I trained here for several sessions while passing through Seattle, and this place is a gem! The classes emphasize strategy and having an overall game plan, which sets them apart from other gyms. The skill level of everyone here is noticeably higher than at many other gyms I've trained at. Everyone is very welcoming, creating a supportive atmosphere. Andrew and Jacob are great instructors, adding to the excellent training experience. I highly recommend anyone looking to improve their game to train here. read more

Excellent spot for BJJ, Muay Thai and mma. Got some solid mma training here during the early morning class with the 5:30 am crew. Drilling on mma fundamentals followed by several rounds of sparring, eating body shots for breakfast. Great tips and feedback from coach who definitely knows his stuff. Highly highly recommend this spot. read more

100% check this place out if you are interested in Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, or kickboxing. Initially signed up initially for the no-gi jiu-jitsu, but saw everything else they were providing and decided to give it a try. The classes are usually scheduled back to back which makes it easy to jump into which I was encouraged to do. I received a lot of great pointers and guidance not only from the instructor but also from some of the more experienced students there which is always cool to see. Also highly recommend checking out the morning classes if you can wake up for them. The motto here seems to be learn by doing. Overall a great experience, highly technical instructors and a great community. read more

I was visiting for work from Virginia, and I was looking for a place where I could practice my martial arts. Andrew was more than welcoming. His hospitality was more than I expected, and I could not recommend this gym more. read more

Mat Chess is a fantastic gym. People and culture are friendly and welcoming. They offer a wide variety of classes, including Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, MMA, and more. No other gym in the area allows you to explore such a broad range of classes. read more

Very welcoming staff and community. The style is more mma with useful tricks/combos that have potential to land well in a Muay Thai fight. Would recommend! read more

Mat Chess has an excellent Jiu Jitsu program. Andrew is a very experienced and knowledgeable instructor, and the students they help develop become formidable jiu jitsu practitioners. I would recommend it to anyone. read more

Look no further, Mat Chess is hands down the best Mixed Martial Arts Gym in Seattle. Andrew, the teacher, is a knowledgable, skilled and all around a great person. There is a strong sense of community at this gym that I fell is truly impressive. Everyone has a positive attitude and is working hard to become better. This gym is competitive by nature but also friendly and welcoming to all. The first class is free for new people, so give it a try. If you are looking for a place to learn and grow, while also having some fun along the way, then come check out Mat Chess Mixed Martial Arts. read more

My cousin (a member of Mat Chess) brought me to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu course here just for fun to try. The BJJ teacher Andrew is an extremely nice guy and does an amazing job of making every class accessible to complete newbies and useful for experienced grapplers. This sport is no joke and brilliant exercise if you're in need of a cardio and strength training combo! read more

Started my jiu jitsu journey here and I couldn't be more pleased. Andrew is a fantastic teacher with a great group of people from all walks of life. read more

Found out about Mat Chess via reddit.com/r/Bjj Happy that they have an open mat on Sunday's. A lot of the other gyms in the area are closed on Sunday's. Friendly members, owner was super cool. Clean and fun location. Definitely will be back. Tip: the gym is in the basement of the deli on the corner. read more

Mat Chess Mixed Martial Arts - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Moved to Seattle recently from the Bay Area. I trained at The Resistance in Pleasanton with some of the best Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu instructors as well as some former UFC fighters. I trained at another small gym In Seattle and then I found Mat Chess. The instruction here by Andrew for Jiu Jitsu is super informative and really helps you to learn the art of Jiu Jitsu. The Muay Thai here really helps you to learn basic fundamentals and also sharpen your skills in the striking aspect. Also, the amount of sparring done here is more then other gyms I've been at and really helps you too see what you are doing right and things you can work on in the future. If you are looking for a gym that take martial arts seriously and also in a fun and comfortable setting, then Mat Chess MMA is the spot! I look forward to training here as long as I'm in the emerald city! read more

When I first went to check out Mat Chess, I intended on trying Muay Thai. Got there early and asked Andrew (the jiu jitsu instructor and owner) if I could just watch the jiu jitsu class. He tossed me a gi and said, "We don't watch, we do." I am so glad I did! Jiu jitsu did not come naturally to me at all but Andrew and all of my training partners were so patient and genuinely intent on helping me. Andrew provides very precise instruction; no detail is left out. He teaches technique sequentially, so that movements are concretized and naturally progress into the next sequence. Andrew will challenge and support you along the way in your jiu jitsu journey. Mat Chess also offers classes in Muay Thai and wrestling. While I never did make it to Muay Thai, wrestling with Shawn will have you working out like you never have before. Shawn's instruction is also incredibly detailed and his approach to wrestling blends perfectly into jiu jitsu while developing your take-down game. By the time I left Mat Chess (due to relocation), I felt confident in my jiu jitsu game and excited to continue. Whenever I've visited (should it be in person or virtually via Zoom), they are still so welcoming and instruction remains high quality. Check it out, as well as Seattle Sunshine (the coffeeshop Andrew's wife, Sen, owns upstairs)- you won't regret it! read more

Andrew taught an amazing jiujitsu seminar and everything was explained so well, and broken down in a way that was easy to learn and implement. Thank you for taking the time to teach us that amazing sequence. read more

Had never taken any mma classes prior to going but they made it easy for me to learn. Great environment, definitely going again!

Mat Chess is an awesome MMA gym! I've been doing private Jiu Jitsu training with Andrew and he's a true elite professional. His approach and technique for teaching concepts and connecting all the moves through the training has been amazing, with a lot of patience, true education, and simple explanations. He takes the time to make sure it's all clicking before moving on to the next moves. I've gone from zero experience to building a solid foundation and feeling like I have a good grasp of the fundamentals. The gym is clean and well laid out with plenty of space. I highly recommend Mat Chess, Andrew, Shawn and the rest of the team. Top Seattle gym! Looking forward to continuing my education and training. read more

Our son takes part in the Mat Chess Bryant After School Program. . . and it's been a hands-down FANTASTIC experience for him and for us. Andrew or Sen arrive at Bryant every afternoon to escort their elementary-aged charges down the street to the Mat Chess studio for an hour plus of jiu jitsu and exercise. But they aren't just learning jiu jitsu; we can see in our son that they're also learning life skills and how to be all-around good people. He totally loves going and always leaves happy. Andrew & Sen are great with the kids and all-around great people. Interesting to talk to, gracious and good role models. What more could we ask for? I recommend Mat Chess without reservation or equivocation! read more

Not a single bad thing you can say about this place. I was only able to go to Mat Chess for two months but I still thought it was a great experience and introduction to martial arts. Andrew (Jiu Jitsu instructor and owner of Mat Chess) is super knowledgeable and friendly, and welcomes students of all experience levels. He really knows what he is talking about when it comes to the sport of Jiu Jitsu. Roy and Sean are excellent boxing / kickboxing teachers and make sure you know exactly what to do and why you are doing it. I highly recommend this place for anyone. They offer a free class for anyone looking to gauge their interest in any of the martial arts offered at Mar Chess. read more

Had a great time training there while I was in town on business. Great group of guys and great coaching staff. Highly recommended.

Great variety of classes and competitive yet fun environment. Something for everyone of all levels. The owner/instructor, Andrew, is friendly and teaches hands on. Stop in for a roll 7 days a week and you'll be as sold as I am. P.S. Beautiful and spacious new facility tailor made for Jiu Jitsu!! read more

This is a great place to train. If you are in the Seattle area I would highly recommended it. I'm traveling this week for work so I reached out to Mat Chess to see if they excepted drop ins at their gym. The instructor and students were very welcoming. They even declined to charge me a mat fee. The class structure was different from what I'm used to and I loved it. Each class lasting 1.5 - 2 hours providing enough time to drill the techniques then slowly add more and more details and resistance which gave me a through understandingly of what was being taught and a good idea of how to apply it to a resisting opponent. All this while still leaving 45 minutes for live rounds at the end of class. I'd like to thank Mat Chess for having me and I can't wait to visit your gym again. read more

I started training with the owner/head instructor here, Andrew, in 2005. He is a fantastic jiu jitsu player, skilled in all aspects of the gentle art, with a very technical game based on solid fundamentals and an open mind. He's an incredible teacher too; very skilled at communicating not just individual moves, but the concepts behind jiu jitsu that are so crucial to proper development. Andrew's also a great guy on a personal level. Humble, patient, and kind. From my recent rolls with some of his students, it's clear just how much Andrew has invested in making his students great. Five stars! read more

This was my first stop after landing in Seattle for vacation. The gym is equipped with the essentials: two showers and a bathroom. Ideal when you're coming straight from the airport like me. Great space for training both Muay Thai and bjj. More specifically the latter for me. I was happy I could get some rolls in with some awesome people. read more

I have been training in mixed martial arts for over a decade now, and visited Mat Chess today for the first time. It offers excellent Brazilian Jiujitsu and wrestling instruction, with high percentage techniques taught with attention to detail. The instructors are skilled, friendly, and helpful. Also, their kick boxers were some of the best I've seen in the state thus far. read more

Dropped in for wrestling and no Gi while traveling for work, everyone was super nice and welcoming! Great rolls and knowledgeable instructors, definitely will be coming back next time I am in the area. read more

Great vibe at this place. Instruction is friendly and helpful and there is a good mix of talent and experience with people both genders training here. If you are looking for somewhere to train or just want to give jiu jitsu and/or kickboxing a try, this is the place. read more

The Muay Thai instruction here is unparalleled compared to others gyms in the area. Andy and Dan really know their stuff. If you're looking for authentic, traditional Muay Thai and/or an excellent workout, this is your gym. This is probably also the only Muay Thai gym I know of in Seattle that offers unlimited classes 7 days a week with your membership at very affordable rates. Modern equipment and facility. The community here is great- super nice, chill people of all different skill levels. I've taken a few of the Jiu-Jitsu classes and Andrew and Shawn and are both really patient and great instructors. read more

Trained here for the first time recently. It's the third gym in Seattle that I've grappled at, and will now be my first choice when I'm in the area. Impeccable, spacious, mat, and thoughtful instruction from Andrew. One thing that perhaps hasn't come across in other posts is the level of grappling skill that Andrew possesses. I've been around this sport awhile, and trust me when I say that he is elite. In my case, he knew that I was looking to get in an hour of serious training and I left very satisfied! read more

Excellent facility and professor/owner. Andrew is patient and amazing gentle considering his size and strength. I did a drop in at Mat Chess today and could not be happier. If I lived in Seattle I would definitely train here. Everyone was nice and supportive with great mat skills. It is also a great facility - clean with newer mats. read more

We are so lucky we found this great group of instructors. Our daughter started here over a year ago in the Bryant after school program. We ended up moving out of state and she wanted to continue her training near our new home because of the great foundation and comfort level she achieved at Mat Chess. We came back to Seattle for a visit and immediately called Andrew to see if we could stop by and say hello to everybody. Our daughter took a class with Shawn and immediately felt like one of the gang even though she been away for a while. These guys all really know what they're doing, take great care of the kids, and offer them valuable life skills while having a whole lot of fun. I tell all our friends that they need to get down there and check it out. read more

I trained at Mat Chess over 4 years ago, Andrew the head instructor was my first real Jiu Jitsu teacher. He taught me solid foundation to which I use today. His teaching style, attention to details, tournament preparation, is very organized and one of the best. He is very passionate about teaching and the improvement of his students. I have moved away and no longer train here but I will always be proud that I came from this gym. The techniques he teaches are high percentage and high level, you won't be disappointed. I also liked how he adjusts the details for different body types. I had some of the best SWEAT in life at this gym, get ready to be put to work while having fun! They have plenty of classes for both kids and adults, No Gi, and Gi, AWESOME wrestling program, and Muay Thai. I highly recommend this gym to anyone! The training partners here are also the best, they really care about your progress and more than willing to help. read more