Ralph Gracie Berkeley Jiu Jitsu Academy - Jujitsu school in Berkeley - 1500 Ashby Ave, USA

One of the largest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools in the Bay Area, founded by Master Ralph Gracie and Luis Eduardo Fraga, who is a 6th degree Black Belt. Professor Eduardo still competes at the highest level himself and is also a passionate coach for a highly competitive team. There are about 400 students, but many high level instructors, including Nia a 1st degree female black belt. Be sure to stop by on Sunday 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for a free open mat to anyone willing to put on their Gi and roll!

Very awesome academy. Been training here for about 3-4 months with prior Jiu Jitsu experience. This is a great academy with good solid traditional Brazilian influence with Professor Eduardo Fraga running the show and Newton Casemiro alongside him. There is also a blend of American style Jiu Jitsu taught by other great black belt professors also. I like this place a lot. Got great training partners, good atmosphere, clean all the time, friendly staff and overall great place to socialize and get good training in.

Nia teaches women’s classes twice a week as well as general classes. Highly recommended for fitness and upping those martial arts superpowers. The skills are challenging both physically and mentally, and Nia’s fun, expert approach dispels any nerves and fuels students’ confidence. What a gift to ourselves to do this work. I’m so impressed with the culture here, encouraging and inspiring. Also, 5 stars for the kids’ classes. Over more than a year, I’ve watched the kids develop discipline, find their place in the community, work through anxiety, fears, and find support in their struggles, and pounce, romp and shriek with joy during the many team-building physical fitness games and play. Learning new skills, the little ones respectfully attend to the serious instruction. So wholesome and commendable.

Visiting Berkeley from Fl, Did two drop in’s. Gi class Thursday and no gi Saturday. Everyone was friendly and demonstrated great technique. Great competitors! Large training area, clean mats, lockers and showers. Definitely recommended Ralph Gracie for locals and visitors alike!

I’ve trained at Ralph Gracie BJJ for a few weeks this summer and it was awesome. Prof. Fraga and his team were super welcoming, kind, and helpful. I loved the quality of instruction, the focus on proper technique and details, and Prof. Fraga’s incredible ability to spot a mistake I was making even when I thought he wasn’t looking! I also appreciated all of his suggestions after our rolls re things I could incorporate into my game or things I could consider saving for when I’m a higher belt. It was really valuable for me and showed me his passion for the sport and helping anybody who wants to train at his academy get better. The team was awesome too! I loved being able to train and get tips from higher belt women and all the black belts. As a white belt, it was a treat to get to train with so many of the latter, including prof. Fraga. It’s a competition academy and it shows in both the level and philosophy of training and results they get (🥇🥈🥉) The academy, lockers, and common space have always been very clean. The atmosphere is casual and lighthearted despite everybody showing up to give their 100% and working hard. Ah! One of my absolute favorites were judo takedown warmups! So so fun and useful.

Come train with us! There are classes for everyone at every level. It's a welcoming place, with great, hard working athletes.

I've trained at various gyms before permanently finding a home at Ralph Gracie. There are tons of great people here of all skill levels, an amazing team-based environment, and a highly experienced head instructor, Eduardo, with 35 years of experience. I've been here for 5 years and have grown so used to coming here consistently, this place became my second family. The school environment meets a diverse set of objectives from staying in shape for some, to high level competition for others. Students are friendly and supportive. The school has new mats with a huge mat space and a work out area. The school has several black belts teaching occasionally in addition to the head instructor and also offers nogi, judo and kickboxing classes. Can't beat that.

Having competed in many sports from ultimate frisbee and rugby to rock climbing and distance running I found Jiu Jitsu last year and have not looked back - a fascinating sport made incredible by my favorite gym. How can such serious and awesome dedicated instructors (led by Eduardo Fraga and supplemented by a host of other black belts) create such a friendly and welcoming environment. I feel at home even though as a white belt I'm still at the low end of the totem pole, I am made welcome, team mates instruct and help, classes are varied and inspiring, and in general its a vibe you want to be in - I highly recommend it if you want to get in shape, become a jiu jitsu master or just try something new!