10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Torrance Review– A Real Gem Of A No-Gi Academy in the South Bay

10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Torrance Review – A Real Gem Of A No-Gi Academy in the South Bay

We recently sent one of our team to check out 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, Torrance in L.A. for a few sessions. Situated at 24433 Hawthorne Blvd in Torrance, CA, this academy is part of Eddie Bravo's innovative no-gi system and network. We really just wanted to go and try out the 10^th Planet system and training approach, and in the end, the experience exceeded our expectations in many ways.

We dropped in at the weekend and did three back to back classes – an All levels class, a Beginners class and then an open sparring session. Needless to say that’s quite a lot and it was truly exhausting in a very good way, in part because the style of Jiu Jitsu was so flowing. This was definitely not about people lying on top of each other stalling – our experience was typified by dynamic rolling sequences of techniques and smooth transitions. The Jiu Jitsu we encountered here was in a word: sick. (As in superlatively good!).

The gym itself is not one of those huge warehouse spaces where you get lost in the crowd. Instead this is an intimate setting with no place to hide – you may try to go through the motions as we can all sometimes feel like doing in class, but you are unlikely to get away with it here. Inevitably then this leads to a greater interaction with the teacher/Sensei/Professor (choose your preferred title).

The mats and other areas were meticulously clean, and even better than that, the team requested everyone going from one class to another to change their rash guards in between to maintain hygiene standards, which is quite rare – in fact when we discussed this post visit, we can’t remember ever being to another gym which had this rule, and frankly we liked it. It both felt better to be fresh but also made it less unpleasant to be rolling round with the training partners there.

The head coach at 10^th Planet, Torrance is Sensei Marvin Castelle, a first-degree black belt under Eddie Bravo with over 15 years of experience. Marvin has some sick skills – really top notch. His teaching style is very clear but quite demanding, in the sessions we attended he did not suffer fools gladly – one drop in student was clearly not paying attention to the teaching content and was politely but firmly requested to pay attention! When you have a teacher/Sensei with such high level skills, they don’t always have the patience to teach lesser mortals (like our team member who went down there), but in Marvin’s case, as long as we were trying he would keep coming back and trying to fix the things we struggled with.

Just to be clear, in case you aren’t familiar with 10^th Planet, all classes are no-gi i.e. without the Japanese style kimonos you get in some gyms and in Judo dojos. We tend to be more Gi focused in our team, so this provided a welcome shift from our usual style of training routine. Warm-ups at 10^th Planet Torrance were engaging—incorporating games, dynamic movements, and light wrestling drills that prepare you without being overly taxing. Technique instruction then dived into the core 10th Planet system: lockdown half guard, rubber guard sequences, truck entries, twisters, and creative leg entanglements. Sensei Marvin emphasized fluid transitions and offensive creativity, offering fresh perspectives on positions we typically approach more conservatively. During one session, we drilled entries into twister side control, a position our guy (who is a good Blue Belt) had never even been in before!

Live rolling was a highlight. Training partners were welcoming and adjusted intensity appropriately—challenging yet supportive, without unnecessary aggression. This felt like a place anyone could train regardless of weight, age, gender or background. The gym attracts a balanced mix of skill levels, including kids, teens, adults, men, and women, all training in a positive atmosphere. Our guy had productive rounds, learned new ways to enter positions, and experienced some signature 10th Planet submissions that caught him unprepared and off guard.

OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES AT 10^th PLANET, TORRANCE

Just trawling through online reviews from other regular attendees and drop in visitors, we can summarise their feedback as follows:

Visitors and members frequently praise the supportive atmosphere and high-quality coaching. Many highlight the coaches' patience and willingness to assist everyone regardless of skill level, describing it as an excellent place for learning with detailed, knowledgeable instruction. Parents appreciate how the team handles children with care and expertise, while others note the strong foundation built through thoughtful programming and the overall welcoming environment for all ages and backgrounds. The feedback is very clear on this point - for anyone interested in expanding their no-gi game with innovative techniques, it's an outstanding place to train. Pricing appears reasonable, with intro offers and packages available—they encourage free trial sessions, so we recommend contacting them at (424) 999-0787 or visiting their website to arrange one.

In summary, 10th Planet Torrance is a top-tier spot in the South Bay. With high-caliber instruction, a welcoming environment, creative curriculum, and real passion for the art, it's well worth checking out. Sensei Marvin and the team are clearly building something special.

THE GENTLE ART GUIDE GYM SCORE FOR 10th PLANET BJJ, TORRANCE (Review)

Technical instruction: 5/5

Suitability for intermediate to advanced levels: 5/5

Suitability for absolute beginners: 4/5

Atmosphere: 5/5

Drop in visitor experience: 5/5/

OVERALL SCORE: 4.8/5

THE GENTLE ART GUIDE CONCLUSION

We loved this experience, it was everything we would want – beneficial to skills development, good exercise with good people and best in class instruction. Recommended.