts long after I moved away from Rockford. From the kids classes to the kickboxing to the MMA to the weapons classes, I cant say enough good things about Master Bowling and his school.

The martial arts instructor Joel Bowling, my first real mentor and good friend, was and continues to be an awesome/enthusiastic/professional/honorable, firm & disciplined yet caring and always there for his students who can quickly become another family if you want/very knowledgeable/high-ranking black belt *Combat Taekwondo Instructor throughout the roughly 8-10 years I was under his tutelage at AFTA Martial Arts (first at the little dojo/school in the Village of Cherry Valley & then later at the big dojo at the current location next to CherryVale Mall). I loved training at AFTA Martial Arts and I would highly recommend it to everyone! This is very important: this is a COMBAT TKD/MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL. I trained at a couple of other places before I joined AFTA Martial Arts (American Freestyle Taekwondo Association), and Master Bowlings school is greatly superior to other Martial Arts schools in this area. Master Joel Bowling teaches practical martial arts/self-defense techniques & the proper mindset (attitude) that can & will save your life and the lives of your loved ones if push ever comes to shove Heaven forbid. He teaches everything you need to know: punching/hand-strikes, pressure points, elbow-strikes, knee-strikes, kicking, holds, locks, throws, ground fighting & weapons! I always remember his core teaching: We train as hard as we can for the fight we hope will never come.

This martial arts school teaches discipline, integrity and honor - things that may be in short supply in todays society. This dojo teaches karate, hapkido, jujitsu and the traditional Okinawan weapons like the Bo, Sai and nunchucks. They have a wide variety of students ranging from children to men and women in their 50s. Their schedule can accommodate almost anyones schedule with only Friday and Monday being the rest days. Their tuition is also reasonable as well as the test fees. Other schools in the area charge a much higher amount for the monthly tuition as well as the test fees . You can also try training at this school for a week before committing to see if it is a good fit for you. It is essential to have a working knowledge of self defense in todays world and this school will give you the tools that you would need to survive. I have always been impressed with the knowledge and skills my children have gained through almost a decade of training at this dojo.

This is a intense, smart and physical class.