I've been at NYJJ for 4 years now. The instructors are all competent and the black belts are highly skilled at what they do. The facilities in the dojo are excellent. The mat area is nice, and... More

I've been at NYJJ for 4 years now. The instructors are all competent and the black belts are highly skilled at what they do. The facilities in the dojo are excellent. The mat area is nice, and the locker room and showers are clean and well maintained. To their credit, there is a strong emphasis on safety, but this often stands in the way of realistic training. Whie there is a sizable contingent of long-term members, the vast majority (70 to 80%) of students simply try out the school for a few weeks or months and move on. Recently a lot of changes have occurred that have surprised, and even angered a large number of students. For example, there are now much stricter requirements to move up from one belt rank to the next. It is not the changes that bother the students, as much as their lack of input into the process. Overall, I feel the overall quality of the school is less than what it used to be.
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NYJJ has recently moved to a larger facility at 666 Broadway (entrance on Bond). It's a nicer space with showers and laundry service (u pay). The American Jiu Jitsu system is the primary style... More

NYJJ has recently moved to a larger facility at 666 Broadway (entrance on Bond). It's a nicer space with showers and laundry service (u pay). The American Jiu Jitsu system is the primary style of the school and is rooted in Japanese Jiu Jitsu with a touch of Filipino Arnis . The majority of black belt instructors are welcoming and capable teachers (my favorite being Sensei Glenn). Techniques are presented in "belt list" lesson plans and build in difficulty with progression. The program focuses on street defense and shutting down the attacker as quickly as possible. Although the style does have practical applications, I personally question the effectiveness of much of the system's techniques. Sometimes they seem too classical. Another negative is that much of the student body is rather soft. It's sometimes difficult to find a partner willing to train hard (although there is a harder core group here as well). At it's worst, it can feel like ballroom dancing. A secondary Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program (adult and kids) also operates out of NYJJ headed solely by Aaron (a BJJ Brown Belt). Aaron is a dynamic and charismatic instructor with a boatload of patience. The BJJ program is rather young and small so you get a lot of technical knowledge and attention, which is great. The drawback to a young, small program is that there are limitations to the variety of skill levels and bodies you train with. Most students have less than a year of BJJ training. I would say though that ultimately NYJJ is a great school to check out if you have limited or no martial arts training. It's welcoming, unpretentious, unmacho, and has great facilities. For the hardcore, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. Pros: Great facilities; welcoming; smaller class size; variety of classes and times; monthly free women's defense seminars Cons: Too many belt tests; questionable practicality of style; sometimes a bit too touchy feely
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This is one of the many martial arts centers in the city. jiu-jit su is the japanese art of "Wrestling". There are holds locks, and blocks that can be very pratical in a fight. There are rape... More

This is one of the many martial arts centers in the city. jiu-jit su is the japanese art of "Wrestling". There are holds locks, and blocks that can be very pratical in a fight. There are rape prevention program for the women and programs for the kids. Although i did find an hour not enough time to learn everything. Nonetheless there is a group of commited and dedicated staff that is always willing to teach you how to learn.
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