Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Grappling in Chicago, IL
Learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing and grappling in the city you love. No annual contracts, no hidden fees — try as many classes as you can in 7 days, free.
From first-timers to competitors and kids — there's a class built for exactly where you are.
BJJ · Gi & No-Gi
Jiu-Jitsu / Grappling (Gi & No-Gi)
All levels
Learn the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with the uniform or without. You'll learn to use your body position, strategy and skill to out-maneuver, control, and submit opponents.
Muay Thai · Kickboxing
Kickboxing Strategy & Sparring
All levels
Understand the foundations of striking with both hands and feet. This isn't a cardio kickboxing class — it's a strategy class where we go over concepts and do lots of sparring.
About
Why train at Chicago School of Grappling
At Chicago School of Grappling you can learn several martial arts, self-defense, and get fit all at one spot in the city. We believe in a simple equation: perseverance + hard work = improvement. Our focus is to provide exceptional instruction so our students can learn new skills and sharpen existing ones across Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gi & No-Gi), Muay Thai kickboxing, and wrestling / takedowns.
Located right by the UIC Pavilion in University Village, we're close to Pilsen, Little Village, the Medical District, Greek Town, the South Loop and West Loop. No annual contracts. No hidden fees. Try as many classes as you can in your first 7 days, free — and only stay if it's the right gym for you.
A coach who invests in how you learn
At Chicago School of Grappling, our coaches are serious about being the best they can be — so they've
joined a community of forward-thinking coaches, led by Greg Souders, who train with the
constraints-led approach: a modern, games-based method grounded in
motor-learning science. You learn by solving real problems on the mat — and build skill faster.
Head of Grappling. Nick teaches a blend of styles, including lessons from his time in the military and from past instructors, to break down concepts and techniques anyone can benefit from. He firmly believes grappling and BJJ are for everyone — young or old, male or female, in or out of shape, competitor or hobbyist. You don't need talent; you need hard work and perseverance.
John Le
BJJ Black Belt
Creator of JitFit, BJJ & kickboxing coach. A Chicago native and lifelong martial artist, John started in Tae Kwon Do (3rd-degree black) before taking up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2006. After learning to train smart, he earned 1st place at NAGA, Titan Grappling and US Grappling and went on to become a quarter-finalist at the Mundials and Pan American Championships. He founded the Northwestern University BJJ club and is devoted to helping people reach their full potential.
Derrick DeMaio
BJJ Black Belt
BJJ instructor. Derrick designed the Fundamentals Jiu-Jitsu class because he remembers what it was like to be brand new and not know a thing. His teaching emphasizes the small details that actually work over flashy moves — and he roots for every one of his students during class.
Matt Oliva
BJJ Black Belt
BJJ instructor and one of our No-Gi specialists. Matt focuses on the newest, freshest and most innovative techniques in grappling. He's very technical in his teaching style but welcoming as well, and specializes in helping wrestlers transition into grappling.
Marco Jaimes
BJJ Brown Belt
BJJ instructor, home-grown from the Chicago School of Grappling. Marco started as a UIC freshman and credits the gym with changing his life. He's a strong technical instructor who teaches our No-Gi class, an avid competitor, and frequently teaches kickboxing too — specializing in using the clinch and wall for fighting.
Tony Do
BJJ Purple Belt
BJJ instructor and full-time trainer. A lifelong martial artist with a specialty in kinesthetics, Tony truly understands how to customize training. He's not only a grappler but also a kickboxer, focusing a lot on body awareness and strategy.
Patrick Aquino
BJJ Brown Belt
BJJ instructor. Patrick has been with CSG since he was a white belt. A true academic when it comes to grappling, he loves to emphasize the minute details that can completely transform how you look at a move.
Sasha Vorobyeva
BJJ Purple Belt
BJJ instructor. When she isn't nerding out about biomedical engineering, she's nerding out about grappling. One of our home-grown students, Sasha is a beloved teacher — especially to the other women in class — and takes an academic, detail-driven approach to jiu-jitsu while competing all over the country.
Nick Nave
BJJ Purple Belt
BJJ instructor. Nick's passion for jiu-jitsu runs deep, and as a coach he loves to teach not only what works in general but what has worked for him — explaining the why so students can internalize the lesson.
Che Woodson
BJJ Blue Belt
BJJ instructor. A scientist by day, Che has been instrumental in improving the wrestling of our team. He's adapted his wrestling background to jiu-jitsu and created a safe environment for all grapplers to experiment with takedowns.
Alejandro Mendoza
Kickboxing Instructor
Kickboxing instructor. Alejandro has competed and spearheaded our Intro / Fundamentals to Kickboxing program. Patient and welcoming, he's focused on making sure you have a good time while understanding the foundations of kickboxing.
Christian Geronimo
Kickboxing Instructor
Kickboxing instructor who runs our kickboxing competition team. An avid fighter, Christian knows how to train for a fight and how to prepare students for their first — whether it's scrimmage events, smoker fights or exhibitions.
Schedule
Weekly class schedule
Find a class that fits your week. New students and drop-ins always welcome.
Real training, real people. Tap any photo to take a closer look.
What students say
Loved by our community
★★★★★5.0 from 118 Google reviews
“
The gym felt very welcoming and comfortable from the get go and the instruction was top notch. You not only learn useful techniques very quickly, you also have a lot of fun while doing it. In addition to that, doing jiu-jitsu here is eons better than any workout I would get at a conventional gym.
PAPatrick AquinoGoogle review“
I used the free 7 day offer on their website to check out the gym. I've never done any martial arts before, but the instructors and students made it very welcoming — there's clearly a sense of community at this gym.
KFKevin FogartyGoogle review“
I've been training at Chicago School of Grappling for about eight months, and the experience has been truly wonderful and transformative.
TMTravis MillerGoogle review“
CSG is a great place to learn and practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The coaches are excellent, each offering a focus on foundational techniques, legwork, wrestling, takedowns, or a combination of these. The gym has a strong sense of community, thanks to the good training partners. Not only does the gym offer classes for a wide range of skill levels, but the contract is also flexible and affordable. It's monthly-based, so you can take a break if needed without any worries. Love that philosophy. Highly recommend!
QKQuang KiềuGoogle review“
One of the best places to train. Every instructor communicates techniques in a clear way that is easy to understand. Skill levels are diverse and include beginners and advanced students. I started training here without any experience in martial arts and couldn't be happier. The instructors are welcoming and care for their students.
HOHans OhrnerGoogle review“
Great gym. I had never done kickboxing before and this was a great place to start. Each class we learn something new and then spar — which I really like, that we get to spar right away as that's the best way to learn. The community of people at the gym is also great. Highly recommend.
FKFedia KourbatovGoogle review“
This place deserves all the positive reviews for sure. Great instructors and excellent training partners. Good for all levels. Very fair and transparent pricing, which is a rarity in BJJ. The intro week is great too!
DMDan Morgan-RussellGoogle review“
Never thought BJJ was something I would ever want to do, but 6 months later I can't say I would have found a better place to start than at CSG. What I love about this place is that they encourage you to try out different things and are super helpful in accommodating to whatever goal you have in jiu-jitsu.
KNKhánh NhiGoogle review
Contact
Come train with us
Questions before your first class? Reach out — we're happy to help.
No contract. No commitment. Just come train with us for a week and see what modern grappling instruction feels like. If it's not for you, no hard feelings.
★★★★★5.0 from 118 Google reviews
“The gym felt very welcoming and comfortable from the get go and the instruction was top notch. You not only learn useful techniques very quickly, you also have a lot of fun while doing it. In addition to that, doing jiu-jitsu here is eons better than any workout I would get at a conventional gym.”
— Patrick Aquino
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We'll reach out shortly to get you booked for your first free class. See you on the mats.
