The Best 5 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gyms In London
The Best 5 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gyms In London
Choosing a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy in London ought to be easy. There are famous names, experienced black belts and enough classes to keep even the most enthusiastic grappler occupied. The difficulty is working out which place will actually suit you once the excitement of signing up has worn off and you are trying to squeeze training into an ordinary working week.
A competition-focused twenty-something and a forty-five-year-old beginner may want very different things from the same sport. Both deserve good teaching, suitable training partners and somewhere they enjoy returning to. With that in mind, these are five London academies worth putting on your shortlist, with scores that consider the training available as well as the name above the door.
How the scoring works
This is a research-based editorial comparison, using publicly available academy information checked in September 2026, rather than a first-hand inspection. Each academy receives up to five points in four equally weighted categories: coaching credentials, beginner provision, opportunities for experienced students, and breadth of training programmes. The total is out of 20. These are judgement calls, not measured differences in teaching quality, and a one-point gap should not decide where you train.
Prices, cleanliness, class sizes and day-to-day atmosphere are not scored because they have not been consistently verified across all five. This is a selected shortlist rather than an exhaustive survey of every London club.
Academy | Coaching /5 | Beginners /5 | Experienced students /5 | Programme breadth /5 | Total /20 |
Roger Gracie Academy HQ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 19 |
London Grapple | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
Fightzone London | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 18 |
Carlson Gracie London | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 18 |
Wave BJJ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 17 |
Tied scores indicate different strengths rather than a clear winner.
1. Roger Gracie Academy HQ — A compelling all-round choice
Roger Gracie Academy in Hammersmith has an obvious attraction: its connection to one of the most accomplished competitors in the sport. However, the more useful question for a prospective member is what happens when an ordinary beginner walks through the door. The academy publishes a clear starting process, with a free induction that includes time with an instructor before joining a fundamentals class. That earns it credit for giving newcomers a defined introduction instead of leaving them to work everything out themselves.
The programme also extends beyond traditional gi training. The academy advertises daily no-gi classes, including beginner, all-levels and competition sessions, alongside children’s classes and kickboxing. That makes it a strong option for someone who wants to begin with the basics and retain room to develop different interests over time. You could arrive wanting to learn gi jiu-jitsu and later discover that submission grappling is what really gets you out of the house on a wet Tuesday.
The sensible reservation is about expectations. Joining an academy carrying a famous athlete’s name should never be taken as a promise that the athlete will teach your regular class. Ask who normally coaches the sessions you can attend, try the induction and judge the instruction in front of you. For its combination of coaching pedigree, a clear beginner entry point and opportunities to progress, RGA earns 19/20 and is a particularly strong starting point for a balanced shortlist.
2. London Grapple — Our pick for a no-gi focus
London Grapple in Deptford makes a persuasive case for anyone whose interest centres on no-gi jiu-jitsu. Head grappling coach and co-owner Ross Nicholls has an established competitive background, and the academy lists several coaches covering no-gi and wrestling. Its published offer also includes gi BJJ, MMA and striking, so the appeal is broader than a single specialist class.
The combination of wrestling and submission grappling is especially interesting. If you want to improve the connections between takedowns, control and submissions, having access to both disciplines gives you useful options. London Grapple advertises more than 60 weekly classes across its programmes, although that should not be mistaken for 60 BJJ sessions. The important exercise is to check how many of the relevant classes actually fit your diary.
Beginners are explicitly catered for, but an impressive coaching roster alone does not explain how your first month will work. Ask which sessions to start with and how newcomers are introduced to sparring. London Grapple scores 19/20, with its strongest case being the combination of specialist grappling credentials and a broad supporting programme. If no-gi is your priority, this would be one of the first trial sessions to book.
3. Fightzone London — A strong choice for variety
Fightzone, based on Pritchard’s Road in East London, deserves attention from anyone who likes the idea of serious BJJ within a larger martial arts gym. Its head instructor Marco Canha received his black belt from Ricardo Vieira, and the academy’s history is closely connected with the Checkmat team. There is a substantial jiu-jitsu identity here alongside the wider combat-sports offering.
The academy advertises more than 150 weekly classes across disciplines including BJJ, wrestling, judo, boxing, Muay Thai and MMA. That figure is for the whole gym, but it illustrates the range available. For someone who enjoys grappling and also wants to learn striking, the practical attraction is obvious: there is scope to pursue both without managing two separate clubs.
Fightzone earns 18/20, with coaching credentials and programme breadth doing most of the work. Its published information welcomes beginners, although a prospective member should ask for the specific BJJ progression route. A large overall timetable only becomes useful when the right classes run at the right times, so take a normal working week and see where training would realistically fit. For an East London resident wanting variety alongside BJJ, it makes a convincing shortlist candidate.
4. Carlson Gracie London — Established coaching with room to progress
Carlson Gracie London offers something that is easy to overlook when comparing gyms: continuity. Established in 2001, the academy says original members remain involved in coaching and that it has produced more than 100 black belts. Its listed BJJ coaching team includes Wilson Junior, Richard Martin and Simon Hayes. Those are useful indicators of an academy with experience supporting students over the long stretch between their first class and advanced training.
The published programme includes a beginner fundamentals course and higher-level sessions for committed practitioners and competitors. It also offers wrestling, judo and MMA, giving students opportunities to broaden their training. The attraction is the combination of an established BJJ base and supporting disciplines, particularly for someone who wants to become more comfortable with the standing side of grappling.
Its 18/20 reflects that coaching depth and breadth of provision. As with any academy, the relevant question is how those strengths translate into the classes you will actually attend. A beginner should try the beginner provision, rather than judge the entire club by footage of its hardest rounds. An experienced student should ask about the advanced sessions and available training partners. Carlson Gracie London deserves serious consideration for anyone looking for a long-term training home in West London.
5. Wave BJJ — A particularly appealing beginner option
Wave BJJ, based at Society Gym & BJJ on Chiswick High Road, makes a good case for students who want a clearly explained route into training. Founder and head coach Lorenzo Fraquelli is a black belt, and the academy offers gi and no-gi instruction. What distinguishes its published offer in this comparison is the choice of ways to get started.
Alongside a free first class and a paid two-week trial, Wave advertises a separate beginner course with a week-by-week curriculum and a small-group format. That is a meaningful option for someone who would prefer to learn positions, movement and escapes with other newcomers before joining the main classes. Starting BJJ already involves enough unfamiliar experiences without having to decipher an unexplained timetable.
Wave scores 17/20, including full marks for its clearly described beginner provision. Its lower overall score reflects the stronger published coaching credentials and broader programmes elsewhere on this particular shortlist; it does not establish that the everyday teaching is inferior. For a Chiswick-based beginner, Wave could easily be the most sensible first choice. The course structure is promising, and a trial provides the opportunity to see whether the teaching style suits you.
Which London BJJ gym should you choose?
Roger Gracie Academy and London Grapple share the highest score here, but they offer different reasons to visit. RGA makes a strong all-round case, while London Grapple stands out for a no-gi focus. Fightzone offers considerable variety, Carlson Gracie London brings an established coaching base, and Wave gives beginners a particularly clear way to get started.
Before joining, visit two or three realistic options and attend the sessions you would normally use. Ask about the complete membership cost, cancellation terms, equipment requirements and how beginners are paired for training. Pay attention to whether questions are welcomed and whether the coach helps people work at an appropriate intensity. Those observations will tell you more about your likely experience than another decimal place on a review score.
Finally, be honest about the journey. An excellent academy that you can reach twice a week is likely to do more for your jiu-jitsu than a famous one you keep missing because getting there is a nuisance. The right choice should make regular training feel achievable, even when work is busy and your initial burst of enthusiasm has settled into everyday life.
Check out the GOAT Roger Gracie's instructional videos here: https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_roger-gracie?rfsn=9274450.db99ad&srsltid=AU7gw4XDvmMBxcCJ6QKvGw2LxhO7ggiNfFx8s2PmxkycPJZL00M7r8ko&list=1
Article written by Jimmy Rose, lifelong martial artist & BJJ enthusiast. Please note we might earn commissions from affiliate links.
