I met Mario many years ago and he first invited me to train, though back then I had injuries which I never thought I would train jitsu...I first came in 3 years ago to start training but between injuries and my mental health battle we parted ways .I just wanted to thank everyone at the Yamasaki gym but especially Fernando, Oscar, Elaine, Jessica, and Enzo (also Mario in spirit) for being so patient with me as I tried to use their gym as a positive coping mechanism for my mental health. God bless you all. I do not train there anymore but think it's a great gym for anyone to train, as they were all great people. Thanks for investing the time in me when I was not myself mentally. OSS. read more

Yamasaki Academy - Martial Arts Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Best BJJ academy. They preserve the roots of the culture and the traditions of the martial arts.

I can't say how grateful I am to have come across such a great academy/ sport. I was a bit spectacle at first with my son only starting at 4 years old I thought it was just going to be a bunch of kids running around wasting time for my money but boy was I wrong!! My son (now 7) has learned so much here. Respect, discipline, determination and dedication. I've never seen so many kids enjoying going to class. I love the instructors. They all have very different techniques but all really dedicated to the kids. Over time my son has made great friends here and so have I. Keep up the awesome work my son (2 time pan-am champ ) will continue coming here. Yours truly, A very proud and satisfied mom :) read more

Yamasaki Academy - 2014 Pan-ams - Martial Arts Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

I've been training here for 7 years. Great academy great people. Lots of competitors but also a great place for people just starting out. Fernando Yamasaki is a true master, yet humble and spars daily. Hope to see you on the mats! read more

Reasonably good academy, but extremely over priced. At more than $140/month this place is nearly a car payment. Space is cheap in rockville, so unless you can hammer out an excellent deal, look elsewhere. read more

Summary: Great people, Renown Instructor, Incredible Academy I have only attended Yamasaki Academy for 3 months, and from what I've seen this is a quality gym with quality people. They offer MMA, kids BJJ, BJJ, capoiera, Muy Thai, Boxing, Strength & Conditioning a few days of the week, but I'd say BJJ is their bread and butter. Lots of talented, hard working folks who are always willing to teach. I am impressed with this group of people who are seriously passionate for BJJ. I would highly recommend Yamasaki Academy for anyone who is willing to try BJJ. I signed up 2 classes/wk for 120 for 2mo. (They have military discounts) A typical session includes warm ups, drilling, and then free rolling. read more

My cousin has been trying to get me to train here for years. It took about 5 years for me to finally join and my only regret is not joining sooner. I've had such a great experience training in Muay Thai and BJJ that I have also enrolled my son in BJJ classes as well. It's become his favorite sport and he looks forward to coming here every week. The instructors are world class and the kids program is now ranked in the top ten in the US. Whether you're looking to compete or just want to get into better shape while learning how to defend yourself, you can't do better than this in the area. Everyone here is treated like a member of the family and you won't find another training center like it in the area. read more

This is a fantastic place to learn Jiu Jitsu. The instructors are phenomenal and are really there to help, and make you feel comfortable. I personally dropped out after a few months due to other life commitments but can't speak more highly about my experience there! read more

Both my son and husband attend. What a wonderful place to receive technique and great discipline for my boys!! I think the instructors are great with my seven year old!!! We love this place. Wonderful personalities! It may be expensive for some, but if you are committed to Jiu-Jitsu then this is the place for you! read more

Bringing my kids to the Yamasaki Academy in Rockville two years ago has been one of the best things I have ever done for them. In addition to learning how to fight well, they have learned how to be respectful, disciplined, and hard-working kids. Fernando has taught them to be caring leaders by giving them the responsibility of helping less experienced and younger students. Fernando and the other instructors are the best in the DC metropolitan area at teaching the kids jiu jitsu and fighting. The academy is even better at teaching the kids how to become better people. And I no longer worry about my kids being bullied at school or anywhere else. My kids don't worry either. read more

Yamasaki Academy - Martial Arts Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

This is the best BJJ around. The instruction is second to none. Fernando is A 6 degree BJJ Black belt UFC referee and is on the mat all the time. The people are great, its like family. My Daughter attend the kids classes. They learn respect and self confidence. THANK YOU YAMASAKI ACADEMY!!! read more

I use to practice there looong ago when Mario Yamasaki was getting started here in this area. What a great time that was back then. Great instruction good students many of which went on to become champions in MMA. It was a small but very loyal group of us training hard almost every day back then. Nothing commercial or money grabbing about it. It was true to the Art and from the heart and one of the first BJJ schools in the area. Later on they started teaching Kick boxing and other forms as well. I did it all back then over 13 years ago. Nowadays, however, I play with swords in kendo taking it nice and easy. I'm too old to be mixing it up on the mats. But maybe one day I'll return just to keep up the practice just a little. -Proud Former student read more

Wow, in short, simply a life changing experience. I have been training at Yamasaki for several months now and it has been amazing. Yes, Master/Professor Yamasaki is a world renowned instructor for his resume and credentials in BJJ and martial arts but it goes much further than that. He is a great person that cares for all his students. He believes and teaches thru confidence and strength (mentally) we can overcome anything. I am having some life challenges currently and he took time from his busy day to sit down and speak with me and offered incredibly sage/thoughtful advice. The group of men and women who train here are a tight knit powerful group who look after one another, on and off the mats. I am a 35 year old with no wrestling or martial arts experience but it didn't matter. They are patient and kind to us out-of-shape and slow to learn/understand. In just a couple of months (only training twice a week) I have already dropped over 20 lbs, I had to buy new jeans (waist is down two sizes), and I have mental clarity and level of confidence that didn't exist prior to first walking thru the door. In short, I am in the best shape I have been since my late high school/early college days. Do not wait, do not hesitate, get up and get to your first class at Yamasaki. read more

I have been practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu for many years now. During these years I have had a chance to train in many schools around the country and the world. In my opinion the Yamasaki Academy is among the very best studios. Their facilities, the high level of their instruction, but most importantly because of the atmosphere they have created: fun yet demanding classes help their students progress and achieve their goals. Their instructors, Fernando and Neto, have helped me to find a healthier life. I walked into this school at 215 lbs... I'm only 5'4"... Today, I walk around 150-160... I know still a bit big... but my cholesterol and blood pressure are now normal. If you are looking for a gym where you can learn Thai Boxing, Brazilian Jiu jitsu, or MMA, I would highly recommend this school. read more

Great place to train even though it's expensive. No one ever said quality was cheap!

I have trained BJJ for almost a decade. I started with Mario and Fernando when they had a school in Nebel St. They have since moved to a bigger location but bigger does not mean better. I found the price to be way too high $ 180 per month for unlimited classes and the instruction is below average. Fernando and Mario Yamasaki (Yes, the UFC referee) who both are 3rd or fourth degree black belts just have too much to do than teach jiu jitsu. Unfortunately, the school is run by the students. The instruction has seriously taken a step backwards. For you to actually get good at jiu jitsu it is going to cost you. Privates classes are expensive ($125 per hour). Most of the time the student instructors take a couple select guys from the class aside (during class) and do kind of a little private during normal class hours. One of the few bright spots are Neto who is a part owner of the school and Morgan. Neto teaches class once or twice a week at night and Morgan teaches in the early mornings. Both have a deep rooted passion for Jiu Jitsu and are excellent teachers. If you want to get into shape, I suggest the morning classes with Morgan. He will burn the fat off you and teach you how to choke a guy out and rip his arms off in the process. I enjoyed attending classes there when Fernando taught but those days became few and far between. The Capoeira class is very fun and the instructor who convinced me to try it, Roberto is gone. he was replaced by Yara who is very talented and a little more up tempo. Still fun nonetheless. The Thai kickboxing program is mediocre at best. Very repetitive and the Thai pads gave me warts. If you are looking to learn Jiu Jitsu or MMA I suggest that you try Leo dalla, Lloyd Irvin or Pedro Sauer who have schools in the local area. read more

I dropped in on a 10 am class while traveling. The instruction was great and the other students were very welcoming and great training partners. I will definitely stop back in the next time I pass through. read more

I was looking for a place to get a good workout in while visiting the area for the weekend. Reasonably priced drop-in fee and I got a great workout on a sunday morning with a bunch of purple and brown belts. Thanks guys! I'll be back again. read more

There are a lot of good martial arts schools out there for kids, but several reasons make this school the place I take my son. 1. Fernando Yamasaki. He, and his brothers around the area, has top Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials. And he is a great teacher with a larger-than-life personality that kids respond to. 2. Your kid will get in a workout. They train hard. But sometimes they have to sit and be patient. They have a huge space dedicated to kick boxing for people into that. They even have a boxing ring. That side is adult only though unless maybe you're a teen I think. The jiu-jitsu mat is huge, so they can easily separate younger kids from older, beginners from advanced, etc at times in class. They have class M-Th and Sat mornings every week. 3. Kids learn discipline and respect in a strict, positive setting. This is a key point. They get strong physically and mentally. Strong consideration is given to safety. But it's grabbing another kid and submitting him with chokes and locks so it is physical and kids can get hurt on rare occasion. BJJ is a martial art AND a sport, so you can't avoid the occasional sprained or bruised something. 4. High quality kids' teaching staff 5. Large kids program. It's good to have a lot of different kids to train with. There is a strong team with a competition/tournament focus which you can get your kid into if you want to. You really can't go wrong with Yamasaki Academy, if your kid likes jiu-jitsu in general. read more

I've trained BJJ it for 13 years. I've trained at and visited many many schools over the years. Fernando and Neto are great teachers and have incredible depth of knowledge. There are a lot of really good guys to train with who are willing to share information, and push you to get better. This is a great school. read more

Excellent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy. Best in the area by far. Wonderful instructors and a great sense of community and family.

This is an awesome school, world class level instructors. They have 2 mats, plus a ring, and a men and women's lockeroom. Fernando is a 6th degree black belt in BJJ, and 4th dan in Judo. He is very good with kids and with adults. There is a philosophy and wisdom behind that man. They have classes every day and there is plenty of parking. read more

A few years back I was looking to join a gym to roll on the weekends. I got a few day passes here with the intent to get a recurring membership. The Saturday instruction was poor, as others have said the students run the show and you will not learn much. I was ok with that, because all I really wanted to do was roll on open mat Sundays. The instructor who opened on Sundays would always show up late, made crass jokes, and was overall just an unpleasant guy. One day, we were rotating partners during open roll and there was an odd number so one would sit out. When I sat out the round went to 15 minutes (when rotating was generally happening every 5-10). The instructor was rolling so I figured maybe he had lost track of time so I told him it had been 15 minutes since rotating. He got incredibly offended and told me we rotate when he says so, I need to just go do calisthenics and wait. I didn't respond but I guess he didn't like the look of my face because he told me "don't look at me like that I don't need your attitude." I didn't respond and instead went to get some water. He was again offended and told me I get water when he says so (remember this is just an open mat, there's not really any instruction going on). We eventually rotate and he wants to roll with me, I guess to teach me a lesson. After class he went off on a tangent how I need to respect him, he's old enough to be my father, and might be my father because he's slept with so many women. He told me if this was Brazil they would beat me up and put me in a dumpster. I decided it wasn't worth the hassle and expense just to get some open mat time and did not go back. If you are looking for a gym simply just to get some mat time, I can't really recommend this place, and as has been said before, the instruction isn't great either. read more

This place is excellent. It's founded by Mario Yamasaki (4th dan) who referees for the UFC. He started this school in 1996 I think, when hardly anyone knew much about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You pay for 3 classes per week, but they let you train more than one class per day b/c the owner, Fernando Yamasaki (5th dan) & Neto (3rd dan), are just very passionate about seeing his students becoming better fighters. So Tue & Thu I train boxing 6-7pm, 7-8:30pm BJJ then hop into Muay Thai at 8:30pm - 9pm . That's 3 classes and 3 hours of training in one day! Other schools you can only train ONE class (60-90 minutes) per day. And there are classes every day of the week including Sundays. And the price is not high, it is AVERAGE for an MMA school. Remember, this is not a regular gym where you might join a cardio kickboxing class that's taught by the same lady that teaches the Yoga & Pilate class. This school is owned by Masters of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is their life and not just a job. It takes 8-12 years to earn a black belt in BJJ and there's about 6 black belts at this location alone, including pro fighters. The main objective here is to become a fighter. And as a fighter, you can't help but being able to defend yourself, getting fit, losing weight, toned, etc. You're not just punching a bag, but you'll be working with a similarly skilled partner. A HUGE difference vs. just hitting a bag in your basement. The beauty of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that you can train 80-90% intensity/power against your partner and not hurt him. You'll get sore and tired, sure, but not easily injured if you tap out (give up) when he's got you in a hold during sparring. You also have the option to not spar if you don't want to. The classes are big, but the space is huge. I like large groups b/c you have more people to spar with & the size contribute to the greater energy. The higher belts are always eager to help. They have a separate striking room to contain the noise from the leather pads being hit. There's also an MMA half cage. What I also like is the spacious locker room w/many lockers, completely private toilets (no openings) and showers. Before this, I was at a small school and training with the same handful of people every week, which got boring real fast and the space was cramp w/the changing room being a large closet and no showers. There are many kids here too and they have some serious skills. Many have been training for 5-8 years and are quite a force when they reach their teenage years and growth spurts. Again, the fees for Yamasaki is average. It's not cheap nor expensive. They charge about the same as any MMA/BJJ school in the area. They are training you to become fighters. You just have to bite the bullet and invest in yourself. I lost a decent amount of weight and got cut from just training there w/o these being my primary goal. And most important, I'm learning 3 effective, if not the most effective, forms of Martial Arts. They say it's not the art but the fighter. I say it's the art, the fighter and the trainer. read more

My two boys have been attending jiu jitsu here since October. First, this place is very expensive. We decided to do it because our boys are five years apart in age and they can take the class together. They are supposed to have an open schedule where you pay for the number of days per week and you can come any day and time designated for jiu jitsu. Some of the instructors are good but most of them barely do anything to help the kids. What really was the tipping point for me about this place is that we show up today for a Saturday session (along with about 10 other kids in their Gis) to find out there is no jiu jitsu- it's a free nutrition seminar. The owner ushers us in saying parents can join too. I was really upset because this is not the first time we come when they are not open. We were never informed that they were not open for almost two weeks during winter break- no sign posted in the academy whatsoever. When I tried calling- Mariam responded back to me via a chat room. All I wanted to know is if the academy was open during winter break and if so, what the schedule was. Instead of answering my questions, she needed to know who I was, my email address, my children's name.....nothing relevant to my questions. After answering about 5 irrelevant questions from her, she says someone will get back to me about winter break. No one got back to us and we just never tried going again. That was two weeks of tuition we paid for that was pretty much leeched out of us. We also had bought a Groupon which did not have anything in the fine print that you could not be an existing customer. I spent over 2 hours in all talking to Groupon customer service and trying to contact Yamasaki through email because someone at the front desk at Yamasaki said the Groupon was not for existing customers. In the end Yamasaki refused to honor the Groupon. I think this place is very unorganized and is very poorly run. There is never any advance notice on any event besides a quick verbal note at the end of a session which can be unheard due to everyone leaving, if any notice is actually given at all. I had a feeling this was just a greedy money-making establishment when one kid who attends gets a belt promotion even though he is horrible. He doesn't pay attention nor follow directions and he definitely does not know how to do the moves being taught, but he comes two or three times a week so, of course, they have to entice the child and parent to continue to pay by ensuring that a belt promotion is eminent. I regret ever spending over $1000 in all for the classes and the Gis. read more

This is by far the best BJJ and thai boxing school in the MD, DC and VA area if not in the entire country. Both my son and I train here and the teachers are top notch and VERY supportive. I have already seen increased confidence in my son Andres and I am glad to be back in training as well. Great place! read more

I started training at Yamasaki Academy, doing the strength and conditioning class, a couple years ago because my best friend urged me to join with her, now I see it as one of the best things I've done! The class is taught by Elaine Yamasaki (Fernando's wife), who comes up with exercises that work out muscles I didn't even know I had. Classes are relatively small, so it almost feels like we have our own personal trainer. Doesn't matter what fitness level you are, moves are modified for you based on what she knows you can do. I've also tried the Muay Thai classes that I can say are excellent as well. Sergio and Scott make us work really, really hard. I'm in the best shape I've ever been. Next on my list is BJJ!!! I highly recommend this place. The staff and teachers are very helpful and the students are very welcoming to new comers! read more