Took my 5- and 8-year-old to Six Blades Jiu Jitsu Nova for a free trial. The environment is no-nonsense and clearly built around serious training-- which as an Army veteran is something I personally respect and felt at home in, especially given the military-style banter. That said, I didn't find the tone ideal for younger kids. There was language and phrasing ("kick his ass!") that I didn't feel was appropriate for children, and I was disappointed by comments made toward boys being beaten by girls ("You'll walk home if you lose to a girl")--not exactly the message I want either of my kids internalizing. The instructors are absolutely skilled and committed, but they treat the kids like mini adults, which may work for some families, but not ours. We ended up going with another gym that's more youth-focused, closer to home, and offers more affordable memberships with military and family discounts. I think Six Blades would be great for adult students or older teens looking for high-level instruction, but it just wasn't the right fit for our young kids. Edited for further context: For further context, what the owner describes as "jovial" banter included quotes from coaches during the kids' training session: * "Kick his ass!" * "Whoop his ass!" * "You better not lose to a girl!" * "If you lose to a girl, you're walking home!" * "Pay attention, dammit!" "Banter" implies the kids could respond with witty comebacks--but what would they realistically say to grown men in a position of authority? They simply complied. That said, I truly appreciate the owner's openness to constructive feedback. It makes me feel more confident in my decision as a parent. For now, we'll stick with the more "budget" and kid-friendly option -- at least until my children are old enough to clap back at demeaning and misogynistic comments with confidence and humor that comes with maturity. read more

My son has been training at Six Blades three times a week for seven months. He's had the best experience! The instructors are extremely skilled at jiu-jitsu and are natural teachers. The kids children's classes are full of super sweet kids and friendly parents. The community is very welcoming and I'm so grateful to have found it. read more

My husband started coming to Jiu Jitsu at Six Blades around 2019. My girls always loved watching daddy roll and wanted to join in. This year I finally agreed to let them try and they love it! Professors Emil and Pete (as well as the various other coaches that help out) are great with the kids. I joined as well. I appreciate that everyone is more than willing to teach you, whether a coach or not, no matter size, shape, experience or fitness level you are. Definitely a good stress reliever, workout, and way to get into fighting shape. read more

When we moved to the area and my kids both wanted to continue Jiu Jitsu, we found a community we were honored to be a part of. My then 1st grade daughter and 5th grade son thrived under Emil and Pete. Along with the many experienced adults that stepped in to support the kids class. My son found a number of strong MENTORS who he continues, 6 years later, to look up to and learn from. My daughter has taken what she learned to many other sports with such a strong confidence in her strength and abilities. This a a community with a passion for this sport that has given both my children an inner strength and confidence thanks to Emil and Pete's leadership. read more

Emil and Pete are passionate about continually leading the legacy of Ribeiro JJ on the mats with discipline and heart. If your looking for discipline and what we like to call a life sport, I highly recommend RJJ Academy NOVA. We started off with just loving the kids program to now the whole family rolls together. We will continue our journey until duty service calls us elsewhere. We are grateful for all the lessons we learn on the tatami as it rolls into daily discipline as well. Thank you Emil and Pete -OSS ~Ramos Ohana read more

Six Blades Jiu Jitsu Nova - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu is an academy that focuses on M.A. based on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This place welcomes everyone, both children and adults, from those who have no experience to those who do, to an environment that is safe and is all-encouraging. I also love that they customize and tailor your lessons so it's you-centric! Looking at their schedule, I like that their hours cater and can work for those who have school/work. Reaching out to Mr. Emil to obtain more information, I loved that he was extremely responsive, very friendly, and was readily available for any assistance! I can see why this place receives such high and positive feedback from their happy clients! +ask for Mr. Emil! +jiu-jitsu! +friendly staff +safe environment read more

Six Blades is a great place to learn and a fun community to be a part of! Emil and Pete are very professional, knowledgeable and patient with both the kids and adults who train. I actually followed Pete over from another gym he owns and it was the best decision! Top notch and quality instruction and the friends I've made keep me coming back. read more

Love this place. The owners are awesome and welcoming, the people are fun and friendly, and the quality of jiu jitsu is second to none. My kids and I would never train anywhere else, this is our home. read more

I have been a student for several years now and must say Emil and Pete are awesome instructors! They work hard to provide a great family atmosphere and place you want to train. read more

Great place to learn jiu jitsu. The owners Pete and Emil are great black belts. They both have different styles and can teach you a lot. If you're looking to start jiu jitsu or looking for a new school to join, I would highly recommend this place. read more

If you are looking for a place to learn practical self-defense for yourself or your kids, I could not imagine a better place. For adults, the team has been welcoming and always willing help others improve technique or consider alternative moves. I've trained at a few different schools and these folks have been fantastic and the level of instruction is really amazing. Their kids program is great as well, my younger one was a bit apprehensive to get on the mats but has grown in the sport in a very short time. I love seeing him focus in on techniques... such that he even thinks about it at home at bedtime... and he has the desire to improve each time. The level of instruction at the kids level is much higher than what we experienced elsewhere with my older child... the variety of lessons is wonderful and the structure of the class is great. read more

I joined RJJ NOVA 1.5 years ago as a complete newcomer to BJJ and I have no plans of leaving. After a long stressful day at work there a few things in life that are more satisfying than gently applying a choke to your opponent and slowly making them tap :) If you have never done this then please give it a try. Very addictive. As was stated in other reviews above - I agree that one of the awesome things about RJJ NOVA is that other upper level members are 100% willing to take time for you and walk you through any techniques that you want to learn and brush up on. Very humbling how much time they are willing to spend with you after class for example even when sometimes their family members/kids are sitting there off the mat waiting on them to go home. They also have a very inclusive culture for newcomers by way of having drinks after training and do occasional potlucks throughout the year, and they even have periodic clothing group orders for custom academy apparel. Another impressive thing is that there are seminars offered multiple time per year - for example the 7x IBJJF world champion and hall of fame Xande Ribeiro seminar held on 5/6/21, as well as the 4-day long Gustavo Dias Seminar that was held from 3/1/21-3/4/21. Never been at other clubs but this seems pretty badass to me. Yes, I know the membership is not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Often times they are open 7 days a week, just keep that in mind. They have a system of 3 professors and multiple coaches, so depending on which professor you are working with you will get a different perspective of BJJ - one professors style might be more inclusive towards traditional customs while the others style might be more inclusive on raw technique (just as an example). But with having multiple professors, coaches and upper level members to you disposal - there is a ton of assistance available, especially for a lower level belt like me. If I had to nitpick on something the only thing that would come to mind is that it can be hard to get academy patches for your GI, especially if you need multiple sets of patches for multiple GI's, but that is about all I could come up with on the nitpicking side. read more

Six Blades Jiu Jitsu Nova - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

Unfortunately Ribeiro Academy wasn't the first place I took my son for Jiu Jitsu classes. The first place I took him to didn't work out. I won't mention the name because they didn't do anything wrong, but they were either unwilling or unable to work with a child who has some pretty intense separation anxiety. Our son is a normal kid, but the type of child who clings to our legs and doesn't let go when in a new or scary situation. I tried telling the coaches they needed to take his hand and bring him out there but they didn't want to do that. Fair enough. And I'm glad it didn't work out, because that led me to Yelp where I found Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu academy. I called coach Emil and explained the situation. I told him we wouldn't be offended if he didn't think our son was ready for training. He encouraged me to bring him in and set up a day for the try out. We showed up and right on cue, my boy clung to my leg like super glue. Coach Emil firmly but carefully grabbed him by his belt and brought him onto the mat. There was a little bit of crying, and I quickly ran to the back room to get out of site. I peeked out just a few minutes later to see he was working with the coaches and other children with a huge smile on his face. It took him a few more classes to get comfortable, but now he looks forward to Jiu Jitsu class and gets bummed out on days he doesn't have it. Not only are the coaches great with kids, but the prices are very fair, and they have month to month pricing as opposed to the more typical annual contracts other places have. For a very reasonable monthly fee, our child can train as many times a week as he wants. After a month of taking him to his classes I saw how much fun he was having and after talking to some of the adult students who were always arriving for class after the youth class, I decided to sign up myself. 3 weeks in and I'm really enjoying it. Emil and Pete are great coaches and the other more experienced students are extremely helpful and patient with newcomers like myself who have no experience in Jiu Jitsu or any other martial art. Overall a very welcoming environment for both kids and adults and a great place to train! read more

Ribeiro really helped me stay active during my pregnancy. I was able to safely train until two days before I went into labor. Everyone was great. Pete and Emil encouraged me to listen to my body and do what felt comfortable. The other students never made me feel like I was a hindrance to their training. I've recently started training again after giving birth, and they are just as helpful with the challenges of the postpartum period (i.e. weak hips, loose ligaments, etc.). Even when I had to dash because I forgot my breast pump, it's just always such a welcoming atmosphere. And of course, still great instruction. read more

Real BJJ taught by the best instructors. No glamour bs moves, just raw fundamental Jiu Jitsu that wins.

Ribiero is co-owned by Pete and Emil. Emil is a nice guy, and he's there most often. He's really good with the kids class, and if you're wanting your kids to train there, I would recommend it. The elephant in the room is Pete and it's the reason the gym earns 2 stars. Since I left RJJ, I've tried BJJ classes at Matt Larsen's Combat Fitness Center and Capital MMA. At both: 1) I experienced instructors who answer your questions and give you constructive feedback on your technique. 2) No one responded in a hostile or condescending way to questions or ignored the women in class. 3) No one was humiliated for entering or exiting the mat incorrectly, for not wearing the correct gear, or for not doing the moves correctly. If you're looking to learn BJJ, I recommend trying Matt Larsen's Combat Fitness Center or Capital MMA first. read more

Best place in VA to train BJJ! Great instructors and great people on the mats. I would recommend to everyone!

Good place to workout and to learn jiu jitsu. I love this place and would recommend to everyone

I have trained at other jiu jitsu academies in Northern Virginia and this one has surpassed the rest with exceeding my expectations. Professor Emil and Professor Pete truly care about helping each student achieve his or her goals and have created a welcoming environment where students of all levels feel a part of the team and respected as athletes. read more

I was on travel visiting family and looking for a place to train. Emil and many of his students welcomed me into the facilities with open arms. It was a great experience and I felt like I was a part of the family. The instruction is solid, attention is given, the students are well-trained, the facilities are clean, and I made a few friends along the way. I will definitely be back. Many thanks, Emil! read more

I started with Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu Academy NOVA way back in the old days before they moved to their current facility. I had absolutely no martial arts experience of any kind, but Pete and Emil were patient and had great attention to detail as they helped me earn my blue belt. Combine great instructors with a great family atmosphere and an excellent price and you have the perfect Academy to join. I highly recommend you stop by and see it for yourself. read more

EXCELLENT academy, welcoming environment to learn and train BJJ. I always felt like grappling gyms were rough, tough, aggressive and full of macho dudes trying to kill one another. This couldn't be further from the truth at Ribeiro. This academy is NOT intimidating, the atmosphere is very positive and our training partners respect one another. We safely learn technique, develop skills while building comradery. The instuctors are the absolute best, go the extra mile and bring out the best in their students. I just finished my 6th month of training and can't say enough great things about the academy. read more

Great place to workout. Crowd is great and instructors even better. I took my daughter with me as well cause they have classes for kids

I was in town for business and took a class. The instruction was great. Peter is a nice guy and a great teacher - very detailed. The facility is clean, spacious and stylish. The students are skilled and respectful. I highly recommend it. Check it out. read more

Six Blades Jiu Jitsu Nova - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

This is the best Jiu Jitsu academy in Northern Virginia. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

This place is awesome. Great instructors, lots of great self defense to learn, and getting in great shape! Centrally located makes it convenient for everyone. read more

If you are looking for a disciplined but relaxed BJJ Academy, this is the place. They will always make you feel welcome and you will learn an art that will help you grow mentally and physically. I have been growing here for two years and will continue to grow as long as my body will let me. read more

Great instructor, great Academy. If you want to learn self defense or just get in shape, it's an amazing gym to attend.

This place is brand spanking new - an off-shoot of Krav Maga Northern Virginia. Ridiculously clean with about 3000 square feet of mat space (all Zebra), plenty of restrooms and a large changing room. There's ample parking, too. While I love the gyms built out of industrial, cinder block garages, you can't beat the cleanliness of this gym. Affordable rates and great deals for the kids. For those who are just figuring out what this martial art/sport is - it's one of the most effective self-defense systems I've experienced (after studying kung fu, tae kwon do, krav maga). If you told me at the start of my journey that I could hold off a 250 pound, chiseled 20-something for five minutes, I'd have called you out for lying. But I do it regularly. I'm not always submitting my partners, but it's not often that they are tapping me out (i.e. I might not beat you, but I am not going to lose to you). Which makes it a great choice for kids. They have a juniors program that starts at 5 years old. I got my boy enrolled and he loves it. There's no striking involved which gives me peace of mind - while I don't want him getting owned by bullies, I don't necessarily want him bloodying up his peers, either. But the rewards go beyond self-defense. The other night, a young girl about his age tossed him down (countering his attempts at a judo takedown) approximately 7 times in a minute. He got up after every single one and engaged her again. And when he left, he was raving about how strong she was. It made me incredibly happy for several reasons - he displayed resilience and humility, he wasn't afraid of failure, he celebrated his teammate's accomplishment and he respected the strength of the opposite sex without any bruised ego. I do my best to raise a strong, compassionate human being - it's nice to know that jiu jitsu has my back. And let's talk about the health benefits. Jiu jitsu is no joke - it's not easy. Most of us aren't gifted with instincts for fighting from our backs. It's a total mind and body workout (especially core) every night. Just shy of three years in, I am in the strongest shape of my life, losing roughly 20 pounds since joining. Every night, you are sparring - applying technique to practice. I am a proud blue belt and see no signs of stopping. This is a Ribeiro affiliate - so it's led by multiple world championship winning brothers, Saulo and Xande Ribeiro. While they visit for seminars and workshops throughout the year, Coaches Emil Takeuchi and Pete Giannetti are the instructors. With decades of martial arts experience in their backgrounds, Emil is a law enforcement officer and Pete is military - so real-life application and perspective constantly informs their approach to technique and concepts. Jiu jitsu is a life changer, but I'm not sure I would have stayed in the game this long if it wasn't for Coaches Emil and Pete. They care about everyone who has the courage to walk on the mats, regardless of where they come from. On any given night, you will find moms, dads, college students, teachers, government contractors, police officers and artists hanging up their daytime identities to put on the gi, bump fists and roll as teammates. Both coaches focus on your individual development over building a championship team (though we do pretty well at regional and IBJJF tournaments). They meet you where you are and challenge you to be the best jiujiteiro you can be. read more

Amazing school, and the instruction by Emil and Pete is pretty good. We had gone to competition and won medals. Also, Emil competed in the IBJJF in New York and won medals in all of his competitions, including absolute as a brown belt. The facility is great, big, with enough space for sparing. In addition to that, it has space for changing clothes for people who comes straight from their workplace and 3 restrooms and a kitchen. If you're interested in learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, this school is worth going. Something else, Emil trains his own kids in BJJ, and they had done well in kids competition. If you have a kid and considering to put him in martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu will be a good experience. read more

Two of my kids have trained here. I have been amazed at the improvements in just a couple of months---the instruction and entire atmosphere has been great. And Emil just knows how to handle the kids like a seasoned pro: he works them hard, they learn, and they love him. I also like the atmosphere of the place for my kids. Importantly for me, it is very laid back. Also, the more senior kids are expected to lead and help out with the more junior ones, and there are plenty of knowledgeable adults that step in and assist with classes as well. Just a real team feel to the entire operation. I hope to keep my kids enrolled here for a long time. read more

FAMILY is the word I would use if I had to describe this academy. All the people are great, everyone is courteous, welcoming, and genuine. Emil, the head instructor, is VERY knowledgeable and honestly, a great teacher. He thoroughly explains the techniques he shows and has a way of explaining things that help with complete comprehension. He supports his students and takes pride in his academy. The facility is clean and well put together. read more

If you are looking to train brazilian jiu jitsu, there is no better place in Northern VA than Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu Academy NOVA. I've been with this team for over four and a half years; not only is the training absolutely top notch, but I guarantee you will see the basic elements of an amazing academy: Family, Loyalty, Discipline, Attitude, Respect, and Honor. 5-stars does not do it justice. read more

My 10-year-old son has been training at RJJ NOVA for the past six months. It's amazing how much he's learned in such a short period of time. All of the coaches are top notch. They have impressive BJJ skills, but they're also extremely patient with kids. I couldn't ask for better coaches for my son. One of the things I like best about RJJ NOVA is its commitment to making the BJJ experience the best it can be for its members. My son can go to class as many times as he wants during the month for one fee, and the environment is extremely family-friendly. read more

This is the first extracurricular activity we signed our son up for and he loves going to class Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays. The instructors really care about each student and keep them motivated to do their best. read more

The instructors, Emil and Peter, are top notch. The facilities are superb. Additionally, the people I train with are simply fabulous. I started a few years ago, after I turned 60, with some trepidation. I certainly am not a natural at this, by any means. But what I found was a group of people, teachers and students, who went out of their way to work with me and help me on the Jiu Jitsu journey. I just turned 63 and am enjoying it more than ever. There are people here who compete in tournaments and win and there are people who train for the benefits and enjoyment of training. If you want to compete in tournaments, you can train to do that here, but there is never any pressure to do so. You go at your own pace and you make your own journey. If you have ever thought about what it is like and whether you should try it, by all means do. It's great exercise with great instructors and fellow students. There are kids classes, too. Very much something the whole family can do. I'm so glad I tried it. read more