I leave Fountain Valley at 5pm to drive 50-60 minutes so my sons can cross-train with Coach Dan "TrumpetDan" Lukehart during the summer break. That should tell you enough about the quality of his teaching! Everyone gets his attention here. I really like how he sometimes puts IBJJF matches on the big screen and does quick analysis or explain the rules of competition. This helps everyone appreciate the sport on a deeper level. The gym may look unassuming but don't let that fool you into thinking the instruction and jiu jitsu is anything less than world class. In fact, you can research on the internet and see who and what's come out of Brea JJ and that would be enough to convince you. Go on YouTube, Reddit, and Google for yourself! read more

My family and I love Brea Jiu Jitsu! My boys have been attending Coach Dan's class over a year now. It is well-structured, most importantly, it is fun and engaging. Not only kids learn jiu jitsu, kids learn how to be curious just about anything. Coach Dan is great with kids of all ages. With the "new normal", kids classes have been successfully transitioned to Zoom. My boys always look forward to it. We are very grateful to have found such a wonderful dojo. I highly recommend Brea Jiu Jitsu to all families. read more

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Great place for the competition focused athlete but still fun and friendly for hobbyists. The Conrad's are gentle and patient with the less experienced but can turn it on for those who want to push for the top. 2 classes a day on weekdays and all classes are open to all ranks. A great value for the possible training time with an attentive and responsive professor. read more

We are truly thankful to have coach Dan be apart of our sons life. Coach Dan always take a few minutes to teach the kids something cool and educational on top of Jiu Jitsu. Today they were scanned to be printed in a 3D printer. He's great with kids and makes sure they learn and practice each move till they retain and demonstrate with confidents. We highly recommend Brea Jiu Jitsu! read more

Brea Jiu-Jitsu - Martial Arts Near Me - Brea, California

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I have been to many martial arts academies in my lifetime. I have met many genuinely helpful, honestly caring, BJJ head instructor/coaches. Yet, never have a met one as generous as TrumpetDan. As far as I know this, this is the only place to train BJJ in Brea, which I do not mean as a qualifier for recommendation (would it be too much to suggest that you RELOCATE to Brea to train here?), but simply as a statement of fact. If you reside in the Brea area, you are going to either check this academy out to see if it works for you, or drive an inordinate distance to train somewhere else. In all actuality, people should move to Brea just to train at Brea Jiu Jitsu (and I have read statements to that effect from members on Sherdog.com). It's a beautiful facility -- located in gorgeous, quaint, village-like suburbs -- with a ridiculously large shower and laundry (!!) and an enormously large big screen tv that should come designated with every gym. Outside of Las Vegas sportsbooks, I have never seen a larger screen that was not at a cinema. It genuinely sorta boggles my mind that no one else -- as far as I know -- has thought to do what Brea JJ does with technology to assist in teaching technique and improving competition results. And the complimentary soap inside the dispenser in the shower: only the finest to maintain that glossy shine of your impeccable skin flora. I can go on but I will stop here and implore you to quit reading reviews, drive down/up there and see for yourself by taking a class. You won't regret it. - E read more

I concur with the other reviews, Dan is an EXCELLENT instructor who is a little bit old school, and a little bit new school. 80" wall mount TV showing the days instruction so you don't have to wait for the instructor to come around to you during class. Genius! No other academy does this that I know of... If you're looking to start BJJ or looking for a new school to train at - do yourself a favor and stop by. Excellent instruction, great pricing, friendly / family atmosphere and an instructor who focuses on those little game changing details that you wish you learned years ago. read more

Great breakdown of techniques, and the warmups are drilling which is useful for total BJJ noobs. (Normal warmups are running/jumping jacks,etc. it gets boring after a while). Dan is passionate about jiu-jitsu and will guide you on the right path. I respect a man that is willing to teach even beginners advanced guards/positions and breakdown videos to see how pros use move A with move B. Most gyms teach you move A, and then A-1, and A-2...where the pros go from A to B. After that is positional sparring and free rolling. If I lived in the area I would make this my home base, good people to roll with, great instructor, and jiu jitsu that works. read more

I'm not a student here but have come to train here on several occasions, and Dan as well as his students are always welcoming. If I lived anywhere close to the area it would definitely be my school of choice. I've come to learn the hard way that a lot of Brazilian jiu jitsu instructors, world champions even, aren't always the best teachers. Many aren't exactly the best at articulating difficult ideas and concepts of grappling, even moreso when the language barrier is an issue. What sets Brea Jiu Jitsu apart from other schools is the excellent instruction. Dan is one of the most technical instructors I've ever trained with and he's added things to my game that I've been able to use right away. His instruction is not only detailed, it is conceptual in a way that truly helped me to gain a deeper understanding of jiu jitsu. read more

Excellent Jiu Jitsu school. My 5yr old and I both train here and the instruction is top notch. Coach Dan is a Brea Unified school teacher by trade so he knows a thing or two about teaching. My kid loves the classes because technique is integrated with lots of fun and games. The mat is huge and its always clean and there is a 80" TV mounted with the day's technique playing during the class so that if there is some confusion about the move and Dan is helping another student, you can just look up and there it is. What a great idea! There are both serious competitors as well as people just looking for a good work out in the classes. One other bonus, a shower!!!! If you are looking for a school, this is one of the best. Try it, it may just change your life. read more

I've trained at Brea JJ for over 5 years, under Coach Dan. Simply put, this is a great place to train BJJ. From Dan's technical coaching to video analysis to rolling with world class professional athletes (some world medalists/champs), this gym has been like a second home to me. The environment is always light, courteous, and friendly. There is no extraneous fluff - no bow in/bow out, belt testings, or gym politics. There is just good jiujitsu with good people. Whether you're a beginner or a veteran, you will find yourself feeling comfortable and having a good time when training. Oh yeah, plus you'll get high level instruction and learn how to contort another human being. I couldn't recommend this gym more. read more

Our son is a member at another academy,due to the small inexperienced kids program at brea we wont join because our son is turning 14 and has trained 7 yrs.but we do crosstrain at brea in the adults program ,and wow we are impressed with sensei dans bjj knowledge and personality,mixed with his professionalism , his focus on technique and correction is awesome. If you are anywhere near brea bjj or an hour away, its worth the drive.we will continue to visit with brea for some jiujitsu that is effective in and out of the grappling circuit. read more

Simply put, Brea Jiu Jitsu is a great place to be. The instruction is top notch including video breakdown of high level competitors, the mat is huge and always clean, and the environment is welcoming. Not to mention a great work out! read more

Dan is a good instructor his teaching is very detailed. His kids program is really impressive and is probably the best kids program within the radius. read more

Simply stated, this is an amazing place to train. I grew up in Brea and am often in the area visiting family. Whenever I'm in town I make it a point to take as many classes as I can at Brea Jiu-Jitsu. Dan is incredibly welcoming and is an amazing instructor. He has a passion for Jiu-Jitsu and it really shows. He is an accomplished Jiu-Jitsu competitor and has an uncanny ability to break down complex techniques and allow everyone in the class to fully understand them. He even stays on the mat after class fielding questions and helping his students. I have never walked out of a class here without feeling like I have learned a great deal and looking forward to my next class. The facility itself is top notch and has everything you could ask for in a Jiu-Jitsu gym -- impeccably clean, large mat space, great location, private changing rooms, shower. Additionally, there is an 80" flat screen TV that Dan uses to further break down techniques and analyze matches. This use of technology has proved invaluable in helping me really understand the techniques taught in class. If I lived in the area I would certainly train here full time. Whether you are a beginner looking to learn the basics, or a seasoned competitor looking to take your game to the next level, I would highly recommend training here. read more

THIS PLACE IS HIDDEN GEM! Was on leave and looking for a place to train and could not have found a more ideal place. Thought about visiting some more "well known" academies but went here instead based on my research and gut feeling. Instructor: Hands down one of the most detail oriented instructors I have come across. Watched him take notes for a white belt on mistakes and improvements then went over it with him after class. Doubt there are many instructors out there willing to take that kind of time and effort for their students. Facility: Plenty of CLEAN mat space. Changing rooms are available as well as a shower and laundry room. Huge flat screen tv mounted on the wall for video review and study on techniques and matches. Overall: Whether your visiting from out of town or looking for a permanent place to train I cannot recommend a more PICTURE-PERFECT place than at Brea Jiu Jitsu. read more

This is a great place to train at. Dan's approach to jiu jitsu is unlike any you'll encounter anywhere else. Very interactive style. He will sometime break down a technique on a large tv screen he has then tea h the fiber details of that technique. I've never seen that done anywhere else. His fundamentals are some of the best around, but he doesn't neglect the current popular tournament techniques. The mat area is large and he has a shower so that you can rinse off after training. Doesn't get much better than that. Check this place out. Well worth it. read more

I've been to this school a couple of times. Mostly for tournaments and charity events. Recently, I took a class there for the first time when I was visiting. The instructor, students, and training/learning environment is great. They have an awesome schedule for all types of busy people and the price can't be beat. You will get a lots of reps in learning the moves and have plenty of partners to spar with as well. This is an ego-free and clean environment. If you live near the area and want to learn Jiu Jitsu, I would highly recommend going here. read more

The quality of instruction you get at this gym is second to none in the area. Coach Lukehart has a passion for Jiu Jitsu and teaching and it emanates throughout the gym. As the people here are able to progress fast under his tutelage. Prior to training here, I spent a month at another gym that had a Darwinistic mentality to training. That isn't the case here. Everyone is willing to help one another to progress due to their Jiu Jitsu goals. The mats are cleaned in between training sessions. There have been no cases of skin infections. Which is in stark contrast, to my former gym. There's also a great kids program that just continues to grow. Coach Lukehart has had experience teaching music to kids in the BOUSD, so you can trust that your kids will be in good hands if you send them to train here. read more

I've only been to an open mat here but any place that offers an open mat is pretty cool because it's free and you get the opportunity to train with people from other academies. There were like five people, I got with one and just went over a bunch of technique for like an hour, really helpful . students were friendly and there was a nice bathroom, and a shower, so that's always nice. read more

With so many options for high level jiu jitsu training in Southern California, I wanted to find an academy that had something unique about it. I read about the TV and instructional breakdowns and decided to give it a try. In my opinion, what makes this gym unique (I've been to a few) is the way the training is prepared and studied. Dan prepares a system of moves which have been shown to be effective at the highest levels of competition, while also encouraging creativity and personal style. We then watch prepared videos of bjj world champions executing these movements while Dan breaks them down. This is what made the difference for me. As a novice, I find it extremely helpful to be able to see the bigger picture and learn how others are putting these moves together. I also find that watching tape helps me learn quicker. As for everything else, I'll reiterate what so many others have said. Dan is a fantastic teacher... highly involved and accomplished in bjj, detailed instruction and extremely friendly. All the students I met are very friendly, ego-free and just as willing to help out. There are plenty of classes throughout the day and an early morning class which is great for me before work. Finally, and this is just a personal preference, but I'm not a fan of certain martial arts traditions -- namely calling instructors "Professor", "Master", etc (what happened to "Humility, respect and integrity"?). I prefer to call you by your name like a normal human being, and I'm glad to see that tradition doesn't exist at this academy. read more

I started training bjj about a month ago. I really looked around before finally signing up with Brea JiuJitsu and professor Dan is awesome, the amount of detail that he covers is outstanding. The same techniques are practiced all during the week including variations, not just one technique one day and a different technique the next without really being able to practice or get the hang of the move properly. The class structure is great, including the specific training section, to me it is one of the most useful qualities of the training session specially for a newbie. The students here are welcoming and always try to help out new students. I am glad I found this place and if you are looking for a place to train, come and visit Brea JiuJitsu it is a great place. read more

I have known Dan Lukehart for 8 years. My older son had him as a music teacher, and now my younger son has him as a mentor/instructor in the Jiu Jitsu after-school program. Dan is an amazing instructor in all respects - he is a very accomplished Jiu Jitsu competitor and his passion for the sport extends to all ages. He is also a very good role model and example for our youngsters in the after-school program. The studio is run professionally and safely, and I can't say enough good things about what the after-school program has done for my 9-year old son. The kids get picked up in a van from their school and get taken directly to the studio. It is a very safe environment. They have homework time with Dan, enrichment activities like music or chess, and then an hour or so of Jiu JItsu instruction appropriate for their age. All of this is for a very inexpensive price compared to standard daycare. I highly, highly recommend BJJ and ALL its instructors for competitive adults, and especially for the after-school program! This is a secret jewel in North Brea that is about to take off - get in while you can!!! read more

My son (5) started training at Brea Jiu-Jitsu about a year ago. First thing I noticed was how great Dan was with the smaller kids. He is patient, understanding and his technical knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu is top notch! It was an inevitable conclusion that I would start training there and I could not be happier with the results. I find myself going over the moves and taking notes after most classes. Dan has raised a great team of nice people in his gym and I cannot recommend it higher. His attention to detail and his breakdowns of each move make even the most complex moves seem simple. I would recommend his Gym to anyone. If you are in the Brea area you should give him and Christine a call! read more