Top 3 MMA gyms in Jacksonville Florida!
If you live in Jacksonville, then you must be aware of the vast amount of gyms in the area. One thing however is that while several specialize in BJJ, others emphasize martial arts like Karate or kickboxing. What you need is a gym that lays a good emphasis on MMA and honestly, finding one could be difficult. We’ve made that easy and here are the top 3 MMA gyms in Jacksonville.
1. Elevate MMA
Elevate MMA gym logo located in Jacksonville Beach Florida.
Elevate MMA is no doubt one of the best gyms in the city. It offers classes in Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, women’s kickboxing, wrestling, and private training, and combines all of those for your mixed martial arts training.
These programs are not only to equip you with martial arts skills, but they also require hard training with workouts that’d build and strengthen your muscles, offer High-Intensity interval training, and increase your speed and explosive power. And there are lots of reviews on this gym being great for weight loss.
Besides, if you wish to compete, Elevate MMA has expert and experienced coaches like Preston Parsons and Cord Poe who compete in the UFC.
Professional MMA fighter Preston Parsons is 9-3 in the cage and the FIRST and ONLY fighter from Jacksonville to sign with the UFC! Preston is a Jacksonville Beach native and holds wins in several state fighting organizations throughout Florida including Combat Night and TITAN FC.
UFC Cornerman / Striking Coach who coaches at Elevate MMA in Jacksonville Florida.
One cool thing about Elevate MMA is its all-inclusive nature. The gym has lots of women students and even has programs designed specifically like the women’s kickboxing class. Also, the gym has a well-planned kids’ program that is great for self-defense and weight loss. The instructors teach the same style and techniques used by competitive fighters to lay a solid foundation for your kids.
Perhaps, more importantly, this gym offers personal training. If you’re not comfortable with training with a crowd, or you just need that personal time to harness your skills, Elevate MMA has time slots throughout the day when you can schedule a personal session.
Lastly, one thing it offers that others don’t is free classes. Elevate MMA offers a free trial where you can get to know the coaches and discover what it means to be part of the family.
2. Brazilian Top Team Jax-FL
Members of Brazilian Top Team Jacksonville Florida pictured on the mat in the GI!
Brazilian Top Team makes a strong argument for being the best martial art gym in Jacksonville. While it is primarily a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym, it has incorporated several striking classes and programs to equip its members with an all-around proficiency in MMA. It is great for MMA and there have been several top competitors and MMA champions made from this gym. No wonder, its founding member Murilo Bustamante is a former UFC middleweight champion and a four-time Brazilian champion.
The Jacksonville branch is headed by Marcello Bergo, a 4th Degree Black belt who has won at the highest levels of BJJ and Mixed Martial arts. Through a mix of Muay Thai with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, BTT prepares its students for competition. The Muay Thai classes include striking, defense, footwork, and sparring rounds with a partner. Competition isn’t the only thing this gym has to offer. For adults, it optimizes these martial arts for self-defense and fitness. You’re guaranteed to get a total body workout from the intense workouts.
Marcello "Salazar" Bergo is a world champion 4th Degree Black under Murilo Bustamante and a representative of Brazilian Top Team. He has competed and won at the highest levels of BJJ, Submission Grappling, Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, and mixed martial arts. More importantly, he is an even better instructor.
Marcello has brought his technical knowledge and experience to Jacksonville Fl. His aim is to produce the most successful BJJ program in the area. He is committed to teaching his students everything he knows about BJJ and strives to do so in a family oriented environment.
For kids, this gym also has lots of exciting programs. For kids between 4-15, BTT teaches self-defense techniques through a combination of physical conditioning, skill-building games, and mental preparation.
You’re still doubting? Well, this gym offers a one-week free complimentary trial pass which includes all classes.
3. Jacksonville Gracie Jiu Jitsu
Gracie Jiu Jitsu gym logo located in Jacksonville Beach Florida.
Is there a better neighborhood gym in Jacksonville like this one? I doubt it. Although this gym involves a lot of jiu-jitsu, it doesn’t fail to touch several other martial arts. They offer world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and wrestling and supplement it with Muay Thai and other self-defense programs. These programs are made to be flexible for all skill levels. It has a beginner class for fundamentals, an intermediate class for 3-stripe white belts, and an advanced class for 4-stripe blue belts. To train in No-Gi, you’d at least need to be a 2-stripe white belt.
Although it functions like a traditional martial arts gym, Gracie jiu-jitsu through the intense workouts it employs will help you lose weight and build muscle. So regardless of your current fitness level, this is a great place to get fit.
But without any doubt, for competition, this gym is one of the best in the area and it even has the 23rd ranked BJJ fighter in the world, Pedro Palhares as a member.
Pedro Palhares father pictured who is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor and instructor for over 35 years at Jacksonville Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Master Palhares was presented his 7th degree black and red belt by the President of the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Rio de Janeiro, Grand Master Carlos Robson Gracie, in 2010.
If you love private lessons, here at Gracie Jiu-jitsu, you can schedule a private class to put you one step ahead of the competition.
Lastly, Jacksonville Gracie Jiu Jitsu offers two free classes, so if you’re in the area around San Jose Blvd, make sure to check it out.
Those are the top 3 MMA gyms to check out in Jacksonville. Although they might appear quite similar, each gym has unique features that make them stand out. Well, it is a good thing they all offer free classes, so you can easily test to know which one’s the best for you.
