Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club is a great place to train. I was visiting family in town and decided to do…read morea drop-in class, and I'm glad I did. Everyone was very welcoming, the atmosphere was friendly, and the training was solid. The instructors and students made me feel comfortable from the moment I walked in. If you're local or just visiting the area, I definitely recommend stopping by to train.

My husband and I have been training here for about 5 years and we absolutely love it. All the…read morecoaches are extremely knowledgeable. There are always a handful of black belts on the mat who are happy to help and answer questions. The whole team feels like a family. It honestly feels like a second home.

I brought my 5-year-old son in for a free trial class to see if he would be interested in…read morejiu-jitsu. From the moment class started, I was amazed at how engaged and focused he was. I've never seen him listen so attentively or follow instructions so well in any other sport or activity. The energy in the room was fantastic, and the instructors did an excellent job of keeping the kids focused while creating a positive and encouraging environment. They were firm when needed, patient, and always willing to help my son throughout the class. What stood out to me the most was the culture of teamwork and support. Several of the kids went out of their way to help my son, and it was great to see the older students taking an active role in keeping the younger kids engaged, attentive, and included. It truly felt like a welcoming community. Overall, it was an excellent experience, and I highly recommend Gracie Barra to any parent looking for a structured, supportive, and confidence-building activity for their child.

Gracie Barra Northridge has been great for my boys--and I ended up joining too after seeing how…read moreeffective and useful jiu-jitsu really is. The coaches are patient, structured, and genuinely care about everyone. The environment is positive and welcoming, and there's a strong focus on discipline, respect, and confidence. My kids look forward to training every week, and I've had a great experience myself. Definitely recommend for anyone looking to get into jiu-jitsu.

My son discovered this place and is super passionate about Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu and I'm so…read morehappy he found this place. The coaches are wonderful and inclusive and he has really found his home in this studio. Thank you to all the instructors and people who work there. My son is in recovery and is really doing a bad ass fucking job of it.

Awesome place to train. Came here for open mat and it was one of the cleanest and coolest bjj…read morefacility I have ever visited. It also has a private stretching area, private changing area and a mma room. The owner was so nice and sweet, she showed us around the facility and offered me drinks, coffee and tea multiple times. The vibe was really cool and welcoming. If you live in the area and are looking for a place to train in no gi and mma, this is the spot. Definitely recommend!

Highly recommend Kaiju and Professor Gabe to serious BJJ practitioners or anyone looking to start…read moretheir jiu-jitsu journey. The passion and love for the sport here are truly infectious, and Professor Gabe is deeply committed to his craft. This was my home gym and where I was first introduced to jiu-jitsu. Gabe's black belts are absolute killers on the mats, yet the overall atmosphere remains relaxed, warm, and incredibly welcoming. Although I haven't had the chance to visit the new location yet, I'd love to drop in soon and get in a few rolls on the mats.

The energy is contagious in the gym The people are all about…read morehelping and improving. No egos , no one trying to injure the other guy. High level practical training without the bs Highly recommend this gym

I personally trained at this academy for many many years until I moved from Los Angeles. It's the…read moregold standard of BJJ training by one of the original practitioners of the sport who went on to train world renowned names in the martial arts like Joe Rogan and Eddie Bravo! It's funny to see 2 or 3 people state here on Yelp that the fees are high or that it's not a good place for women. This is so untrue it's obvious their reviews are complete "hit pieces" - having personally spent 2 decades there I think I'm qualified to say "all women" are treated as equals, and as family. Don't believe me, go ask the women who train there now. Or, just go watch a class and judge for yourself. As for the cost of classes, you are paying for a school and instructor that safely trains or trained everyone from children to law enforcement to "major world celebrities" like Hollywood action icon Keanu Reeves (from the "John Wick" Films), and famous comedians like Kevin James (from the TV series "The King of Queens" and "Mall Cop" movies)... and many other famous people who I don't wanna name drop here. But you get my point. Signing up at Jean Jacques Machado's Academy is like becoming a member of an elite community. So you never know who you might recognize that drops in to train. "That's" how in demand this academy is!!! There are a lot of BJJ schools in LA today who are jealous of the success this academy has rightfully gained and maintained (due to its history and perfectionism) and has been a staple in the Los Angeles community way longer before any of these other schools even knew what BJJ was. So any 1 or 2 negative reviews that were posted on yelp are directly from people with an "agenda." The honest truth is if you want safety, top of the line instructions in BJJ in a clean environment, checking this place out would be the smartest thing you could do. You'll see once you study at this academy any other school in Los Angeles will be inferior. Don't believe me? Go see for yourself. I promise you if you're a girl, an old man, or young child it won't make a difference as it won't be long before your membership turns into a family affair filled with many friendships, good times and insane knowledge of the world's greatest self defense system. ... and FYI - I don't benefit from this review... this is from someone who left CA and in hindsight realizes there's no other academy that can compare to it. Anyway that's my 2 cents. Good luck with your journey.

Absolutely the best hands down BJJ academy in southern calif. Being taught by one of the legends of…read moreBJJ and is an unreal honor and an amazing team of professionals who are respectful friendly and super knowledgeable teach daily. Professors Mark and Jay add to the overall experience with their professionalism friendly demeanor and are super knowledgeable about all of the strategies positions and details that they learn personally from Master JJ. Blessed to have been training here.

Best jiu jitsu gym in the valley. If you're looking for a…read moregym that's both beginner friendly and competitive for experienced practitioners, this is the place! This gym has great facilities, plenty of mat space, prioritizes cleanliness, and has some of the best coaching I've ever experienced. If I could give them 10 stars I would.

Coach Mike has an awesome environment to train nogi every day in the valley. Safety oriented, clean…read moreand I'm always greeted with a warm welcome any time I come do a drop in. And Coach Mike handing out butt kickings. Can't ask for much else.

This is a tremendous Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym with top-level instruction, plus Muay Thai classes. A…read moregreat mix of gi and no-gi classes, with a super helpful and friendly group of people training here who want to help each other get better. I'd strongly encourage anyone in the area who's been thinking about trying jiu-jitsu to come check out Checkmat Woodland Hills!

From the owner: CHECKMAT was founded in 2008 with a passion to create a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team that is rooted in…read morefamily, positivity and excellence. Today, it is still that same passion that has spread to all parts of the world through our over 200+ schools. We are proud to have built a genuine and supportive worldwide community of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners and it’s now we are arriving in Woodland Hills We are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champions. We are Family. We are CHECKMAT / Since 2008

VMAC is the best karate place you will find in the valley. My son has been learning karate 2-3…read moreyears. And I must say, it's been a wonderful and rewarding experience. The senseis are so devoted and take the discipline seriously. If you want your child to be challenged and grow, this is the place but if you're the kind of parent who wants a trophy for just showing up, this is not it. The senseis are disciplined, honest, respectful and fair. My son has learned alot of skills and values from VMAC. The prices are also reasonable compared to other places. We also love the families and have created good friendships and a community. My son even loves showing up by himself. I no longer have to remind him. Thank you sensei Eiko, Taichiro, Manny and Jon! You're doing amazing work!

Awesome place! The…read moreplace has sparked a love for martial arts in me. I started last summer and have since become a regular in Karate and Budoshin Ju-Jitsu. I've fallen in love with martial arts so much I now try places and styles all over the greater LA area. That being said, this place is one if not the best and where I keep going back to despite other options. Even though I also train in kickboxing at another studio I prioritize my training here first. Lots of classes for all age groups and styles. I don't train in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu but I can tell you the instructors and students are great there and everyone has a great time. I train primarily in Shotokan Karate which is the most popular form of Karate in the world, taught by instructors who have experience competing in national and world tournaments and winning. Make me no mistake, this is not a McDojo that is just glorified day-care like some other places. This place is the real deal where you or your children will learn real martial arts and how to fight proper. But, in a safe and controlled environment where injuries aren't that common. There are adults who train here in addition to having their own children train here. In both BJJ and Karate, the instructors have also trained previously under some of the most influential people in these martial arts. Budoshin is the other martial art I train in here which is a contemporary style of Japanese Ju-Jitsu, it is acknowledged officially by the Japanese Ju-Jitsu association. Unless you count Waza this martial art doesn't involve sparring and is the most self-defense focused martial art. This style focuses mainly on joint-locks and similar moves for non-lethal take downs, also moves that are prohibited in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu. Many techniques are controlled drills on compliant attackers. All this considered if we did do full on sparring people would actually get hurt so there is more control and no sparring. Things like eye-gouging is taught here that would obviously not be allowed or utilized in a competitive sport setting. Unlike BJJ and Karate this is only for teenagers and older, no pre-teens allowed. There was a time where Kali was offered but was discontinued due to lack of interest. Kali is a Filipino martial art with a focus knife-flows, stick fighting, and in a nutshell, blade combatitives. If you are interested in it, the instructor Nick still teaches for free on Saturday's at a park and you can meet him here since he is a student of BJJ.