URSA Academy - Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Ann Arbor

“Our daughter Lilly has been attending URSA for the past 6 months, and my husband has been part of the academy for 6 years. They both absolutely love it. URSA has created such a welcoming and supportive environment, it’s clear that respect, focus, and growth are at the heart of everything they do. Lilly has already gained so much confidence in a short amount of time, and she always looks forward to going to class. The instructors are fantastic, engaged, encouraging, and truly invested in their students. We’ve seen such a positive impact, not only in skills but in attitude and mindset. It’s definitely been worth the investment, and we’re so grateful to have found such a special place for both of them.”

“After trying all the Jiu Jitsu gyms in Ann Arbor, I’ve been very happy training here for the last year. Professor Kris is a very good teacher and the gym is professionally run (rare in this industry) and always clean. The gym is friendly to all levels from zero experience beginners all the way up to black belt competitors. Would recommend to anyone looking to try jiu jitsu or someone who already has experience training.”

“My daughter and I have both been training at URSA for over a year and a half now, and I have lots of good things to say. The space is very clean, and the atmosphere is welcoming. It truly feels like a community. The classes are structured so that there's lots of time rolling, which leads to a great workout. The biggest downside for me is the size of the classes. With one instructor and oftentimes 40 or more students in class, I've found that I don't get much feedback. I didn't mind this so much when I was newer and matched with more experienced training partners who would give me feedback, but now that I've been there for a while and usually matched with newer students, I feel like my progress is stalling for lack of coaching feedback. Professor Kris does do a great job of explaining/demonstrating techniques, but as someone who learns by doing rather than by watching, the teaching format is an impediment for me. As a suggestion to URSA, I think hiring some of the upper belts to assist regularly in teaching would be a good move. I'd progress more if there was someone watching the rolls and giving us tips as we are rolling. I also think that having us follow along and try the techniques as they are being demonstrated (rather than having us watch and then try it after) would be beneficial to hands-on learners like me.”

“Our child has been taking classes at Ursa for close to a year now and they really enjoy it. They feel really comfortable there. They've gained a lot of confidence and self assurance. Lots of positive feelings associated with class, with their teachers, and with their fellow classmates. Lots of respect and the focus is in teaching and lessons learned. It's definitely been worth the money we've put into it. Our child has never complained about going to class and is always engaged for the entire time.”

“Ursa has been a fantastic place to train and learn jujitsu. The instruction is excellent, and the students and coaches are always pushing each other to become better. Intensity, intentionality, respectfulness are the things that come first to my mind when I think of training at Ursa. I haven’t been a student long, but I felt welcomed by the community there right away, and I’m looking forward to continuing to train there for a long time.”