I couldn't say more great things about Empire and their Basics class! I was a complete beginner to…read moremartial arts, nervous to start and I felt the perfect balance of being pushed and welcomed on the very first day. John is an extremely attentive and detailed instructor and I was hooked right away. I attended the weekly basics class after the first class and have been feeling a lot of growth. The community is great, have made wonderful friends, and am excited to now have jiu jitsu as part of my life. Highly recommend for everyone - especially complete beginners!

I've been going to Empire Jiu Jitsu for about three months now, and I cannot recommend it highly…read moreenough. I feel like I've absorbed years worth of jiu jitsu knowledge in just a few short months; the teaching quality is truly exceptional. Jake and John are amazing coaches who possess an incredible amount of knowledge. John, who teaches the beginner classes, has a gift for breaking down complex techniques to the smallest level of detail. He doesn't just show you what to do, but clearly explains why each step is important, which accelerates the learning process. I can tell he also genuinely cares about the progress of all his students. The community at Empire is super chill, supportive, and fun. Everyone trains incredibly hard, but is also willing to take the time to help explain techniques and guide lower belts. It creates an atmosphere of tough, but respectful training. It's the nicest group of trained killers you'll meet in the Bay Area. If you want to get good fast and become part of an awesome community along the way, this is absolutely your spot.

Great gym to train at. Travis is a skilled instructor (and accomplished competitor) and it's a…read morenice, welcoming community with people from all walks of life, students of all levels including very high, and a culture of camaraderie and support. I started training here in Jan 2023 to learn some practical self defense. From my first weeks I felt like I was learning practical things, but also realizing how much there is to learn. As a result, game becomes addictive. It's also a great workout. Engaging, cardio, strength, functional movement.

Awesome gym! I came in on a Thursday night for 6 PM no gi class. Coach Travis greeted me and…read morewelcomed me into his class. He taught a great class and showed great technique. I also hopped in the Muay Thai class. Coach Rocky taught the class. He's a great coach too and was very friendly. I will be back when I'm in town! Magalit Jiu Jitsu 10/10.

They are really a diamond in the rough. The staff is really flexible with my ever changing schedule…read moreand the coaches are very skilled and patient- I look forward to my progress.

Dropped in a while ago. Easily the biggest mat room and highest average level of skill in the city…read more Everyone was friendly and the upper belts all offered to roll. They also have a lot of time slots in their schedule so if you can only make early mornings or late nights this is a good spot. They have showers too and parking is decent.

Great parking. Instructors are very good at answering your questions…read more My jiu jitsu game has definitely improved in the short 3-4 months of being here. You'll find a good mix of chill to competitive rolls.

My 4-year-old son loves his Hapkido class with Mr. Allen! He's kind, patient, and knows exactly how…read moreto keep the kids engaged while teaching focus, respect, and confidence. Luke has grown so much since starting. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a great intro to martial arts!

Great gym! Very well-hidden (in the same building as Yoga Tree, next to Pastel Brazzuca and World…read moreGym) as evident with their lack of reviews, but still very much active with a good amount of students and great class times. Very friendly atmosphere and awesome instruction. I dropped by for a trial class on 5/9/17 and joined that day! The address on Yelp is incorrect. I've asked Yelp twice to update it, but no movement on their end. The actual address is: 1500 16th Street, San Francisco, CA (they moved to this location back in February of 2017, so the large space you see in photos and reviews for 175 De Haro actually now belongs to a CrossFit gym) The space itself is not that big, but definitely roomy enough and works well for intimate lessons. I've seen 10 people here, 5 partnered rolls going on at the same time without issues. Because the space isn't huge, the professor is able to tune in to each student to make sure everyone is doing well, a HUGE plus for development! There are 2 membership plans, one that covers class twice a week and another that's a little more expensive for unlimited classes. There are 2 instructors here: Alessandro teaches Monday/Wednesday classes and Vinny teaches Tuesday/Thursday classes. I will post a photo of a class schedule as soon as I see it. Currently, I have info on the current classes: Monday - Thursday: morning classes (I think at 6:30am?), noon classes (I believe at 11:30am), and evening classes from 6:30-7:30pm Friday - Saturday: Open mat at 11:30am for Saturdays, not sure when for Fridays There's also No-gi classes throughout the week, but I don't remember which days/times, will post up when I find out

Great training. Everybody knows how to be a good training partner and keep a great atmosphere about…read morethe place. Highly recommend!

Such a great experience as a new white belt going to class! It can be scary being so new - I've…read moretried many gyms in the city and this was the first as a beginner I felt like I learned the most and retained the most. This was because of a combo of: 1. Clear visuals about what the different positions are 2. Moves that are outlined - you try the move, and then repeat it over and over again in speed/resistance 3. Then you have the opportunity to try it in sparring, which lets you really remember it! Definitely recommend and will be back - folks were super nice and welcoming!

Bay Jiu Jitsu is, by far, the best jiu jitsu gym I've ever trained at. I learned more in the nine…read moremonths I spent with them than I had in the previous five years, training elsewhere. They've ruined other gyms for me. Since leaving SF, I've traveled around CA, but haven't been able to find any gyms of a similar quality. Bay Jiu Jitsu is a special community with a level of elite instruction that's genuinely hard to find elsewhere, especially one that's welcoming literally to anyone, beginner or otherwise. Very few BJJ gyms offer any instruction in takedowns-be it wrestling or judo. A huge amount of gyms train nearly entirely on their butts or from their knees. Every instructor at Bay knows high-level takedowns and defense. We all grapple standing and are training takedowns constantly. The instructors here are incredible. All of them compete and their records in tournaments, to my knowledge, is excellent. Bay Jiu Jitsu is also the only gym I've ever trained at that constantly surveys the class for questions. Unlike the general, "Any questions?" at the end of a complex technique, they literally go around the room asking "what questions do you have?" It's such a simple thing, but very indicative that the gym is just operating at a much different level. The instructors actually help you to improve your game and learn the sport. You're not just mindlessly doing moves out of context that you may never use. Here, we work techniques and positions, and map out how to see them, what successful principles for passing open guard are, for example. So, you're constantly learning in a deeper and more meaningful way. Rather than an individual technique, you're learning how to think for yourself, how to figure out large-scale, applicable, perspectives/rules to operate under when faced with fundamental positions of the sport. All the instructors are talented and can actually teach. When they break down ankle locks, it's not just showing you one version of the submission three times and having everybody go and drill it incorrectly. The instructors will break things down, incrementally, and in-detail. Then we regularly attempt it with coaches going around the room, making adjustments, and then doing additional demonstrations and instructions. I don't think they ever just go through the motions with moves here. Everything we do has a point or reason to it. Bay Jiu Jitsu is the only gym I've been to (and this is dope) but it's the only gym where instructors ask individuals from the class, what do you want to work on? What's something you're struggling with or curious about? And we'll actually do it. Instructors here give a damn about you as a person. They track your success, watch you during sparring, and hold you accountable to reach your potential with feedback, advice, and encouragement. They have no uniform requirement. You're not forced to buy a gym rash guard or spend hundreds of dollars on their gis. They don't charge you for promotions. They teach you how to actually train smart. So many gyms don't do this and it's ridiculous, but here, they teach you how to avoid preventable knee injuries during takedowns/positions, how to fall correctly, etc. When there's sparring, there's pretty much always a person walking around, keeping individuals from falling into a teammate-blowing out their ACL or kicking them in the head needlessly. I could ramble on for ages about the gym. You'll train with loads of rad, high-level people here. Nobody has an ego. We're all willing to help out. You don't deal with people cranking your jaw to get a submission. Everybody's cool and will train hard, at times, but in a safe way. The gym does movie nights, goes out to bars, goes dancing, and has bonfires throughout the year too. If you're looking for it, you can make friends. I love the gym and the people here. If you have the chance to train at Bay Jiu Jitsu, you absolutely must.

"BOAAAAA VERY NICE, A+ KELLEY!"-- Romulo cheering for me across the room when I finally landed that…read morestubborn move. "KELLEY COME ON MAN, YOU HAD THE SWEEP. C+" -- also Romulo from across the room when I botched a move I had down. ______________________________ I trained at Rómulo's for 2 years and it was by far the highlight of my time in San Francisco. I had great training and made the best of friendships there, so forgive me as I wax poetic about a place that fostered some of my favorite memories. The instruction and training was fantastic. People are diligent when it's time to train, and during drills, coach will walk around with fellow black belts watching students like a hawk, ensuring everyone is learning the moves properly. Further, coach and others pushed me just the right amount to help me grow in my own way. They will for you too. The community was incredible as well. People are supporting each other inside and outside of the gym, basically like a family. Whether it's small businesses, new music bands, or a member's stand-up comedy gig, the people pull together for each other. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. They've helped me grow not only as an athlete, but as a human being too. In the end, I can't recommend Rómulo's enough. They brought me in, beat me down, patched me up, and sent me off with a new definition of love and camaraderie. It'll be tough finding a gym that even comes close. If you visit (as you should), say hi to the gang for me. God I miss them.

This is the best jiu jitsu gym in San Francisco. I've been doing martial arts for 10 years. The…read morelead instructor is an excellent teacher and fighter. The vibe in the gym is friendly and respectful. If you want to learn well in a friendly and supportive environment that is serious about training, this is your spot

i've been training here almost 3x a week for about 2 months. This is my 3rd jiu jitsu school due to…read morehaving to move around, but fortunately, I'm finally settled and Carley Gracie's academy has also turned out to be my favorite in a rather short time. The academy is located on the 2nd floor of a Tae Kwon Do gym so it may be hard to find at first. There's a dozen friendly students and a lively instructor in Carley. Carley Gracie is a master red belt and his teachings are as technical as they are fun. He's got a very unique approach to teaching Jiu Jitsu through his extensive decades of experience and i'm totally diggin the fact that he wears white Hanes socks on the mats, lol. Class is only MWF, 630-8pm. Membership is either by the month or a 3-month deal, no initiation fees or contracts or any other gimmicks. You simply pay through a Square credit card reader (which I love, as most gyms make you go through a lot of bs to sign up or cancel) and you can just stop paying when you need to pause or resume payments at any time. This is a great place to learn or improve your jiu jitsu game, no matter what belt level you're at

Carley Gracie is a king among men. The guy is such a sweetheart that it makes you forget all about…read morethe fact that you're learning how to kick people's asses. I've been to a few jiu-jitsu academies and this one was by far the best. My experience with the other academies were mainly getting my ass kicked. The students there seemed to be more interested in building up their own egos by destroying the new students rather than fostering an atmosphere of teamwork and collective improvement. It all comes back to the instructor. The instructor sets the tone for the academy and, in Carley's case, the tone is one of respect and altruism -- you help the new guys out and don't push anyone past their limit. The Carley Gracie academy is great for beginners but also offers plenty of challenge for advanced students. I've seen some of the most talented jiu-jitsu guys here and they always do well at tournaments. Another thing worth noting is that Carley Gracie is one of the highest ranked BJJ practitioners on the planet -- an 9th degree black belt AKA red belt. According to his bio, he has a lifetime undefeated record even counting private family matches against other Gracies. I believe it too. It just goes to show you that some of the baddest dudes on the planet can also be some of the nicest.

1/3/2023 update I have been training here at Studio86 under…read moreCoach Yukito since January 2020. It has been a great time learning and building a good foundation of jiu jitsu. I am much more flexible, and can move a lot easier now after getting rid of 15 pounds of extra fat (and keep them off)..... Looking forward to new progress in 2023. Coach Yukito is very knowledgeable in all areas of this art including and not limited self-defense, sport jiu jitsu, competition, healthy life style, etc. He dives into technique details of each move, and helps us to develop. The studio is super clean. The community is supportive to learning and growth. No matter you are a new person who never tried jiu jitsu before, or a seasoned practitioner, it is a great place to train. See you on the mats :)

Interesting studio with many returning members. I took several No Gi classes on Wednesdays and…read moreFridays. I was new to jiu jitsu and from my experience it was geared towards those who are more experienced. Not as much attention and care for newer people as the experienced people. Coach Yukito is friendly, patient and provides kind feedback. Coach Flora less so.

This place is amazing ! My son recently started going here and he loves it . It's fun and teaches…read morekids a lot of different skills . I recommended it for kids ! The coaches are amazing and sweet !

Dropped in a while ago…read more.. Love the mat room ambience, a little small but traditional looking. Solid rolls and everyone was friendly. Victor was super technical but taught in a way that was easy to comprehend. I actually still use the concept he taught that night of class till this day and has helped my passing a lot.