Carlson Gracie Irvine Jiu Jitsu

“Welcoming and friendly. You get the sense that the people here not only love Jiu-Jitsu but also love sharing this wonderful sport with others. Wanting to try it? Getting in for that first session is the hardest thing you can do. Once you're in, you're hooked! Great exercise, good people, mentally challenging and ALWAYS humbling haha. My first time out, Professor Jason and the students all welcomed me with enthusiasm and delight. Seriously, great group over here. People just want to train and learn. Love this place and the people. If you've thought about it at any point, the hardest part is overcoming that initial fear and just coming in. Once you do, you'll be hooked.”

“such a fun and amazing academy, the instructors are top notch people and were kind enough to let me join in on one of their classes as i was passing through LA shame i dont live here because i would sign up in a heart beat! all the members were very humble and welcoming and i recieved nothing but great vibes! awesome bjj experience!”

“TLDR: Best BJJ gym in area. Great Professors, Coaches, teammates and culture. Healthy gym with a good mix of belt levels and female participation. Great value while remaining high end. They could honestly charge a lot more for what you get. Highest Recommendation Possible. Details below: I am a 40 year old executive dad with less than 2 years BJJ experience; My daughter is 8 and has close to the same time in BJJ. After moving to Irvine in Orange County, finding a new Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) gym to train at was a top priority for my family. Currently my daughter and I are training until my son is old enough to begin. Knowing there are many gyms in SoCal offering training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I had to ensure that any prospective gym was legitimate by verifying each Professor's (BJJ Black Belt Instructor) traceable lineage. Research this if you are unclear what this means. In BJJ, this is very important. I narrowed the search down, but there were still many seemingly good gyms in my area. My criteria had to narrow it down further. So I looked for gyms with a strong competition team. While self defense is the priority for my family and I, the challenges of competition push the school and its students to excel, ultimately translating to higher level training and proficiency. I also wanted a Professor that was relatively young. My perspective is a young, highly competitive Professor is more open to innovation in training and technique than many of their contemporaries. They understand the value of preparing BJJ practitioners to face strikers, much like they may face in real world. Only one place near me met these criteria; Carlson Gracie Irvine. This gym is owned and operated by Professor Jason Youseph, a high level BJJ competitor with MMA experience. The gym teaches BJJ and Judo. Carlson Gracie Irvine has been an amazing experience for my daughter and I, each in our respective classes. Don't pass on this one. The journey isn't easy. Would it be worth doing if it was?”

“Jason Youseph is a great professor. He visited the Carlson Gracie headquarters and shared some of his De La Riva sweeps with us. Thanks Jason! Also, several students from their academy came to the Chicago open recently and took home medals. I had a great time training with the Carlson Gracie Irvine team and look forward to the next time!”

“I have been to a few Jiu-Jitsu studios in the past with the intent to start my journey into this discipline. However, none gave me the feel and energy I sought as a professional. This academy felt right when I walked through the door as Jason Youseph so humbly and welcoming greeted me to start my first session the same night. David, my instructor of the night, made my first experience delightful as he meticulously and simple taught me multiple techniques and foundational concepts. I look forward to my future sessions at Carlson Gracie Irvine, and highly recommend this place!”