I initially moved to this area in October '22 and did a couple trial runs at a few of the…read moresurrounding schools before settling on the UCS academy in March '23. This academy is a rare gem for a few reasons, 1. There's an equal balance of Gi & Nogi BJJ. 2. The school also offers Muay Thai, Judo, Strength & Conditioning, and MMA classes. (Rare combo to find) 3. The academy has a great class schedule ranging from AM to PM classes. (Also hard to find) 4. The level of detailed coaching literally from any of the instructors is second to none. 5. Above all, the community is one of the most welcoming and family oriented which is a core value that trickles down from the owner - something I personally look for in a school. Whether you are starting your martial art journey or continuing it, this is a top notch place to do it at.

Started my Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu journey in Feb of 2025. I did not know what to expect at all and…read morewhere to begin. I typed mma gym into google map and UCS popped up. I emailed Jamar for a trial run and he set up an appointment for me. I will break this review down into a few sections. Head Instructor: Jamar adapts to each individual and motivates them according to their personality. He is one of the finest and most professional individuals I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He takes MMA very seriously and passionately. He cares about his students on and off the mat has made positive impacts on many people's lives, me included. He runs his business with integrity and honesty even if it means not making as much money as he could. He is upfront and honest with his students whether it's promotion or not being a good fit for the gym. He puts his students first and truly believes that his team is his family. Parking and facility: There are plenty of parking spaces. Facility is spacious with two restrooms. Got a few changing rooms to change in between classes from Muay Thai to Jiu Jitsu. Got a staging area for your gear and cameras all over the gym so you do not have to worry about your stuff going missing. Jamar offers refrigeration in case you have protein or drinks you want to keep chilled. Plenty of weights and workout equipment in case you are injured and cannot participate in sparring or rolling.I recently tweaked my ribs and while others rolled after lessons I just worked out at the side. Jamar cleans the gym after each use after the morning session as well as the night session. Environment/hours/schedule: UCS is one of the friendliest places I have ever been to. Unlike some of the other gyms out there, the students and instructors are not out to impress anyone. What I mean by that is no one is going to beat you up just to show you how cool they are. In fact Jamar is very big on being respectful and frowns upon being a mat bully. Hours of the gym are very accommodating. However accommodating Jamar is he does not tolerate being late, it's part of being respectful to other students! Muay Thai/Jiu Jitsu: As far as I know, this gym is one of the only gyms that still offers Muay Thai around the area. There is no "beginner's class" as everyone learns in a big group setting. This goes for both Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu as well. Jamar has a keen eye for each individual's skill level and pairs you up with people that can teach and guide you. Each session starts with warm up following up with a lesson plan for the week and ends with light contact sparring. Safety is very important at UCS as it should be at any MMA gym. Jamar has a no nonsense policy when it comes to the hygiene and safety of his students. With that being said you will get punched/kicked in the face and body, but it's something you will be able to tolerate. I mean after all you are coming to learn a combat sport. This is a Carlson Gracie Jiu Jitsu and they teach both Gi and No Gi Jiu Jitsu. One of the reasons why I love this gym is because it is a very balanced gym. Jamar encourages his students to learn both and be well versed in both. At first I was super lost as to what I'm supposed to do but from the short months I have been here I feel like I have improved significantly. Everyone here is very patient and welcoming and I never felt pressured to practice any moves I'm not comfortable with. One of the earliest lessons I have learned from Jamar is tapping early and not pushing myself because I do not know what I am doing yet. As far as promotions, go there isn't a test so you do not have to worry about paying extra to advance. Overall, I cannot recommend this place enough. I have made many valuable friendships that I know will last a lifetime. you will just have to come and check it out. Reach out to Jamar about trial class and begin your journey, you will not regret it, OSS!!!

Beware of their 60 cancellation policy requirements. They will not consider the duration of time…read moreyou've been enrolled. It's a good program but after a while it becomes redundant. Also never really felt like my children learned real self defense skills.

I'm writing this review not to be negative or cause problems but because I hope it creates some…read morekind of change. I trained at GB Upland for about four years. I was consistent, sometimes training twice a day, and I competed around 7 times, always placing gold or silver. I trained through injuries, balanced family life, and showed up ready to help others on and off the mat. I gave a lot to this place. What really pushed me to leave was a comment from Professor Ana. She told me, "I don't really see you at class that often." That hit me hard, because I knew how much time I'd put in. I plan to post my attendance card and medals not to brag but to show that I was showing up, even on days I was hurting. That comment made me step back and look at things more clearly. Over time, I started noticing a lot of favoritism. Certain families especially those who are friends with the owners or have kids that compete get more attention, more praise, and more support. I understand why competitors are highlighted. They represent the gym. But let's be honest the people who pay monthly, train consistently, and support the academy from the ground up deserve just as much respect. If you use words like "we," "family," or "community," that should apply to everybody not just a few. I also heard stories from people especially at CompNet tournaments who didn't have a coach in their corner when it was time to compete. Some had to wait. Others had no one. That's rough, especially when you're out there nervous and relying on your school to back you up. And it wasn't just adults. In the kids' classes too, who gets more attention often depends on how involved their parents are with the school not just how hard the kid trains. When you see it enough, it starts to feel off. Injuries are expected in this sport I've had two or three myself. But I'm always upfront about them. I let the professor or coach know before class, and I let my partner know too. I want to protect myself and others. But not everyone trains like that. There are some people who roll with ego and try to prove something every time and they end up injuring other students. I know at least one person who hurt multiple people and is still there. I'm not naming names, but in my opinion, one person shouldn't be allowed to ruin the experience for so many. Another thing that started bothering me was the 60-day cancellation policy. After doing some research and talking with people from other schools including other Gracie Barra locations I found that most have a 30-day policy, no contracts, and more flexible options. For people who are dealing with financial stress or personal issues, being forced to pay for two extra months feels like it's about money, not community. Then there's the issue of people with prior martial arts experience competing in lower-level brackets. I'm not hating on anyone's success. Like I said, I've competed and done well. But when someone barely trains at the gym, walks into a competition with a big advantage, and then gets praised like they just climbed Mount Everest it's hard to watch. I stayed quiet about it for a long time, but it didn't sit right with me. I've always earned everything whether in the Army or in Jiu Jitsu through effort and integrity. I want to be part of a gym where that kind of value actually means something. Since leaving, several people have reached out to me privately, saying they've felt the same way but didn't want to speak up. I've also run into former students who said they stopped going for the same reasons. The feelings I had weren't just mine. Leaving wasn't easy. I made a lot of good friends. I had a routine. I still love the sport. And to be fair, the coaches themselves are very knowledgeable and talented. That was one of the best parts of being there. They made training enjoyable and challenging. This review isn't an attack it's just my truth. At the end of the day, for my own mental well-being, I needed to go somewhere I'd feel genuinely valued not just as a student, but as a person. If you're reading this and thinking about joining go see it for yourself. But if you're already there and you've noticed some of the same things, just know you're not alone. -- Rod

very welcoming! my daughter just completed 1 month of BJJ and could not be happier with the whole…read moreexperience. very professional friendly and truly caring staff. my daughter is having such fun learning all these new BJJ skills. definitely recommend gladiator Jiu Jitsu.

My 6 year old son loves it here. Huge THANK YOU to Michelle. She's awesome! I had many questions…read morebefore enrolling my son here, because I don't know much about this sport. She was extremely helpful. She was able to answered all my questions and more. Kenny is a great coach, he has a lot of knowledge and you can see he enjoys teaching the kids everything he knows. I highly recommend this place! Don't hesitate, if you have questions give them a call. Again, Michelle has great costumer service skills. She will answered all your questions.

The staff is amazing very family-oriented and family-friendly environment. Not only are the coaches…read morefor their kids classes great the environment that they have their makes the kids excel not only in jujitsu but in life in general.

I recently had a work meeting in the area and wanted to join a drop in class to get a work out in…read moreand roll with new partners. I was a bit intimidated at first, but the professor was friendly and quickly made me feel at home. He did not charge me a drop in fee and did not insist i purchase anything. Every single person greeted me and took me in like I had been part of the team for a long time. The Friday lunch class was filled with a lot of skilled players and I had a great time learning the move of the day (which I immediately started using). The class ended with 45 minutes of rolls to which I was grateful for as I rarely get to roll NOGI. I would highly recommend this school for its great training atmosphere and friendly team. Thank you Professor and Team Logic BJJ.

I joined We The People BJJ a little over 2 months ago and I've been loving it. Jerbo has built a…read morevery safe environment for all levels to learn the art of jiu jitsu. I was immediately impressed with the higher rank belts who make us feel comfortable rolling with them. They constantly challenge us but at a pace where we can still keep up. It's just a really solid group of people. I was also wondering how you could integrate new comers with people that have been doing this for a while. Well Jerbo's brown belt Adrian does a great job at layering on new knowledge with things we've already worked on. Come see it for yourself!

We The People BJJ has been a great place to learn and practice Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai. Professor…read moreJerbo runs a great Gi & No Gi class with highly detailed moves and demonstration. There is a variety of skill level and the people at this gym are all extremely respectful and willing to teach. I have learned a lot in the 2+ months of training here and plan to continue because it's a good group of people to train with and learn from.

My friend and I heard great things about this place, in addition to reading the reviews. It'll was…read moresimply going to try it out, as we live 25 minutes from here, but my son loves it and we can't get him to stop asking us when's the next time he gets to go and it's been 5 months! What I absolutely love is that if you sign up for 2 or 3 days a week, you're not committed to certain days of the week. You just show up as many times are you signed up that week. I love the flexibility! I have my son in so many sports and activities after school that it's a pain to have to call the company to switch days or having to stop going because of scheduling. They make it easy for our busy lives. What I also love is that they respond via text if you prefer it. That way either party can respond wherever convenient and you're not waiting all afternoon until they open to answer the phone. Beyond those things the coaches are so so kind and skilled. They really do whatever it takes to help the individual be confident and ready for whatever level they want to be ready for. There's so much more to say but I'm limited to the amount I can type. I'm thankful for this place

Sean and his team are great! This place is clean, their training is top level and their service is…read moreamazing. We will be forever grateful for Sektor jiu jitsu! Try them out, you will not be dissapointed!

Great place check them out if you're looking to send your kids somewhere amazing with the best…read moreprices around town !

The ONLY GYM WITH A 5AM A JIUJITSU CLASS Zen has a family vibe, coach Ernie keeps it light there…read moreis always music playing with laughs and good rolls... Ernie runs a no-politics open door gym no matter what BJJ affiliation just come to train, roll, and get better at Jiujitsu I walked in had a class and signed up... and later signed up my boys Ernie's wife coaches the kids Tuesday /Thursday evenings. we train had and sometimes catch up outside the mats... Ernie sends a group text to let us know of schedule changes and stuff going on...

Only great things can be said about this academy. Quality instruction and care are given to…read morestudents here. My daughter loves the learning environment and training she receives from her coaches. With a bit of home practice, you can see the development of a fighting mode take shape. Instructors assist in removing fear and doubt in the children, replacing it with understanding and confidence from bjj techniques. Bring your family here to train. I know that if your vested in your child and advise them to show initiative, they will prosper.

Sampa is great for any kid. Great Professors that teach Jiu Jitsu and great common core family…read morevalues. Kids there have no pressure and learn in a great environment while making friendships that will last a life time.