Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Madison, AL

During my travel, I spent 3 weeks at Gracie Jiujitsu Madison, attending 3 days per week at the combatives and master class programs. I missed meeting the owner Jay in person, so my training was instructed by Ms Holt, Mr. Fahm, John and CJ.

First off, the CTC was very consistent with the lessons, teachings, and pace of the other two CTCs I've attended in the past. You know exactly what you get when you show up. There is ample space to change, train or observe. At the end of Master Classes, CJ allowed me to roll with the group, and this is what I found:

There is an incredibly good group of folks. I believe their core group all started around the same time So they are all combatives and blue belts, but I always felt safe while rolling with them. I like to be challenged and pushed, but I have to be able to work the next day- so rolling with safety over victory in mind is a must.

I was immediately welcomed, and felt as though I knew the instructors and students for much longer than 3 weeks. They even invited me out to lunch a few times. (Honest Coffee is also delicious).

As for the instruction, I mainly learned from CJ, who was technical attentive, and did an outstanding job. Dare I say he seemed every bit as good as a black belt instructor. (Purple at the time of this post).

I cannot emphasize enough how positive an experience I had. I've never been to Alabama before, but I will look back fondly at the experiences and training I received here.

It was an honor.

CJ is a fantastic instructor! My kids have been in Little Champs for the last few months. They have learned a ton -not just about jui jitsu, but also about character. I started the adult course not long after and have learned a great deal. The instructor is the most important part of any martial art and CJ is incredible at all levels. Highly recommend!

Gracie Jiu Jitsu Madison properly teaches. You learn and get exercise. It’s a contact sport, but they don’t just beat you up.

My son and I have been students at Gracie Madison for several months now. It is a great environment with good people and a very knowledgeable instructor. The instructor is great with kids. It has been a wonderful experience my son and I have been able to share.

This is a great place to learn bjj the instructor is very patient, kind and good at what he do. Do yourself a favor and join this gym.💪🏿

Kathryn, C.J., and Jay were so welcoming and supportive. I really enjoyed the Women Empowered session and look forward to sharing what I learned. It was a safe learning environment, where everyone was comfortable with personal boundaries and abilities. 10/10 for my first time in a Gracie class!

Outstanding BJJ school with an exceptional curriculum. Super friendly, safe, clean, and the instructor is incredibly talented, both in terms of his BJJ skills and his ability to teach. It is a great environment overall (very inviting and engaging), and the adult, women's defense, and kids programs are all superb. I have trained at five different schools over the years, and this is by far the best I have seen. It's great to have such a high-quality place here in northern Alabama, and I highly recommend it!

I’ve had a great experience at this CTC. The head instructor is a great teacher and the class environment is very positive. I would recommend to anybody looking for a fun and structured way to learn jiu-jitsu.

With great Jiu-Jitsu comes great Jiu-Jitsu instructional institutions. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu of Madison, AL applies the proven Gracie principles of Jiu-Jitsu into a great curriculum that is fun and engaging. The instructors are knowledgeable, friendly, and always strive to provide a safe atmosphere for anyone who wants to learn Jiu-Jitsu.

I started training at Gracie BJJ Madison, to include my son, roughly 8 months ago. This has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Our head Instructor CJ, breaks each class down in a way that’s understandable and in doing so, allows anyone to jump into any class at any point. Additionally, they do a wonderful job with the kids, keeping each class fun and entertaining, while also maintaining a level of respect. As a parent, I can see confidence and discipline building in my son. Lastly, one of the greatest things I’ve noticed, is the level of camaraderie with the other students. Everyone I’ve trained with, genuinely wants to help you.

I love training jiu-jitsu here, the curriculum is very well designed, simplifies and gives a very structured learning experience.The instructors are wonderful and very technical. Surely a wonderful learning experience.

I'm a Gracie University (GU) student visiting from Orlando, Florida and up this way visiting my in-laws over in Haleyville/Bear Creek, AL area about 80 miles a way and stopped in to visit another GU school. One of the amazing things about GU is that you get to train at other gyms for free for a full month every single year.

Let me tell you that this GU is absolutely fantastic! I got to speak to Jay, the Owner of this GU, who was super kind and helped connect me to CJ, our Lead Instructor here.

CJ is an absolutely exceptional Coach who makes certain to ensure every single student understands, makes everything easy to learn and highly effective in executing our transitions. I picked up a few things from him that I had previously missed at my home school to make things even safer, smoother and more effortless. I ended up being able to complete something I was having difficulty doing based upon a pretty severe injury from years ago.

The students of all ages were absolutely awesome to work with, a lot of fun and very safe.

The school is extremely clean, there's AC to enjoyably work out in and the mat is by far the nicest I've ever worked on anywhere. I'm going to be hitting those mats thousands of times, so my body really appreciates it and if I'm not hurting from falling on hard mats like other schools I've trained at in the past, it's super enjoyable getting to the next class, day after day without feeling beat up.

They even offer free intro classes so if you're even halfway interested, you have to check this school out.

I can't wait for vacation to come back next year so I can return for more great times. Happy rolling, y'all 👍

I love the school and the atmosphere, really is like an extended family. The Gracie University curriculum is amazing. I was taking the digital classes for about 2 years. Got so excited when they opened a CTC (Certified Training Center) in the area; so much so I drive 40 mins to train! The instructors are great and very knowledgeable. They offer several class times, that even fit my crazy schedule. Lastly they have class types for the whole family; even got my wife taking women's self-defense. I would give 10 stars if I could.

Great class today! CJ is a great instructor and everyone is welcoming and ready to help you learn and grow your skills.

Kids have been taking lessons here for a few months and love it. They learn how to defend themselves and how to be better people. Great place with a great instructor.

Brand new to jiu jitsu and this school but everyone has been amazing. Instructor is very knowledgeable and able to break things down so its easy to understand. The other students have also been very accommodating. The experience has been fantastic and I'm excited to go back.

Very fun and fast paced.Very organized and gives multiple videos to help you even after class and lastly is a great training experience.

I recently joined the combatives and women course with no prior experience and have had such a blast! Classes are on a cycle to make it easy to hop in, and the instructors are very approachable and knowledgeable. Such a great culture - really makes you feel like family!

Gracie Jiu Jitsu is unlike any other place I’ve ever walked into. I was absolutely terrified to try jujitsu for the first time and they immediately welcomed me with open arms and I have been in love ever since. The classes are amazing: they’re well taught they’re fun, but the camaraderie is above all else. Everybody just wants the other person to become better and it’s the best learning environment possible whether you’ve never done it before or if you’ve been doing it for years. I am so thankful to the people at Gracie Jiu Jitsu for all they’ve done and for the friendships that we have formed as a result of trying something new. I highly recommend you try it out!!! You won’t regret it

Great place to learn jiu-jitsu. Instructors are patient and encouraging.