In November of 1993, a young man named Royce Gracie captured the hearts of all young men and women looking for an outlet for their aggression. This is where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was first born to most of us in the United States and it was an amazing sight to see. This skinny, frail looking Brazilian took on some of the baddest men on the planet in a white Gi and made a man like Ken Shamrock tap in under a minute. It was a truly amazing time the world of martial arts. To see such a small man, defeat all of these bigger men was something most of us weren’t used to.
Fast forward to today, the UFC is as big as ever and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has gained a lot of popularity as well. So much so there are even promotions specifically for BJJ. The popularity of this style of self-defense and sport has a grown a great deal all over the world and now you are looking to get involved. We can’t blame you. It is a beautiful martial art that teaches you many lessons outside of just defending yourself. The only issue one might find when trying to determine a BJJ school to go to is which one to choose. Because of the popularity, BJJ schools are popping up all over the place. The options are plentiful which makes the decision even harder.
This is why we came up with this list of some of the most reputable Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies in the San Antonio area. We know there are a lot of schools to choose from so we hope we can narrow down your choices by talking about some of these schools and what they are all about. Please enjoy our list of BJJ schools in San Antonio and if you aren’t on this list and would like to be, reach out to us.
Team Shark, Daniel Pinheiro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
11825 West Ave
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 913-8763
teamsharkbjj.com
You can find Daniel Pinheiro and Team Shark in Castle Hills, San Antonio, TX. This is an IBJJF registered school that is family oriented and provides a safe and clean environment to learn the art of BJJ. At Team Shark, they offer classes for anyone and everyone. This includes children, men and women alike. They even offer private classes for those that are looking to advance at a faster pace.
The school is headed by owner and founder Daniel Pinheiro. Daniel makes it a point that every employee that teaches here strives to make sure that students have a respectful and challenging atmosphere to work in and get better in. The core values that are instilled into the people that train here include honor, respect, loyalty and love. They offer a facility where everyone feels welcome and with this, the staff at Team Shark want to extend an invitation to anyone that is curious about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to come in and try a class. This is a sport that transcends physical ability and age. If you have the desire to train and learn, Team Shark will match that in their desire to make you a better BJJ practitioner and person. The only thing that is asked of students is to come ready to sweat!
Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
7715 Mainland Dr # 102
San Antonio, TX 78250
(210) 680-8900
graciesatx.com
Relson Gracie of San Antonio is run by black belt Joshua Lauber and he would like to invite you and your family into their academy to see what BJJ is all about. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is considered to be the “suave art” or gentle art and is one of the most popular sports out there right now with some of the most effective techniques in all of martial arts.
Lauber has been a Relson Gracie student since 1997 and received his black belt back in 2011 from Relson himself. Lauber has been an active competitor throughout his Jiu-Jitsu career and competed in some of the bigger tournaments including the many IBJJF tournaments. Outside of competing and training, Lauber is prideful of teaching the Gracie self-defense program and helping his students follow the competition path.
If you are looking for a new challenge in life and great way to get in shape and test yourself, check out Relson Gracie BJJ of San Antonio.
Gracie Barra San Antonio
20711 Wilderness Oak #109
San Antonio, TX 78258
(210) 616-2243
graciebarra.com
Gracie Barra is one of the most well-known names in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The values and their commitment to excellence is something that is really noticeable when you set foot in a Gracie Barra school and the same applies when you go to the Gracie Barra in San Antonio.
There are over 700 Gracie Barra schools in the world so that should tell you that they are doing something right. If you want to experience something like this, you should check out Gracie Barra of San Antonio.
Gracie Barra of San Antonio initially opened in 2015 and since then, they have been helping adults and children reach their personal goals through the art of BJJ. The goal is to provide a safe and clean environment for the community of San Antonio to experience while learning some world class Jiu-Jitsu. You can experience this great martial art through classes that are set for your level of BJJ. If you are new or are trying to sharpen your skills on the mat, Gracie Barra has a class for you.
Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ
9714 Potranco Rd
San Antonio, TX 78251
(210) 867-6118
rodrigopinheirobjj.com
Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ is a school that teaches BJJ, Muay Thai and MMA. When you come to Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ, you will learn under the instruction Black Belt World Champion Rodrigo Pinheiro. Pinheiro is a Royler Gracie black belt and is a member of the Gracie Humaita team. He has been training Jiu-Jitsu for over 25 years and has been a black belt for over 15 years. Learn from one of the best BJJ black belts in Texas by visiting the school.
A little more about Rodrigo Pinheiro is that he is a 4th degree black belt. He holds a number of accolades for BJJ including the World BJJ Championships, BJJ Pan American Games and the Brazilian National Championships. They also offer MMA classes at his school so if you are thinking of dabbling in some other forms of martial arts, you have an opportunity to do so at Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ. Pinheiro was also a successful MMA fighter with a record of 4-1.
This being a serious school to study BJJ and MMA at, you might think this environment isn’t good for new students but you would be mistaken. This friendly and welcoming environment will be the last BJJ school you visit because the team atmosphere is going to be something that is tough to walk away from.
Marra Senki Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
15201 San Pedro Ave
San Antonio, TX 78232
(210) 499-1443
marrajj.com
At Marra Senki, you will be will learn under a great team of instructors and BJJ professionals that will have you on your way to accomplishing all of your fitness and self-defense goals. The team at Marra Senki Jiu-Jitsu Academy offers instruction in all forms of BJJ including training in the Gi and with NoGi. The adult classes include women and men of all fitness levels and ages, while the kids’ program is continually growing and a great place for your kids to learn self-confidence and discipline.
With the many methods of training at Marra Senki Jiu-Jitsu Academy, you are going to learn all forms of training including competition training and real self-defense training. What this means is that you will be trained in proper submission holds, throws, clinching and striking. Training in this method will give each member all the tools necessary to fully protect themselves if the situation calls for it. You will be in a fun atmosphere while learning a common sense approach to self-defense.
The head coach of Marra Senki Jiu-Jitsu Academy is Professor Luiz Sergio Correa. He has been training in BJJ for over 30 years and is a black belt under Paulo Strauch. He also has a Professor diploma signed by Robson Gracie, Osvaldo Alves, Carlos Gracie Junior and Master Mansour.
Brazil-021 San Antonio
5723 N Foster Rd #112
San Antonio, TX 78244
(210) 993-2021
brazil021sanantonio.com
At Brazil-021 in San Antonio, TX you will have an opportunity to learn BJJ in a welcoming and fun atmosphere that will help you in your journey to become fit and to learn self-defense. This is the case no matter if you are a seasoned BJJ practitioner or a beginner.
Brazil-021 San Antonio is looking to offer more than the skills to just win medals at tournaments. The goals are to provide self-confidence, mental toughness, well-being and health in an atmosphere that is inspirational, safe and encouraging so that every student that trains here can meet all the challenges they may face in life. The motto at Brazil-021 is that “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Saving Lives” and that belief is founded in the belief that BJJ can help members live a healthier lifestyle, learn a form of self-defense, attain better physical fitness and to teach the kids to be “bully-proof”.
Under the guidance of Saad and Suay Al-Aziz, you will learn many life lessons through the beautiful art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This husband and wife team loves to teach and are well-qualified to boot. They have trained many champions in both BJJ and life and they hope they can add your name to the list.
Pinnacle Martial Arts Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
4926 Golden Quail #204
San Antonio, TX 78240
(210) 348-6004
bjj-sanantonio.com
If you have been toying around with the idea of giving Jiu-Jitsu a shot, you would be making a great decision by picking Pinnacle Martial Arts Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program at Pinnacle is proven to be an extremely effective and useful form of self-defense in addition to helping you live a healthier life. Some of the benefits learning discipline, confidence, having a great sense of purpose as well as learning to be the best version of yourself.
At Pinnacle, you get 30 days free to try out the classes and if you are interested, they have ways to get 6 months free. Getting 30 days free is almost unheard of in the martial arts industry but this goes to show how confident about they are about what they offer. The team at Pinnacle wants you to become the best version of yourself that is possible and they know that can be accomplished through their BJJ programs. If you want to see what all the hype is about, reach out about their classes today.
Brazilian Top Team San Antonio
5345 Glen Ridge Dr
San Antonio, TX 78229
(210) 660-7471
bttsa.com
Brazilian Top Team San Antonio is one of the first Top Team schools in all of Texas. BTT is a place to learn traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in an environment that encourages creativity and discipline. At BTT San Antonio, you will learn authentic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that is taught by of best BJJ black belts in Texas in 3rd degree black belt, Diego Gamonal Nogueira.
To understand the type of training you’ll be receiving at BTT San Antonio, you have to understand how success Professor Nogueira has been in competition. He’s won two NoGi World Championships, two Nogi Pan Am Championships, two 2nd place finishes at Masters Worlds, two 3rd place finishes at the NoGi World Championships, countless top finishes at IBJJF tournaments and numerous others.
When you train at BTT San Antonio, you will be training with world class instructors. Not only do you get the opportunity to train Gi and NoGi Jiu-Jitsu, you can also try their wrestling, Judo and kickboxing classes. All of these classes will beneficial to your BJJ game. It is great for you and your family. With classes for everyone, the team at BTT is looking forward to meeting you.
Ultimate Submission Academy
610 SW Military Dr
San Antonio, TX 78221
(210) 363-3215
usacademytx.com
At Ultimate Submission Academy, women and men are taught martial arts and self-defense at a high level by instructors that are great at what they do. The team at Ultimate Submission Academy opened their doors in hopes of having a positive impact on the local community. They are dedicated to offering motivating workouts and effective fitness training every day for South San Antonio. It doesn’t make a difference if you are just starting your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey, you are a professional fighter or you are a member of Law Enforcement looking to take on a new challenge and sharpen your skills, the team at Ultimate submission Academy has you covered.
The expert team of instructors here at Ultimate Submission Academy are dedicated to the success of their members. That doesn’t just mean to win titles. Whatever your goals are, this team of dedicated coaches will help you reach them. They are there to support you through the process of self-defense and better fitness while having your back the entire time you are on your journey.
If you have any questions, stop in and visit or give these guys a call.
NBTC BJJ
1389 Industrial St Suite A
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(210) 951-2384
nbtcbjj.com
NBTC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers high quality instruction for Jiu-Jitsu in the Northeast parts of San Antonio and New Braunfels, TX. There are programs for kids and adults no matter the skill level. If you want to improve yourself personally and physically, the team at NBTC BJJ can help you reach where you want to go.
The team is led by Professor Jean “Dalua” Catagena. He is a BJJ black belt and involved in MMA with over 15 years of experience that he is ready to pass on to his students. Professor Cartagena’s career started back when he lived in Puerto Rico. At the time he studied boxing, Muay Thai and wrestling. In 2002, Professor Catagena started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. In 2006, he started training MMA under the instruction of UFC fighter, Jorge Rivera.
As busy as Professor Cartagena is, him and his team make time for all the students that sign up at NBTC. So, if you are looking to improve yourself as a person and as a fighter, give the team at NBTC a chance to earn your business.
10th Planet San Antonio
11503 TX-1604 Loop
Universal City, TX 78148
10psanantonio.com
10th Planet San Antonio is one of the newer BJJ schools under the 10th Planet system and has been opened by black belt instructor Curtis Hembroff. He was the head coach at the Austin location and has now opened up a school in San Antonio to offer the 10th Planet system of Jiu-Jitsu to the local community. 10th Planet’s style of Jiu-Jitsu is solely in the NoGi part of Jiu-Jitsu and focuses on an MMA aimed style that will protect you when it counts the most.
Not only does the team at 10th Planet San Antonio have great classes for adults of all levels, their kids’ program is second to none. This is an environment that encourages hard work and creativity while instilling important qualities in your children like self-confidence, discipline, respect and honor. If you are looking for something to get your kid involved in that will make them a better person overall, give the group at 10th Planet San Antonio a chance to earn your business.
Ohana Academy
8318 Jones Maltsberger
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 526-1175
ohanajiujitsu.com
At Ohana Academy, you will learn from some of the best martial arts coaches in the Texas. They are devoted to offering a welcoming, open and fun family atmosphere where you can shine while you accomplish your personal goals in addition to meeting a bunch of great folks that will encourage and join you on your journey. Whether you are looking to compete, meet new people, lose a few pounds, or just become healthier in both mind and body, the cast at Ohana Academy will help to guide you while you hit your goals all while having a great time. There are so many benefits from training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and when you combine that with learning from great people in a fun atmosphere, you have a recipe for success.
Adults and kids are more than welcome. There are programs for everyone when you train at Ohana. Once you start building a routine, you will see the changes and it is something that is quite impressive. Jiu-Jitsu is an addictive martial art and once you start seeing the benefits from training, we suspect you will be back a lot. However, don’t take our word for it, give them a try and see how you like it.
Caio Terra BJJ San Antonio
8749 Grissom Rd
San Antonio, TX 78250
(210) 685-3147
Champions Factory | CTA of San Antonio is an affiliate school of Caio Terra. Terra is a world champion that has competed against some of the most talented Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the world. His values and work ethic are passed down to Champions Factory in San Antonio where you and your family can train together and become better versions of yourself.
At Champions Factory, they offer BJJ programs that are great for anyone. No matter your age or experience level, there is a program for you. From the fundamentals class that allows you to start understanding the basics of Jiu-Jitsu to the advanced classes and kids class, the team at Champions Factory offers BJJ for everyone. If you are looking at trying out an exciting martial art, get in better shape and learn to defend yourself, the team at Champions Factory has something for you.
You will learn under head coach, Thiago Dias. Dias started his journey in 2001 and earned a black belt in BJJ under Professor Ricardo Marques in 2012. He opened the first Caio Terra Academy in Brazil in 2014 and is now teaching what he learned in San Antonio.