Splendid Savage Jiu jitsu

“One of the most caring and bad ass coaches you can find in jiujiutsu! Carlos is great at working with both beginners and experienced people. He makes you feel welcomed and the community he built is amazing. HIGHLY RECOMMEND to try this gym out.”

“From the moment you walk in, you feel the respect and positive energy in the room. Everyone here makes you feel supported and valued. Charlie is incredibly knowledgeable and respectful, creating a safe environment where you can truly grow and learn. Whether you’re here for self-defense, fitness, or to improve your jiu-jitsu practice, you’re taken care of every step of the way. I’ve learned so much and feel stronger and more confident with each class. I highly recommend this academy to anyone looking for a place to train and be part of a welcoming, inspiring community!”

“Imagine Jedi training with Yoda. That’s what you get with Charlie. There is no other atmosphere like Splendid savage. If you are looking for a tribe to gain confidence on & off the mat, learn real self defense, and get in shape? Look no future!”

“I never thought I’d like jiujitsu, and the moment I started, I was hooked. Professor Reyes is so passionate, highly knowledgeable, patient, and knows how to work with everyone. As someone with ADHD, jiujitsu and his teachings have translated into almost every facet of life for me and I’ve personally excelled even outside of jiujitsu ever since I started. All of us students are so different from each other from different walks of life with different goals, but to see how we all excel and support each other and became friends in the safe and welcoming atmosphere Carlos provides is uplifting. I found a tribe.”

“First off, I’m a petite, un-athletic woman that works a 9-6 office job. I looked into trying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu because I had a bad experience after terminating an employee. The guy came back looking for me and did a pistol motion from the window. Me being a trained gun-holder didn’t help in this circumstance as guns weren’t allowed in the building. Sometimes life throws life threatening situations at you and you can’t rely on a pistol. Anyway, I came from a traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym that focused heavily on competing. I tried it for about 4 months and quit. That gym expected me to roll (defend yourself on the ground) on the first day and I kept declining for about a week. Unfortunately, this is common practice amongst BJJ gyms. The first half hour is drilling a new concept (practicing a new move over and over), the second half hour is rolling and trying to apply that new concept. I would get really anxious thinking about how I had to roll, since I had absolutely no experience in this sport. Injuries are common, especially for beginners. Also, most gyms are BJJ sport heavy and don’t focus so much on the actual self defense aspect. Where I used to go, they didn’t really give too much attention to the beginners, especially if a competition was coming up. Professor Charlie at Splendid Savage Jiu Jitsu is a black belt that came from a traditional BJJ gym. He focuses on bringing back the self defense aspect that BJJ was built on. He takes an ecological training approach. His “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” teaching method is very practical and safe, he is very mindful of injury prevention. Charlie doesn’t let you roll for the first 6 months (or depending on how much you advance in less time) and your first roll is with him. He genuinely cares if you didn’t understand the concept. He focuses on real life scenarios and incorporates practical BJJ self defense foundational concepts. Before I couldn’t tell you what I should be doing when I am standing other than try to pull guard and get you on the floor to start rolling. It’s obvious how unpractical it would be to apply that to an attack in real life. At Splendid Savage Jiu Jitsu, I have learned the importance of base, connection, and weight distribution in the event that I’m attacked while standing. He makes class super fun, the women join and stay. The men are respectful. You don’t have to be a young athlete. There are people that had no prior BJJ experience and were turned off by other traditional BJJ gyms, that joined and stayed. If you’re skeptical, nervous, insecure, overweight, you should definitely try out this place. The community is very inclusive of all different types of people. It’s also a plus that he has a humble character and is a really good person. He is funny, relatable, has great attention to detail, and is passionate about teaching. It’s no wonder how Charlie created a small BJJ community so quickly that loves and cares for him so deeply. I’ve never seen anything like it, it’s truly beautiful to be part of his BJJ community. I truly hope this BJJ gym thrives, it really is a hidden gem.”