Best BJJ in Florence. Professor is a real 2nd degree black belt from Brazil. Great for BJJ and MMA,…read moreas well as self defense and just staying in shape. SAS team is great.

From the owner: We are a combat sports gym offering world-class training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai,…read moreWrestling, Self-Defense and more.

This is the best Jiu Jitsu school in the state of SC. I've trained at several schools over the…read morelast 20 years. Rigan Machado, Gerson Sanginitto, Henry Akins (Rickson Gracie's third black belt), Cindy Omatsu (the first woman outside of Brazil to earn her Black Belt in BJJ). The attraction for me is that this school is run and owned by a couple, two Black Belts, Danilo and Jessica Cherman. There aren't many women Black Belts in our area and to have the opportunity to train and learn from one was an opportunity I couldn't overlook. She is a legit accomplished, talented, loving, compassionate, fierce fighter. He is a brilliant knowledgeable grappler as well, recently winning double gold (his event and the open event) at the IBJJF Charleston Fall competition just a couple of weeks ago. The school has a mix of white belts from the Irmo area, and color belts from their school in Connecticut. They had a successful program in CT and a strong women's team. They've been open since January and in 10 months, less than a year, they won 1st place at the IBJJF Fall event in Charleston. This is an academy that anyone in the greater Columbia area should attend. If you're looking for a BJJ school, this one has it all - a great youth program, great adult classes, even a striking class. Classes are Monday through Saturday. I'm so grateful to have found this place, I could go on and on. A real gem of a BJJ school. Danilo and Jessica are great school owners and BJJ practitioners and instructors.

Amazing coaches! By far, the best Jiu Jitsu gym in the Columbia / Irmo / Lexington area. I've been…read morelearning Jiu Jitsu since 2012, moved around quite a bit due to my tenure in the Army, and have never had a Professor teach the way Professor Danilo teaches. He breaks the techniques down in ways that make it easier to grasp and understand. Jitsu Academy is truly a family environment also, my kids train also and have both made tremendous improvements with their techniques and game.

Great place to try out other train jiu jitsu! It is just a great sport for so many reasons.read more

Love this place. Another in a long line of amazing, wonderful BJJ gyms in the area. I find myself…read morein awe at how luck we are to have such a dedicated, vibrant community of practitioners in our area. Of special note, Mr. Stephen McCloskey is always a riot to work with.

This is an amazing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Academy. The school…read moreis gorgeous, always clean, great energy and the staff is super welcoming and friendly. Professor Henrique is a very thorough instructor and the classes are lots of fun! I am very thankful for Gracie Barra Charleston as there are no other schools in the area nearly as high level as this. I highly recommend!

Outstanding Experience at Gracie Barra! My 6-year-old has been taking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Gracie…read moreBarra, and we couldn't be happier. The staff is amazing, and the instructors are incredibly skilled--not just at teaching techniques on the mat, but also at building confidence, discipline, and respect that carries over into everyday life. They truly pay attention to each student's individual capabilities, which makes a huge difference. I've recommended this class to everyone I know who's even thinking about trying jiu-jitsu. Highly, highly recommend!

This is an amazing BJJ gym with awesome instructors. It is very clean, welcoming and I always have…read morea positive experience here.

Love the family friendly location. My son always looks forward to coming and has a good time…read moretraining here. His confidence has improved since starting to come here and "have a good time with friends" his words.

NO WARMUPS. I was sold at zero warm-ups. No bowing to a picture of helio on the wall no weird stuff…read morelike calling the instructor Professor or sensie. This has by far the highest quality of students anywhere in Charleston. My last coach told me I was almost ready to get promoted and I was feeling cocky about my skills. I dropped into a class there one days and was getting submitted at will by thier bluebelts and some of thier whitebelts. It was then that I knew if I cared more about winning and being the best then I did about getting a blue belt it was time to change schools There is no bowing in or out of class which means the rolling stops when nobody can go any longer. They roll more here than any school I've ever been to. They have top of the line Fuji mats and the owner keeps the mats very very clean. If you want to get really good this is the school to go to. Just tonight we had a blackbelt from another school come here to train for his ADCC run with the purple belt here who medal at worlds last year. Best part is everyone here is cool respectful and pushes you to get better

Great gym, just moving into Charleston I was looking for something similar to my old gym a more…read morelaxed less formal type of gym that works both nogi and gi pretty even, I feel like these type of schools are very effective for learning and getting better. The Instructor I met was very down to earth and chill which I think also helps with the improvement of students. Definitely recommend if your a beginner or just looking for a different place to train -Robert

Just dropped in from out of town. The guys are dope. They told me not to worry about a payment…read moresince I'm only there for a short time. Learned some good technique, had some good rolls, and got some good information from the more seasoned people. It's a friendly yet competitive environment. My kids train as well back home, and they put on a very well structured kids class. Definitely be the place I come to if I'm back out this way.

From the owner: Element Grapplingread more

As someone who has had the privilege to live in a few major cities and travel to smaller ones for…read morework, I have trained at many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gyms across the United States. Generally speaking, each gym will vary in instruction quality, class availability, mat space, and student dynamics. After a year of training at Folly Jiu Jitsu, I can safely say that this gym excels in all four areas. The instructors here come from various backgrounds and have complementing skill sets. It's your first day and you have never set a foot on the mat before? Perfect. You want to get better at judo? Say no no more. Wrestling? Easy. Leg locks? Maybe even easier. Every instructor here has a knack for communicating and is well-equipped to teach you at whatever stage you are in your BJJ journey with a genuine smile on their face. Class availability is one of FJJ's strong suits: you can attend classes as early as 6am or late as 6pm, whatever works best for your schedule. The great part about this set up is you can easily join another class in the event you miss your typical session or if you are just looking to switch things up. Having a diverse set of talented instructors available throughout the day helps to keep your grappling mind and skills fresh. The gym used to be a former firehouse, which allows for an incredibly large mat space (one of the biggest I've personally trained on), and is kept meticulously clean by the staff. The overhead honeycomb lighting is a nice artistic touch and the gym is equipped with locker rooms and showers. As someone who has trained in a few crowded small gyms, having all of this space to move around in is incredible. As an extension of the instructors, the students here are very welcoming and all are at different stages of their jiu jitsu journey. There is a healthy mix of beginners, intermediate, and advanced practitioners in any of the classes one might attend; more importantly, everyone is looking to learn and help each other learn day in and day out. All in all, this gym has a lot to offer to anyone at any chapter of their jiu jitsu journey. From the casual beginner to the seasoned competitor, there is always something for someone to learn here. Whether you are looking to start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the first time or just visiting Charleston, swing by Folly Jiu Jitsu and you will be welcomed with open arms.

The instructors are top notch and the gym is clean. We really enjoyed our trial lessons with…read moreProfessor Prado. He connects with the kids and brings positivity to the class environment. We can't wait to work with this gym in the future.

We have 3 daughters taking classes here since January and I'm so impressed with how they teach each…read moreclass and skill. They have learned so much and the instructors are so patient and skilled. The fact that it is also affordable for our larger family is an extra blessing!

Our family began training with Columbia Self Defense in December of 2019. We initially started with…read morejust our older boys, but after seeing what they were learning, we enrolled our daughters in classes as well. When our oldest graduated to the adult class, my husband and I began training too. The skills we've acquired and friends we've made along the way have been priceless. Over the course of five years, we attended classes at all levels and can only say positive things about the gym and instructors. The instructors train each student on their own level, while pairing them with partners who will help them grow and keep them safe. Our daughter has developmental delays and ADHD, and they have been amazing with her! Safety is always a priority at the gym. Thank you, Shayne, Traci, and Joe, for all you have done and continue to do at Columbia Self Defense.