BJJ Gyms in Watertown, United States

Kimura BJJ USA was founded in 2003 by Master Jean Kleber de Freitas, a 6th-degree Black Belt certified by the IBJJF, USJJF, COBJJ, and CBJJ, with over 30 years of experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Master Jean began his journey in 1991 at age 14 in Brazil, started teaching in 1995, and earned his black belt in 2001. Before moving to the United States, he successfully established Kimura BJJ in Portugal, building a strong foundation in Europe. When Master Jean and his wife arrived in Boston in 2003 with only $2,000 but a priceless vision, they started teaching twice a week at a karate school with just five or six students. Through dedication and hard work, with his wife working 80-90 hours a week to support the dream, Kimura USA gradually grew. From 2004 to 2012, the team dominated the competition scene in the Northeast, winning almost every major tournament in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and surrounding areas. By 2016, the school had grown to over 250 students. That same year, they expanded to Boca Raton, Florida, which now has over 400 students. The Watertown location continues to thrive as a family-run academy built on real passion and values, not a franchise. The instructing team at Kimura BJJ Watertown includes highly experienced coaches: Marbnys Andrade (1st-degree black belt, head instructor), David Keefe (3rd-degree black belt with nearly 20 years of experience), Joe Bell (3rd-degree black belt with over 20 years and head instructor since 2008), Cormac Bride (1st-degree black belt, teaching since 2018), Nick Moraes (1st-degree black belt and No-Gi instructor), Andrea Muccini (black belt in BJJ and 3rd Dan in Judo, World Master Champion 2019), Nicoletta Hoctor (brown belt, women's class instructor), Lyle Del Vecchio (brown belt), Patrick "Coach Pat" Adams (brown belt), and Bryan Ueda (brown belt, morning Gi instructor). Master Jean's wife is a brown belt and two-time Pan-Am champion, and their children Mayah and Zyon have trained since age three, truly living the Kimura way of life.