Best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Schools in Portland Oregon

Portland Oregon is known for beautiful parks, amazing biking trails and outdoor activities, and eco-friendliness. 

In addition to these amenities, Portland Oregon has some of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gyms in the state, with well known affiliations and BJJ masters spread throughout the city.

Whether you are a Portland native looking to start BJJ or a traveller looking to catch some rolls at the best BJJ gyms in Portland, check out the following list of the 10 Top Portland BJJ gyms and you will certainly not be disappointed.

Northwest Fighting Arts

Northwest Fighting Arts offers the Portland community a wide range of martial arts, including some of Portland’s top BJJ training. 

Professor Jeff Patterson is the head coach and instructor at Northwest Fighting Arts.  Professor Patterson has a wealth of martial arts experience in a wide variety of styles. 

In addition to being a 2nd degree BJJ black belt under Rigan Machado, Patterson has over 25 years of Muay Thai experience.  He also served as an edged weapons instructor in Marine Corps and has experience in Filipino Martial Arts including Escrima and Kali.

Patterson offers a variety of martial arts classes ranging from hard styles such as MMA, Muay Thai and BJJ to softer styles such as Tai Chi.  Whether you are looking for some of the best BJJ in Portland or want to train in other arts, Northwest Fighting Arts has it all.

Classes Offered at Northwest Fighting Arts

  • Children’s Martial Arts
  • Adult BJJ
  • Adult Muay Thai
  • Escrima
  • Tai Chi
  • MMA
  • Boxing
  • Jeet Kune Do
  • Women’s Martial Arts

Instructors at Northwest Fighting Arts

  • Jeff Patteron – Head Coach, BJJ Black Belt 2nd Degree

Location and Contact

Address: 1200 SE Morrison St Portland, OR 97214

Phone: 503-235-3435

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Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland

Master Aaron Milam leads Renzo Gracie Portland.  A black belt under Rey Diogo and John Danaher, Milam has devoted his life to martial arts. 

In addition to being a BJJ black belt under globally recognized instructors, Milam holds a black belt in Judo and has a wealth of competition experience in numerous grappling styles.

If you’ve spent any time training BJJ, you’ve undoubtedly heard the name Renzo Gracie. 

Renzo is one of the top BJJ black belts in the world, and any gym carrying his name represents some of the best BJJ on the globe.  

Renzo Gracie Portland was proclaimed by the Portland Sunday Open to be “at the center of the Portland Jiu-Jitsu community.”  Stop by Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland for a killer open mat and some of the best BJJ instruction in Portland.

Classes Offered at Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland

  • Children’s BJJ
  • No Gi Level 1, 2, and 3
  • Gi Level 1, 2, and 3
  • Women’s BJJ
  • Open Mat

Instructors at Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Portland

  • Aaron Milam – Head Instructor, BJJ Black Belt 3rd Degree

Location and Contact

833 N Shaver St. Portland, OR 97227

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10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Portland

Owned and led by 10th Planet black belt  Phill Schwartz, 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Portland is a major hub for no-gi BJJ across the state.  10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is a no-gi BJJ system founded by Master Eddie Bravo and is known for popularizing the rubber guard, lockdown, and twister positions, which are now widespread staples in no-gi BJJ.

Phill Schwartz has competed in both BJJ and MMA and is ranked under Eddie Bravo himself.  10th Planet Portland offers more than just no-gi BJJ, including Muay Thai, MMA, and strength and conditioning classes.  Schwartz leads a team of highly qualified coaches specializing in each discipline and offers kids and adult classes.

Be sure to check out 10th Planet Portland next time you are in the area to get some of the best no-gi BJJ the state has to offer.

Classes Offered at 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Portland

  • Children’s No-Gi
  • Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals
  • Advanced Jiu-Jitsu
  • Women’s Jiu-Jitsu
  • Bang Muay Thai
  • Strength and Conditioning
  • Mobility
  • Open Mat

Instructors at 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Portland

  • Phill Schwartz – Owner, Head Coach, 10th Planet Black Belt
  • Sam Hardy – Kids Jiu-Jitsu Head Coach
  • James Gamet – Head Muay Thai and MMA Coach, 10th Planet Brown Belt

Location and Contact

1735 SE Grand Ave. Portland Or 97214

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Nemesis Jiu Jitsu

Eric Hemphill heads up Nemesis Jiu Jitsu, one of the top BJJ schools in Portland.  Hemphill brings a diverse range of skills from many disciplines including boxing, wrestling, and kickboxing, which has greatly influenced his approach to BJJ.  

Hemphill blends his BJJ with other grappling styles including catch and Greco-Roman wrestling, and believes that Jiu-Jitsu should embrace any grappling moves and philosophies that are effective.

Nemesis offers different levels of BJJ and includes gi, no-gi, and submission wrestling.

Classes Offered at Nemesis Jiu Jitsu

  • Gi BJJ Technical Skills
  • No-Gi Submission Wrestling
  • No-Gi BJJ Fundamentals
  • Open Mat

Instructors at Nemesis Jiu Jitsu

  • Eric Hemphill – Head Coach, BJJ Black Belt
  • Josh Botkin – Coach, BJJ Brown Belt
  • Stewart Sackett – Coach, BJJ Brown Belt
  • Shayne Takamori – Coach, BJJ Purple Belt
  • Ricky Fernandez – Coach, BJJ Blue Belt

Location and Contact

635 NW 16th Ave SUITE A Portland, OR 97209

No Phone Number Listed

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Five Rings Jiu Jitsu

Five Rings Jiu-Jitsu is a vibrant, family oriented top BJJ gym in Portland.  With a team of 5 BJJ Black Belts led by 4th Degree Black Belt Tom Oberhue, Five Rings Jiu Jitsu offers decades of competition and mat experience between its coaches.  

Five Rings Jiu Jitsu welcomes students with all goals, whether you wish to compete or simply get a good workout and stay in shape, you will find a home at this awesome Portland BJJ Gym.

Classes Offered at Five Rings

  • Children’s BJJ
  • BJJ Fundamentals and Self-Defense
  • Intermediate/Advanced BJJ
  • No-Gi BJJ
  • Competition Training

Instructors at Five Rings

  • Tom Overhue – Head Coach, 4th Degree BJJ Black Belt
  • Dan VanDetta – Coach, BJJ Black Belt
  • Kevin Dadik – Coach, 1st Degree BJJ Black Belt
  • Will Acton – Coach, BJJ Blackbelt
  • Micah Caputo – Coach, BJJ Black Belt
  • Sarah Truran Wills – Coach, BJJ Blue Belt

Location and Contact

8775 SW Canyon Lane Portland, Oregon 97225

503-327-8265

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Industrial Strength Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Named for both its location in Portland’s Northwest Industrial District as well as for the fact that strength training is offered in addition to BJJ, Industrial Strength is Portland’s top BJJ gym if you are looking for a combination of strength training and BJJ skills.

Tony Garcia heads up this multipurpose training facility, bringing his knowledge of BJJ as a 1st degree Black Belt in addition to a number of StrongFirst certifications in kettlebell and barbell training alongside a number of other certifications from top training authorities.

Garcia leads a team of highly qualified BJJ and strength-training instructors that will help you reach your goals both on the mat and in the gym.  His coaches have a wealth of competition experience in both BJJ and weight-lifting sports. Stop by Industrial Strength BJJ to satisfy both your strength and conditioning and BJJ training needs.

Classes Offered at Industrial Strength Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

  • Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals
  • Gi BJJ
  • No-gi BJJ
  • Kickboxing
  • Kettlebells
  • Strength and Conditioning
  • Olympic Lifting

Instructors at Industrial Strength Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

  • Tony Garcia – Co-founder, Head Coach, BJJ Black Belt, Strongfirst, FRC, and NASM certified trainer, B.S. Exercise Science
  • Mira Garcia – Co-founder, Coach, Strongfirst, FMS, and USA Weightlifting Certified
  • Adam Perry – Coach, Strongfirst, FMS, and USA Weightlifting Certified 
  • Casey Campbell – Coach, BJJ Brown Belt, StrongFirst Kettlebell Instructor
  • Ella Riddle – Coach, B.S. Strength and Conditioning, M.S. Strength and Conditioning

Location and Contact

2034 NW 26th Avenue, Portland, OR 97210

(971) 242-8471

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Straight Blast Gym

Straight Blast Gym was founded over 20 years ago by BJJ Blackbelt and Martial Arts Master Matt Thornton.  They are now a top MMA and BJJ gym in Portland and have affiliates throughout the United States and across the globe.

Matt Thornton is a legend in the BJJ world.  Having started his martial arts career in boxing before joining the US Army, Thornton met master Rickson Gracie and was blown away by Rickson’s plowing through a room full of judo black belts, tapping them out within seconds.  Thornton took up BJJ and was awarded his black belt in 2002 by Chris Haueter.

Straight Blast Gym is dedicated to searching for the truth in combat.  Specifically, honing techniques and strategies that work and discarding what does not.  This philosophy has led to Straight Blast Gyms across the nation being a source of formidable, successful competitive martial artists and instructors.

If you are a BJJ player or interested in martial arts, checking out Straight Blast Gym in Portland is an absolute must.

Classes Offered at Straight Blast Gym

  • Kids BJJ and Martial Arts
  • BJJ
  • Wrestling
  • Kickboxing
  • Muay Thai
  • Judo
  • MMA

Instructors at Straight Blast Gym

  • Matt Thornton – Head Coach, Founder, BJJ Black Belt
  • Over 25 Black Belts directly under Master Thornton, with further black belts under them

Location and Contact

1812 NE 43rd Ave Portland Oregon, 97213

503-506-4340

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Mata Leao Combat Sports

Mata Leao Combat Sports is a one-stop-shop for BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai, and competitive martial arts in Portland.

Led by accomplished competitive BJJ Master Omar Santiago, Mata Leao offers Portland residents and passers through a range of martial arts classes for all levels.

Santiago is a top competitor at the black belt level and regularly competes across the globe including in the famous Mundials tournament in Brazil.

Stop by Mata Leao for some of the best BJJ in Portland.

Classes Offered at Mata Leao Combat Sports

  • Children’s BJJ and Martial Arts
  • Adult Gi BJJ
  • Adult No Gi
  • Muay Thai
  • MMA
  • Strength and Conditioning

Instructors at Mata Leao Combat Sports

Omar Santiago – Head Coach, BJJ Black Belt

Matt Zorn – Coach, BJJ Black Belt

Paul Greenbaum – Coach, BJJ Brown Belt

Jaycob Cooper – Muay Thai Coach

Kate Long – Strength Coach, NASM Certified Trainer

Location and Contact

1115 SE Stephens St. Portland OR, 97214

503-208-3160

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Eastside Grappling

Founded in 2015 to create an inclusive environment for grapplers of all backgrounds, Eastside Grappling is owned and led by Josh Botkin, BJJ Black Belt under Eric Hemphill.

Coach Botkin believes in a holistic approach to grappling and helps students develop their own unique style of BJJ.  Eastside Grappling offers gi and no-gi BJJ to grapplers of all levels. In terms of welcoming atmosphere and friendly environment, Eastside Grappling is a top-notch stop for BJJ in Portland.

Classes Offered at Eastside Grappling

  • Children’s BJJ
  • Adult Gi BJJ
  • Adult No Gi BJJ

Instructors at Eastside Grappling

  • Josh Botkin – Owner, Founder, BJJ Black Belt

Location and Contact

210 Southeast Madison St. Portland, OR, 97214

971-237-6626

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Unicorn Jiu Jitsu

Unicorn Jiu Jitsu is a small BJJ school offering self-defense, yoga, and striking classes.  This gym is led by BJJ black belt Hillary Vanornum, and is the only BJJ school in Oregon led by a female black belt.


Vanornum has competed in both BJJ and MMA and brings a wealth of experience to all of her classes.  She competed long before women’s divisions existed in BJJ. In 2015 she won the women’s World Championship at the brown belt level, and gold in the Master’s I black belt level in 2017.

Unicorn Jiu Jitsu is a top Portland BJJ school if you are looking for BJJ, self-defense, and yoga all under the same roof.

Classes Offered at Unicorn Jiu Jitsu

  • Adult BJJ
  • Adult No-Gi
  • Self-defense
  • Yoga

Instructors at Unicorn Jiu Jitsu

  • Hillary Vanornum –  Owner, Head Coach, BJJ Black Belt
  • Brian Vanornum – Owner, Assistant Head Coach, BJJ Brown Belt
  • Andrew Wright – Owner, Head Striking Coach

Location and Contact

8502 SE Stark St. Portland, OR, 97216

971-386-5989

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That’s it for portland

Portland is truly a paradise if you are looking for some of the best BJJ gyms in the country. 

No matter what side of town you are on, you are sure to find a top BJJ gym in Portland. If you are starting BJJ, any of these schools are a great option. 

Traveling through Portland and training BJJ? You will find yourself at home among the beautiful scenery and diverse BJJ community.

Check out more locations for great Jiu Jitsu in our Places Section.

Author: Let's Roll BJJ

Let's Roll BJJ aims to be the leading source of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Grappling information and news on the web. Dorian, the owner and editor of Let's Roll BJJ is a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu and has been training and competing for over 6 years. Apart from being a BJJ geek, Dorian is a software developer by trade, a husband, and a father of two wonderful kids who he's recently began teaching Jiu Jitsu. When he's not training, coding, or writing, you can find him hiking, camping or occasionally binging on video games.

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