BJJ Gyms in Hokkaido, Japan

Bellatleo is the only gym in southern Hokkaido offering both Mixed Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The name "Bellatleo" combines the Latin words "Bellator" (warrior) and "Leo" (lion), reflecting the gym's fighting spirit. The gym has a rich history dating back to 1998 when current representative Tsutomu Fujimoto joined the martial arts circle Mr. V. Hakodate. It became Paraestra Hakodate, the third branch of legendary jiu-jitsu master Yuki Nakai's Paraestra Tokyo network. After renaming to Paraestra Hakodate, the gym gained independence from the Paraestra network in 2012 and has operated as Bellatleo ever since. Head instructor Tsutomu Fujimoto became the second person in Hokkaido to achieve a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has been instrumental in developing Hokkaido's BJJ community since its early days. The gym has produced five professional MMA fighters, with Mitsuhiro Takeda being the first professional fighter from Hakodate, demonstrating that athletes from regional cities can compete at the professional level. Fujimoto holds a 3rd degree black belt in BJJ and 6th dan in Kodokan Judo, and has won multiple championships including the Asian Championship brown belt master pennant division in 2006 and placed 3rd at the 2025 World Jiu-Jitsu Championships master 51 black belt featherweight division.