BJJ is a combat sport and martial art rooted in self defense. It's based on grappling, ground fighting, and submission holds. The flow of a jiu jitsu round typically consists of taking an opponent to the ground (through takedowns, wrestling, Judo throws or trips) or voluntarily taking bottom position, gaining dominant position, and forcing your opponent to “tap” in a submission via joint locks or chokes. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was built on the idea that by using leverage, timing, and strategy, a smaller and weaker opponent can overcome a larger, stronger opponent.

BJJ is a transformational tool for both physical and mental health. The physical aspects of the sport encourage fitness, strength and endurance building, and increased coordination, but its deeper influence lies in its powerful social emotional impact: discipline, resilience, and courage through exposure to difficult challenges. Progression requires perseverance in the face of repeated defeat, and through it, you or your child will gain a sense of confidence and humility. Research published by the American Journal of Applied Sciences (2025) suggests that BJJ emphasizes the ability to “overcome challenges,” which “positively affects cognitive processes, including attention span [and] information processing.” A National Library of Medicine study (2025) also illustrated that BJJ practitioners are “more likely to present higher mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, life satisfaction, and better mental health.” Underworld BJJ’s goal is to enhance these benefits and create a home in combat sports for everyone, regardless of their age, gender, or ability.  Our gym serves as a crucial community rooted in human-to-human connection, where friends, families, and neighbors can be physically together, learn a tangible skill, find a sense of belonging, and get a unique full-body workout. People come to us for a myriad of reasons: to explore a new hobby, to exercise and be healthy, to learn self-defense, to find discipline, focus or confidence for their child, or to be a "third space" where one can organically make friends and find a community outside of work and home. By offering monthly events, social outings, and free self-defense workshops, Underworld BJJ emphasizes the social and emotional benefits of BJJ that extend way beyond the mats. And in turn, 100% of our members report that training at Underworld BJJ has positively impacted their lives. At the cornerstone of our gym’s mission is our commitment to building an unequivocally inclusive, fun, and safe culture, where people of all ages, genders, and abilities can find a sense of belonging, regardless of whether or not they fit the archetype of a typical BJJ practitioner.

We take safety extremely seriously at our gym, which is why we take extra care in going over the rules of sparring and ensuring appropriate training partners. Our kids classes also have multiple coaches supervising every class with special attention to safety. However, BJJ is a combat sport without any striking or kicking, making it much safer than other full-contact sports. In any case, we understand that as busy professionals, parents, and students, we can't afford an injury because of a hobby. And while any sport has risk of an accident occurring, we do our best to implement rigorous safety standards and take extra care of our beginners.

At our gym, we don't require any special rules of etiquette. We only ask that you are respectful and hygienic. This means your nails are kept short, your hair is pulled back, jewelry is removed, and you are showered and clean, with any open wounds covered. Students should arrive wearing appropriate athletic clothing and remove their shoes and socks before stepping on the mats. We also ask that everyone refrains from training while sick.

You/ your child should wear comfortable, tight-fitting athletic attire (ideally without pockets or zippers), and bring a water bottle. We also sell Underworld BJJ gear at our gym! So if you love it and want to represent the team, we can get you looking fresh on the mats in no time 😎 If you're interested in our gi classes, you'll need a specific kimono that we also sell on location!

The gi is a special kimono made of sturdy material designed to allow you to pull someone. In no gi, students wear a uniform that mimics normal clothing. Students wear a snug, sweat- resistant shirt called a rashguard, and shorts/ leggings without pockets are worn to protect hands and feet from getting stuck. Our gym offers both types of training for a complete BJJ training experience. BJJ is made up of thousands of techniques and positions, making it the perfect sport for lifelong learning.