October 24, 2026 · Andrew Buck
How to Find a Place to Train Jiu Jitsu in New York City
New York City has BJJ gyms in every borough. This guide covers how to pick one you'll get to, what to know before you drop in, and five to try.
Key takeaways
- In New York, the gym you'll stick with is usually the one on your subway line or near your office.
- Most big New York academies take visitors for a drop-in fee, and some ask you to wear a plain gi.
- Renzo Gracie Academy, Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu, 10th Planet NYC, Gregor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and City Jiu Jitsu Academy are five good places to start, across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
- Many New York gyms offer locals a free trial, so try two or three near your stop before you join.
New York is one of the best cities in the world to train jiu jitsu. Some of the most famous academies in the sport are here, most neighborhoods have a gym within reach, and between them the city's academies run classes from early morning to late evening.
With that much choice, the hard part isn't finding a gym but choosing one. This guide covers how to pick a gym you'll actually get to, which gyms teach gi and no-gi, what visitors need to know, and five academies worth a look.
Where should you train BJJ in New York?
The New York gym you'll actually stick with is usually the one on your subway line. In most cities you pick the best gym and drive there, but crossing boroughs at rush hour gets old fast.
Before you fall for an academy's Instagram, look at how you'd get there on a Tuesday after work. If you work in Midtown or downtown, a Manhattan gym near the office makes lunchtime or after-work classes realistic.
If you'd rather train near home, Brooklyn and Queens have deep benches of their own, from Park Slope and Bushwick to Astoria and Long Island City. The Bronx and Staten Island have plenty of gyms too.
Many Manhattan academies are a few floors up in office buildings, so note the floor or suite number as well as the street address. Space is tight, too, so check the schedule for the class you want, because popular sessions fill the mat.
Our New York City page puts every gym across the five boroughs on one map, so you can see what's near your stop. If you live outside the city, Long Island, Westchester and Jersey City have pages of their own.
Which New York gyms teach gi and no-gi?
New York has every style of jiu jitsu gym. Some academies are mostly gi with a few no-gi classes a week, some are no-gi only, and others run both every day.
If you already know which you prefer, check the split on the timetable before you book a trial. If you don't, a gym that teaches both lets you find out.
Can you drop in at a New York BJJ gym?
Most big New York academies take visitors who are only in town for a few days. Policies and prices vary, so check before you go:
- Expect to pay. Drop-in fees in Manhattan aren't cheap. At the time of writing, Renzo Gracie Academy charges $45 for a BJJ drop-in, and Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu sells day passes and two-week passes for visitors.
- Bring a plain gi. Some academies ask visitors not to wear another team's patches. Renzo Gracie Academy, for one, only allows a blank gi, and rents one out for $15 if yours carries another academy's branding.
- Message ahead. Confirm which class is open to visitors, and turn up early to sign the waiver.
Beyond that, the usual etiquette for training BJJ while traveling applies.
If you live here and you're shopping around, ask about free trials, because plenty of gyms offer locals one or two free classes.
Five New York gyms to check out
There's no single best BJJ gym in New York, but these five are a good place to start. They're well known, well reviewed and easy to get to, and between them they cover gi, no-gi and beginner classes across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
| Gym | Area | Gi or no-gi | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renzo Gracie Academy | Midtown, Manhattan | Both | Visitors, and anyone who wants a big, busy room |
| Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu NYC | Chelsea, Manhattan | Both | Complete beginners |
| 10th Planet NYC | Midtown, Manhattan | No-gi only | People who only want no-gi |
| Gregor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu | Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn | Both | Early risers, and women who want a women's class |
| City Jiu Jitsu Academy | Long Island City, Queens | Mostly gi | Beginners on the 7 train |
Renzo Gracie Academy (Midtown, Manhattan)
Renzo Gracie Academy is one of the best-known jiu jitsu academies in the world, a block from Penn Station on West 30th Street. Its timetable runs gi and no-gi classes for beginners and advanced students, alongside wrestling, Muay Thai and a kids' program.
It's a big, busy room that takes drop-ins, which makes it the obvious first stop for a lot of visitors.
Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu NYC (Chelsea, Manhattan)
Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu NYC is on West 26th Street and is named for one of the most celebrated competitors in the sport's history. There's a kids and youth program alongside the adult classes.
Its gi and no-gi classes are split into fundamentals and advanced levels, and the first fundamentals level is designed for people with no experience. That makes it a strong fit for complete beginners, and locals in the tri-state area get two free classes to try it out.
10th Planet NYC (Midtown, Manhattan)
10th Planet NYC teaches the 10th Planet no-gi system and nothing else, from a fourth-floor space on West 43rd Street near Bryant Park. It's the place to go if you only want no-gi.
Beginners start in dedicated fundamentals classes before moving into the main sessions.
Gregor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn)
Gregor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is on Bridge Park Drive in Brooklyn Heights, and it's a good reason not to cross the river. The adult timetable runs seven days a week, with classes from 6 or 7 a.m. on weekdays.
Fundamentals classes run every day, no-gi sessions run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and there's a women's class on Thursday and Saturday. Muay Thai and kids' classes share the academy, and you can book a trial class online.
City Jiu Jitsu Academy (Long Island City, Queens)
City Jiu Jitsu Academy shows you don't have to train in Manhattan. It opened in a renovated space on 50th Avenue in 2024, right by the Vernon Blvd–Jackson Av stop on the 7 train, one stop from Grand Central.
There's an intro class every weekday for people with no experience at all, separate beginner gi classes, and a free first class. Most of the timetable is gi, with intermediate no-gi on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How do you find more BJJ gyms in New York?
These five New York gyms are a starting point, not the full picture. The city has well over a hundred gyms, and the best one for you might be a small academy three blocks from your apartment.
Our New York City page shows them all on one map. Every gym on it is open, has Google reviews and has been checked for BJJ at that location.
Pick two or three near your stop, run the same checks for a legit gym you'd use anywhere, and go try a class.
Final thoughts
New York makes jiu jitsu easy to fit into your life, as long as you pick a gym you can actually get to. Start with your commute, check the gi and no-gi split, and try a class or two before you join.
Whether you end up at a world-famous academy in Midtown or a small room in your own neighborhood, the right gym is the one you keep going back to.
FAQ
Can visitors drop in at New York BJJ gyms?
Visitors can drop in at most big New York BJJ academies, usually for a fee. Message ahead to confirm which classes are open to visitors, and bring a plain gi in case the gym asks for one.
Where can I train no-gi in New York?
10th Planet NYC in Midtown teaches no-gi only, which makes it the obvious choice if you never want to wear a gi. Renzo Gracie Academy, Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu and Gregor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu also run no-gi classes alongside their gi timetables.
Are there good BJJ gyms in Brooklyn and Queens?
Brooklyn and Queens both have plenty of BJJ gyms, so you don't have to commute into Manhattan to train. Gregor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Brooklyn Heights and City Jiu Jitsu Academy in Long Island City are two well-reviewed places to start.
Do New York BJJ gyms offer free trials?
Many New York BJJ gyms offer locals a free trial. Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu gives tri-state residents two free classes, City Jiu Jitsu Academy offers a free first class, and Gregor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu takes trial bookings online.
Do I need my own gi to train in New York?
Bringing your own gi is the safest plan if you're dropping in at a New York academy, and a plain one is best. If you're trying a gym as a beginner, ask whether it lends gis for trial classes.