Ronin Athletics MMA NYC - Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Self-Defense

About 3 years ago, I watched a video from Ryron and Rener Gracie about their BJJ teaching approach focused on self-defense. I joined Gracie University online to learn more about it, since there isn’t a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Certified Training Center where I live.

I currently train jiu-jitsu at another great gym, but I’ve always wanted to visit a Gracie CTC to experience the Gracie Combatives teaching method. This week, while visiting NYC, I had the opportunity to connect with Christian and train at Ronin Athletics.

My long-awaited chance to experience the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu philosophy was finally fulfilled, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. It was an amazing experience. The instructors and community were very welcoming. They immediately put me at ease and made me feel at home. The class was excellent, and learning and practicing the positions in such a safe environment really makes a difference.

If you live in NYC and want to learn or practice jiu-jitsu, I highly recommend Ronin Athletics. The gym has a warm, welcoming culture. People are friendly and always willing to help or share knowledge, which makes a big difference when you’re learning. I personally value Gracie Combatives as one of the best ways to start your jiu-jitsu journey.

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Going to my first Women's Empowered class over a year ago was one of the best decisions I've made. Before I started I was very intimidated by martial arts but at Ronin Athletics the instructors and community immediately put me at ease. I can't say enough about how welcoming, safe, and supportive the environment here is. Each WE class has people of all levels, so you get the opportunity to learn, train, and teach all at the same time. I love how flexible the curriculum is, ie no need to do all the classes in a specific order. I've learned so much doing the Women's Empowered program and can't wait to try out Combatives!

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A friend and I both had an amazingly positive experience at Ronin Athletic MMA NYC taking a trial session for the Women's Empowerment Program. From the moment we entered the elevator with 2 current students we felt extremely welcome. It was obvious that I am a white haired senior and they didn’t mind the white hair and were very encouraging and praised us for having the courage to start Jiu Jitsu. Their smiles were warm, welcoming and encouraging. They were very inclusive as were all the other members in the class. Coach Christian approached us with a huge smile and spent time with us for a few minutes prior to the class to explain the essence of Jiu Jitsu and what we were about to experience. The format of the class was remarkably participatory with demonstrations of what we were about to learn from Coach Christian. Students were randomly paired up with each other to practice and reinforce the movements being taught in this completely judgement free zone. I encourage anyone who has any interest to try something new to go to Ronins Athletics. Whether it be the Womens Empowerment classes or the co-ed Jiu Jitsu classes. I myself am interested in the physical and psychological aspects that come from learning Jiu Jitsu and developing a new discipline. Thank you Coach Christian and your students for a great experience.

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I dropped in for my first class while visiting from out of town (I usually train at a Gracie CTC in Boulder, CO) and absolutely loved my experience. From the moment I walked in, everyone was extremely warm, welcoming, and friendly. The training environment was very cooperative, with lots of helpful feedback and plenty of opportunity to ask lots of questions. I also really appreciated the diversity on the mats — there were multiple belt colors, which made the class feel both inclusive and inspiring. As a woman, I was immediately greeted by other women and ended up training with them for the entire class, which felt intentional toward helping me to feel comfortable. We worked on a particular technique I've learned before, but I was able to unlock a new way to do it that REALLY helped me with the overall flow of the move! Attention to detail during instruction was incredible without ever feeling overwhelming. Overall: excellent experience. I highly recommend this gym to anyone who wants to try jiu jitsu for the first time, those traveling from out of town, or anyone who’s been training for a while and wants a welcoming and effective place to train. Thank you so much Ronin Athletics MMA NYC - I am already looking forward to visiting again next time I'm in town!

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I have been a member at Ronin Athletics for a little over 3 months at this point. I really like how everything is structured. You have access to videos so you can watch the techniques before coming to class so that you are better prepared.

It is very beginner friendly and great for self-defense. You go through a beginner program which prepares you for defending against untrained opponents. And frankly, you need that in New York city.

I have trained in other gyms before and what this gym does better are:
- They teach how to perform the movements safely with your partner so that you do not injure each other.
- Encourage you to practice the last class techniques with a partner if you arrive early next class.
- The attention to detail is next level here. The coaches will actually watch you and correct you if you are doing something wrong. They will even ask you to do the move on them to correct you. This is a game changer in my opinion.

And coach Christian is very knowledgeable as well so sometimes, as a bonus, you will also get brief fun facts about the history of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and in general MMA :)

I would definitely recommend!

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