My son just started training here and so far so good. He trains every day in the evenings and I'm…read moreexcited to see what he learns. They are very focused and driven. He now trains with other teens and adults since he is now 14. The facility is clean and I like that all the windows are clear so we as parents can see what they are practicing.

My daughter Savannah loves training at Checkmat. The coaches are great with kids--patient,…read moreencouraging, and focused on building confidence and discipline. Awesome environment and culture. Highly recommend.

The Brentwood Checkmat gym is a great place to learn Jiu-Jitsu. Our 5yo daughter has been going for…read moreseveral months and has a blast. She learns every time and has made great progress, showing improvements in not only the moves and techniques but her self confidence as well. Coach Thiago and team are super helpful and understanding, fostering a wonderful environment for kids to learn, unlike some more "stringent" gyms around (no credit check to join here! ;). Highly recommended! I'm sure my daughter will take JJ for years to come after this great start. Will be enrolling our 2nd child once old enough.

We went for a class observation on Friday while also completing the application for my son's…read more Jiu-Jitsu program, which worked out perfectly since we were able to do both at the same time. The academy is clean and the staff were very friendly and welcoming. During the class observation, we noticed they had enough coaches for the students, which was great because it showed the kids were getting good attention and guidance. They also have plenty of chairs for parents to sit and wait comfortably. The walking space was a little small, but it wasn't a big issue. Overall, it was a very nice experience. We're really excited for my son to get started and be part of the program. Looking forward to seeing him learn and grow here!

The best experience for our son he learned a lot got him out of his comfort zone and he enjoyed it!…read more Our oldest son trained here too and is now 22 years old we saw his confidence boost and he met great friends. thank you Crosley Gracie Jiu Jitsu!

Training with Professor Pedro is like getting a masterclass in the history and application of BJJ…read more I love hearing about his stories of training BJJ back in Brazil. He often shares great stories from the early days of BJJ that really put the journey into perspective. I've been learning from him since October 2025 and his classes are consistently top-notch. He provides a very well-rounded curriculum, covering everything from stand-up takedowns to finishing details for the cross collar choke. What I appreciate most is how he simplifies complex positions - he'll show you a transition or a sweep gives that 'aha' moment because it's so efficient not just on the sweep itself, but also on possible attacks within the sweep. He's a professional, approachable instructor who makes even the most uncomfortable (knee on belly, osoto gari, etc) techniques easy to understand and apply.

I have been attending this academy for a few months, and my experience has been exceptionally…read morepositive. The instructors are thorough and clear in their lessons. The classes are great for people of all levels of experience and fitness. I had no prior experience with BJJ, however I felt welcomed and the instructors take the time and effort to make sure each and every member is understanding and improving. Most days of the week they have two classes available for adults one at 11am and the other at 7pm. When I was looking for schools I was looking for places that had early morning classes, but unfortunately none of the schools I was interested in the area offered any. Whether you are looking for a new hobby, getting in shape, learning self defense, or whatever your reason may be, I could not recommend this place enough. My child is not yet old enough to attend this academy, but the instructors appear to be great with the kids and make the instruction fun and challenging for them. I look forward for my little one to be old enough to enroll. Overall this place is very welcoming, the instructor's are great, and the facility is clean.

My kids went there for a bit and I had to change gyms. They have good qualities but ultimately I…read morefelt I wasn't getting my money's worth. For kids classes they could go 2x during the week and they had a Saturday class. Often times one of the kids classes would fall near a holiday so the gym would close. Sometimes the gym would close for holidays that really didn't effect the class times. It just didn't feel like we were getting what we paid for. Most of the class was spent doing warm ups and drills. I rarely saw the kids spar. We went to a different gym where we are able to go 5-6 times a week and the kids spar every day. My oldest on his first day was tossed around by the smaller kids which showed how much he wasn't really learning at Ricardo's. Now my kids have become new warriors and can legitimately use self defense a lot better. Hopefully this is just my experience, the teachers are great and I wish them all the best. Thank you.

Fantastic positive environment. Nicest people who take their time and have a real passion. 10 starsread more

This was place is AMAZING! World class teaching of the art. The patience that Sifu Rick has with…read morehis young (and young at heart) students is beyond anything I could ever do myself, which for a martial art is saying a whole lot. You will learn so much, and most importantly, how to bring some discipline into your life. Rick and his family are the best people in the world and give so much of themselves not only to the craft, but also to the community.

My two sons and wife do BJJ for over a year now and all of them enjoy it…read more I like knowing my wife and kids have a sense of self defense and how to remain calm under pressure. The coaches and student coaches are very patient and fair. I highly recommend this establishment if you want to try a BJJ class

Been meaning to review this place for awhile, especially since this is the spot where my kiddo's…read morejiu jitsu journey began. My family had experienced a couple different gyms in the Bay and when looking into an extracurricular for our kid in the Valley, we knew there were a few key things that were important to us. First, a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. Second, coaches who care for the safety of the students as much as their progress. Third, a place that treated each student equally, challenging them to be better each class. I'm happy to say that Charles Gracie Academy in Mountain House met all these expectations and more. From the first day we signed up our kid, we got a "welcome to the family" from the coaches. It felt warm and inviting, especially for a nervous kid joining the 4-6 age group. This age group is not easy to manage, but somehow at each class the coaches succeed in coaching them to listen and follow through as best they can. Watching from the sidelines, I can see how much patience, firmness, and diligence it takes to wrangle the low attention span this group has collectively. While they are teaching the fundamentals of the sport, the coaches make it fun, too. If they're not having fun, what's the point, right? In a year, I watched my kid grow and thrive thanks in part to the influence of discipline and focus from training at this jiu jitsu academy. He's developing into a kid who will have self-control, self-confidence, awareness and most of all can kick ass if an occasion calls for it. Don't hesitate on this place. Go check it out. Who knows, maybe you'll be the next to join this growing family.

I just started my classes a few months back and honestly it's a great experience and environment my…read morecoach gives us great advice always helps us and keeps us safe he teaches us everything but at the same time he makes it fun and safe he is a very nice person you can talk to him about anything ask him anything and he always help and answer and the students there are very nice and respectful and we all look out for each other honestly a very good experience I would recommend.

Growth Mindset is hands down the best jiu-jitsu gym I've ever trained at bar none…read more I've been training for seven years and have trained at a lot of different gyms during that time. Every gym says they're a family, every gym says they care about their students, but Growth Mindset is the first place where I truly felt that was real. The difference starts with Mark. What sets him apart isn't just his knowledge of jiu-jitsu--it's the genuine care he has for every single person who walks through those doors. There is no hierarchy, no ego, no favorites. Whether it's your first class or you've been training for years, he treats everyone with the same respect and invests in everyone equally. I remember after one of my very first classes, I stayed talking with Mark and a few of the members for over an hour and a half. It wasn't small talk--it was one of the most genuine conversations I'd had in a long time. I left that night knowing I didn't want to settle for training anywhere else. Around the time I signed up, I had just been laid off from my job. I was stressed out of my mind wondering how I was going to pay my bills and what my next step in life was going to be. Looking back, the one thing that kept me grounded during that time was walking through the doors of Growth Mindset. No matter how bad my day had been, the moment I stepped on those mats I felt like I was home. I wasn't just another membership I was family. That first month I was also preparing for a HYROX competition, so I could only make it to class three times out of the whole month. Most gyms would've just said, "That's on you." Instead, Mark prorated my membership and credited me toward the following month. He didn't have to do that. There was no policy requiring it. He simply did it because he genuinely cares about people. That small act told me everything I needed to know about the kind of man he is. The culture he's built is something that's incredibly rare these days, there is absolutely zero ego. Mark is always asking for feedback from the students. He wants to know what we're feeling, what makes sense, and what doesn't. He's humble enough to know that coaching is about helping people learn, not about proving he's the smartest person in the room. When I was preparing for my most recent competition, Mark did something no coach had ever done for me before. He sat down with me and watched footage from my previous tournaments. We broke down every mistake I made, why it happened, how to prevent it, and even developed techniques that better fit my style of jiu-jitsu. Every other gym I've trained at would've simply told me, "Train harder." Mark actually taught me how to get better. I ended up placing fourth in that competition. Instead of focusing on the fact that I didn't win a medal, Mark immediately pointed out how much I had improved. He celebrated the things I'd done well, highlighted the progress I'd made, and gave me a clear plan to keep growing. That's what great coaching looks like. The amount of work this man puts in is unbelievable. While preparing me for my tournament, he was also coaching another teammate for his competition, hard sparring almost every day, organizing cross-training sessions at other gyms, and somehow still preparing for his own tournament. I've never seen someone work that hard, day after day, without complaining once. Even while training harder than 99% of instructors out there, he stays humble. He'll still remind us that he's human, still learning, and still growing right alongside us. That humility is what makes him so special. Mark and Sabrina have built something truly exceptional. They've created more than a gym they've built a community where people genuinely care about one another. I can honestly say this gym helped carry me through one of the hardest periods of my life, and I'll never forget that. I hope one day I can be half the man Mark is. I'm incredibly proud to call him not only my coach, but also family. Thank you, Mark and Sabrina, for everything you've done for me and for this community. What you've built is something truly special. Love you guys!