High Level Jiu Jitsu

A gym that makes you feel like it’s your 2nd home. Professor James and Matt are the best!

I've been training here for almost 3 years. It's changed my life in so many positive ways physically and mentally. I've lost ~70 pounds in that time and become much more confident. The black belt instructors James and Matt are a wealth of knowledge. The beginner's classes are focused on the basics of jiu-jitsu and provide an excellent framework for self defense. The advanced classes are excellent for those that find an interest in the sportive side of the art of jiu jitsu. Highly recommend to anyone even slightly interested.

Very clean environment, professional instructors, diverse levels of experience amongst students, and best of all online schedule was up-to-date and accurate! Little bit tricky to find the first time, located inside the Riverfront Center on the second

I have been training here since it opened about a year. The professor is one of the most knowledgeable instructors of bjj that I have met/trained with. High Level Jiu Jitsu is truly like a family environment. You will not be disappointed when you come to train!

This just opened up mid-2016, and I've been extremely impressed so far. Classes are taught by a talented black belt, who takes a personal interest and involvement in every class. The schedule is absurdly accommodating, and at least one class is scheduled every day of the week. The instruction is excellent, the students are all very diverse, and there is ample open mat time at the end of each class to practice "live".

Currently, the schedule includes "beginner" classes 5 days a week, and an "intermediate" class 2 days. Both the beginner and intermediate classes typically include one or two purple belts, several blue belts, an (occasional?) brown belt, and a large handful of white belts, which makes it accommodating to people first learning bjj, as well as those with a good amount of experience.

Each class "officially" lasts about an hour, consisting of 5-10 minutes of warmups, followed by 50 or so minutes of hands-on instruction. We'll be shown a technique, then drill it with a partner for 5 minutes, then move on to another technique, and so on. After the class is over, many students stay for an hour or two afterwords to roll and practice, which the instructor readily encourages. Classes are usually gi (though you're welcome to participate no-gi as well), and then open mat afterwards is usually no-gi.

Despite the generous schedule, the price is exactly what you'd expect for any other bjj gym. $100 for unlimited classes, or you can pay per-class instead. There's no contract, so no real unwanted pressure, which is a good reflection of the environment all around.

I've seen kids classes available, which seem to be very active and fun. I can't comment much on them because... well... I'm not a kid. The adult class includes students ranging from a few teenage girls and boys to adults and seniors, and every other age, gender, ethnicity and personality range you might expect; it's honestly one of the most diverse gyms I've been a part of, which is cool.

Another important detail is that the mats are cleaned religiously every day, and the environment is super sanitary.

I've been to a lot of gyms spanning close to a decade, from Albany and Schenectady to Saratoga Springs. Really... a lot. I've only been attending here briefly, but so far this is shaping up to be one of the best I've found... and lucky for me, it's also nearby.

If you stop in, the first class is free, and it's located downstairs in the Riverfront Center (next to the Church and pizza shop).