Home › Oregon › Portland › Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland
Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland
4.9 ★★★★★ 107 Google reviews · BJJ gym in Portland, Oregon
Part of Renzo Gracie Academy
Affiliated academy — reviews and the gym's own info point to a recognized BJJ lineage or affiliation (think Gracie Barra, 10th Planet, Renzo Gracie, Alliance, Atos or Checkmat). If lineage matters to you, ask which affiliation the academy belongs to and under whom the head instructor earned their black belt.
Plan your first class
- Free trial or intro class most gyms welcome new members with a free trial or intro class — check their site or give them a call to book your first session
- 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
- Women's classes dedicated women's BJJ classes — a welcoming space to train and start out in
- No-gi no-gi grappling classes — training in a rashguard and shorts, with faster scrambles and a natural bridge to MMA
- 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 renzogracieportland.com — book classes and see the live schedule
Hours
| Monday | 10 am–8:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 10 am–8:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 10 am–8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 10 am–8:30 pm |
| Friday | 10 am–8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 9:30 am–1:30 pm |
| Sunday | 11 am–3:30 pm |
The classes they run
“I mainly take the fundamental classes with Ruben, and he explains the moves in an incredibly accessible, yet thorough fashion.”
“Awesome women instructors are a part of Renzo, and there are many girls and young women participants in the youth classes.”
“The community is terrific -- I go to the no-gi fundamentals classes, and lots of upper belts attend those as well.”
“I visited Portland last weekend and dropped in for a Saturday fundamentals gi class taught by Professor Aaron.”
“Wether you want to compete at the highest levels or just have a fun way to socialize and exercise.”
“Since I was a kid, I wanted to learn self-defense skills.”
“Aaron has a way of breaking down moves and concepts so that anyone from the complete beginner to a very advanced student can understand and remember what is being taught.”
Other martial arts here
“I recently joined the Muay Thai program at Renzo Gracie Portland and have found it to be an excellent experience so far.”
What members say
“Coach Aaron is an amazing practitioner and teacher of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with deep connections at the highest level of the game, and also a great guy.”
“Aaron has a way of breaking down moves and concepts so that anyone from the complete beginner to a very advanced student can understand and remember what is being taught.”
“This is the best place to start training thanks to a welcoming atmosphere, BJJ101 classes, and many large classes at a variety of times throughout the week.”
“I’ve been going to the fundamentals class for almost 5 months and I can’t say enough good things about my experience.”
“I recently joined the Muay Thai program at Renzo Gracie Portland and have found it to be an excellent experience so far.”
“Awesome women instructors are a part of Renzo, and there are many girls and young women participants in the youth classes.”
From the reviews
The first time I walked into Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, I was nervous because it was my first time studying a martial art. Since I was a kid, I wanted to learn self-defense skills.
I have had the privilege to train with some world class instructors and Aaron sits right at the top of the list. He legitimately makes me want to move to Portland just to train with him everyday.
I visited Portland last weekend and dropped in for a Saturday fundamentals gi class taught by Professor Aaron. The instruction was top notch and I even had the honour to roll with Aaron himself. The gym has an outstanding vibe and everyone was incredibly friendly.
I'm a dude in his 50s. I started my jiu-jitsu journey at RGPDX eight months ago. No exaggeration: it has changed my life. On the four days a week I get to go to class, I wake up and think "it's a jiu-jitsu day!" The things that stand out for me at RGPDX are the community and the instruction.
New to BJJ? Start at Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland
Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland 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 Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland
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.
More BJJ gyms near Portland
Oregon Grappling Arts
5 ★★★★★ 103 reviews
🥋 Free trial / intro class — check their site
ENSO JIU JITSU PORTLAND
5 ★★★★★ 39 reviews
Eastside Grappling
4.6 ★★★★★ 48 reviews
🥋 Free trial / intro class — check their site