Chapel Hill Gracie Jiu Jitsu

"A safe, outstanding place to learn and practice Jiu Jitsu. Coaches are authentic people who care about their students; Super environment where you feel like you are part of the group. My daughter started training here a few years ago, after training at another gym. The experience, the people and the training have made a real difference in her skills; vastly superior to many other gyms. I love that she is able to train with really talented women who compete and win. If you are looking to gift someone something for the holidays, give them the gift of Jiu jitsu at Chapel Hill Gracie Jiu Jitsu. You will not be disappointed. Thanks to all the people here who do so much to add value to my daughters life. You guys are the best!"

"This gym is very cliquey. If you're part of the inner circle, you'll be treated well. If you're not, good luck. It’s also built around a cultish pay-to-play dynamic — if you pay for private lessons, you get in with the instructors. That just reinforces the clique system even more. I trained here consistently for about a year, driving 50 minutes each way because I believed in the instructors. Like most newcomers, I was a bit rough at first when rolling. But after getting humbled by a purple belt (whom I won’t name) and doing a lot of inner work, I learned to flow, control my pace, and train with intention. Then I tore my meniscus and had to take time off to recover. When I called to pause my membership, nobody said “hope you get better.” Instead, I was met with, “What did you do that for?” Like I just woke up one day and decided to tear my meniscus for fun. Not one person checked in on me. I wasn’t expecting pity, but the coldness spoke volumes. And when I came back — excited, hopeful — one of the instructors barely acknowledged me. That stung. I was ready to return to something I loved, and instead I was treated like I didn’t belong. Worse, when I mentioned training at other schools, the head instructor — a black belt, a leader — kept making passive aggressive comments about me being “too aggressive.” Which, fair enough, was once true. But I had worked hard to change that. I came back more mindful, more mature. To be dismissed like that by someone in a leadership role… it didn’t sit right with me. That being said, the facility is clean and the instructors are technically skilled. If you’re in with the crowd, it might be a good fit. But if you’re someone who’s trying to grow, heal, and learn without playing politics, just know what you’re walking into. After that last experience, I decided to walk away and train elsewhere."

"I am taking BJJ classes with Jake Withfield at Chapel Hill Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. In addition to his high-level BJJ knowledge and wisdom, Jake has exceptional teaching talent, as shown by how he delivers information to the students. He makes classes accessible to all levels and types of BJJ practitioners. Chapel Hill Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. It is a great gym and BJJ school for all."

"My kids and I have been training here for a few years, and I wish I had started sooner. Great family friendly atmosphere, very kind people and spectacular instruction!"