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Downtown Grappling
5 ★★★★★ 3 Google reviews · BJJ gym in Kingston, New York
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
- Today see hours ·
- Website & schedule downtowngrappling.com — book classes and see the live schedule
Hours
| Monday | 1:30–9 pm |
| Tuesday | 1:30–9 pm |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 4–9 pm |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | 9 am–2 pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
The classes they run
“Downtown Grappling is a safe place to learn good jiujitsu for all levels.”
What members say
“Raphael has a great range of techniques to pull from and is great at really drilling down into the details of the technique.”
From the reviews
I’ve trained with Raphael for over 7 years now and he has consistently been a great teacher from his Purple to his Black belt. Downtown Grappling is a great space to learn and train with people who are excellent on and off the mats.
Great Jiujitsu and great group of players. Coach Raphael is exceptional in his craft and is a very patient and detailed teacher. Downtown Grappling is a safe place to learn good jiujitsu for all levels. After training I always leave having learned something new and feeling more of a part of the community.
Fantastic instruction, well organized class structure. Professor Raph is a huge wealth of knowledge and meets your where you are and give detailed feedback. Definitely worth checking out.
New to BJJ? Start at Downtown Grappling
Downtown Grappling 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 Downtown Grappling
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. 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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