Common Ground Jiu Jitsu

“I have been training with Alex and Sally for one year and half and really enjoy the training and the secured environment they have created for students. They don’t go by stereotype textbook but believe in that BJJ is a very dynamic system which is constantly evolving. They are not just teaching a standard move or technique but a systematic strategy that which move counter which technique and then all the move and counter-moves flows in a circle so can be trained in repetition to improve precision on each fundamental moves. Really great experience.”

“As a white belt who has relocated a few times and travels for work, I’ve been to a handful of jiu-jitsu schools, and Common Ground is hands down the best. When I joined, I went through a screening process and was introduced to the school’s policies and rules. At first, I was a little annoyed, but after training for a while, I realized how important it is. Jiu-jitsu can be a dangerous sport, and making sure the people who come in are a good fit creates a safer and more positive environment. As a non-binary person, I felt welcomed, my pronouns were respected, I never felt othered. In a male-dominated sport like jiu-jitsu, it can be tough to find a place where you feel safe, but Common Ground provided that. It’s an amazing community where I truly felt like I belonged. They actually address conflict if there is any, and know how to communicate with kindness and compassion, and not with aggression. Sally and Alex are super technical and experienced, and they know how to teach. This isn’t one of those schools where they just show you three random submissions in one class. Everything is brought up with logic and strategy. The foundations class is a must, I made tremendous progress taking it, and I could see it in the first few weeks. My technique improved so much. I feel so happy that I got to train at Common Ground, and there is actually a culture. You don't just attend a class and leave, you feel like a part of a community. I highly recommend Common Ground to anyone looking for a well-structured, inclusive, and supportive school to train jiu-jitsu. It’s a place where you truly grow, not just in skill but in confidence and understanding of the sport.”

“This is a great place to train. Alex is super knowledgeable in the gi/nogi and self defense. His curriculum is well thought out and very comprehensive. He utilizes the ecological approach and I really enjoy it because it gives students more opportunities to get reps in a controlled manner where we can discover the answers on our own with guidance and tips from Alex. You get to share your experience and ask questions after each game and we also get ample time for free rolling and drilling after. Sally is also great. She is the assistant instructor and manager. It’s nice to have 2 coaches on the mat to get feed back from. She also fills in for Alex as the head coach at times and she is also very knowledgeable and technical. She is also very friendly and very easy to interact with. They know their students and actually pair students together for the games so both people get the most out of the games. The fellow students are great too. They are friendly and very willing to give you tips and will make sure not to crank submissions and ask you about injuries so they can avoid those areas. Students here are really good and they’re really good at leg locks and take downs too, which they train in a safe manner. You can roll as hard or as soft as you want. I seldom see people get hurt. People can roll hard but in a controlled manner. There are other students that roll hard, especially when preparing for a competition and both parties agree to this level of sparring. I have to unfortunately stop training because my schedule has changed and I can’t make it to class, but I highly recommend this place to train at.”

“My 3 year old son has been taking the toddler jiu jitsu class for the past month. Sally and Alex are super friendly and great with the kids implementing jiu jitsu techniques and ideas through play. Our son just started so he’s still a bit shy but he’s been getting more and more comfortable each class and we can tell this is great exposure for his social skills as well. Looking forward to more classes!”

“Sally and Alex are on to something great. I'm a BJJ beginner who dabbled in the sport on/off for a few years before finding Common Ground. My past gym experiences were all the same: Warm up, be taught a sequence of moves, practice those moves, then spar. The people were generally kind, but I had absolutely no clue what I was doing or why I was doing it, and I ended up feeling as though I'd never"get it" unless I spent a lot more time than I had into the sport. Fast forward to February 2025, I discovered Common Ground while visiting Pasadena, and my experience was completely different. Instead of drilling moves, Alex and Sally set you up with situations and goals that allow for not just moves, but intuition and understanding to grow organically from the start. I felt confident after each class—at least I had some sense of what was going on, which is something I never felt in other classes. Obviously, I've only uncovered the tip of the iceberg, but after years of on/off training, I can confidently say that Common Ground was the best gym I could have stumbled across as a beginner, and I think it's a great place to start your jiu jitsu journey!”