I've been training on/off for over a decade, with massive gaps in between as "life happens."…read moreMarriage, Kids, Career, etc... Trained primarily in Oakland & Piedmont (when I lived/worked in Fremont), then eventually settled down in San Ramon. Just when I thought I had written off jiu-jitsu, a familiar sign/logo suddenly pops up on a storefront in San Ramon Square (a square we frequent, primarily for Café Attila & Best Donuts). How Ironic... I initially had signed up years ago at their HQ location in Pleasanton (before they relocated) but was working a very sporadic schedule due to "startup mode" at a Tech Company. With my Daughters now much older, THEY actually approached ME... "Daddy, didn't you do jiu-jitsu before? We want to do jiu-jitsu too." It was a combination of my Daughters wanting to train in a sport I used to train religiously in (before marriage) & the fact that I HATED saying, "Before" or "Used to." (+ the fact that it was only a 5-minute drive from the house sure didn't hurt either). Gave the Academy a call & met w/ Jeremiah (THE Jeremiah "The Kid" Labiano of Bellator fame btw) who happens to be one of the owners of the San Ramon Academy. #starstruck... For any of you Futurama geeks out there, I had a Phillip J. Frye "Shut up & take my money" moment. Paid 6 mos in advance to give the Academy a test-drive & within a few months, gave my sign-off to the girls that this location was LEGIT (& they too were both enrolled). Fast forward to the present... The quality of instruction from each of the Professors; Crispim, Jeremiah & Beto are truly unparalleled. They aren't just teaching as a job; they're teaching what they live/breath & love & it emanates from each of them during their instruction. As I mentioned earlier, I've been training on & off for over a decade, only to find that there were subtle details/variances in technique relayed by these instructors that I've NEVER been exposed to years prior (more aha moments that I can even keep track of). The end results? Even WITH the significant gaps in training, my game has since evolved exponentially. I began my training journey in my late 20's, though I can truly & confidently state without a doubt that I'm better now (a gentleman never reveals his age) than ever before. Their approach is different/unique than most, considering (in addition to the standard drills, rolling, etc...), they are also savvy in kinesiology, etc... They've introduced drills on movement (i.e., aerobic balls, bosu, etc...) that force you to work your steps, movement & balance, etc..., w/ a "Miyagi-Do approach." Consider these unique drills as "wax on, wax off" or "paint the fence," etc..., which will "click" once you realize its relevance towards guard passing, sweeps, etc... I'm sitting on the carpet drafting this review & just realized how I rose effortlessly to my feet, spinning towards the kitchen to grab my Yeti for a sip of water. The drills (which will be new to most) eventually become second nature & evolve your game as a result. Brilliant... Oh & about my Daughters? Once their initial contract had ended (paid for 6 mos up front), I asked them (no pressure), "Hey girls, jiu-jitsu is ending this month. Do you guys still want to train or do something else?" They both looked at each other, then looked at me & said, "We want to train jiu-jitsu." Yahtzee! THEN they dropped an unexpected bomb on me with, "Why didn't you sign us up when we were younger?" I had to remind them that they were wearing princess dresses w/ crowns & spinning around in tutu's at the time (though also reassured them, that they ARE still young & have the head start I wish I had at their age). Over a year later, they've been promoted twice & I couldn't be more proud to be alongside them throughout their journey. I'm not just saying this because I'm their Dad; I've got (2) petite young ladies who are rolling, sweeping, hanging & tapping out much larger opponents (including BOYS). This (size nor strength do not matter & it's all about technique) are the epitome of what jiu-jitsu represents... This isn't just a sport/hobby for my girls (though they may see it this way), but also a much-needed means of self-defense. What happens when a person grabs you from behind or tries to choke you? What happens if you're pinned to the floor? What happens if someone tries to tackle you to the ground? Guess what? THEY KNOW & they'll continue to get EVEN BETTER. Compound this with the amazing stand-up instructional they are also receiving from Jeremiah & Team as well & it's helping me sleep a bit better at night. Hats off again to Crispim, Jeremiah & Beto... Can't thank each of you enough for bringing jiu-jitsu back into my life & introducing the "gentle art" to my daughters as a result. You each have a knack not just for training, but for keeping everyone (including small children), motivated. You've built an amazing & unique system of training along with the best Academies I've ever had the privilege to train. Oss...

Love this school. Staff is nice and understanding. Kids love it! Highly recommend it!read more

Unsolicited review! Visiting purple belt from Marcelo Garcia's gym in NYC. Super impressed by the…read morelevel of skill and knowledge of the gym's members and coaches. I took a morning class with Rick, and that man knows jiu jitsu inside and out. Just as importantly, he knows the game of each and every member of the gym. Incredibly welcoming culture as well. I made sure to buy a 10 class pack for when I drop in next. Highly recommend this gym.

The environment is strongly, toxic, and not tolerant of neurodivergent, children and adolescence…read more The manager, Josh, who has been there managing the dojo for a few years, has made it obvious that he does not reward children on the autism spectrum who try just as hard as Neurotypical kids. my son adores most of the coaches there - they are good people and great coaches, however, due to the blatant discrimination, I've felt I had to pull my son from their facility and I'm currently looking into other jujutsu dojo's in the Danville area. There are a few kids that go there whose parents are also members that seem to get extreme favoritism - unfortunately I gave this dojo a fair shot and almost canceled it three times-- however, my son really loved a couple of the coaches so I kept hoping the culture would get better -- unfortunately, it did not. Most recently I asked if my son could attend the teen and adult kickboxing classes. He told me that it was only for teens and adults, after my son went a couple times. My son is 11 years old and he was enjoying the kickboxing classes a lot. after a few months I called Josh again and asked him if he could rejoin and Josh said he can rejoin if he doesn't 'have any more tantrums or is disruptive in the class'. However, I was there each time he was in the class as well as my friend Lisa and we never saw any tantrums or disruptions -- what we did see was a lot of questions because they were new to kickboxing, Enzo went there with one of his friends to learn about kickboxing and to participate, and they really loved it. After they were kicked out of the class, I didn't want to make a big deal about it, however I asked again if he could rejoin it, and he said he was too disruptive and throwing tantrums, which was a blatant lie. That was the final straw for me. All my communication has come From Josh , no one else. I also found out that stripes, which are progress awards, are only given to the k kids who attend on 'Gi' days, after attending that dojo for 3 years no one took the opportunity to convey that information to me after i inquired how stripes were given out. Again, all this was with my 1-1 communication with the manager - Josh. Apparently the owners are not involved at all and live in Idaho??? So trying to reach out to other management has been impossible. I'd appreciate any recommendations for a local Brazilian Juijitsu dojo - thx

Super good coaches and good facility, plus good students who are kind. Recommend it to anyone who…read morewants to start Judo or Jiu-jitsu

Great place to train! Sensei Kevin is just above and beyond. I do highly recommend this place…read morewhether you are a beginner or a high-level professional athlete.

My son is autistic and I put him in this place for safety and protection since his was 7 and he…read moreloved it... 4 year of payments $7000 that came from my son ssi money. I am single parent going through a rough patch and verbalized this and stated we will return once we got settwe after we mov. I was told to never come back to the gym. After a double payment in Dec that was taken out of my son account to supposedly cover Sept bill. this caused a hardship that I explained to the owner. As the only Black American in their business they don't see how disrespectful this is and never cared for my son. All I tired to do is pause his membership until after the hard time but was told I still had to pay even if he was attending. He did attend Dec and was charge even though they know he is with his father for the holidays. The fact the my son was NEVER invited back is okay. But this is why Black Americans don't support other cultures. You come over here... take our money, then disrespect us after we have supposed you! To the owners: You should be ashamed to treat the disabled black child like this especially when he was the ONLY BLACK BOY in the class! I communicated to your staff as soon as possible and was harassed by your staff for weeks for oayment after I emailed, spoke to and texted your staff my situation. My son didn't deserve to be treated like this. And I will be filing a complaint for the Unauthorized Retroactive Billing to a disabled childs income.

Outstanding Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training from Ex MMA fighter and Second Degree Black Belt, Marcio…read moreMoreira. Located in 3170-A Santa Rita Road Pleasanton. World class training for young and experienced athletes. Excellent instruction for children (ages 3-9) and (9 to 16). Adult classes are divided between beginner (white belt less than one year, and advanced blue belt to brown belt). There are five brown belts, who have found the advanced training and mentorship important for the pursuit of the hard to achieve Black Belt. Master Ralph Gracie's system of highly trained professionals will help start your journey or will continue your quest for mastery of this martial art! Muay Thai kickboxing classes on Monday and Friday evenings (7:30 pm) check website for times. No Gi training on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesday evenings, they feature a women only training.

I'm not sure how I haven't done a review here before!! We've been coming for over a year now. My…read moreolder son has enjoyed coming so much and now my younger son just started. I can not say enough good things about this place. Sifu Bobby is awesome. The kids respect him so much. The whole family is involved in teaching the classes and they are all amazing. Everyone here has oodles of patience, is kind and great at teaching the kids. I appreciate the discipline and the monthly lessons my boys learn during their karate. I also appreciate that a mix of martial arts is taught here. So glad we found this place!

If I could give them 10 stars, I would. This amazing school is beyond an exceptional place for kids…read moreto be part of. The role models, guidance and expertise from all of the instructors are beyond exceptional and inspirational. The confidence and respect that they teach each individual child is so priceless. We have been going to this school since my kids were five years old and now beyond honored that my daughter had received her first-degree black belt, and my son is working towards his. This school I feel should be a must for all kids. They teach skills that I would never be able to teach my children and I feel beyond blessed to know that the skills they are learning will keep them safe and aware in the future. We are so greatful we found this school. I highly recommend them. You will not be disappointed!

if you want to learn good, technical, effective muay thai, come here…read more steve is incredibly experienced, and takes the time to teach you step by step, so you learn at your own pace. go to the other place if you want to look hardcore in a cage, but only get so-so training. come here if you want to learn.

I have experience with only three martial arts places. The first was many years ago and was too…read morelong ago to review. The second was Gracie Jiu Jitsu in Dublin, which was a horrible experience. I won't focus on them, i'll stick with where I'm going now. VIP MMA in Pleasanton is a small place, but it has allowed for more one on one and personal training. I've only been going for about one month and taking Muay Thai classes. The trainer Steve has taken the time to go step by step in teaching the basics of Muay Thai. Since the beginner classes are on the smaller side, he is able to watch me individually and critique and correct my movements. Something I know doesn't happen in most classes. The schools seems very family oriented and everyone there is helpful and friendly. There is no ostracizing or cliques. The classes are fast paced, are a good workout, and I leave each one feeling like I've improved and learned something new.

I'm so glad I found Charles Gracie Academy. We moved to Livermore in August of 2024, and I signed…read moremy daughter up for Jiu-Jitsu classes shortly after. When I learned they had family plans, I signed myself up as well. What I was expecting when I enrolled my daughter was just an extracurricular activity to fulfill her need to move (and because she wanted to be like the Ninja Turtles). But what we've gotten back has been so much more. I've lost three pants sizes, for starters!! And I've also gained improved self-esteem, better focus, confidence in defending myself in shifty situations, a shared activity my daughter and I can practice at home together, and a passion I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. The list goes on and on -- but most of all, it's the camaraderie. In so many ways, I feel like I found my second home when I started training. Everyone is so friendly and patient as I learn, and I've met some truly awesome new friends. The coaches are all passionate about their craft, and that really sets them apart from other Jiu-Jitsu gyms. I know because I've tried other academies before, and Charles Gracie is unmatched in the level of care their coaches give to each student. They know their students by name and take the time to check in with how they're doing. They make sure no one falls through the cracks and that everyone understands the techniques. Last of all -- this place is super CLEAN!!! Every day after class, we see the coaches cleaning the mats, floors, toilets, locker rooms, and doors. It's such a relief not to worry about catching anything nasty. The other academies I tried were honestly grotesque -- grime in places that's hard to ignore -- it made me cringe. Honestly though, come check it out and see for yourself.

They don't let parents watch their kids. They have a big set of benches that I was told used to be…read morea parent viewing area pre-covid, but now everyone must wait outside. The classes are so full you have to get there early to see at all, and even then it's obstructed views and a long distance over the mats. You have to stand in the front of the stuido, I was asked to leave from the back window. I'd really like to see them offer the inside viewing again. My kids like jiujitsu training, and it sucks that this one aspect absolutely ruins the experience for the parents. I've seen jiujitsu have a sense of community and this place ain't it.

Although the instructors were nice, we did not sign up after the 5-class package for 2 major…read morereasons: 1. Overcrowded and smelling of feet. It's gross honestly. The space is very small and has low ceiling sending some unpleasant vibes. You really need a bigger space for the number of kids packed here. 2. They only have option of lump-sum payment in advance, not monthly payment. It's like a gym membership and you cannot pay based on number of classes per week. It's all or none. 3. The prices are not transparently disclosed, which I found weird. You have to attend a lengthy presentation and then they scribble the pricing on a piece of paper & then throw it away after you read it.

This is an unbelievably incredible school; the teachers are so kind, engaging and talented. I tried…read moremultiple schools around the bay and this is the best: low student to teacher ratio, flexible class schedule, and high caliber.