HomeNorth CarolinaPineville › Top Martial Arts Charlotte (TMA Charlotte) - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Top Martial Arts Charlotte (TMA Charlotte) - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

5 ★★★★★ 64 Google reviews · BJJ gym in Pineville, North Carolina

BJJ gym Free trial Affiliated Beginners welcome Kids & teens No-gi Competition team

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 (ages 6–12) — built around discipline, focus, and confidence
  • 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 tmacharlotte.com — book classes and see the live schedule
  • Phone +1 803-701-9801

Hours

Monday 12–3 pm, 5–8:30 pm
Tuesday 6:30–8 am, 12–3 pm, 5–9 pm
Wednesday 12–3 pm, 5–9 pm
Thursday 6:30–8 am, 12–3 pm, 5–9 pm
Friday 12–3 pm, 6–8 pm
Saturday 10 am–2:30 pm
Sunday 1–4 pm

Hours shift for holidays, seminars, and open-gym times — worth a quick check before a special trip.

The classes they run

BJJ classes on the schedule at Top Martial Arts Charlotte (TMA Charlotte) - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, confirmed in members' own reviews and the gym's own info — not guessed from the sign out front.

🧒 Kids BJJ 10 mentions

“You know you got the right place when you trust your kids to the gym and the instructors.”

All gyms that run kids bjj →

🏆 Competition Team 4 mentions

“If you are looking to get in shape, learn from world class competitors, and meet tons of great people, then this is your place.”

All gyms that run competition team →

🌱 Beginners 5 mentions

“I started as a beginner with no knowledge of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and have now been training consistently for six months.”

All gyms that run beginners →

Other martial arts here

BJJ gyms are usually multi-discipline. Here's what else members mention training under the same roof at Top Martial Arts Charlotte (TMA Charlotte) - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — mined from their reviews and the gym's own info.

🥊 Muay Thai 2 mentions

“Great training and great instruction for not only BJJ but also Muay Thai and all around fitness.”

Other gyms that also teach muay thai →

🤸 Wrestling

“I watched the kids wrestling class a bit prior to my class.”

Other gyms that also teach wrestling →

Disciplines are mined from reviews and the gym's own info — they show what members have trained, not a formal class guarantee. If you specifically want MMA, muay thai, or wrestling alongside your BJJ, confirm the current schedule with the gym.

What members say

The things reviewers bring up again and again across 64 Google reviews — in their own words.

🧑‍🏫 expert, high-level coaching 9 mentions

“You will be sharing the mats with multiple world class Black Belt, all with their own styles giving you a broad range of techniques and variety to choose from.”

🌱 welcoming to beginners 10 mentions

“Top Martial Arts and Fitness provides a welcoming environment for students of all ages, skill levels, and genders.”

🤝 no-ego, friendly academy 13 mentions

“TMA cares about you as a person which translates to a great big family as well as the best ju jitsu school I have been to so far.”

📘 strong technique & fundamentals 4 mentions

“You will be sharing the mats with multiple world class Black Belt, all with their own styles giving you a broad range of techniques and variety to choose from.”

active competition team 6 mentions

“If you are looking to get in shape, learn from world class competitors, and meet tons of great people, then this is your place.”

🎖️ legit lineage & affiliation 2 mentions

“Between Top and their affiliate Mint Hill, there is no other place I can think of ever going.”

From the reviews

My 7 year old daughter began training BJJ at Top Martial Arts in June 2017 and began competing one month later. Hard to express how pleased we are with the level of instruction and the ratio of instructors to students. The dedication to the sport is profound.

★★★★★ — Piper, Sep 2017

Top Martial Arts Charlotte is the premier "GI" school in the Charlotte area. If you are serious about your Jiu Jitsu journey, I highly suggest giving TMA a try. You will be sharing the mats with multiple world class Black Belt, all with their own styles giving you a broad range of techniques and variety to choose from.

★★★★★ — Robert, Jun 2025

I've been training at Top for a while now. Since then, my wife started training, and my daughter recently had her first class. This school is family friendly, and you will find great instruction and challenging training. There are both world class competitors and hobbyists working hard together.

★★★★★ — Evan, Jun 2019

Highly recommended if you want to get better at Jiujitsu and or Muay Thai. There are many upper belts and high level fighters that train at this school. I began training here as a blue belt. This place has really helped me improve my game. There are classes everyday and sometime twice a day.

★★★★★ — Adrian, Oct 2020

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 64 reviews →

New to BJJ? Start at Top Martial Arts Charlotte (TMA Charlotte) - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Top Martial Arts Charlotte (TMA Charlotte) - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu comes up as a beginner-friendly gym, going by their listing and members’ reviews. 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.

Check beginner classes on their site

Your first BJJ class at Top Martial Arts Charlotte (TMA Charlotte) - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

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.

BJJ is a contact sport. Ease in, tap early and often, listen to your coaches, and if you have any injuries or health concerns, mention them before class and check with a doctor if you're unsure.

Where to find Top Martial Arts Charlotte (TMA Charlotte) - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

563-565 N Polk St, Pineville, NC28134

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Listing verified July 2026 from public business records and member reviews. Something out of date? Report a correction. Own this gym? Claim your listing — it's free.