Universal Jiu Jitsu

I trained at Universal for several months earlier this year. I mainly did jiu jitsu, but I also did some conditioning and boxing. As a jiu jitsu beginner, I never felt out of place or in danger. Mel and Ray create a very relaxed, non-​confrontational, SAFE atmosphere. It truly has a family atmosphere! The conditioning classes were 30 minutes of h***, but they definitely got me in shape fast. I only did a couple boxing classes — I was the only adult in the classes, which was odd, but I still enjoyed them.
Overall, Universal is an awesome gym. And their record in jiu jitsu competitions speaks for itself.

This has been great find for my kids! As a mother of three young boys, a martial art is a must and jiu jitsu is probably the best for young kids. Before moving here, we participated in aikido and Karate for Kids (taekwondo) and thought those were fine, but in contrast, jiu jitsu is so much better. My top three reasons:
1) Kids can spar in the very first class — that does not happen in other martial arts until they reach the right age and experience due to the inherent dangers in hitting and kicking. This might take a year or two.
2) Because they are engaged in physical contact more, they do not need to be constantly told «watch me», «pay attention», «Joe, did you hear me?». There will always be a little of that (mine are 6 and 9 with the 2 yo watching), but because learning strikes in the air can be so boring, there was a lot of gimmicks needed in the ATA classes to keep the young kids attention (teachers changing where the front of the class is so everyone turns, yelling commands, calling on people to demonstrate, etc.).
3) If your kid is bullied in school, they will get in much more trouble for punching or kicking the assailant (possibly leaving marks) than taking them to the ground and holding them there.
If your kid wants the striking, the school is shared with a Moo yea-​do instructor and kids often do both.
As far as this particular school, they are great people, dedicated to the sport. It is a family affair with Coach Mel as the main instructor, with his wife Cherri and others. Their 3 daughters and son teach or take classes and all seem to be reat, level-​headed kids. They are not overly gushy or attentive to the parents — they are there to teach. In fact, if you want to talk to them about something, you will usually need to make the effort, but they are responsive and friendly.
I highly recommend it!