Stillness Academy

“The instructor named Cesar groped me while attempting to demonstrate a Boston Crab (which I don't think is a real submission.) It was an incredibly uncomfortable experience and while I appreciate LGBT friendly martial arts, I don't think this is the way to go about it. I think I'll try Muay Thai instead.”

“My then 6-year-old boy was very shy until he met Cesar and willingly joined the jiu-jitsu class. He gained confidence and friends. My daughter has scoliosis and developmental delays. Taking classes at the Stillness Academy has helped her tremendously, physically and psychologically. The progress she made was quickly noticeable. I am thankful we found the Academy where our children can thrive, find support and honest care, and grateful for the long-lasting ties we now have with the Stillness family! The Marshall family”

“I began training at Stillness Academy in 2019. Since that time my personal confidence in my ability to defend myself has grown exponentially from "non-existent" to a healthy understanding of my capabilities, limitations, and the ability to remain cool under intense pressure. I have also become a part of a unique group of people that are as close as family. Stillness Academy is driven by a holistic, whole-person approach. My family has noticed that I am a calmer, more focused and more pleasant to be around. I cannot emphasize enough the amount of good that training at Stillness has done for me.”

“My now-10 year old daughter was dealing with anxiety due to a lot of changes in her life. We are a military family, and lots of change is inevitable. We wanted to find a productive outlet for her, one that would not only serve as a place to physically release energy but also one that would nourish her soul--as corny as that sounds. We heard great things about Stillness from friends, so we signed our daughter up. From the first class, our daughter LOVED it. After a month, she was THRIVING. It was the perfect outlet: physical exercise, encouraging words from Cesar on facing your fears and overcoming obstacles in life, exercises to build her confidence and self-esteem, learning skills to protect herself, skills to center herself mentally, and socialization with a fantastic group of kids. We noticed a huge difference in her attitude as well after a month--she tackled challenges she had been too afraid to try before (like a kid's rock climbing wall). She knows that trying your best is the most important thing, rather than winning. I personally love that the emphasis is on learning skills and building self-esteem vs. an obsession with competition, winning and focusing on physical appearance. The studio has no mirrors, and a child's physical appearance is of no consequence. I just cannot say enough great things about Stillness Academy. We are so thrilled to have found it, and to have Cesar training our daughter. Thank you.”

“There is no where else I would even consider training at in Beaufort - Cesar Clavijo, the owner/teacher of the Stillness Gym is everything I you want in an instructor: calm, poised, knowledgable, motivational, dedicated, skilled, and eager to see students succeed. This is a zero-stress environment, where your training can be as rigorous or as gentle as you’d like. Everyone I’ve encountered on the mat has been incredibly kind and considerate, from beginners to advanced students alike. I can’t imagine exercising/learning/rolling in a better environment.”