Sacramento, California is known mostly as the “Farm-to-Fork” capital. Aside from its historical spots, hip breweries, and good food, the city is also known for its vibrant BJJ culture. And whether you’re visiting or you’re planning to move to the city for good, we’ll cover the 10 best academies where you can train jiu jitsu in Sacramento.
If you’re new, check out our guide for attending your first BJJ class.
Cassio Werneck BJJ
Instructor: Cassio Werneck (Black Belt)
Address: 5800 Madison Ave, Sacramento, CA, 95841
Cassio Werneck BJJ is one of the best places where you can train high-level jiu jitsu in Sacramento. The team is led by none other than a world champion. However, it doesn’t mean that it is mainly for competitors. Cassio Werneck’s academy also offers a friendly vibe for those who are new to the sport or those who don’t want to compete and just want to learn more about the art.
Cassio Werneck during his years as a competitor faced off against the likes of Marcel Louzado, Marcelo Garcia, and Terere among many other big names. Though he rarely competes today, Werneck is focused on building future generations offering classes for kids starting 4 years old.
There are some days when adult BJJ classes start at 6:30 am. Plus, the gym is open from Monday to Sunday. Now, if you want to learn directly from a world champion, 6 out of 7 days, you could attend Werneck’s classes. He handles some classes from Monday to Saturday.
Team Maxwell Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Address: 2300 Sutterville Rd. Suite A Sacramento, CA 95822
Instructors: Terry and Davin Maxwell
Another great spot for rolling in Sacramento is Team Maxwell Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This team is run by a father and son duo—Terry and Davin Maxwell. Terry has trained for more than 25 years while Davin is also a black belt.
The academy itself is spacious giving you room to roll. Plus, it also means that their academy could accommodate more people. If you are the type who wants different styles and body types, then this is a good place to do jiu jitsu in Sacramento. Plus, it offers great facilities. It comes with showers for both men and women.
Its adult BJJ classes usually start at 11 am then another class at around 6 or 6:30 pm depending on the day. Team Maxwell Brazilian Jiu Jitsu also offers kids classes in both judo and BJJ.
Capitol Jiu Jitsu
Address: 1734 34th St, Sacramento, CA 95816
Instructor: Gibran Maciel
Another spot that you might want to try out in Sacramento is Capitol Jiu Jitsu. If you’re after a variety of classes, then this might fit your style. For instance, there are days when Capitol Jiu Jitsu offers beginner’s classes, regular BJJ classes, and boxing in a day. Then there are days when you can also join wrestling and some nogi.
If you’re a serious competitor, you only get one competition class. You might just want to maximize open mats if you feel that you need to work on certain parts of your game and regular classes aren’t enough.
Gibran Maciel is the owner and instructor of Capitol Jiu Jitsu. Based on other people’s feedback online, he is known for teaching good fundamentals which could come in handy not just for newbies who are trying a new sport but even for experienced grapplers who want to improve their game. Gibran Maciel has competed in different martial arts including boxing, wrestling, MMA, and also BJJ.
Another good thing about Capitol Jiu Jitsu is that they are transparent as to how much they are charging every month. They charge $130/month for adults and $120/month for children. If you’re not sure whether you’ll like the gym, you can schedule a free class.
Yemaso BJJ
Address: 3021 65th St, Sacramento, CA 95820
Instructor: Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrosa
Next on our list is Yemaso BJJ. This academy is owned and headed by Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrosa. He is a third-degree black belt from fellow Sacramento-based instructor and world champion Cassio Werneck.
Marcos Torregrosa moved to Sacramento and started his BJJ journey in July 1999. He is experienced as an instructor since he even started teaching during his blue belt days when he would work as a substitute whenever a black belt instructor isn’t around. He is also a regular competitor winning in Pan Ams, Worlds, and also at Fight to Win Pro.
The schedule focuses not just on one particular group of BJJ practitioners. There are several beginners, intermediate, and advanced classes, which means that there is a class for everyone.
So how much do you have to spend on Yemaso BJJ? You have two options. You can just join two classes a week, or you can enjoy unlimited classes per week. If you choose to just attend two classes per week, that’s $120. On the other hand, you get unlimited jiu-jitsu classes for both gi and nogi for $140.
There is also no need to set up an appointment if you’re planning to join. Just head to the gym around 15 minutes before the class and you’re ready to go.
Ares BJJ Sacramento
Address: 4501 Auburn Blvd Suite 108 Sacramento, CA 95841
Instructor: Manny Moreno
Ares BJJ Sacramento is a stand-out gym in the city as it focuses not just on the more experienced grapplers but also the newer practitioners.
The gym’s owner and the head coach is Manny Moreno who has been known in the competition circuit as well. He has competed in tournaments such as Fight to Win Pro and Want vs. Need’s Jiu Jitsu Battle II.
Then, the gym also offers other high-level instructors such as Julio Velliz who is another black belt, and Franky Carrasco and Jason Ewing who are both black belts.
However, you might expect that given the number of instructors, the team would’ve been open every day. Unfortunately, Ares has a somewhat weird schedule. The gym is open from Monday to Thursday plus Saturday. And then, it is closed on Fridays and Sundays. Also, there is no jiu-jitsu class on a weekend.
Other than that, Ares BJJ Sacramento is still a great place if you’re looking to try jiu jitsu in Sacramento. It offers not just adult classes but also kids’ classes.
10th Planet Sacramento
Address: 8345 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95826, United States
Instructor: Albert Tapia
In the last few years, the popularity of nogi jiu jitsu has skyrocketed in the United States and other parts of the world partly thanks to Danaher’s leg lock system and Gordon Ryan’s domination in Nogi super fights and ADCC. Now, if you’re in Sacramento and you want to do more nogi classes, then you might want to go to 10th Planet Sacramento.
Their gym is open 5 days a week. It is only closed on Fridays and Sundays. Their head instructor is Albert Tapia. Tapia has joined different tournaments over the years and he also competed in Fight to Win. He is also known for explaining key details whenever he is teaching his classes.
They also offer BJJ for kids. The gym has also relocated recently to accommodate new members. They even set up a GoFundMe for their new mats.
Precision Jiu Jitsu Academy
Address: 6432 Tupelo Dr, Citrus Heights, CA 95621
Instructor: Rob Scheier
There is an abundance of new school BJJ gyms on the West Coast. However, let’s admit that it isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea. Some still want an old-school approach when they are rolling on the mats.
Now, do you want to learn directly from an old-school black belt? Precision Jiu Jitsu Academy offers just that. Its head instructor Rob Scheier is Ricardo Almeida’s first black belt. His black belt was presented by Renzo during the ceremony in 2004.
He’s been training since 1994 and has been to Japan and Brazil when preparing for competitions. He’s trained alongside the likes of UFC fighters like Kurt Pellegrino and Greg Soto.
Precision Jiu Jitsu Academy offers both adult and kids’ classes. Plus, this gym is open every day. Classes are typically divided between gi and nogi. And for gi classes, there are mixed, basic, and advanced classes. You will just have to pick which one suits your style.
The kids’ classes are handled by another black belt instructor, Chris Petersen, who worked extensively with kids. He received his black belt from Rob Scheier in 2019. Aside from his rank, he was a summer camp counselor allowing him to bond with children easier. Plus, he’s been teaching kids classes since 2014.
Looking at the gallery of Precision Jiu Jitsu, their space can accommodate a good number of pairs at the same time. It means that if you’re planning to roll with different body weights, skill levels, and different styles, then this is a good place that you might want to check.
Buena Vida Jiu Jitsu Academy
Address: 2551 Del Monte St, West Sacramento, CA 95691, United States
Instructor: Kolo Vida
Buena Vida Jiu Jitsu Academy is an underrated gym in Sacramento. The main instructor for Buena Vida Jiu Jitsu Academy is Kolo Vida who has experience competing at a high level. A quick look at his resume and you’d see some of his matches with big names like Sinistro and Chad Bingham.
One of the things that made Buena Vida Jiu Jitsu a good option, especially for beginners is the fact that it’s a smaller gym. It also means that the instructor can focus on your progression better compared to having multiple students in one class.
Though it isn’t advertised how much the gym is charging, a quick look on Reddit and a user posted that he or she is paying $185 for two people. Considering the level of experience that Kolo Vida has, it’s a good deal.
Unfortunately, the academy doesn’t have an active website. However, a quick look at their Facebook page and you’d see that they have kids and adults classes. Plus, they are active in the local competition scene.
Team Cia Paulista Jiu Jitsu
Address: 4120 El Camino Ave C, Sacramento, CA 95821, United States
Instructor: Andre Glodzinski
It is common for a lot of BJJ practitioners to consider a team that has a black belt. However, what most practitioners miss out on is the fact that senior black belts often share intricate details in a technique. If you’ll look at Team Cia Paulista Jiu Jitsu located at El Camino Ave in Sacramento, you’d notice that they have three black belts on board. One is a fourth-stripe black belt while the other is a 2nd-degree black belt. Its main instructor is Andre Glodzinski.
As for the facility, you have an 800-square-foot academy that can allow multiple pairs to roll at once. It is home to different BJJ practitioners too. There are serious competitors while there are those enthusiasts who just want to try a martial art.
There are days when their BJJ class starts as early as 6:30 in the morning. Plus, on Friday, you get a 6:30 am class and an 11:30 am to 12:30 pm class. The gym is only closed on Sundays which makes it easy for students to pick the right schedule for them. Also, it offers kids classes in the afternoon.
Bruddas BJJ
Address: 10473 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Instructor: Mario Cerezo
Bruddas BJJ is a Graciu Jiu Jitsu academy. And it’s not just a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, it is the longest in operation in Northern California. The instructor Professor Mario Cerezo is a 4th-degree black belt who already produced 15 black belts over the years.
Since it is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy, expect the curriculum to be more self-defense based than something that is sports-based. Some people like this setup. However, before you try signing up, you also have to know some of the cons that we’ve noticed.
Bruddas BJJ offers BJJ seven days a week. However, there are days when the location is in Granite Bay Jiu Jitsu. Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu is located at 9705 Village Center Dr, Granite Bay, CA 95746. Also, there are not a lot of classes to choose from, unlike other gyms that we’ve mentioned.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of gyms to choose from if you are looking to try doing jiu jitsu in Sacramento. The good thing about these options is that you can easily compare what works best for you. Do you love doing more self-defense-based techniques? Or perhaps, you want to be more sports-oriented? Just try to compare the gyms or at least visit them for a few sessions to see if you like their vibe and teaching style.