This academy stands out because of its culture. The instruction is excellent, and also what really makes this place special is the people. The coaches teach the details behind each technique instead of just showing moves, so you learn not only what to do, but why it works. That approach has made a huge difference in my own understanding of jiu-jitsu. The atmosphere is welcoming and respectful. Whether you're brand new or have years of experience, everyone is treated like they're part of the team. The advanced belts are approachable, the training is challenging without feeling intimidating, and there is a genuine culture of helping each other improve. One thing I really appreciate is that standards are high. Progress and promotions feel earned, which creates an environment where people are motivated to keep learning and getting better. At the end of the day, a great academy isn't just measured by how good the instructors are--it's measured by the kind of community they build. This is a place where people enjoy training, support one another, and continue growing both on and off the mats. If you're looking for a jiu-jitsu academy with outstanding instruction, a winning competition team, a positive culture, and teammates who genuinely want to see you succeed, I highly recommend giving this place a try. read more

I really wanted to love this place because, to be fair, the quality of the Brazilian jiu jitsu training here is excellent. The instructors clearly know what they're doing, and the kids' program is well-structured and engaging. However, as a parent, the overall experience leaves a lot to be desired. The biggest issue? No WiFi for parents. If you're going to have parents sitting around for an hour or more during classes, it's pretty unreasonable not to provide even basic internet access. Not everyone can just disconnect from work or responsibilities during that time. The waiting area is minimal, and without WiFi, you're essentially stuck doing nothing or burning through your mobile data. In this day and age, that feels like a pretty basic amenity that should be standard--especially for a place that otherwise operates at a high level. So yes, great training--but not a very parent-friendly environment. Until they address this, it's hard to fully recommend. read more

My family has trained at this gym for years. This gym is friendly, low on ego, where people of all ages can train. My kids loved going and built confidence through supportive instruction. And as older woman, I'm having fun and getting fitter. The instructors are knowledgeable, patient, and great at adapting techniques for all levels. This is a family-run local business with a warm atmosphere and great for the family. read more

I can't imagine not coming here- my 2nd home- till the day I leave this earth.. The best environment to learn in a very fun , safe environment where the level of teaching is very high. They are there everyday teaching-not absentee Professor Marco who I met in 2007.. Professor Christina co-owns the school & they are married to each other. One of the best decisions I ever made was to join this school all those years ago read more

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I've been training with Marco since 2013. It's a fantastic family friendly gym. Everyone is nice and it's a very safe and welcoming environment. It's also a fantastic workout. Marco knows his stuff and has created a tight knit community of killers! My 4 year old twins have also just started training and they're having a ton of fun! Christina is fantastic with kids and mixes techniques with games to create an engaging environment for kids. read more

Marco Nascimento Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a friendly, fun, clean, and spacious academy. This gym is cleanly and professionally set up and maintained. Marco takes hygiene very seriously, and enforces this concept. Due to the covid pandemic, extra hygiene protocols are in place including: -high velocity air circulation and air exchange. -feet and hand sanitaion. -weekly covid testing for the teachers. -mats and equipment are sanitized constantly. -proof of vacination is required. Sign up for 1 week of free classes! There's no pressure to join at the end of the week. Just see how you like it and go from there. I'm glad my friend and colleague, Rowshan Ahani, encouraged me to join. I am at his debt. No egos; minimal injuries; and a strong cadre of upper belts have helped point out my weaknesses, and focus areas/techniques to help me develop faster. This is a great place to learn modern BJJ technique & roll with friendly folks. Side note - the kids classes here are excellent as my grandkids have enrolled here. Marco is a technical, ACCOMPLISHED and phenomenal teacher. As a former educator, I can tell when a professor is full of bull shit. Under his eye, you'll learn techniques and really sharpen your skill. I took 2 private lessons before competitions and got 2 gold metals (probably beginer's luck.) I have been visiting this gym for years now. Marco and his wife Christina have built a strong sense of community, and it's clear to see how he retains rapport with his team. The gym has plenty of positive energy, respect, playfulness and welcoming attitude. The students constantly supporting each other. There's a strong sense of teamwork and being in class together, rather than being there for just yourself. It's a judgement free zone meaning all levels and experience are welcomed! Prime location accessible via highway 92 near Safeway, they have a shared parking lot but if it gets full I've never had an issue with street parking. Classes are structured in an effective way, warm up/stretching, technique lesson, drilling, situational sparring and finally sparring.  I'm actually bummed out when I'm late and miss the warm up/ stretching. I'm 62 years old and NEED to warm up and stretch before going through the gauntlet.   This academy does not take part in gouging practices.  Here there are no yearly membership, no manditory belt fees, no manditory high price seminars, no manditory high priced uniforms, or no manditory private classes. San Mateo is lucky to have such an amazing gem of a gym! read more

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My son joined Marco Nascimento BJJ in August 2019. We explored many different sports options before coming to this academy. Something about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu just clicked for him. He loves it! I share this review with gratitude for the approach the team of instructors takes with the children's classes. They find the right balance between fun and disciplined training allowing each student at all competitive levels to find the path that suits their individual goals. If you want to push to compete in tournaments the opportunity is there. There are some highly skilled and decorated teammates to roll with and a solid group of parents to lean on. Marco and Christina Nascimento have created a family oriented environment, that encourages community among parents, students and instructors while also encouraging full inclusion with special needs families. Character. Community. Competition. You'll find that here. I encourage anyone curious to come by and try it out for a week. Special thanks to Rafael Fidelis for the private lessons with my son. Has made a world of difference. read more

Marco Nascimento - "Every journey starts with one step..." - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Near Me - San Mateo, California

TL;DR: This is a great welcoming gym for anyone--except for meat heads looking to beat up unsuspecting individuals, or those looking to intimidate others. Marco isn't having any of that at his gym. This is a safe and inclusive gym that does not tolerate hateful speech or predatory behavior. I have been training at MN-BJJ since October 2017 after moving to the area. I have previously trained at various gyms and have done dozens of drop-ins while traveling, so when looking for a new gym it was important for me to find a space where as a woman I felt safe, supported, and comfortable. I will say this: Marco and Christina have worked their butt off to create a welcoming space for their students. From their adaptive classes for neurodiverse individuals, to their beginner classes, to their women's class--they really try to make sure that people feel safe and comfortable while training. Many gyms focus on one area, but MN-BJJ has managed to cultivate a great environment for multiple populations. They have a great kids program, including summer and spring break camps. They have an adaptive BJJ program. They have a robust women's team. They also support all students interested in competition--young and old alike. And students from all of these programs compete ALL THE TIME. I have witnessed the "Old Guys" sweep at competitions, watched the newbies take gold, seen the kids get more subs that I could ever hope for, and have watched the women execute beautiful Judo throws in competition. Simply put: this is a family gym. You may come in by yourself, but soon you will feel like you have a familia supporting you on your BJJ journey. read more

As a mom of a little kid who is very nervous and shy, I knew I needed a way to get him out of his shell and build some confidence! The Nascimentos are my favorite people and my kiddo loves them! He's learning to become so much more confident and whether it's Christina or Marco teaching, he really latches onto both of them and has the best time. Sometimes he gets nervous and almost instantly one of the instructors notices and encourages him and gets him excited again! My husband and my son recently started the family class and it's equally as fun and exciting. This place is great especially for kids, and I'm so glad I found them! read more

I miss training and the community here so much. I started training jui jitsu at Marco Nascimento and have been to a hadnful of other jui jitsu gyms since. to this say I still have yet to find such a great down to earth gym with such a great class schedule and amazing instruction. If i still lived nearby I would still be trining here. read more

i have been doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since 1996 and this is the best place I have every trained. I drive 40 miles each way just to train with the main instructor Marco Nascimento. I went through 5 different instructors before I met him and have been training with him since 2002. Pros: He will actually roll with the students during class. He teaches all his classes. Safe environment. Takes individuals body type and shape into consideration when teaching. Passionate about BJJ. Cons: Everytime he "turns it on", he makes me feel like a little biatch. read more

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Our 7yo son goes here and he loves it! The instructors are great. You can tell they love working with kids and have a ton of patience. The ratio of kids to instructors is very good, so they get a lot of instruction and attention. They have a month to month membership which is great, but they also have discounts if you pay in advance. read more

Marco is a very courteous man and a great teacher.

Been training here for almost two years, and Marco and Christina truly make the gym feel like home. They create an environment that makes training fun for everyone. They also offer the more classes than any school in the area, which brought me here in the first place! read more

My 13 y/o son started a month ago and it has been amazing for him. He goes three or four times a week and every time he's done, he is completely excited. Marco and Christina run a very welcoming, family-oriented gym. My son is doing his first tournament next month, and he is over the moon. read more

Great location, super convenient. Quality instructors, excellent mat space. Great atmosphere for kids and family. Some Jiu Jitsu schools may lack amount of female students, but It's definitely NOT the case at this school. Definitely recommend it. read more

My son absolutely loves this place! Happy kid, happy parent! Highly recommend. The people there are great!

Love it here. Had been looking around for a school for a while, and then found this place through Yelp. (thanks Yelp.) Marco sets the tone--he's really smart, friendly, and a great person to study with. His game is amazing, and it's really something to learn directly from him. He's great with questions and suggestions. The "on the mat" coaching is fantastic too. Plus the chance to roll with Marco and the other experienced guys is a big plus--people are generous with advice, if asked for. I don't mind it so much when someone effortlessly gets out of my mount, because I can ask them "How did you DO that?" and they'll tell me. This is a safe place to train--which matters a lot. Guys are very willing to give input, tell me when I'm making mistakes, spar at half speed, etc. It's collaborative--"learning together" rather than "trying to beat the tar out of each other." Having said that, lots of talent here, lots of people who know their stuff--they just don't need to prove anything. Am having a lot of fun here, learning a lot, getting a great workout. Feel like I'm being instructed in the inner game--relax, pay attention, be strategic. No injuries so far--going on 6 months since I joined. Oh yeah, also it's month to month, so no need to sign a long term contract. This is a good place. ==== UPDATE: Going on a year now. Still healthy, still having fun. It just gets better. If you want to check out the gym, just drop by. M-Th at 6:30pm is good from white and green. If you're blue+, 7:30pm. Fridays are quiet, Saturday mid-day is bustling. M-Fr there's lunch time workouts, too. If you have q's let me know. read more

I've done my research on BJJ here in the Peninsula and I thought Peninsula BJJ was the best. I came to visit late last year to observe and speak with Marco. He's really cool and welcomed me to try it out free for a few lessons. I really enjoy MMA so I was immediately addicted to the training. I must admit that I was sore from my first lesson but it was because I am out of shape. Marco says that newbies like me don't immediately jump into the sparring. He said that when you are so new, it is important to work on the basics with him and under his supervision. I can appreciate that. I've met a lot of great people here who love BJJ. Everyone I've had a chance to train with has been friendly and helpful. I even ran into a buddy that I knew in high school here. This has been the highlight of 2010 for me. read more

Instructor - Marco Nascimento ... 4th degree BB under Adilson 'Bita' Lima, well known and connected in the BJJ world, and still actively competes (and wins!) in Pan Ams and Worlds. He shows stuff that you look at and say 'Gee, why didn't I think of that before?' - that is, a lot of practical, high percentage techniques that really gets the concepts stuck in your head. Plus, he is a super nice, laid back sort of guy who really cares and watches out for his students. He is at every class, which is so amazing that I'm stunned when I hear from my buddies that the head instructor is not there on a regular basis. The school - HUGE mat space, means a LOT of rolling, and clean bathrooms and changing spaces. Also has a separate women's changing room, which I am sure the ladies appreciate! The students - Like Marco, they are all super nice, and helpful. Everyone is there to learn. We train hard, but we aren't out there to dominate, rather try new ideas and play around. We do a good job of taking care of each other so no one gets hurt. Also, there is an excellent depth of blues, purples, a few browns, and a handful of black belts who show up regularly. The seminars - Did I mention Marco is well connected? He's had seminars by Andre Galvao, Adilson 'Bita' Lima, Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza, Eddie Bravo, and this Saturday Carlson Gracie Jr. It's a great chance to get some world class competitors to share their stuff! The guy who wrote this review - I'm a blue belt, practicing 6 years: 3 in NY and now 3 w/ Marco. Marco has completely changed my game from one of brute strength to one of (attempted!) relaxed finesse. I think Marco is awesome! read more

I dropped in for a week of training while visiting family in the area. I have been training for four years and have been to a few different BJJ schools. I found the facility spacious, clean, and easily accessible. The coaches were friendly, professional, and vey capable. The students were also welcoming and fun to train with. I would highly recommend this school to anyone new to BJJ or someone looking for a new place to continue training. read more

I've been working in the area for nearly 3 months; when I first starting working in the area I wanted to find a good school that was inclusive and focused on traditional BJJ with an emphasis on competition. After looking around I found Peninsula Jiu Jitsu which seemed like a good traditional Brazilian jiu jitsu school. I wasn't disappointed. For a small school there are plenty of high lever practitioners, the instruction is from a world class black belt, the gym has a good camaraderie and although I was an outsider from another team, I was made to feel welcome. Even their white belts are very skilled and enthusiastic about training and even competing. The team regularly competes and medals in the highest level of jiu jitsu competitions, which shows the schools commitment to technique and the art of jiu jitsu. If I were to move to the area this would be my first choice for a jiu jitsu school. This is also a great school if you wanted to get into great physical shape while learning an applicable martial art or if you had kids you wanted to enroll in what I believe to be the best single martial art around. read more

I originally started training in OC and moved into the area and found Marco (5th Degree Black belt) at Peninsula BJJ. This is school is awesome!! When I was looking for a new home to train. I search all over the Peninsula for the perfect place. What locked me in was that everyone was very supportive, had a great attitude and was encouraging. No one here wants to "smash" you. A majority of the students at this school are Purple belts and Blue belts over 40 total combined in all weight classes... about 5+ Brown belts and 5+ Black belts that are here very often training as well. This was important to me. This shows that people are happy where they are and are here to stay. Most of the other school I went to prior to picking Peninsula BJJ had mostly white belts (80%+)... This is not necessarily bad but shows me that the school is either new/ starting to grow or students are not very happy and want to look for another home. During this past year Marco and the team have pushed me to become a more disciplined athlete/ better competitor and it has paid off these last 10 months. My biggest accomplishments was a Silver at US Open and a Gold at the World Championships in Long Beach. Whether you are looking for a great workout, to learn self-defense, or becoming a World Champ. This place is for you! :) read more

Marco Nascimento - IBJJF World Championships - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Near Me - San Mateo, California

My oldest daughter started here with Marco and Rodrigo late 2014. She started in the upto 6 year old class. This class promotes physical exercise, technique, and most of all FUN for the kids. They teach the kids to love BJJ. In the next age group they teach more advance techniques and instill more discipline in their students. The teaching and training is a well structured yet fluid family safe environment. This place is the best! So much that our youngest daughter and myself train here too. For the adult perspective, this place is the best! There are afternoon and evening classes that are taught by Marco who is a well decorated BJJ practicioner but also a very detail oriented teacher. The strongest thing Marco has done is create a safe teaching environment where all egos are checked at the door. Everyone is approachable and willing to teach providing a place where the teaching does not stop... read more

Marco Nascimento - Wonderful Kids classes - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Near Me - San Mateo, California

New members of the club/ dojo here After a few weeks in, only extremely positive things to say Our family loves it Very welcoming, serious, friendly, technical read more

I did my internship here for massage therapy and these are amongst the nicest people I have ever met. I really appreciated their great facility and enjoyed the classes I was taking while I was there. There is a lot of passion here and if your looking to learn out about BJJ or regular fitness, look no further. This place will whip you into good shape. Marco is the nicest person and all the patrons that I've met are just as nice. Great place to learn, great place to train, great place to become a part of. read more

I love this gym. Marco and the res of the instructors are friendly, personable, and have a ton of experience. It's very friendly to kids and women, fosters a healthy and accepting environment, and is a nice, clean facility. It's easily my favorite place to practice martial arts. I've been a member for 2 years now. read more

Wonderful place for Jijutsu Lovers. Convenient location, great staff and flexible schedule. Marco and his wife Christina are such amazing and inspiring people. They offer a free trial class if you want to see what they are about! read more

A great place to learn Brazilian-jiu-jitsu. If u make a mistake u can always keep on trying and trying till u get it right . Marcos great funny sensi . Great place to train come train here peninsula bjj. This gym is my life. read more

Marco Nascimento - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love this place, great environment, friendly staff. I really recommend to anybody who wants to learn Jiu Jitsu. I've learned a lot with Marco and I'm proud to have him as my professor. read more

I have been training with Marco for almost 20 years and don't regret one minute of it. Whether you are walking in for the 1st or the 1,000th time you will always experience an atmosphere that is very much like a family. From day one you are welcomed and treated with respect and Marco won't have it any other way. You will quickly notice that everybody is patient and willing to share the knowledge that Marco has passed on over the years. Along with this, if he is not teaching the class himself (which he does most of the time), he is still there so you will get the highest quality instruction available. In short, the gym is not just a place where people only workout and go home. It is a lot more than that and I have many friendships from it to prove it. read more

It was my first time trying BJJ today. I was intimidated to try, but Christina and Marco were both welcoming and gave personal instruction time throughout the class. I felt safe when practicing the techniques. I'm excited to go again! read more

Looking for BJJ, look no further. This is as good as it gets. I know. I've been training here for three years -- after training at two different BJJ clubs on the peninsula. Here's what sets Marco 's Club apart from the crowd. 1. He's not only a great teacher but also a great competitor as well--winning dozens of golds on the mat. (And he is still competing!) So when he tells you what works and what doesn't--he knows first hand. 2. He runs a great family club where everybody--I mean everybody-- helps you improve. This a tone he sets from day one. As he put it to me when I joined, "We are all friends, here, so you must be careful with your training partner." 3. Unlike other clubs you can try, you can walk in off the street to Pitbull and try a class without feeling you have to fight for you life. All the guys who work out here are great guys and want you to join. So you can count on learning something from someone you train with--and not get crunched like at other places. 4. You'll also like the fact that you can drop in and try a class and NO BS "black belt club" or feel like you're pressured to sign a contract like other places you'll find. Marco is old school martial arts. You can pay monthly or, as I do, pay six months in advance and get a discount. 5. When you join, your game will improve rapidly. Mine has. Especially the half guard where Marco is simply the master's master. It's no wonder. He was Brazilian legend, Adilson "Bitta" Lima's student and first black belt. (Who regularly visits the school and rolls with every single student!) 6. I don't know about the night class, but during the day you can find four black belts on the mat nearly every lunch! Gene, Nat, Luiz, and Harold will not only roll with you but also add to the many details Marco shares at every class. 7. I could go on and on about Peninsula BJJ, because this is truly a great club that I am proud to be a member with great guys who all love the sport and want to improve their games. My advice: Stop by the club and check out a class. Better yet, bring your gi and roll with us. I guarantee you'll find the club as I have described--warm and friendly-- and the instruction the best you'll find on the peninsula. read more

I can't say enough about Marco and the peninsula bjj team. My son and I both train there and we definitely picked the right gym for us. He trains about 3 days a week and it has given him a lot of self confidence and also has helped with his focus. I started about a year and a half ago and have been hooked since and train 4-5 times a week and it helped me lose close to 30 lbs in only about 3-4 months and I've been able to keep it off since. The other thing that is great about the gym is that there are many different skill levels and everyone is very helpful. Also professor Marco is a world class instructor and has many different high level guys come to the gym to train or teach. For example he is gone to Brazil and we have master Braga teaching who is a coral belt. If your in the Bay Area and want to take up jiu jitsu this is the place. read more

So I'm in the process of looking for a new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school. I looked on Google and here on Yelp. I did some research on this school and found out that the main instructor Marco Nascimento, who is a third degree black belt. He has won the Pan Am American Games in Los Angeles two years in a row. Let me tell you if you have never competed before. This tournament is one of the hardest in the world! So with this information I really wanted to visit this school and try it out. I stopped by on a Friday and spoke with Marco. He is really nice and easy to speak with. Friday is there open mat day. This means that there isn't any formal class on this day. It is meant for the students to practice some of the moves shown during the week. Marco said I could train with his students that day but asked me to come back again for a formal class. This meant a lot to me because some schools charge you to train with them. Even if it for one day! On my second trip to Peninsula BJJ Marco showed me some new moves. He does a LOT of one on one during his class. Showing his students the details of the moves. I can't wait to start training here and learning from someone who has the time on the mat as well as the motivation to teach his future black belts. read more

One of my new year's resolutions for 2011 was to get back into some form of martial arts. So in October I finally got around to looking up the BJJ academies in the greater bay area and was surprised to find this place, with such great Yelp ratings, just 15 minutes from my house. My roomie and I went to check it out for a free lesson and knew we were hooked 5 minutes into the first lesson with Marco. You can tell he's truly passionate about both the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu AND the people that train at his academy. In fact, he let us attend 2 weeks of free classes before signing us up, and he makes sure to give all the new white belts extra attention their first few months to make sure they're getting the basics down. Beyond Marco's passion for his Dojo, you can tell the place is great by all the other experienced guys who train there. EVERYONE has been nothing short of helpful- blue, purple, and brown belts will help explain the nuances of the moves, and everyone laughs and jokes with each other all the time. This is not a "hardcore" MMA gym, but a place for good people to get together, study some serious BJJ, and have a lot of fun. It feels more like a family than a gym, and I can hardly wait every Tuesday/Thursday to get out of work and hit the mats. Team Pitbull for life! read more

All classes are taught by 6th degree black belt Marco Nascimento. Marco's the highest ranking black belt in the peninsula (likely the entire Bay area) and he's a very accomplished competitor and instructor. I've trained at many other schools here, throughout the US and abroad, and Marco's techniques are world class and the gym environment is the most welcoming I've experienced. It's a very family friendly vibe and we've all become great friends. Come by and check it out! read more

I started training here in Dec. of 2007 and they've reignited my passion for jiu-jitsu. Come to train and check your ego at the door because the environment here is meant for those that want to learn and excel in brazilian jiu-jitsu. You'll notice the difference when you check out one class. read more

I wanted to start training BJJ to get in in better shape and learn something new and based on the reviews here gave Peninsula BJJ a chance. I wasn't dissapointed, Marco is an excellent instructor and really cares about all his students. He teaches all the classes himself and there are always friendly and helpful people training to give pointers and help you work on your game. I've gone from training two days a week to at least 4, it's that much fun there! read more

I have been training here for almost 6 years and cannot say enough about this gym. Marco has provided a place to learn, grow and compete. One of the best teachers, great training partners and a spacious facility...if you're looking for a place to train, this is it. You'll find people of all backgrounds either looking to compete or just to get a workout in. Definitely stop by to see for yourself. read more