Hammerhead Mixed Martial Arts Gym of Team Carlson Gracie

“I have been training here since 2019. I went to several gyms in Olympia and found this gym to be the best. The head instructor Joey Guel is very personable and has a unique relationship with each of his students. He also develops every student according where they are at and recognizes that everyone has different strengths. I happen to be lucky enough to find a gym where they teach leg locks. Leg locks is still considered a new concept in the BJJ community and Joey Guel happened to be a catch wrestler for many years before he became a black belt under Marcelo Alonso in jujitsu (leg locks is considered the bread and butter in catch wrestling). . What also stood out is that Joey Guel was an MMA fighter himself with over 25 MMA fights and he is very good about informing his students what BJJ technique is considered "high percentage " in a fight or what BJJ techniques he would not encourage to rely on (though he would also mention that it always depends on the individual). I read the reviews before trying this gym and they were absolutely right about the atmosphere. In my first week, I felt like I already been coming here for years, fast forward to today , this gym is my second home. This place is also offers Muay Thai with much emphasis on technique. Muay Thai is alot of fun and it is always amazing to see how far I have come to where I was originally.”

“The best gym I have been to. Perfect for all level of fighters. Joey Guel's level of expertise is exceptional. He's an experienced fighter that knows what works and what doesn't work. He shows a genuine interest in his students and does right by them. Guaranteed you will get better just by showing up. Don't hesitate to sign your children up. Every young women should take his classes, they will learn skills to protect themselves.”

“I have trained at many different BJJ/MMA gyms and what makes this place outstanding is the friendliness and maturity of instructors and students, quality of instruction, and a complete range of skill level of training partners (novice to expert). Joey is one of the most experienced trainers in WA state and teaches technique in very effective and systematic way where one move flows to the next, and you get plenty of drills on a particular technique before moving onto the next. BJJ Black belts train here frequently and have different philosophies you can learn from.”

“Eh the Head gym owner claims to be a professional, about as professional as someone who slips through the cracks gets a job with Google. Guel has 9 wins/ 8 losses and watching his fight with Xavier, the guys very skittish and doesn't like getting hit. Which is why all of his wins but 1 is a TKO. I'm thinking this gyms shutdown now, website leads to no domain. It's like learning to play baseball by a coach whose been traded 6 times.”

“I recently moved back to Oly for work, and was really sad to leave my old MMA gym behind. I tried several other gyms in the area, but I didn't feel like I was home until I stepped through the doors at Hammerhead MMA. Everyone has been kind and welcoming, but I can tell that they are serious about training. As a female I'm used to being one of the only girls in the gym, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that lots of really talented women train here.”