Rivers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Prompt email response for drop in. Matt was very nice and welcoming, he even offered to let me borrow a Gi if I needed one. Overall great instruction and sparring - friendly group no overly aggressive individuals. -leo

I love this place! I am new to town (and jiu jitsu) and everyone here is so welcoming and helpful. The instructors are really down to earth and friendly and they are very effective teachers too. I am looking forward to being a long term student!

I trained at this school for nearly two years and while starting out things seemed fine my experience became more and more negative. One of the first "red flags" if you will was the lack of personal attention from instructors. Being a smaller woman, ~125 lbs, there were moves that I wouldn't understand, would have difficulty doing, or needed some extra assistance just in general to be frank. There is a higher-ranking woman at the gym, but I always felt as though I was given the cold-shoulder while other women were treated with a more amicable attitude. Next, during a class we were doing a king of the hill style drill with wrestling takedowns. (Side note I wrestled in high school and was well versed in the drill we were doing) Next thing you know I'm on my back, broken nose, and concussed with the male responsible not only not saying sorry but also annoyed that I was crying. The only person who said anything was my now husband, who they ended up kicking out citing this situation as one of the reasons. I ended up having to stop training for at least a week and when I got back nothing was said about my concussion/ broken nose. The male responsible continues to train there to this day and to my knowledge was never reprimanded for his actions. The final red flag was someone who was one of my main training partners when I started there because of his similarity in size. I began helping out with kids class around a couple months after I started and he began helping out a few months after that. Neither of us taught the class we were both just assistants. During a class, while the kids were doing a drill, I mentioned to him "Hey, maybe if you held them a bit higher they wouldn't hit their elbow." He proceeded to smile, tell me he knew what he was doing, and to not correct him again. After the kids were done and everyone was allowed to get water, he physically stopped me from getting off the mat and told me to apologize. Shocked I kind of laughed and asked "What?" He then told me to apologize and told me to never question him again and that he knew what he was doing. Stepping in front of me each time I tried to step around him. (Mind you that no one helping out has any authority over the other and we are all just assisting the instructor with the kids). I was unnerved by this situation but chose not to mention it because I assumed he was having a bad day... To my dismay I continue to hear his words "a lower belt shouldn't question his authority" from men and women that I've never met. When mentioning this to the owners of the gym nothing was done.I've since been banned, the reason being "tension" and the fact that this male is allowed to now teach the kids, and some adult classes. I would not recommend this gym, not for women, not for anyone with PTSD who might suffer from triggers in physical situations (because one of the owners will brush you aside and tell others that "it's fine [she] just cries"), not for anyone who is on the smaller scale. I hoped for so much more from a gym I heard highly about and instead received a broken nose, concussion, slander, and belittlement. If you choose to train there, good luck.

My oldest daughter has been training here for several years. When I signed her up for classes I was looking for something to help her with bullying at school. Over the years I have seen her confidence grow, and she even did a Jiu Jitsu competition last year which was a huge accomplishment for her. The teachers are great, and it has an overall family environment.

Good instruction, great space, tough people to roll against, and lots of class times.

I am going to sound like someone who works for Rivers BJJ, but really I just love the school and the community of people who frequent it. At Rivers BJJ I have found a competitive and supportive martial arts community that has made a positive impact on my life and well-being. When I show up for classes, I don't have to drag my butt there, because I'm excited to go train with the instructors and students. The instructors are friendly, knowledgeable, and humble. Different classes focus on basic fundamentals, no Gi and Gi training, and practical self-defense. Kids classes are offered. Students learn effective techniques as well as strategies for self-defense. Frequently, I see people come into the school with various experiences, skills, and abilities, walk away having learned something new and enjoyed doing it. Can't recommend this place enough. Cost is cheaper than other gyms I've been to.

Absolutely the best BJJ gym I've been to. Everyone is super respectful of one another and it really feels like a family atmosphere. The instructors are very knowledgeable and great teachers. I highly recommend this gym to anyone who's interested in training Brazilian Jujitsu.