Love this facility and the owners for giving my son the chance to do Judo when times are tough for…read moreour family! They are extremely understanding and work with us with classes! They care about each and every student and take the time to teach them well!

I've been training here since December 2021 and the academy is top-notch! Extremely welcoming,…read moreperfect for beginners, and just awesome world-class instruction from Professor James. If you ever considered trying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or just martial arts in general, look no further than SKBJJ. I believe they offer a few trial and there are classes 6 days a week.

Brand new academy in the area... still haven't gotten the sign-up quite yet so you'll be looking…read morefor a tae kwon do sign as it is a split building where the left will be taekwondo and on the other side of the wall, it will be Jiujitsu. Head coach Ighor is an absolute gem to the sport. He is owner and operator and has many years under his belt and know him through my academy up in Portland. I've never heard bad things about him or his JiuJitsu. He has mounds of experience and more time and years on the mat than most people in this area. The kids program is absolutely already kicking off and is the place to be if you want to enrich your kids value in the sport . Now there's also plenty of room for hobbies and people looking to just have fun and if that turns into something more, this is a place you'll wanna be. Unfortunately, I am about 45 minutes from it so I'm only able to visit on occasion to come to an open Mat and roll around with some new people. Everyone was super nice and welcoming. Everything is absolutely clean and meticulously taken care of. If you know anything about Jiujitsu or wrestling, you'll know that cleanliness is almost tied with expertise and knowledge in criteria when looking for a spot. It might be a new name, but it's not a new person and if you look into him, you'll see that his associations are with many well-known associations and branching out into something new to bring new blood and new life to a very traditional sport. I wish I had more photos to post but sometimes when you're getting choked out or dropping someone into a sick back take, you don't have time for photos. Check out their online handles and see what they're up to stop in and try a class, men women children everyone's welcome here. And as a man is late 30s that recently started the sport. I will tell you once you dig in it's absolutely worth the time.

Highly recommend! My 14-year-old absolutely loves coming here. The atmosphere is positive,…read moreenergetic, and supportive, which makes a huge difference. Professor Igor is incredibly welcoming and takes the time to get to know each student, making everyone feel comfortable and included. If you're looking for a place where your teen can learn, grow, and enjoy themselves, definitely check this place out!

The quick review: This school has world class teachers, a welcoming environment for all levels of…read moreexperience, and provides some of the best, most relevant instruction in the US. Full review: I started training in CA in 2010, and joined RGPDX about 2-3 months ago after visiting each of the top schools in Portland and taking private lessons from their instructors. Both the classes and privates were the most thorough and impressive I've ever experienced. I've taken classes with Aaron, Eddie, and Hannah mostly, and have been blown away from the start. I can't say enough about their skills as practitioners AND teachers; they are truly invested in their students' growth, are able to pinpoint the holes in their students' games that need improvement, and have an unbelievably vast knowledge of relevant, high-percentage, high-level techniques. They offer a ton of classes that can fit any schedule; early morning through night classes, GI & NOGI. Kids classes, adult coed classes, and women only classes are all available. There are showers, locker rooms, 3 bathrooms, huge upstairs mat, large downstairs mats, a weight room, and they keep it the cleanest facility I've ever seen. The teachers protect the students by fostering a safe practice environment and promote a laidback space while simultaneously taking the level of skill of their students seriously. Most of the teachers compete and win regularly, monthly, staying at the edge of what works at the highest levels of the art. If you want to be the next world champion, go here. If you're thinking about joining to get in shape and have no interest in competing, this is your spot. I came from another school as an 'upper belt' and was immediately humbled yet accepted as if i had been there since day 1. I improved more in these last few months than I have in the last few years. I guarantee you will not be disappointed and if you are, come find me in class and punch me in the stomach.

At age 52, I am two months into my jiu-jitsu journey. Especially since I was starting relatively…read morelate in life, I was intimidated to walk into any jiu-jitsu school. But at Renzo Gracie I have been thrilled to find not only amazing coaching but a welcoming community of training partners. I roll with much more experienced bjj players every week, and they are welcoming, accommodating, and happy to share their wisdom. And for praise I'll single out Ruben, who teaches most of the no-gi fundamentals classes: the guy is just a profoundly gifted coach. Lots of people can demonstrate techniques, but he has a terrific understanding of the basic principles that each of those techniques are based on -- you get to understand not just how to do things, but why, and how they tie into the broader goals of jiu-jitsu. I love jiu-jitsu now, and I'm sure that this place and these people are a big reason why.

Impact coaches have no learning structure or idea what they are doing. With no plan, the…read moreinstructors ask what the kids want to learn and end up trying to teach "arm bar from half guard"... that's not a thing, and anyone who even allows such incompetence in instruction shouldn't be running a gym. Will not be going here to learn anything about jiu jitsu!

In 2007 and 2008 I used to attend Capitol City Cage Fights (CCCF) in Salem as a spectator, and then…read morelater as an announcer for a few fights, which featured mostly amateur MMA fights with the occasional pro fight. It soon became apparent from watching the fights and interacting my with the fighters during the CCCF bouts, the technical skills of the Impact fighters (from various Oregon Impact locations) were a standout amongst the other gyms that had fighters competing. Their averages for wins were above the rest. I also never observed an Impact fighter show up ill-prepared or overweight. Impact's professionalism and discipline was apparent; and their fighters were great ambassadors for their brand and the sport. I haven't kept up with the Oregon fight scene in a long time. A lot has happened over the years including the successful spreading of Impact gyms down from Portland to Sherwood, Newberg, Salem, and McMinnville. In 08 I became a dad & money/time became extremely tight as I sought other entrepreneurial ventures. I trained occasional with friends or my bro-in-law when I had a chance but never Impact. Years later around 2017, still a cop, I started at the Impact location in Salem training off-and-on always having phenomenal experiences. I would also train BJJ separately with some of my cop buddies. Fast fwd to today. I haven't trained with Impact in a couple of years (not Impact's fault), but I continued to train with weights and work on the heavy bag to keep up some level of grappling conditioning in view of Impact training sessions at the Courthouse gym they operated out of. I will say this about Nic Gilardi (Salem owner). He is dedicated to his coaches, students, and their betterment. I've seen how the children's, women's, Muay Thai, boxing, BJJ, and MMA specific classes are all run. What I have seen consists of good folks all working together to get better where egos are expected to be checked when one steps on the matts (read the signs they have posted). It's also worth noting Nic Gilardi (Salem Impact owner) has also devoted his own personal time to training law enforcement officers. For those that don't know, as a former 'defensive tactics' (title for law enforcement's version of martial arts, so to speak) instructor (which doesn't make me anything special by the way), when the public sees what they deem as excessive force, it's generally a result of a poorly trained cop who panics and use poor techniques when faced with a physical fight or resistance out of their comfort zone. Good training like what Nic offers for cops to take part in during their off time directly results in more cool-headed confident cops, who can more efficiently and safely take a resisting subject into custody, vital for the wellbeing of the public especially in the bipolar political environment that at times can be at odds with law enforcement. I digress.. but will say one more thing. Some people gripe about the price BJJ gyms, but I will say Nic is a self made guy who scrapped his way up to earn and continue to earn his BJJ black belt plus a few stripes while dealing with all the trials and tribulations of being a business owner including during COVID. Salem Impact continues to help people become better people. Current estimates are that only .0006 % of the world (maybe 50,0000 out 8.1 billion people) walk this earth that have a legit black belt in BJJ. His instructors have put more time into gaining their ranks than it takes to get a bachelor's degree, with a few who have more time in than it would take to get a PHD, with 3 black belts having been created in the under Nic. For those who don't know who are used to seeing 10+ black belts walking around in kata-based 'traditional' martial arts dojos, developing 3 BJJ practitioners (all of whom have humbled me on the mats in a way where no ego was involved that made me better) is a huge feat which contributes to the Salem-Keizer community as whole. Their presence quietly and humbling walking amongst us makes our community safer. The level of expertise offered is at bargain compared to other specialized trainings found in the professional or corporate world. Training in BJJ or any worthwhile martial arts that includes sparring made up of more than just katas (not talking trash on katas) makes better humans and is a great antidote to the Victim mentality that has become a cancer in today's society(my views do not necessarily reflect Impact:). It's import to note, I have no dog in the fight in regard to Impact. I have not talked to Nic in a couple of years. I also have nothing financially to gain by this post. Whether it's with Impact or somewhere else... Get your kids and yourself signed up. OSS!

One of the places I've been training since I started my BJJ journey. I go out of my way to come…read morehere, and it's always worth it. The gym has a family feel, everyone is very friendly and accommodating. They have a number of black belts, and the coaches are all highly credentialed. Matt, the owner, is an amazing human and has been training martial arts for an extremely long time. Matt is a 3rd Degree Black Belt, a Defensive Tactics Instructor, and one of the main instructors of the C4C/PJJ program, in addition to working for the fire department and swat teams. His presence and attitude travels from top down, from the coaching staff to the members, and the gym has a great vibe and friendliness to it. I'd highly recommend it!

Impressive first day of class for my kids. They went straight to skills throughout and grappling in…read morethe end. On another day, they started off with some drills. The staff were nice and welcoming. The instructors were knowledgeable, patient and genuinely have the desire for each child to succeed. Our kids also enjoyed working with the other kids, and said they were helpful. They said it was fun overall. I would highly recommend this place for those hesitant and/or looking for high-quality Jiu Jitsu.

Greatest place to train in Forest Grove. Safe environment for your kids to train and learn jiu…read morejitsu. The coach is committed to the excellence of the sport. You'll not be disappointed in your ground game results going here.

I took a boxing women's boxing camp at this Keizer location and it was such a fun time with a great…read moresweat and I even learned a few things. So excited to hear that they are going to be in Keizer full time !!!!

From the owner: **Grand Opening Jan 3rd!** Reputable coaches teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Self Defense,…read moreKickboxing, MMA, Boxing, Judo, Kids self defense, kids Jiu Jitsu, and fight fit classes. Cardio and weightlifting equipment available, beginner and family friendly group classes, sparring, and pro-fight training.