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Carolina American Judo Association
5 ★★★★★ 28 Google reviews · BJJ gym in Matthews, North Carolina
Plan your first class
- Beginner-friendly all levels welcome, including total beginners — you don't need to be fit or have any experience to start
- Kids & youth classes kids and youth BJJ classes — built around discipline, focus, and confidence
- Private lessons private, one-on-one coaching available — a focused way to start or to work around a busy schedule; ask about availability and rates
- Open mat open-mat rolling sessions for members to practice live — always optional and at your own pace
- Competition team a competition team for members who want to test themselves at tournaments
- Today see hours ·
- Website & schedule judo-caja.com — book classes and see the live schedule
- Phone +1 704-458-1222
Hours
| Monday | 7–8:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 6–8:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 6–8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 6–8:30 pm |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | 10 am–1:30 pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
The classes they run
“I'm from Brazil and I spent my vacation in Charlotte, and my son needed a place to continue improving his judo skills.”
“Everyone was incredibly friendly and supportive, many would ref and coach at tournaments, all volunteer driven for the love of the art.”
“1 on 1 time with a black belt is common with a mix of traditional regimented Judo classes and more freelance classes.”
Other martial arts here
“We couldn’t be happier with this place and highly recommend anyone who’s serious about learning the correct way to do judo to try it out.”
What members say
“It is great very family friendly great instructors loved it still going”
“We were very well received by Sensei Joey and Sensei Dana, an excellent place to train, friendly people, experienced and attentive senseis, everything was wonderful.”
“Everyone was incredibly friendly and supportive, many would ref and coach at tournaments, all volunteer driven for the love of the art.”
“Everything has improved from his discipline, strength to his self esteem!”
From the reviews
Sensei Jason is amazing. I recently found out he actually volunteers his time and you can see he truly loves what he does. He pays attention to the kids and help when he sees they need extra attention or help with something. They are no nonsense in their teaching and my son has benefited greatly from that.
The Judo club is built on decades of experience and character! You will find top shelf instruction here tues/thurs. In addition, they offer a great BJJ Program on mon, wed, fri, and Saturday! Give it a try…you will be welcomed here.
I trained here for a bit in post-grad about 20 years ago. Insanely good Senseis for a small club, many high level guys would be teaching regularly or drop in for a guest session, that's how much Sensei Dana and Sensei Pat were respected.
I’ve been training here a bit over 6 months. It’s a non profit with several very skilled black belts. Each teacher has their own style and will actively help you grow. 1 on 1 time with a black belt is common with a mix of traditional regimented Judo classes and more freelance classes.
New to BJJ? Start at Carolina American Judo Association
Carolina American Judo Association comes up as a beginner-friendly gym — noted on their own site. If you've never rolled or set foot on a mat, that's exactly who a good beginners program is for. A few things worth knowing before your first week. First, you don't need to be fit or flexible to start — you get in shape by training, not before it, and coaches scale the intensity to you. Second, you won't be thrown into hard rolling — reputable gyms build fundamentals (positions, escapes, and basic submissions) for weeks, live rolling eases in gradually, and tapping early keeps every roll safe. Third, all levels really are welcome — ask about a dedicated beginners or fundamentals class time so your first session is alongside others who are also starting out, and leave your ego at the door. Most gyms are happy to let you watch or try a class first, so reach out before you commit.
Your first BJJ class at Carolina American Judo Association
Nervous about walking into a BJJ gym for the first time? Almost everyone is, and good coaches expect beginners to come through the door. Here's what to know. What to expect: a typical first class is a warm-up, then drilling basic positions and escapes with a partner — not hard sparring. Rest whenever you need to; no one will bat an eye. What to wear: athletic wear you can move in (or a gi if you have one); you'll train barefoot on the mats. What to bring: water and a mouthguard if you have one — many gyms lend a loaner gi for a first class, so it's worth asking when you call. As you keep training you'll add your own gi (or a rashguard and shorts for no-gi) and a mouthguard. Live rolling eases in gradually, once your fundamentals are solid. Arrive 10–15 minutes early to sign a waiver and meet the coach. It gets easier fast — most people feel far more at home by their third class.
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