Waza Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
"If you're thinking about training BJJ but aren't sure which local gym to join in the Sacramento/Elk Grove area, then I highly recommend Waza BJJ. It has a great reputation for being one of the best schools in the Sacramento Region, with highly skilled black belt coaches, a dedicated community of great students, a reasonably priced monthly membership, and lineage traced back to Carlos Gracie. In fact, the owner of Waza BJJ, Derek DiManno, trained and received his black belt from Cassio Werneck. He was the third black in the Sacramento Metropolitan area with over 25 years of experience. All of the other black belt coaches are also highly skilled, knowledgeable, and have decades of experience. When deciding on a BJJ gym to join, I factored in the coaches' experience and lineage, as well as reading reviews on Yelp, to choose a gym I could see myself being a member of for at least the next ten years. And I found that gym in Waza.I'm currently a white belt and started training at Waza in 2023 at the age of 40. It's never too late to start. I had never trained in a martial art before, but I've already competed in three tournaments, winning second place at the previous Jiu Jitsu World League in Stockton, California, and I'm nearing my blue belt promotion later this year. Free ClassWaza offers anyone interested in joining the gym an opportunity to take a free class to get a feel for the gym, coaches, and students. You complete the waiver online and show up. They will provide you with the GI to wear for your first class, so you don't need to buy anything. I recommend bringing a water bottle, wearing flip-flops or slides, and wearing compression/rash guard shirts or shorts under the GI. MembershipAfter your first class, you can decide if you want to sign up. Waza provides different membership options. Maybe you want to sign up for a month-to-month, 6-month, or 12-month. Curriculum Waza has a curriculum they follow or that you can use to monitor your progress. Each week, the coaches will teach a different technique. For example, one week could be working on back takes, and the next week, you could work on guard attacks or escaping side control. Class StructureEach class usually starts with a flow or warm-up technique. For example, you could warm up with a partner doing your favorite guard pass, working on armbar setups (not actually submitting your partner), or flowing through several movements. Community/StudentsIn my experience, what makes Waza such a great BJJ gym is the students. Everyone is chill, helpful, and isn't there to hurt you. I haven't come across anyone who was malicious or tried to hurt me intentionally. Trust me. There are gyms out there with toxic environments. After a 5-10-minute warm-up, you learn about 2-3 different techniques. Usually, you learn an offensive and defensive technique. After about thirty minutes of warm-ups and drilling techniques, the class starts the live rolls. Generally, the live rolls are five six-minute rounds. Belt PromotionsIn my experience at Waza, belt promotions are based on progress in technique and skill level, including time or commitment to training regularly. You don't test for belt promotions at Waza, and there is no stripe system, at least for adults. If you're training consistently and getting better at the techniques, you'll eventually get promoted. Schedule Waza offers plenty of classes throughout the day and open mat sessions on the weekends. LocationWaza is located in a strip mall in Laguna West in Elk Grove. There is ample parking in the lot or on the street at the front entrance to the gym, so you'll never have an issue finding parking. Kids ClassesWaza has an incredible kids/youth program led by Coach John and Chris who are two of the nicest guys. The parents love the coaches and safe environment their children get to train at throughout the week. Most of the adults who attend Waza originally attended for their children but also decided to join. Waza really is a wonderful community. HealthThe last thing I'll mention is that BJJ is a full contact martial art, so you will get bumps, bruises, and minor injuries. It's part of the journey and training. But there's lots of health benefits to training BJJ. Aside from learning how to defense yourself, you will lose body fat/weight. Since joining Waza, I'm down about 30 pounds. There are other men and women who've lost body fat and weight by training regularly. I hope my review helps you make an informed decision on choosing Waza. Obviously, the best way to find out if Waza is a great gym for you is to give it a try. And if you happen to join Waza, come say hi to me during one of the classes. Good luck!"
