I've been a member and friend of Degerberg Academy since 2007, but over the past 5 years or so Jiu…read moreJitsu has become my absolute favorite martial art. It's something of a healthy addiction. The more I roll the happier I get. I am a green belt under Robson Moura Nova Uniao so when my favorite teacher Branko announced he was opening his own RMNU school I followed him and his family over to the new Irving Park location so I can train at least 5x a week minimum. About Branko; he's unbelievably supportive. A few months ago he encouraged me to compete at the IBJJF Chicago Open and I took him up on it. We trained hard to get ready and the experience was life-changing. I lost 22 pounds and 3 pants sizes in just only 6 weeks. No crazy diet, no starving, Just healthy foods and Jiu Jitsu. Oh, and I gave my opponent at the tournament a very difficult time : ) Branko is a great teacher for anyone from absolute beginner to advanced blue and purple belts. He has limitless patience and loves the game with so much passion you can't help but get caught up in it yourself. He and his family are very friendly also so you get the feeling you are welcome right away.

ML is one of the best places to study Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Chicago. It is conveniently located on…read morethe north side and easily accessible by car or public transportation (there is even parking in back!). There are classes several times a day, which is super convenient for those who have busy work/school/home schedules. There is always a time to train, and the facility is super clean with excellent equipment. Branko is a fantastic bjj coach and instructor. He has a very deep knowledge of the sport and is extremely supportive of all of his students. He is very friendly and puts in a lot of effort to make everyone feel right at home regardless of how much they have trained. If you are new to the sport, or have been training for years you will enjoy training here.

I started training jiu-jitsu back in Feb. of 2014 at a different school where my brother-in-law and…read moresome friends currently train. After about a year, I started to look for other schools due to scheduling (I couldn't make it to as many classes as I wanted to). I'll never forget the first time I walked into Carlson Gracie HQ - Master Carlson Gracie Jr. himself signed me up. He was very warm and welcoming, and continues to be to this day (to all of his students). Master Gracie's level of instruction and attention to detail is top notch as many other reviews have noted. On the days where Master Gracie is not teaching, Master Andre Madiz runs the BJJ classes and also does an amazing job. It's a win-win situation. The facility is incredible. It's super clean and roomy. There is enough mat space to have a BJJ class AND Muay Thai class going at the same time. It's also air-conditioned which is such a bonus here in Chicago. Lastly, there's something to be said about the culture at Carlson Gracie HQ. I look forward to my BJJ days because I know I will be challenged mentally and physically. I know I will gain something from each class. But equally as important, I look forward to spending time with my training partners and instructors. This gym has such good vibes, is super welcoming, and It really does feel like an extension of my family. Oss!

I had the amazing opportunity to train at HQ with Andre Madiz and had the amazing pleasure to meet…read moremr Carlson Gracie Jr himself. Great guy and extremely humble and welcoming. Will definitely come Back to train here everytime I'm in Chicago

Finding a new gym after moving to Chicago was one of the hardest parts of the transition. As a…read morepurple belt who's been training for several years, I wanted a community where I'd feel supported instead of being pushed to the side like I've experienced at previous gyms. From the moment I reached out, everyone at Molinaro Jiu Jitsu was incredibly welcoming. They invited me to come in, and when I arrived, they already knew my name. Alex, the owner, introduced himself personally, was genuinely kind, and made me feel comfortable right away. The instruction has been exceptional. The technical details are exactly what I was looking for, especially since I wanted to improve my bottom game. Another huge highlight has been the number of women who train here, which is something I haven't experienced at past academies. It's been refreshing to be part of such an inclusive environment. The training is challenging in all the right ways, and I already feel like I'm growing as a grappler. Most importantly, I feel welcomed and like I'm part of the team rather than an outsider. That means more than I can express. If you're looking for high-level instruction and an amazing community, I can't recommend Molinaro Jiu Jitsu enough.

Professor Alex is a great instructor and a human being. He…read moreis my ideal person when it comes to character in an instructor/jiu-jitsu Professor. He is very kind, humble, detailed, cool, energetic, genuine, present, sincere, not greedy, etc etc etc lol. He's very young, but don't let that fool you-he knows his stuff! As a woman training jiu jitsu, I am very comfortable and safe training with Professor Alex and his students. He also doesn't discriminate (I'm a mom of three kids but he never tells me that a certain technique "is not for me") and I appreciate that so much. I started training with him August 2022. Wish I had met him sooner (cry!). I live in the suburbs and I wish I could go more often (another cry!)

I have been to a lot of JiuJitsu schools in the past 5 years and my experience here was one of the…read morebest. Cliff taught a great class and the students are very lucky to train in a very welcoming environment. There are no egos here and Cliff and his wife are known for constantly trying to implement new techniques into their respective games. Stop reading......everyone starts with their first class.....and this one is free. If upon seeing this review and you walk in.....hit me up down the road.....and buy me one of their shirts...they are slick. Go train Jiu Jitsu those that start typically state that their only regret was not starting earlier...don't be that girl/guy.

Came for a trial class and Mike Noren was the instructor. He made it really easy to understand and…read morewas going around correcting form. The were all welcoming as well and happy to help. They moved from Quads Gym recently so the place is brand new and they are still adding to it. If you've never been to a bjj class before you have nothing to fear, I definitely recommend giving it a try because you'll probably like it.

Amazing vibes! I dropped in this academy and mentioned that I am only visiting from San Diego. The…read moreacademy is within a gym and the people are nice and welcoming. Professor Stephen held the class and he was very methodical in his teachings and has great humor. The students were well-mannered and don't sense any bad vibes. They are also highly responsive so kudos to them! Would definitely come back here every time I'm in Chicago.

We worked with Torriente to provide beginner self-defense training for our 4th grade Girl Scout…read moretroop and had a wonderful experience. Booking was simple, seamless and responsive. We had the option of going to the studio or reserving a space closer to home, and we opted for the latter for a small travel fee given the distance and Cubs game. Our kiddos had fun but took the class seriously. Torriente was a great coach and super responsive to the kids' questions and experience level. I would absolutely recommend Torriente for other troops!

I love this place. Torriente is a great teacher - you can tell he loves doing it and that in turn…read morereally rubs off onto his students. Many of the people I asked have been there for at least a year even if it's off and on. Torriente is challenging, fun, and can accommodate many students at once, which was something I was especially impressed with when I came into the mix - a left-handed, brand-new student. ;) I really enjoy the small class size as well as how community-driven it feels - everyone is so supportive and flexible.

I went here for my first class through ClassPass and loved it! It was a non-stop high energy…read moreworkout. If you don't have boxing gloves they have extras there for you to borrow. When you walk in it's another fitness studio - go upstairs to find this class. My instructor was Josh M. and helped me get accumulated to all the different techniques throughout class after I told him it was my first time. Highly recommend this class!

I can't express how much I LOVE this place!! Great energy and even better instructors!! They push…read moreyou to your limit if not beyond which I appreciate so much! You leave drenched in sweat after each class. Whether you're having a stressful or wonderful day, a pair of gloves and a punching bag is never a bad idea!

This is a great place to learn Hapkido. Hapkido is a korean martial art that uses fun stuff like…read morekicks, strikes, and joint locks to immobilize your opponet. Hapkido is easier to pick up and use than some other martial arts and they aren't above teaching you some quick and dirty ways to ruin someone's day (which I will leave to your imagination). Master Kevin is the main guy and he is really down-to-earth and patient with total rookies like myself. The hours are great - they have classes seven days a week and evenings. The first class is free and if they see someone new they'll teach some quick, easy-to-learn self-defense stuff along with the regular class. Even if you don't sign up, you will have a new trick or two up your sleeve in case you ever need it. Try it out!

Truly awesome martial arts!!! This is Hapkido as intended without crazy aerials designed to woo…read morecrowds of S. Koreans or writers from Black Belt Magazine... a good indication that a Hapkido school is actually teaching something else. Here the emphasis is placed on learning the techniques correctly intertwined with basic street knowledge and a good dose of common sense which is refreshing. Master Kevin has been teaching Hapkido since he was in his teens, holds his BS in Education, has years of experience bouncing Chicago nightclubs and performing security/bodyguard work for major names in the Hip Hop world, and is now the premier instructor for the Jung Ki Kwan Hapkido in the Midwest. This is a man who understands fighting, self-defense, and the psychology of what happens in a confrontation and is able to teach why the techniques work based on his experiences rather than just teaching material without ever having tested its practicality. Now that I have been training here for the last 6 months, I can't imagine studying Hapkido under anyone else. Also available are classes in Kuhapdo which is a Korean sword style as well as women-only classes in Self-Defense and the new female instructed FitCut class that focuses heavily on core strength through the use of the sword, cardio, and coordinated movement. As Mark noted, Hapkido is a Korean martial art and is commonly translated as "the way of coordinated energy/power". It is also frequently described using words like "dynamic" and "eclectic" because it combines so many different types of response that are all based on redirecting your opponent's energy and returning it in a circular motion, typically along with a final strike or series of strikes intended to end the fight. In addition to basic strikes and low kicks, you learn joint locks, pressure points, throws, and some weapons at more advanced levels. Finally, Hapkido is not a Korean version of the Japanese Aikido whose techniques typically end short before leaving the realm of defensive measures. Simply put, Hapkido is street fighting which also helps distinguish it from competitive arts like Karate, Tae Kwan Do, Kickboxing, Judo, or BJJ. I have nothing but respect for other arts but competitive martial arts generally consider our final strikes "dirty" or "illegal" because they focus on how to score points in a match. In my eyes, if you're in a real fight, I'll skip over anything designed for competitive back-and-forth point scoring and do whatever I need to in order to walk away in 1 piece. Realistically, that may simply mean running but if my back is against a wall, this is a martial art that just may save my neck. This is a great school. Pricing is fair and Master Kevin will never try to get you to sign a lengthy contract. To my knowledge, he doesn't even have contracts other than asking that you let him know 30 days before leaving. Also worth noting, the entire syllabus is available on DVD in English being performed by the current Grandmaster in Korea (http://jkkmedia.com) and is a great way to supplement the material you get in class and reinforce your understanding so that you can train at a more accelerated pace. Check out the International Hapkido USA website (http://jungkifamily.com) for class times and any additional information.