BJJ Gyms in California, United States

10th Planet Sacramento, CA

Albert Tapia, a Sacramento native, began his combat sports journey wrestling at Christian Brothers High School, and then went on to wrestle at Sacramento City College before transferring to the first NAIA collegiate wrestling program in the state of Texas. He began coaching wrestling in college at WBU for 5 years before moving to Southern California where he fought professional MMA under Coach Colin Oyama at Team Oyama. Albert received his brown belt under Coach Ron Turner and Coach Casey Halstead of 10th Planet Orange County in 2019.  Coach Albert moved back to Sacramento in 2021 to open 10th Planet Sacramento. He has one of the most distinguished front head lock games and is most well-known for his signature North South choke. He aims to help grow the sport of Jiu Jitsu through sharing the vast knowledge he has gained over the years through his professional combat sports journey. © 2010 - 2026 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. All Rights Reserved.

Ares BJJ Sacramento

Join us now and get in shape while learning a useful life skill. Don’t wait until you are in shape to come train. Setup a free trial today from the comfort of your home! We welcome everyone! Let’s train!

Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy San Bruno

Charles Gracie Academy San Bruno is part of the prestigious Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu network, offering authentic Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instruction in the San Bruno, California area. The academy is affiliated with Master Charles Gracie, the highest-ranking Jiu-Jitsu instructor in Northern California and one of only 30 Coral Belt Masters in the world. Students learn directly from instructors trained under the original Gracie family system, ensuring world-class instruction rooted in authentic Gracie Jiu-Jitsu tradition. The academy provides a safe, ego-free training environment where students of all ages and abilities can build confidence, improve fitness, and develop life skills that extend far beyond the mat. All instructors are certified black belts, background checked, and certified by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF). The facility maintains rigorous cleanliness standards using medical-grade sanitation products to ensure the safest possible training environment. Charles Gracie Academy San Bruno offers structured programs for kids ages 4-15 and adults of all experience levels. The curriculum follows clearly defined belt requirements and standardized qualification systems, providing students with a clear roadmap toward Gracie Jiu-Jitsu mastery. The academy emphasizes a family-friendly atmosphere, effective self-defense training, and personal growth in a supportive, cooperative community.

10th Planet San Diego, CA

Train with the 10th Planet Freaks under black belt Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez and receive the best jiu jitsu training in San Diego! We offer world class no-gi jiu jitsu training for all levels. Whether you have goals of competing against the world’s best, getting in shape, or learning something new, 10th Planet is for everyone. A submission orientated competitor, Richie comes from a breakdancing background and quickly adapted to the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system, creating a flexible and explosive style with his brother Geo “Freakahzoid” Martinez known as the 10th Planet Freaks.

Alliance San Diego

Alliance Jiu Jitsu San Diego is San Diego's leading training center for kids, teens, and adults, offering world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction in a safe, supportive, and competitive environment. Part of the legendary Alliance team — a proud 14x World Champion organization with over 300 affiliates worldwide — Alliance San Diego continues the tradition of excellence established by master instructors who have shaped the sport globally. Led by Professor João "Johnny" Faria, a black belt with over 30 years of experience and 23 years as a black belt, Alliance San Diego provides structured programs for all ages starting from 3.5 years old. Professor Faria is a multi-time IBJJF medalist and respected coach who oversees three successful academies in the San Diego area (Alliance San Diego, Alliance Carlsbad, and Alliance Chula Vista). His teaching style blends old-school fundamentals with modern techniques, always focused on growth, community, and respect. Alliance San Diego offers comprehensive programs including Toddlers (3.5-5), Youth BJJ (6-12), Youth Competition, Youth Muay Thai, Adult BJJ, No-Gi, Women's Only BJJ, and Competition Class. The academy features a large, clean facility with multiple training areas, an experienced coaching staff including black belts Jena Bishop (3rd degree), Marcos Lopes, Vando Silva (3rd degree), and Dustin Wooldridge, plus dedicated instructors at brown and purple belt levels. Whether training for fitness, self-defense, or competition, students join a welcoming family atmosphere where high-level athletes train alongside beginners.

Barum Jiu-Jitsu San Diego

Barum Jiu-Jitsu San Diego is a family-run Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy located in the Morena area of San Diego. Founded by the Barum family, the gym has built a reputation for treating students like family, with reviews consistently praising the welcoming, patient, and caring environment created by the instructors. The academy offers flexible training schedules with classes throughout the day, including early morning sessions, midday classes, and evening training. They provide a comprehensive program structure with classes for kids (ages 6-9), juniors (10+), and adults, as well as specialized Women's Only classes on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The gym teaches both gi and no-gi jiu-jitsu, with dedicated no-gi classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings. Open mat sessions are available on Friday evenings and throughout the weekend. The Barum family leads instruction at the academy, with multiple instructors including Alfredo Barum, Victoria Barum, Gustavo Zarichta, Neco Carvalho, and Graziela Barum. Students consistently describe the teaching style as patient and welcoming for all skill levels, from complete beginners to competitive athletes. The gym emphasizes building camaraderie and creating a fun, safe learning environment while maintaining high-quality technical instruction. With a 5.0 rating across Google, Yelp, and Facebook from over 550 reviews, Barum Jiu-Jitsu has established itself as one of San Diego's premier BJJ academies for students of all ages and skill levels.

City Boxing

City Boxing is the ORIGINAL martial arts school in Downtown San Diego, established in 2001 and located in the East Village. With over 40 structured training classes every week, City Boxing offers comprehensive training in Boxing, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for all levels from beginner to advanced. The gym prides itself on being led by world-class professional fighters who are actively competing and coaching, making them authentic experts in their disciplines. The training philosophy at City Boxing centers on developing fighters through dedicated instruction rather than relying on big-name athletes for reputation. The gym maintains a hard-core environment with controlled, professional training where safety is the primary concern. Classes run from 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM during weekdays, with trainers who are courteous and focused on helping members achieve their fitness and fighting goals. The facility welcomes a diverse membership including college students, downtown professionals, military personnel, and a strong co-ed community. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program is headed by Carlos Baruch Ferreira, a black belt under the legendary Carlson Gracie. Baruch brings world-championship credentials and extensive MMA coaching experience, having trained fighters for the UFC, EliteXC, and WEC. His lineage includes training alongside legends like Vitor Belfort, Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Paulo Filho at Carlson Gracie's Team and Team Nova Uniao. Baruch is a 2023 World No-Gi IBJJF Champion and multiple-time Pan-American and international champion in both gi and no-gi competition.

American Elite Grappling (AEG)

American Elite Grappling (AEG) is the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program based at the legendary American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, California. Founded in 1985 by world champion kickboxer Javier Mendez, AKA has been the premier Mixed Martial Arts gym in the Bay Area for over three decades and is widely recognized as one of the best MMA gyms in the world, having trained numerous UFC champions. AEG was created by Ron Keslar, who serves as head instructor of American Elite Grappling and as an AKA coach. Ron is a 2nd degree black belt under Leandro Vieira and began his grappling career in grade school with wrestling. He previously competed as a professional MMA fighter in Bellator, Strikeforce, and King of the Cage before transitioning to coaching. American Elite Grappling offers one of the most well-rounded Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling programs in the United States, with over 20 gi and no-gi classes offered weekly for kids and adults, focusing on technique, fundamentals, and competition training. While AKA is known for champion-level fighters, at its core it is a family-friendly gym that caters to everyone from beginners age 4 to 65+, to those aspiring to train and compete at any level. The gym offers professional instruction in kickboxing, boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and MMA. AKA has been voted Best of Silicon Valley since 1985 and continues to focus on quality instruction and teaching solid technique across all martial arts disciplines.

10th Planet San Mateo, CA

Your one stop for all things NoGi Brazilian Jiu Jits in the Peninsula area. Offering BJJ to everyone in the San Mateo, Belmont, Foster City, Redwood City, Burlinggame, Menlo Park, San Carlos, Palo Alto and Mountain View area. A great place for everyone to learn Jiu Jitsu regardless of athleticism and skill level. Adam “Big Red” Sachnoff is the head instructor and owner of 10th Planet San Mateo. Adam was introduced to 10th planet Jiu Jitsu through Eddie Bravo’s first black belt Denny Prokopos. Prokopos trained Adam to be a world champion competitor and a great instructor. Adam’s goal is to positively impact as many people’s lives as possible through his teaching of Jiu Jitsu. He believes everyone can benefit from training in BJJ. Jiu Jitsu forces those who are out of shape to work up a sweat, BJJ forces those who are socially awkward to communicate with their peers, it forces those who are arrogant to check their egos, it forces those who lack friends to constantly be around nice people who care about them with similar interest. ADCC Trials 1st Place 2012 Blue Belt NoGi IBJJF Worlds 2010: 1st Place Purple Belt NoGi IBJJF Worlds 2011: 3rd Place Gracie worlds and Nationals Purple belt Nogi 2012: 1st place 2012 Niburu Warrior of the year

Enso MMA

Enso MMA is Santa Barbara County's only 24/7 martial arts gym, offering comprehensive training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, MMA, Wrestling, and kids' programs. The gym cultivates a welcoming community where personal growth, empowerment, and fun are at the heart of everything they do, guided by the mantra "join a community, not a gym." Founded and led by head instructor Jacob Sandoval, Enso MMA brings together decades of martial arts expertise. Jacob's journey began at age 10 with wrestling, where he became a CIF champion at Bishop Diego High School. He later trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under IBJJF Hall of Famer Rubens Charles "Cobrinha" at the renowned Cobrinha headquarters in Los Angeles, earning countless gold medals. Jacob expanded his skills into boxing, Muay Thai, and MMA, competing successfully in both amateur and professional divisions, including Muay Thai competitions in Thailand. The gym is known for its friendly, supportive environment that welcomes practitioners of all levels—from complete beginners to experienced athletes. With clean, well-maintained, spacious facilities and a team of skilled instructors, Enso MMA provides top-notch, system-based instruction focused on building both physical skills and character. The community emphasizes respect, good humor, and personal development, creating a space where everyone feels encouraged to progress and become the best version of themselves.

Checkmat Valencia

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting. Brazilian jiu-jitsu was formed from Kodokan Judo ground fighting (Ne-Waza) fundamentals that were taught to Luiz França and Carlos Gracie by master Mitsuyo Maeda. Brazilian jiu-jitsu eventually came to be its own art through the experimentations, practices, and adaptation from the Judo knowledge of Carlos and Hélio Gracie, who then passed their knowledge on to their extended family. BJJ promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using proper technique, leverage, and most notably, taking the fight to the ground, and then applying joint-locks and chokeholds to defeat the other person. BJJ training can be used for sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition or self-defense. Sparring (commonly referred to as “rolling”) and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition, in relation to progress and ascension through its ranking system. Since its inception in 1882, its parent art of Judo was separated from older systems of Japanese ju-jitsu by an important difference that was passed on to Brazilian jiu-jitsu: it is not solely a martial art: it is also a sport; a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people; and, ultimately, a way of life.

Checkmat Santa Rosa

Experience training that strengthens your body, sharpens your mind, and brings genuine enjoyment to every session. Jiu‑Jitsu offers a powerful path to personal growth—building confidence, reducing stress, and creating a sense of progress that feels exciting and deeply rewarding. Every class leaves you energized, focused, and eager for more. Learn practical grappling techniques and gain confidence in your ability to control and submit opponents. Our classes are welcoming to all ages and fitness levels.