My son started at Gracie Barra when he turned 4 years old. He was reluctant to take any martial…read moreart, but I insisted he learn the basics so he could learn to protect himself without throwing punches or kicking. I chose this studio because of a referral from my best friend who's kids compete in tournaments. While my son is slower and less athletic than the other kids his motivation is to keep getting the next level up. I like how the coaches know the kids by name and take the time to instruct with demonstrations and watching them closely while they grapple. I tell my son he doesn't need to win, just keep trying. After a year and a half we are still here twice a week trying our best. He's about to earn his grey and white belt and I'm proud so of him. Thank you to all the coaches for encouraging him to never give up.

Gracie Barra Northridge has been great for my boys--and I ended up joining too after seeing how…read moreeffective and useful jiu-jitsu really is. The coaches are patient, structured, and genuinely care about everyone. The environment is positive and welcoming, and there's a strong focus on discipline, respect, and confidence. My kids look forward to training every week, and I've had a great experience myself. Definitely recommend for anyone looking to get into jiu-jitsu.

We love the facility, the instructors, the fellow families that attend and give it a friendly…read morefamily vibe, we love the class sizes and the skills they're being taught Highly recommend! You can check it out for a free trial class

No idea where to start... the owner, Erika tailors instruction and coaching to meet the diverse…read moreneeds, interests, and learning styles of EVERY student, while maintaining a common learning goal. To meet the students where they are, she has so many coaches on the mat supporting the kiddos, it's wonderful. Every coach is amazing. They're patient, kind, and kid friendly. With the membership, classes are pretty much unlimited. Kids loveee being here. You really won't find a better environment to help kiddos develop this crucial

My family has been training at GTA for over 4 years and can't express how much we love everything…read moreabout it . Coaches are amazing , facility is top notch , students/athletes are awesome.

My kids have been taking classes here for almost six years and they have grown in skill and…read morediscipline. All of the coaches have encouraged them throughout their jujitsu journey and have maximized their potential fomenting their confidence.

I personally trained at this academy for many many years until I moved from Los Angeles. It's the…read moregold standard of BJJ training by one of the original practitioners of the sport who went on to train world renowned names in the martial arts like Joe Rogan and Eddie Bravo! It's funny to see 2 or 3 people state here on Yelp that the fees are high or that it's not a good place for women. This is so untrue it's obvious their reviews are complete "hit pieces" - having personally spent 2 decades there I think I'm qualified to say "all women" are treated as equals, and as family. Don't believe me, go ask the women who train there now. Or, just go watch a class and judge for yourself. As for the cost of classes, you are paying for a school and instructor that safely trains or trained everyone from children to law enforcement to "major world celebrities" like Hollywood action icon Keanu Reeves (from the "John Wick" Films), and famous comedians like Kevin James (from the TV series "The King of Queens" and "Mall Cop" movies)... and many other famous people who I don't wanna name drop here. But you get my point. Signing up at Jean Jacques Machado's Academy is like becoming a member of an elite community. So you never know who you might recognize that drops in to train. "That's" how in demand this academy is!!! There are a lot of BJJ schools in LA today who are jealous of the success this academy has rightfully gained and maintained (due to its history and perfectionism) and has been a staple in the Los Angeles community way longer before any of these other schools even knew what BJJ was. So any 1 or 2 negative reviews that were posted on yelp are directly from people with an "agenda." The honest truth is if you want safety, top of the line instructions in BJJ in a clean environment, checking this place out would be the smartest thing you could do. You'll see once you study at this academy any other school in Los Angeles will be inferior. Don't believe me? Go see for yourself. I promise you if you're a girl, an old man, or young child it won't make a difference as it won't be long before your membership turns into a family affair filled with many friendships, good times and insane knowledge of the world's greatest self defense system. ... and FYI - I don't benefit from this review... this is from someone who left CA and in hindsight realizes there's no other academy that can compare to it. Anyway that's my 2 cents. Good luck with your journey.

Absolutely the best hands down BJJ academy in southern calif. Being taught by one of the legends of…read moreBJJ and is an unreal honor and an amazing team of professionals who are respectful friendly and super knowledgeable teach daily. Professors Mark and Jay add to the overall experience with their professionalism friendly demeanor and are super knowledgeable about all of the strategies positions and details that they learn personally from Master JJ. Blessed to have been training here.

Place is nice and clean. Stopped by to check out their no gi wrestling taught by Vav Frangulyan. He…read moretrains Arman Tsarukyan so you know he is legit. Parking was a breeze. They have their own dedicated parking. Started with wrestling warm ups and then some techniques and ended with lots of takedown sparring. It was great! This location has a lot of wrestling along with their bjj. That's definitely a huge advantage if you want to improve your stand up and we can always improve our stand up. Definitely check them out.

I've trained her for about two years after a long break of not training and moving. I'm so glad…read morethis dojo was recommended to me and professor Edwin Najmi helped me level up and get back into solid training and competing. The techniques and classes are friendly for all levels and the noon classes with Edwin are my favorite drop in on a Tuesday/ Thursday for lunch and come train. I help coach the kiddos a couple times a week, whether you want to train for fun, want your kids to try a class or you want to come advance class our class schedule makes it easy offering over 40 classes a week. Come train!

I can't say enough great things about this BJJ studio! From day one, coach Alex and his coach…read moreassistants has been incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable, and truly passionate about what they do. They take the time to break down techniques in a way that makes learning both fun and effective, no matter your experience level. The level of instruction here is outstanding -- you're not just getting a workout, you're learning real skills that build discipline, focus, and confidence both on and off the mats. The coaches genuinely care about each student's growth and create an environment that feels supportive, motivating, and safe. What really stands out is the sense of community. Everyone encourages each other, and you quickly feel like part of a team. I've seen huge improvements in my child's skills and confidence since joining, and it's been an amazing experience overall. Proud to be part of this community especially for my kiddo. If you're looking for a place for yourself, your family especially your kiddos to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, gain confidence, and train with amazing coaches who truly invest in their students, this is the place to be. Highly recommend!

Where Science Meets Chaos, and Somehow You Get Better at Jiu-Jitsu…read more If you've ever wanted to join a gym where the instruction feels like a mix between a NASA launch briefing and a National Geographic documentary on apex predators, look no further than Forge BJJ. Let's start with Coach Alex. This man teaches Jiu-Jitsu like he's been studying under John Danaher and Pythagoras simultaneously. A typical technique breakdown goes something like: "Given that the sun rises in the East, the wind is blowing northeast at a steady 25 mph, and your opponent is experiencing mild existential dread... you're going to want to approach at a 45-degree angle, shift your weight by 17%, then rotate counterclockwise like a seasoned rotisserie chicken." By the time he's done, you don't just know the move, you understand its astrophysical implications. And then... there's Coach Rico. This man has zero hesitation about teaching heel hooks to kids and white belts like it's arts-and-crafts time. Most gyms: "No heel hooks for beginners." Coach Rico: "Soooo... let's break the leg in a controlled manner." Kids' class warm-up: Forward rolls Bridge escapes 'This is a heel hook, don't do it unless you want enemies.' Adults' class warm-up: Surviving whatever Rico thinks is funny that day. Despite the chaos, the vibe is chef's kiss. Everyone is friendly, supportive, and shockingly durable considering what happens on the mats. You'll laugh, you'll sweat, you'll question your life choices, but in the best way. Forge BJJ is the perfect combination of: Elite instruction Unhinged humor Real community Occasional fear for your ACL A team that actually cares If you want a gym where you'll get better fast, have fun, and leave every class with a story worth telling, this is the spot. Highly recommend. Bring water. And maybe knee braces.

You can now do Taekwondo, BJJ, Muay Thai, MMA and wrestling. This is truly a one stop place for…read moreall combat sports. They have MMA fighters to national champs here. Great place to train. Highly recommend.

Kings Combat Sports has been an absolutely transformative experience for my son. From the moment we…read morewalked in, we could feel the discipline and purpose that defines this gym. The coach doesn't just train fighters--they build character. Strength, resilience, and humility are at the core of everything they teach. My son has grown immensely since joining. Physically, he's stronger and more confident, but what's even more important is the personal growth I've seen in him. He's learned that true strength isn't about aggression--it's about control, respect, and humility. The discipline instilled by the Kings team has helped him not just on the mat, but in his everyday life. He approaches challenges with focus, bounces back from setbacks with resilience, and treats others with a quiet, grounded confidence that's rare for his age. Also important is the wonderful cohort at Kings and that comes from the amazing coach. The kind of strength and skills these individuals have is amazing, yet they are not arrogant like other studios. They display their strength through a quiet confidence which is aligned with martial arts. The genuine support this cohort provides daily in practice and for competitions is something I have never seen before! Kings Combat Sports is more than just a training facility--it's a place where young people are shaped into respectful, strong, and humble individuals. I can't recommend them enough for any parent looking to give their child not just skills in combat sports, but lifelong tools for success.

Awesome place to train. Came here for open mat and it was one of the cleanest and coolest bjj…read morefacility I have ever visited. It also has a private stretching area, private changing area and a mma room. The owner was so nice and sweet, she showed us around the facility and offered me drinks, coffee and tea multiple times. The vibe was really cool and welcoming. If you live in the area and are looking for a place to train in no gi and mma, this is the spot. Definitely recommend!

My husband started jiujitsu at Van Nuys Tenth Planet for the first time since moving back to…read moreCalifornia and he loves it! He has never done anything like this before and quickly fell in love with it. The owners do an amazing job keeping the gym clean! It always smells so nice there. Everyone is super friendly and you feel like part of a community there. Since my husband loved it so much, we enrolled my son into the kid's classes when he was six. My son does the jiujitsu classes on Monday and Wednesday and he does the Muy Thai classes on Thursdays. He loves it! We are planning to sign my daughter up once she's old enough. There are a lot of girls that take the classes too! I asked one of the other moms why they signed their daughter up for the class and she said that her daughter was being picked on at school. It's a great way to teach our children about self defense. The gym also gives back to the community by having members donate supplies for teachers and they are doing a toy drive for kids right now. When they compete in local competitions, they win! They're actually holding a competition for teens and adults this February as well! I would highly recommend trying it out. The class that my husband takes has women in it as well! You should check it out!

I've been training now for a better part of 25 years. I've recently moved to porter ranch and was…read morelooking around for a new gym to work out when I stumbled into this little hole in the wall gym upstairs in a strip mall. The black belt that was training some private lessons was probably having a bad day or something but he was such a douche, and was cocky for some reason. I never trained here but because that guy was such a jerk I wouldn't give it a second thought.

Every class with Pat is a master class. He's a great teacher that can breakdown a move as much as…read moreneeded until a terrible student like me gets it, while also making it fun, using excellent analogies, telling great stories and having a great sense of humor. He has a really deep knowledge of Muay Thai and kickboxing and when it comes to BJJ, you know you're learning straight from the source as Pat is a black belt under Royce Gracie. All the students are very welcoming and the higher belts are always willing to help and share their knowledge as well. This gym deserves more than 5 stars!

I have heard from others that this was one of the best bjj places to train. So we stopped by for…read moreNew Year's open mat. Greeted by the owner. When it started, he personally instructed his students to roll with us, which was really cool. Usually, we have to find partners for ourselves, which can be a bit awkward. Everyone was really nice. Everyone taught us something new. There were a lot of high belts. Never seen so many brown and black belts for an open mat. They were the majority. Usually, you will be lucky to find a few. The facility looks like it was renovated recently and looked very clean and nice. The bathrooms were nice with showers and lockers. They had a water filling station, which was especially awesome. Best of all, we met someone from a previous open mat that goes here. Small world! Definitely recommend if you are in the area and looking for a solid place to train.

LOVE THIS PLACE. Great place for a woman to train and build community and sisterhood.read more