Los Angeles probably has one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu scenes in the entire world, outside of Brazil. There are countless Jiu-Jitsu gyms spread out across Los Angeles, but which gyms separate themselves from the rest of the pack?
Lets take a deep dive to discover the best Jiu-Jitsu gyms the Los Angeles area has to offer.
Legacy Jiu Jitsu – Burbank
Legacy is a well rounded gym with amazing instructors and an awesome training environment. The owner and head instructor, Alberto Crane, is a multiple time champion under Draculino and I had the pleasure of training under Alberto for many years.
He is one of the most genuinely kind and welcoming people I have ever met in the Jiu-Jitsu community. Alberto’s demeanor is reflected throughout the entire gym, with the students and the instructors making you feel like this is your second home.
Legacy offers an large mat space and they offer training 7 days a week. I highly recommend stopping by and training here if you are in the Burbank area.
Address: 330 N. Victory Blvd. Burbank, Ca 91502
Phone: 818.300.5884
Jean Jacques Machado – Woodland Hills
Jean Jacques Machado is an absolute LEGEND of the sport. Not only is he the nephew of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu co-founder Carlos Gracie, he is a highly decorated world champion and an all around great person.
His knowledge, understanding and teaching of Jiu-Jitsu is second to none and many regard Jean Jacques Machado as one of the best instructors of Jiu-Jitsu in the entire world.
They recently moved to a new and larger location in Woodland Hills to accommodate for the many students that flock to see Jean Jacques teach.
Address: 20935 Warner Center Ln Suite B, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Phone: (818) 610-4840
Checkmat HQ – Long Beach
If you are looking for a highly competitive environment, look no further than Checkmat HQ.
Headed by multiple time world champion Leo Vieira, Checkmat is synonymous with getting people on the podium.
On any given day you will run into world champions of all levels including, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, Luiz Panza, Lucas Leite, Panti Fontes and Michelle Nicolini.
You will get high quality training from high quality instructors here and even if you are not a competitor they have classes for beginners and intermediate level people.
Address: 3290 E 19th St, Signal Hill, CA 90755
Phone: (562) 287-4009
10th Planet HQ – Downtown
If you are looking for some great No-Gi bjj, look no further than 10th Planet in Downtown Los Angeles, the home to the one and only, Eddie Bravo.
Eddie has etched out his own unique niche within the Jiu Jitsu community and his counter-culture vibes radiates through the school.
Eddie personally teaches 6 advanced classes weekly and he is a phenomenal teacher, who’s attention to details is on another level.
They offer plenty of classes for all levels and there is training 6 days a week.
They have a huge mat space, offer showers and everyone in the gym is super chill and easy to talk to.
Address: 1314 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (949) 241-7839
Gracie University – Torrance
Gracie University is headed by Rener and Ryron Gracie, sons of Rorion Gracie and grandsons of Helio Gracie, the co-founder of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
While there is debate within the community that Jiu Jitsu technique is being transformed into more about winning sport competitions, Rener and Ryron have remain steadfast in keeping Jiu-Jitsu firm in its roots of self defense.
They have created their own unique system which focuses heavily on defending yourself successfully from an attacker on the streets.
Their anti-bullying system for kids is also second to none.
The gym is massive. You can fit like 100 people easily in here and it still wouldn’t feel crowded.
Aside from being huge, the gym is super nice. It has showers, lockers and every amenity a Jiu-Jitsu person could want.
If you are looking for classic, self-defense Jiu-Jitsu, this is the place to go to.
Address: 2440 W Carson St, Torrance, CA 90501
Phone: (310) 893-0400
Meraki Jiu Jitsu – Santa Monica
UFC veteran, Kenny Florian partnered up with Jason Hunt to create this beautiful gym on the westside of Los Angeles.
Meraki is a Greek word that means to put your soul into your work, leaving a piece of you and doing so with passion.
The instruction here is top notch. Kenny is an excellent teacher, Jason Hunt is a double black belt in BJJ and Judo and Isaac Doederlein is multiple time champion of the sport.
It is a well-rounded and super clean gym that offers great mat space, great aesthetics and the vibe is great and everyone is welcoming.
A white gi is mandatory, so come prepared.
Address: 11677 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (424) 293-8133
Cobrinha BJJ
Corbinha is another legend of the sport. He has won 6 world championship titles and has medaled in every World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in which he has competed, for a total of 10.
Whether you are an active competitor or someone who has long desired to start their martial arts journey, this is an awesome place to learn from Cobrinha’s super technical style.
This place is filled with monstrously good training partners including Kennedy Maciel and Isaac Doederlein.
Cobrinha is legitimately one of the best in the world. If you have a chance to learn from him, you should take the opportunity.
Address: 4929 Wilshire Blvd #104, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: (323) 931-9953
Gracie Barra – Northridge
If you are in the competition scene, this is another great place to go to.
Romulo Barral has created something special here and its most evident by the fact that on any given day you could be training with multiple world champions of the sport
Every week you have people like Edwin Najmi, Gabriel Arges, Werdum, Beneil Dariush and a ton of others killers on the mats training with everyone.
Romulo is a world class instructor and once you experience his teaching style it will becomes apparent how his students got so good and why high level black belts seek him out for training and knowledge.
Address: 19520 Nordhoff St #10th, Northridge, CA 91324
Phone: (818) 709-1808
Tips For Visiting Another Gym
- Call ahead of time so they can help you make arrangements, provide more accurate directions/parking, give you an updated schedule, drop-in rates, etc
- Get there at least 15-20 minutes early to introduce yourself, sign the waivers, and pay the mat fee.
- Ask about rolling rules/allowable techniques.
- Be polite, respectful, and humble. You’re not visiting to “represent” your school by winning or being better than others. You are there to train with new people and learn and experience a new gym culture.
- Always roll at their pace, not your own. If they roll hard, match their intensity without going over. If they roll light, turn it down a notch and take it easy.
- Bring some defense soap wipes just in case there are no showers.
- If the experience was positive, leave them an awesome review on Yelp and Google!
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