4-months in and my son is fully invested in to Jiu-Jitsu. And a big reason for that is his Coach,…read moreMr. Gabriel Neves who is an amazing teacher. And lots not forget Ms. Natasha who also a coach as Cesar Gracie who is also an amazing coach. Both of them together are a super team in teaching youth the beauty and practical aspects of Jiu-Jitsu. Whether you have a young son or daughter and you want to get them into some kind of active sport to keep them busy, healthy, and help them with self defense and self confidence, that look no further that Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu @ Brentwood. Mr. Gabriel, who has great patience for the young ones and who truly has a love for passing this sport onto the next generation of Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. You couldn't ask for a better teacher for your children.

My son just started training here and so far so good. He trains every day in the evenings and I'm…read moreexcited to see what he learns. They are very focused and driven. He now trains with other teens and adults since he is now 14. The facility is clean and I like that all the windows are clear so we as parents can see what they are practicing.

Just like that saying "it takes a village" this is how we have felt from day one, the instructors…read morehave focused not only on teaching excellent martial arts skills, but also on building discipline, respect, confidence, kindness, and community! Sensei Daniel and Sensei Gabe genuinely care about every student and create a supportive environment where children are encouraged to work hard. One of the things we appreciate most is that this school teaches children that true strength comes from self-control, humility, and helping others--not intimidation. If you're a parent looking for an activity that builds character, confidence, resilience, and leadership while keeping your child active and engaged, It has been one of the best decisions we've made and wish we had enrolled sooner! Also the community of families that bring their children here are incredible and respectful!

Best martial arts in Antioch! This place is very clean and conveniently located around many…read moredifferent restaurants. I enrolled my son here and we both love it! My son made a new friends, also Sensei Gabe, Adam & Sensei Dan are so sweet, they make you feel so comfortable, they are all good teachers. I definitely recommend Max Academy. It brings my son so much joy to be in the class. I look forward in watching my son grow and progress in this class.

My son Ty , 13 yrs old, tried his first class at D-1 yesterday and I was impressed. Not…read moreintimidating at all . All instructors were able to cue in on my son's challanges and help him move forward without embarassing him or making him feel inferior. Even though others were present instructors took the time to show him the correct way without singling him out. This was impressive to me because many times students get lost in numbers. Another element that stood out was respect. Not just at a martial arts level, but truely sincere level of respect towards others. Great first impression!

I got my black belt from here. The best place in the East Bay! They are the nicest family and are…read moreextremely professional. Behind their caring attitude are constructive teachers that can push you to be your best if you want to be! Sifu Tim has many years of experience and training that will make you feel like you're in the right hands. He understands the real world, and knows how practical self defense is the most effective personal safety measure. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for quality self defense training.

I have been attending this academy for a few months, and my experience has been exceptionally…read morepositive. The instructors are thorough and clear in their lessons. The classes are great for people of all levels of experience and fitness. I had no prior experience with BJJ, however I felt welcomed and the instructors take the time and effort to make sure each and every member is understanding and improving. Most days of the week they have two classes available for adults one at 11am and the other at 7pm. When I was looking for schools I was looking for places that had early morning classes, but unfortunately none of the schools I was interested in the area offered any. Whether you are looking for a new hobby, getting in shape, learning self defense, or whatever your reason may be, I could not recommend this place enough. My child is not yet old enough to attend this academy, but the instructors appear to be great with the kids and make the instruction fun and challenging for them. I look forward for my little one to be old enough to enroll. Overall this place is very welcoming, the instructor's are great, and the facility is clean.

My kids went there for a bit and I had to change gyms. They have good qualities but ultimately I…read morefelt I wasn't getting my money's worth. For kids classes they could go 2x during the week and they had a Saturday class. Often times one of the kids classes would fall near a holiday so the gym would close. Sometimes the gym would close for holidays that really didn't effect the class times. It just didn't feel like we were getting what we paid for. Most of the class was spent doing warm ups and drills. I rarely saw the kids spar. We went to a different gym where we are able to go 5-6 times a week and the kids spar every day. My oldest on his first day was tossed around by the smaller kids which showed how much he wasn't really learning at Ricardo's. Now my kids have become new warriors and can legitimately use self defense a lot better. Hopefully this is just my experience, the teachers are great and I wish them all the best. Thank you.

We have been coming to GMC for over a year now, since they opened this location and we just LOVE…read moreit. Our daughter is 6 and she was hesitant to start Jiu Jitsu but the moment she stepped foot on the mat, coach Mark and Coach Sabrina made her so comfortable. Alongside all the kids and families we have met along the way. Walking in, there's always a warm welcome from the coaches and you can tell that not only do they LOVE what they do but they LOVE being there. It's an amazing community and we hope to continue to stay as long as our little one is enjoying it. Thank you Mark and Sabrina for such a great experience every week for over a year!

Growth Mindset is hands down the best jiu-jitsu gym I've ever trained at bar none…read more I've been training for seven years and have trained at a lot of different gyms during that time. Every gym says they're a family, every gym says they care about their students, but Growth Mindset is the first place where I truly felt that was real. The difference starts with Mark. What sets him apart isn't just his knowledge of jiu-jitsu--it's the genuine care he has for every single person who walks through those doors. There is no hierarchy, no ego, no favorites. Whether it's your first class or you've been training for years, he treats everyone with the same respect and invests in everyone equally. I remember after one of my very first classes, I stayed talking with Mark and a few of the members for over an hour and a half. It wasn't small talk--it was one of the most genuine conversations I'd had in a long time. I left that night knowing I didn't want to settle for training anywhere else. Around the time I signed up, I had just been laid off from my job. I was stressed out of my mind wondering how I was going to pay my bills and what my next step in life was going to be. Looking back, the one thing that kept me grounded during that time was walking through the doors of Growth Mindset. No matter how bad my day had been, the moment I stepped on those mats I felt like I was home. I wasn't just another membership I was family. That first month I was also preparing for a HYROX competition, so I could only make it to class three times out of the whole month. Most gyms would've just said, "That's on you." Instead, Mark prorated my membership and credited me toward the following month. He didn't have to do that. There was no policy requiring it. He simply did it because he genuinely cares about people. That small act told me everything I needed to know about the kind of man he is. The culture he's built is something that's incredibly rare these days, there is absolutely zero ego. Mark is always asking for feedback from the students. He wants to know what we're feeling, what makes sense, and what doesn't. He's humble enough to know that coaching is about helping people learn, not about proving he's the smartest person in the room. When I was preparing for my most recent competition, Mark did something no coach had ever done for me before. He sat down with me and watched footage from my previous tournaments. We broke down every mistake I made, why it happened, how to prevent it, and even developed techniques that better fit my style of jiu-jitsu. Every other gym I've trained at would've simply told me, "Train harder." Mark actually taught me how to get better. I ended up placing fourth in that competition. Instead of focusing on the fact that I didn't win a medal, Mark immediately pointed out how much I had improved. He celebrated the things I'd done well, highlighted the progress I'd made, and gave me a clear plan to keep growing. That's what great coaching looks like. The amount of work this man puts in is unbelievable. While preparing me for my tournament, he was also coaching another teammate for his competition, hard sparring almost every day, organizing cross-training sessions at other gyms, and somehow still preparing for his own tournament. I've never seen someone work that hard, day after day, without complaining once. Even while training harder than 99% of instructors out there, he stays humble. He'll still remind us that he's human, still learning, and still growing right alongside us. That humility is what makes him so special. Mark and Sabrina have built something truly exceptional. They've created more than a gym they've built a community where people genuinely care about one another. I can honestly say this gym helped carry me through one of the hardest periods of my life, and I'll never forget that. I hope one day I can be half the man Mark is. I'm incredibly proud to call him not only my coach, but also family. Thank you, Mark and Sabrina, for everything you've done for me and for this community. What you've built is something truly special. Love you guys!

My daughter Savannah loves training at Checkmat. The coaches are great with kids--patient,…read moreencouraging, and focused on building confidence and discipline. Awesome environment and culture. Highly recommend.

The Brentwood Checkmat gym is a great place to learn Jiu-Jitsu. Our 5yo daughter has been going for…read moreseveral months and has a blast. She learns every time and has made great progress, showing improvements in not only the moves and techniques but her self confidence as well. Coach Thiago and team are super helpful and understanding, fostering a wonderful environment for kids to learn, unlike some more "stringent" gyms around (no credit check to join here! ;). Highly recommended! I'm sure my daughter will take JJ for years to come after this great start. Will be enrolling our 2nd child once old enough.

I've been training with Team Dumdumaya since the summer of 2015. Before Andre welcomed me into his…read morespace, I was a wanderer who didn't really have a home gym. I trained everywhere, but called no place home. I originally started at Cesar's in Pleasant Hill, same as Andre. Andre is the first coach I've ever had who invested in me and actually cared about my Jiu Jitsu journey. He didn't see me as some dumb girl on the mat, but a valuable training partner. And he treated me that way. Being a woman coming up in this sport is different and I've most often been looked at as not a worthwhile training partner. But not with Andre. I've learned more from him than any coach I've ever trained under. He's a great coach and a good man. He has excellent leadership, coaching, and teaching sense. He breaks down the technique in a clear and straightforward way to make it simple to learn and then execute. The school is laid back and without ego but that doesn't mean we don't train hard. The team has something for most everyone. Andre's hired great coaches under him- fellow black belts James Carlson, Richie Storelee, and his son Cyrus Dumdumaya. There's adult coed Jiu Jitsu classes and women's and children's Jiu Jitsu classes, plus Muy Thai and MMA classes. My whole family trains here. I'm proud to say both my 14 year old daughter and 9 year old son started here and have grown in confidence and technique with Andre and then Gabe and now Cyrus as their coaches. My husband joined the team a year or so after we got married in 2018 and brought his son as well. The place is super family-oriented. Multiple families from grandparents on down to grandkids train there. All in all, it's a great place to train. I call it home. Come check it out, the first class is always free.

This is a family owned business with an amazing love for what they do. Their business is their…read morefamily and they put their heart into their students completely. This is one of the best privately owned dojos I have encountered. They're the best!

They have a coach named Ahmed Burden for the basketball portion. This guy is a Marine Veteran and…read moresuch a professional. After my one free class and I saw how he commanded the respect of the kids, yet was considerate of their youth, it sold me and I have been enrolled ever since. I'll be honest, if that dude goes, we go. He is that good. My kids listen to him and are actually drastically improving in basketball. It ain't all about shooting hoops. I totally recommend this place for kids who need direction and meaning.

Both my son and daughter attend Scholars Academy, and we are very happy with their progress. My…read morekids love their teachers and look forward to learning every day. The school also hosts many events where parents are invited to participate alongside the children, which makes it a very engaging and supportive community.