I came in for a trail Ji Jitsu class and met the owner Mike. He is super welcoming and humble. He taught me a lot in the first class and I'm very grateful. Will definitely be coming back when I'm in town! They also offer Mauy Thai, combat self defense... they are truly an amazing self defense school! Just wanted to leave this review. Highly recommend this gym. read more

This is going to be a different kind of review, but I am yet to go to the Academy. I just moved to Orange County, and I wanted to continue my Striking and MMA training. I have always been more into striking and one of my heroes is Marco Ruas. I have always wanted to learn Ruas Vale Tudo from the days of his instructional videos and the early UFC video game days. I had no idea where I was moving when I took my Job in HB, and assumed I would live in Santa Ana. I immediately found out about Tomacelli Academy and continued to "bother" Master Tomacelli on IG. I told him about needing personal training and he was the nicest person to me. He answered all my questions and made me feel at home, unfortunately, I moved to HB and haven't found really anytime to go check out the gym. But in general, it seems like a family and you get top notch training. I'm hoping to get there soon and just see rye greatness for myself. But in my experience, this is a great gym! read more

I came there for Wrestling. I saw on Tuesdays and Thursdays they had Dr. Petros Petrosyan (a US OPEN and UWW World Multi- Champion in Freestyle & Greco-Roman) running some classes from the Wrestling Club, Orange County Grappling ("OCG"). Well this was great. I really need Wrestling to help my BJJ so I started going to "OCG" and my top game in BJJ really improve d! So I now go to this club OCG on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays and I am now able to wrestle with anyone in BJJ and am thinking of eventually trying MMA since I can now control the 'position game'. read more

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Starting training boxing here about 2 years ago and slowly got sucked into jiujitsu and haven't looked back! I love the environment as it makes for less of an intimidating "military" structured vibe for beginners that are already hesitant. Landed some medals in the first 12 months due to spectacular coaches guiding me the whole way, many more to come. Recommend trying this MMA gym out before any others in the area read more

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Home of Team Joe Moreira one of the most knowledgeable Jiu-Jitsu masters of our time. If you are into real martial arts then this is the place. Don't expect fancy installations or any "green" juice bar. Just a hard working professional studio where you can be sure to "role" with the best. read more

Tomacelli Academy - Sports Clubs Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Been training here for years, it's more than a competitive gym, it's a family as well.

I've operated a martial arts school of my own, and--between business travel and relocations--I've had the opportunity to train at nine Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools, including several in this area. Based on those experiences I feel blessed to be able to train at Tomacelli Academy now. The quality of instruction here is excellent, the students are friendly and supportive, the mats are clean, the rates are reasonable, and Mike Tomacelli is an authentic human being who really cares about his students and their progress (an attitude that is reflected in the quality of his instructors and students as well). Some of the things that set Tomacelli Academy apart include: (1) Class offerings include BJJ, Judo, Boxing, Muay Thai, Women's Self-Defense, and Regenerative Stretching. All taught by legitimate experts in those specific disciplines, versus someone who has dabbled here and there. (2) Mike Tomacelli's own instructor, Master Joe Moriera, 8th degree "coral" belt, teaches a few classes a week as well as private lessons. Joe is a BJJ legend and one of the originators of the art in America. (3) MMA classes led by Marco "King of the Streets" Ruas, himself a MMA/UFC legend. (4) The school has produced numerous competition wins, but the curriculum is not hyper-focused on "competition" jiu jitsu, but rather on developing well-rounded abilities that can be adapted to competition if that's what the student is interested in. In other words, you are going to develop a solid, well-rounded game with strong/realistic self-defense capabilities. (5) When it comes to preventing injuries and/or helping those already injured to rehab and train safely, I've only experienced one other school that comes close. That doesn't mean that the intensity of training is reduced, just that health/injury prevention is actually a priority and not an afterthought as it is at many schools. I could write more but you really just need to come in and try it for yourself. read more

This is one of my favorite places in the world. Mike is a great teacher, and he'll break things down for you, regardless of your history with athletics or limitations/disabilities. How do I know? I have type 1 diabetes, and I wear a continuous glucose monitor, (dexcom), because I regularly have unexplained low blood sugar. I wanted to train for years, but I was never cleared by MMA gyms or my family to do so. What was Mike's response? "Go for it! What do you want us to do if something happens?" I then explained that the dexcom alerts me usually if my glucose is dropping, so I would just need to exit the mat and drink some gatorade. Everyone has been very accepting of the fact that I must do this (or I could die). Even more than that, this gym is like a family. I couldn't have asked for better, more knowledgeable, or more patient people to help me reach the goals I set for myself. Working in a very dangerous profession, (I am a psychiatric nurse who will be attending NP school hopefully), I feel immense gratitude to the Academy and to Mike and my other teachers for helping me feel comfortable with whatever may come. read more

Great family gym. 8 & 5 year old kiddos love the classes and we parents are very happy with adult classes and the gym.

What a school!! This is that first school i have ever been to that has a BJJ program, a Muy Thai program, a Boxing program and cross fit all under one roof. The instructors are on point and the all of it is made very affordable. I was here for 3 weeks and really changed my perspective on self defense and BJJ. I got my head knocked off a few times and trained with some very talented students. Had an amazing time and cant wait to go back. read more

I have been training at Tomacelli Academy for two years now, and I can't say enough good things about this gym. It has everything you could want in a MMA gym. The training programs are technically excellent, building step by step on solid fundamentals. For those who are already proficient, the coaches here can help take your skills to the next level. The other thing that sets this gym apart is the people. Without exception, they are friendly and engaging. This is a great atmosphere to train in, and learn jujitsu, boxing, kick boxing, and self defense. I highly recommend Tomacelli to anyone interested learning martial arts. read more

I've been training for 35 years and I have experienced a lot of gyms. This one and one in Stockholm are overall the best. Welcoming nice atmosphere and friendly people. No egos, no bad attitude, just a lot of sweat and good training. I highly recomend it. read more

I've been bringing my two boys here for about a month and my boys look forward to coming here every time! I highly recommend this place if you have kids and want to teach them self defense and discipline. Mike Tomacelli is the nicest guy you will me and the teachers here are first class and do a great job with the kids. read more

Amazing gym with even better people, all egos and judgement checked at the door. Additionally, in comparison to most places the class sizes are much smaller, getting 1 on 1 attention in your early stages seems to make all the difference. 10/10 swing by and take a couple free classes. read more

I've been training here for years. Mike is a awesome teacher, he really helps you develop the skills a the confidence. One thing about this school belts are not given, they are earned by hard work and dedication. read more

Tomacelli Academy Tomacelli Academy is amazing! I first met Mike almost a decade ago. Over the years this place has become the martial arts place to train in Southern California. I have taken a few different martial arts in a few different states, but the discipline and work ethic at Tomacelli Academy cannot be matched. I have also seen the Academy's transformation over the years and one of the best things now is Mike offers all natural organic home grow produce for the athletes. Tomatoes, Peppers, Squash, Pea Shoots, Wheat Grass, and more. There are several classes to choose from Brazilian Jujitsu's to kickboxing. I think the best thing is, I learn something new every time I'm in town visiting. Great Place!!! Learn Brazilian Jujitsu today! read more

Started training with Mike a little while ago and have never looked back. No need to find a different school because the experience has been so good here. This is more of a family type Jiu Jittsu club if that makes sense. It's not a big franchise where belts are given on attendance. No BS belts given here. Mike is very fair and straight forward with all the students. I have found the guys who train here not to be ego manics who just try to submit you at all costs, everyone has been helpful to me as a new student and let me make mistakes without tearing off my arm. I have found the vibe in the gym to always be positive and real. Mike knows everyone personally which makes a huge difference in the training environment, he trains everyday with the students too! Everyone is hard core but safety is very important and Mike dictates this rule. The gym's appearance from the outside looks allot like Rocky I, but the mats are cleaned (sanitized) every day and believe me it's clean on the inside. We have occasionally gone on hiking/camping trips man vs wild style and that's always allot of fun. To top it off, Mike holds a black belt and as an instructor, really knows his stuff and how to communicate his teachings. Mikes black belt was given to him by Joe Moreira who has a 8th degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu, a 3rd degree in Judo, a Ruas Vale Tudo black belt and fought in UFC 8 and UFC 14. Joe only has given 30 black belts and Mike has one. I would highly recommend training with the class for a week or two, Mike gives a free trial for new students I'm not sure how long it is. He also offers a kids classes and private one on one training. read more

Was a student there for 4 years, great instruction and great atmosphere conducive to learning. The owner Mike is very friendly and personable yet pushes his students to achieve their best. They also have an 8th degree Coral belt Joe Moreira teaching advanced BJJ. You don't get more legit than that. I would recommend to beginners or seasoned vets looking for a positive atmosphere to train. read more

Great place to train, good instructors, nice people. Check it out yourself

I have trained many different places and with and under many instructors. This school is my home and the best I have seen. Here you will have the opportunity to become the best you can be limited only by your own willingness to challenge yourself. The warmups alone contain more technique and physical demands than most other schools whole class. Just do your best to keep up. The instruction itself is top 2 percentile if not better. The price also beats everyone else for unlimited training and the students take full advantage of the 10+ classes per week. As a result the students are like family and are extremely skilled. Belts are earned and the tests for these belts are brutal. But a belt at this place is generally worth one higher anywhere else. The two purple belts are the best Ive ever seen. read more

Tomacelli Academy in Costa Mesa is a top level spot to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Judo, Boxing, Muay Thai, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Self-Defense, Armed/Unarmed Combatives, and Strength & Kinetics. The instructors are all highly proficient in their martial art/fighting styles and work together to create an environment where iron sharpens iron. Prof. Mike Tomacelli has brought together the best of the best and created a training community like no other before it. You will see instructors the likes of 8th Degree Coral Belt Joe Moreira, UFC Champ and Ruas Vale Tudo founder Marco Ruas, OC Muay Thai founder Dave Jansson This Academy is a home away from for everyone. Come check it out if you're in need of a confidence boost, reality check, practical skills, a new hobby, good friends, a slice of humble pie, stress release, and/or just a really good time with some really good people. read more

Really like this place. My membership covers Joe Moreira and Mike Tomacelli Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Marco Ruas Vale Tudo, Ken Smith Combatives and a whole bunch of other great martial arts skills. They have a really nice clean BJJ area, MMA Octagon and a great Kickboxing bag set up. They also have some great boxing and Muy Thai classes as well. I have been to quite a few MMA places over the years and I have found this one to be my favorite. Highly recommend to anyone that wants a great workout and develop some good skills as well. They also gave a really good kids program as well, which I think is very important these days. read more

I'm seriously impressed with the depth of knowledge, character and hospitality of this place. It's authentic, unpretentious and worth every penny. It's my new home away from home! read more

I knew nothing about defending myself. I came to this school with a basic understanding on how to be a victim. I trained with Mike for six months and after three combat deployments overseas, I can tell you that he saved my life with his training. He is the real deal. The things he taught me works on Al Qaeda cells and other terrorists. Of course, I used the basic hand to hand only after I ran out of ammo and I couldn't find my knife. Mike's school will help you become a complete person. Only train with mike if you want the real techniques and not pretty boy stuff that impresses the little people that hang out in bars in Newport Beach. Semper Fidelis. read more