Been training bjj on and off since the mid 90's. Mike taught me no-gi at his old school for almost a year and I've dropped into his other 3 schools he's taught at, AB MMA, Hybrid and The Cave. I've had wrist issues as well as motivation issues. The wrist issues will never go away but Mike's friendly personality excellent instruction helped keep me motivated to show up to class. Everyone here tries to help each other out and no one's cocky. This place is excellent for people who just want to stay in shape, compete, or learn the "gentle technique," The price is also very reasonable for jiu jitsu classes compared to other places I've trained at. Mike also teaches kids judo classes which is one of the most practical martial arts for children. read more

Great academy, great people, great instruction.... Mike's BJJ goes deep and he has some serious pedigree. I've learned a ton from him.

Mike Murrell is one of the best Jiu-Jitsu and Judo teachers I've ever had. You can tell by just attending one class that teaching is his passion and he is able to connect and work with people from all walks of life and ages, including and especially kids! He is very knowledgeable in both arts and wants to teach his students everything he knows so they can succeed. Mike is a very strong competitor and is always studying to keep learning and improving. He has an awesome personality with a great sense of humor and newcomers will be welcomed warmly into class. Papa Frank is an amazing Jiu-Jitsu instructor as well and is just such a great guy! If Jiu-Jitsu isn't your cup of tea or you just want to train more, The Cave Academy also offers Muay-Thai. Seth Clifton is the instructor and he is super nice and has a great personality as well. He has years of experience (including fighting professionally) and tons of knowledge that he is eager to pass on to his students. His passion for teaching is obvious as soon as you meet him and he is very attentive to his students, always giving corrections and encouragement when needed. The Cave Academy is a great gym and has a hug mat space for Jiu-Jitsu (always kept clean), punching bags and various equipment for Muay Thai or working out, a full boxing ring, and changing rooms. Whether you want to become a serious competitor, weekend warrior, or just get a dynamic fun whole body workout, The Cave Academy is the place to be! read more

The lead instructor Mike Murrell is one of the most intelligent grapplers I have ever met. He develops a deep scientific awareness of the BJJ and Judo techniques and has an ability and willingness to articulate this information in a way that is vastly superior to most teachers. I have personally seen how quickly and successfully his students progress in tournament-tested grappling ability. read more

Mike is simply said.... a 10/10 teacher. Passionate about Judo/Jiu Jitsu, great teaching style and super easy going. Whatever your skill level, he's probably got something to help round out your game. read more

Excellent facility for everyone to learn self defense, coached by world class instructors. A better way to stay healthy while having fun. I highly recommend this place!! read more

It's not often that a coach is as competent a coach as they are a player/athlete--or vice versa--but in this case, Mike that and more. His teaching is articulate, refined, and most importantly it is based on effectiveness. He is open-minded, inclusive, and well-aware of his environment. While I may be older than them, I consider both Mike Murrell and Papa Frank mentors in the spirit and journey of Jiu Jitsu and martial arts as a whole. Their styles complement each other and their students can always trust that they are in good hands both on the mat or off. read more

Just go and check it out! If you have kids that are interested in learning grappling or if you want to learn Jiu-Jitsu from talented and dedicated teachers go on in! Mike is an amazing teacher and is very detail oriented and Frankie is just the best. Love these guys and this academy. read more

I live in LA, but travel to the Bay Area frequently for work. The traveling made too much of an interruption in my training so I searched around yelp and contacted a few other places to keep up with my training. Finally settled on jumping into no-gi class on a Tuesday evening. I was not disappointed. The combination of warm-ups, drills, situational sparring, and rolling was an awesome combination for a well rounded training session. Our instructor papa really kept everyone on their toes and helped out where needed. I was extremely satisfied and showed up the following night for GI training. Once again my expectations were surpassed and was able to meet more of the Caves community as well as see familiar faces. Really looking forward to continue my journey at the cave every time I'm in the Bay Area. Keep up the great work fam. read more

After reading all these great reviews and hearing things from parents at my sons school and soccer team I was really looking forward to seeing if this place would be a good fit for my son. Unfortunately I've tried calling this place multiple times and never gotten ahold of anyone! I have also tried leaving messages and nobody here has ever bothered to return my calls! I don't feel like it should be this hard to make contact with a business. Such a shame too because I was really looking forward to seeing what this place was about. read more

Mike is so good with the kids, and really takes the time to listen if I have any questions or concerns as a parent. My son has really blossomed in the past 2 years in jui jitsu, and he's learning that it takes hard work and dedication to achieve his goals. We wouldn't go anywhere else!! read more

I have been incredibly impressed by the Cave Academy. Seth has been training me in Muay Thai and I am progressing by leaps and bounds. He makes sure you get a good workout and doesn't hesitate to correct your technique. He makes the classes fun but will also gently push you to increase the intensity, spar, and get outside your comfort zone. It is go at your own pace though so I think its for people at all fitness levels. My only complaint is the music he puts on in the background (think lots of Rocky theme), which I will change as soon as I can kick his ass (gonna have to wait for my next life) :) Mike has been patiently training me in Jiu Jitsu. Its definitely not my forte' but MIke patiently walks me through everything at my pace, which helps enormously. The gym is clean, friendly, and has a great vibe about it. I highly recommend the kids Jiu Jitsu class. My 6 year old son has been thriving in Mike's class. Overall, the Cave Academy is one amazing gym. read more

In the local jiu jitsu world you eventually get to know and train with everyone that lives and trains around you. When i first met Mike i basically got to know him by rolling with him. Holy smokes this guy knows his stuff. his techniques, timing, conditioning, is of a professional athlete. At the time I had no idea that he also taught. Mike has something special. To be a great competitor is one thing. now, also having the patience but also the PASSION to teach is something very rare. I can put my word on it: you will be a better competitor, practicioner, or if you simply would like to be in amazing shape, give Mike and the Cave academy a try. read more

The Cave Academy is a great academy with really good jiu jitsu in a really nice facility. The people that train there are really welcoming and friendly and the instruction is top notch. I highly recommend this place if you are just getting into jiu jitsu or have experience. Everyone I have met while passing through was really cool and I got some great rolls. The facility is super clean, spacious, and parking is easy. The class before mine was filled with stoked kids who really seemed to be enjoying their time of the mat. I'm going to make this a more regular spot to stop by when I'm in the neighborhood. Mike and Papa Frank have a great thing going here and Pacifica is fortunate to have a jiu jitsu academy like The Cave. read more

The Cave Academy is an awesome place for beginning Jiu Jitsu. Mike is an excellent instructor he demonstrates techniques very clearly and proficiently. The atmosphere is great, with mutual respect amongst all practitioners along with a hard work ethic and comradery. Mike is also a black belt in judo so he spends ample time showing takedowns and moves started from standing which is, after all, where Jiu Jitsu always starts. Above all Mike is a exceptional with children. He has years of experience as a martial arts instructor of children and you can tell he does his job altruistically. Mike believes in what he is doing and dedicates his whole life to personal and mutual growth through Jiu Jitsu. read more

The Cave Academy is one of a kind. An instructor has a great deal to do with the culture of a dojo as well as being responsible for the level of instruction and Mike Murrell, head instructor, has inspired a great group of students from high school teenagers to middle aged professionals. There is an open atmosphere where attention to proper and innovative technique is a core value and new ideas are welcomed and incorporated. Mike has quality technique and his JJ philosophy is in the best traditions of BJJ. And why wouldn't they be? He's Gracie Made. Shouldn't that be on a t-shirt somewhere? Mike's extensive knowledge of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as his application of it's underlying philosophies readily exhibit themselves as he explains the finer points of a technique that can mean the crucial difference between an effective submission against resistance and an ineffective technique anywhere. He can help you learn to finish, guys, make no mistake. And I don't mean to brag on the guy too much but he just won first place in Gracie Worlds 2012. That's serious bidness ladies and gentlemen ;) You will not be dissapointed either in Mike's ability or his dedication. And that say's almost everything about a teacher. Much love. Lata. read more

I just started taking my 4 and 6 year old to the Cave a couple of weeks ago and they love it. I too have recently signed up for classes and it is awesome. Mike Murrell is a great instructor. He is great with kids and most of all he knows what he's doing. The Cave Academy is a great place to learn self defense and to get a full body workout. This place is legit. read more

The Cave Academy is an outstanding facility to train jiu jitsu at. Mike and Papa Frank are both great guys, highly skilled, and break down technique extremely effectively. There's a big difference between being good at something and being good at teaching something and the instructors here are both. The atmosphere there is extremely welcoming: no egos and great people. You'll get in awesome shape and your skill level will improve super fast training here. Highly recommended for anyone in the area that wants to learn jiu jitsu, gain confidence in regards to self defense, or physically challenge themselves. read more

I've been doing Muay Thai here for about a year now, and love it. The energy here is amazing and so are the teachers. I love how everyone is so welcoming, warm, and friendly. Muay Thai has become an outlet for me to relieve stress, it's a great experience.. Especially when you have a great teacher as well. :) read more

Have trained jiu jitsu with Mike and Frankie for several years. Both are exemplary of what makes martial arts so amazing. Their passion is readily apparent, and they are great at motivating, teaching, and challenging us to be the best we can be. I am very appreciative of what they give back to the community. read more

The Cave shares a large space with Family Martial Arts where I have already been training Karate / Kajukenbo for more than a year. Since the Cave guys arrived the whole facility is greatly improved. Nice clean new mats, more heavy bags and bag types, a roped boxing ring, some other fitness gear too. I'm still training Karate, but I added Jiu-Jitsu 2 nights a week with Mike Murrell for a very reasonable fee. I leave Karate sweating. I leave Jiu-Jitsu drenched. It's not just a physical workout, there is strategy involved as the repertoire of grappling skills fill in. During free-sparring (rolling), and situational training you can think ahead about attack sequences, counters to the opponents moves and exploiting opportunities, like chess. I'm pretty old compared to most of the men and women in my BJJ class and certainly not as fit as most, but I manage to abide - and I think my general fitness level is improving faster with adding the BJJ workout. I haven't taken a Thai boxing class yet but those look like a fun and equally body blasting workout. The BJJ complements and enhances my Karate training as I'm sure the Muay Thai will as well if I ever find time to do that too. Seth Clifton (Muay Thai) has actually improved my roundhouse kick dramatically with a few tips he gave me between his classes. You will never see me in the UFC ring, but this training is as close as I'll ever get - and it is both fun and healthy and injury free (so far). I don't have any false sense of bravado with my late-in-life learned martial arts skills, but I do have some additional confidence that I could get my way out of a real-life scrap with a bloke if it the issue were forced on me. That's just kind of a side benefit, icing on the cake so to speak. Anyhow, come and try it out if you have a mind to, I think they offer a week free, so nothing to lose! read more

My 15 year old daughter has been doing Muay Thai with Seth at The Cave for a year now. She has learned a lot and likes the work out three days a week. Her self confidence has increased with the disciplined instruction. The class sizes are smaller than most places, providing more individualized attention. The Gym is kept clean and the equipment is in good shape. There is even a viewing area to watch the classes. read more

Awesome place. I started here a year and a half ago and continue to go here. I go around training at other gyms but this is where it all starts; this is my home base. I have not found a better martial arts studio out there for building a solid foundation in Jujitsu and Muay Thai. I really appreciate the reiteration of the basics at this school. As the Bruce Lee's saying goes," I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." The instructors are very welcoming and knowledgeable. I don't know any instructor more detailed oriented than Mike Murrell. He breaks down each move so that you can understand every little detail that make a huge difference in effectively executing a move. Plus his knowledge in Judo helps you become a more versatile martial artist. Papa Frank, who teaches the No-Gi class is a great motivator and his warm-ups alone will whip you into shape and make you sweat more than those P90x and Insanity videos. Don't believe me. I dare you to try! And lastly Seth Clifton's Muay Thai class is just as intense. Even though he teaches mainly Muay Thai, having fought in MMA, he's brilliant at connecting the dots between stand up, takedowns and grappling. He will toughen you up to say the least. The gym is spacious, clean and well equipped with a ring and a variety of conditioning bags. If you are looking a fun, friendly and legit place to learn Jujitsu and Muay Thai or just to do something fun to get fit, look no further. read more

The Cave Academy offers top notch training. High caliber instructors provide classes in BJJ, No-Gi BJJ adn Muay Thai. I have been training at the Cave Academy for almost two years and feel very fortunate to have this level of instruction in town. Mike, Papa Frank and Seth will elevate your game....The Cave Academy is spacious, clean and well equipped. Start the new year off right and sign up! read more

My 15 year old daughter has been doing Muay Thai at The Cave with Seth for a year now. Her self confidence has soared with the disciplined instruction. She likes the work out three days a week. The class sizes are smaller than most places, allowing for more individualized attention. The gym is clean and equipment in good condition. There is even a viewing area to watch the classes. read more

I've known Mike for years through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He works hard off the mat to make sure he teaches the best material on the mat. He is thorough, well studied and a great teacher. He has proved himself as an athlete and a coach and if I was just a tiny bit closer to Pacifica I would be at The Cave Academy all the time. read more

Cave Academy is everything I've always wanted in a martial arts school. After practicing Kajukenbo for 15 years, I was looking to progress in my training. Senseis Seth and Mike are awesome instructors who have challenged me mentally, physically and spiritually. Since being at this dojo my self-defense skills have been elevated and the workouts have kept me in great shape. I'd highly recommend this school to students of all levels. See you on the mat! read more

trained with Milke Murrel for a while now. i am blind and have m.s. mike has help me improve my skill level and physical fitness. if i am having problems doing a move mike has encourage me, sometimes with humor that can be a bit harsh but it makes hard work fun. which is the best thing i can say about any ju jitsu practice good work, good people great instructor makes hard work fun and leaves me wanting to come back.. read more