I needed a place for my daughter to train while we were on vacation and both times we came here…read morethey made feel like she was part of their academy

My son Gunner learned so much here. Awesome coaches. Mahalo for his trainings. He is working on…read moregetting his Grey belt. Great antiBully classes offered for the young kids.

United BJJ Hawaii is a phenomenal place to begin or continue your jujitsu journey. I became…read moreacquainted with the owners, legendary Professors Bruno and Angela Pucci, during their process of becoming an affiliated We Defy Foundation gym. From the meet and greet, I was hooked on their gym dynamic--a welcoming gym full of experienced individuals working together to progress in the art form. Classes are well-structured with lessons followed by live roll applications. The coaches at the gym are very involved, and it shows through the positive learning environment their gym has. I travel a lot for work, which provides the opportunity to visit many gyms. Though I am still very junior in BJJ, this is by far my favorite gym to train at! 10/10 this places goes above and beyond.

As a family with little to no experience with combat sports, we weren't sure what to expect when we…read morejoined United BJJ, but the coaches made us feel comfortable from the start. My children love training here--they've made great friends and gained valuable skills in Jiu-Jitsu. Beyond technique, they've developed confidence, respect, improved concentration, and learned self-control, discipline, and perseverance--skills that will last a lifetime. The way the coaches teach is exceptional. They explain techniques in a way that is easy for children to understand, making each lesson fun and engaging. This has helped my kids grasp the fundamentals quickly while enjoying the learning process. A few months ago my children participated in their first tournament, and Coach Maraya went above and beyond to support and encourage them, making the experience truly memorable. This type of dedication from the coaches is what makes this academy so special. Additionally, the convenience of the location is a huge plus. There's plenty of parking, and the academy is inside a 24-hour fitness facility, which means I can get my own workout in while my kids are training. We're grateful to be part of this community and highly recommend it to anyone seeking a positive, family-friendly environment to learn BJJ.

I was in Oahu for work recently and hungry to get back to training. I checked out Island Jiu-Jitsu…read morebecause of the yelp reviews and the feeling I got from the pictures. My gut said this was the right place. I took several group classes and had the pleasure of a private session with Jason, the gym's owner. His attention to the smallest details of a single technique, along with overall creative concepts are part of what makes the gym so special. The other part is that everyone I met was friendly and welcoming. It feels like a large family. A family of absolute assassins on the mat. I tapped a thousand times during each sparring session and never once felt like I was in danger of getting injured. There are a variety of ages, sizes and belts so you can develop your skills against a variety of opponents. They teach self defense techniques and how to meld them into the sport versions of those techniques. Overall a deep and well thought out program. Any time I'm lucky enough to work on Oahu, I'll be training at Island Jiu-Jitsu.

I never leave reviews and I created a Yelp account specifically because I feel this needs to be…read moresaid about this business. I enrolled my young son in a trial class at Island Jiu-Jitsu and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. The class did not seem well-suited for young beginners. Despite being advertised for younger children, there was a very wide age and skill range in the class, from very young children to much older students. As a result, the younger and less experienced kids appeared to receive very little attention. One of the stated rules was "no crying," which I found concerning for a children's class. Young children who are trying something new can naturally feel nervous, overwhelmed, or emotional, especially during their first lesson. My son became upset because he wasn't sure what to do and was struggling to follow along as a first-time student. While he was visibly crying and having a difficult time, the main coach ignored and didn't bother to check in with him, offer guidance, or even take a moment to speak with me about how he was doing. After class, no instructor approached us to discuss his experience or offer encouragement. The overall atmosphere felt much more focused on the more advanced students than on helping beginners feel comfortable and successful. For families with young children who are new to jiu-jitsu, I would not recommend this program based on our experience.

Both Gracie Barra Kapolei and Waipahu continue to thrive in all aspects. Thank you for all you do…read moreand represent. Although Gracie Barra is a franchise organization, your gym has successfully balanced business and community. You embrace the aloha spirit and encourage what matters (inspiration through bjj) while functioning in a global organization. Very impressive.

Amazing gym culture! If you are a seasoned practitioner, wanting to start, have advanced or…read morebeginner children, there is a program and class for everyone. Responsive on social media and if you decide to come in person to check it out, super low threat, no pressure. 100% RECOMMEND!

If you are local or just visiting like I was, and you want a fantastic place to train, make this…read moreyour destination. The BJJ family is always welcoming and these guys were no exception.

Trained here for a month while visiting my mom and it was an awesome experience. The professors…read morewere able to explain drills and concepts extremely well, gave specific feedback during drills, specific training and sparring and were also mindful of any injuries that training partners needed to be reminded of (shoutout to Professors Sean, Don, Diego and Coach Geno!!). Not only were the instructors great, everyone was so welcoming. The facility is clean and well maintained. I look forward to returning there next summer!

My son has been coming here for over a year now and the experience has been great. Awesome…read moreprofessors and coaches on every shift. They really work well with kids to prepare them for competitions and just the regular training is first class. The gym is never dirty! Always smells and looks spotless. Really grateful for my son to be apart of this epic community.

I've recently joined CJJF and it's my first BJJ experience. I have both a judo and wrestling…read morebackground so I wanted to try something different. I'm a very shy person and wanted to come out of my comfort zone so that's why I've decided to join this club. The staffing and coaches are extremely friendly and welcomed me right away! The coaches and staff are very patient and are willing to teach above and beyond! The dojo is very clean and organized. There are classes everyday which is great if you have a busy schedule. I'm very happy and excited to continue coming to practice! If you're looking to start BJJ somewhere and don't know where to go, I highly recommend CJJF!!

We have been apart of the Gracie Barra family for 11 years. We joined Aloha stadium a year ago when…read morewe moved here. If you want to genuinely feel that Gracie Barra one team one family vibe this is the Gracie Barra you need to go to. Professor Justin went above and beyond to make my kids feel welcomed and a part of the family. We tried another Gracie Barra on Oahu on their opening day and we did not feel welcome. Aloha Stadium upholds all of the Gracie Barra philosophies, curriculum, and uniform policies. It's extremely professional and really upholds the Gracie Barra way. My children do Jujitsu to help them become better people, learn how to defend themselves, and learn how to get back to their community and they learn all these things here at Aloha Stadium.

I visited Oahu on vacation at the end of June / early July of 2025. I had time to squeeze in a…read morecouple of training classes. I contacted the school in advance and was able to visit and train with them. My 10 yr old son was able to go and train once with the juniors while we were on the island. The school / students were all very welcoming to us. From the instant we stepped onto the mats, we felt like we belonged there. I glad I went as Prof. Justin James pointed out a couple of things I needed to improve and then went about teaching me how to do that. All in all, I highly recommend this school to either join as a regular student, or visit and train with them when in town.

Instructor Eric Goo is an amazing teacher. He works very well with my granddaughter, who is…read morediagnosed with autism, and makes learning jiu jitsu fun for her and her siblings. His patience, encouragement, and ability to connect with children truly stand out. I highly recommend him to anyone whose child is interested in starting jiu jitsu

Traveling back home to Hawaii, I wanted to keep up with my BJJ training so I reached out to…read moreProfessor Eric and he quickly invited me to visit his gym...I think I may have found my gym away from my home gym. I visited Mad Tiger on a weekday gi class and am impressed - Prof Eric and three of his awesome students (2x blue, 1x brown belt) welcomed me with open arms. The instructions from Prof Eric were situationally based that I could easily relate and practice. Rolling followed and you can easily assess the quality of the gym and instructor by the way students roll, especially with an out of town visitor - they practiced restraint and control, instead of cranking down to execute a submission (where injuries can occur) or using unscrupulous (i.e. butthole) techniques, ensuring everyone was able to have a good grappling session. Located in a converted warehouse in a residential area, close to Wheeler Army Airbase (Wahiawa), MTA has the vibe of an old school academy with a great professor and students. I know where I'll be visiting when I travel to Hawaii.