Dotted lines=flying, solid lines=driving
I just bought my plane ticket to America! My vacation has been CONFIRMED! Here are the details:
Arrive in San Diego at 2:33pm Friday, April 8.
Drive from San Diego up to the Oakland area (Castro Valley, CA) Tuesday, April 12.
Fly from Oakland up to Seatac Saturday, April 16 at 5pm, land at 7pm.
Fly from Seatac back to Seoul Monday, April 25 at 7:25am.
I have two main goals while I’m home:
1. Visit friends and family. Some are college friends I haven’t seen in nearly 15 years, others are relatives I rarely see. Some are best friends who I miss like crazy.
2. Visit as many BJJ academies as possible. Hopefully one per day of my trip 
Yes, I’m an addict, yes, I’m happy about that.
3. Eat boatloads of Mexican food.
Some people travel to BJJ academies to help out their game, others quit their jobs and go on a massive personal and BJJ exodus. I’m just excited to meet new people and see different styles of academies.
So, help me out! SUGGEST AWESOME BJJ ACADEMIES TO ME! I’ve put the word out in a few places, now I’m setting the details. I will have a car available to me in California, and I do plan to be in Orange county/LA area for the southern California part of the trip. One important thing: I would love to go to a noon-ish class in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday the 12th (preferably one that has a shower) so that I can get in one final class before our long drive up to Castro Valley.
My personal preference: Cool academies > BJJ bloggers’ academies > random academies.
For example, if I have the opportunity to visit Saulo Ribiero’s University of Jiu Jitsu or one of my fellow blogger’s academies, I’ll pick Saulo Ribiero’s first! Prestige > personal > any.
I plan to email each school before I go. In this email I find out the price of the mat fee, ask if it’s okay to take pictures so I can write about it in my blog, and I ask if I can buy a patch. I plan to patch up my Jansport backpack with BJJ patches! And yes, I plan to ask if I can wear my white gi + my school’s patches. Honestly, I don’t want to visit a school where it’s so much drama to visit from another place. I’m not in a gang, I’m visiting from a school in another country.
When my trip is finished I plan to make a Jiu-Jiu’s West Coast Tour hoodie! It will have dates and academy names on it, just like a band’s touring t-shirt! Great souvenir!
Way better than this piece of crap souvenir!
So please, help me plan my trip! Which academies would YOU want to visit if you had the opportunity? Here are some of my rough ideas:
Southern California: Saulo Ribiero‘s University of Jiu Jitsu, Royler Gracie’s school, maybe Cobrinha’s BJJ school that just opened in LA, possibly Fabio Santos‘s school. Possibly going to New Breed Jiu Jitsu a school with a female black belt. Maybe Machado‘s school in Los Angeles. Possibly going to 5 Star Martial Arts–a Renzo Gracies school in LA, or even Hollywood BJJ.
April 8, Friday: University of Jiu Jitsu SD 6pm-7:30pm
April 9, Saturday: Fabio Santos 10:30am
April 10, Sunday: Tinguinha BJJ 10:30am-11:30am???
April 11, Monday: Rigan Machado’s LA school 7:30-8:30pm???
April 12, Tuesday: Gracie San Diego all levels 7-8am,
Hollywood BJJ 12-1pm
Bay area: Peninsula BJJ–a friend’s BJJ school (woo hoo to a black belt who WANTS to roll with me!), over to Sacramento for one day and go to Cassio Werneck’s school. My other 3 possibilities include Lana Stefanac’s Trinity BJJ (does anyone know their schedule?), or Ralph Gracie’s San Francisco school, or Dave Camarillo’s Guerilla BJJ classes. Grrr–too much good BJJ and simply not enough time!!!
April 13, Wednesday: Ralph Gracie 7am? 8:30am? 11:30am? Need to call about schedule (415) 552-4777 Dave Camarillo’s Guerilla BJJ 5:30pm-7:30pm OR Camarillo 10:30am-12pm and Gracie at 5:30 or 7:30. Possibly Lana Stefanac–but can’t find a schedule!
April 14, Thursday: Cassio Werneck Sacramento 6:30-8:30
April 15, Friday: Peninsula BJJ 6:30-7:30 Beginners, 7:30-9pm-All levels
April 16, Saturday: –resting & flying!
Seattle/Tacoma: Sleeper Athletics–Savage Kitsune‘s home school AND site of a female black belt! and Gracie Bara in Bellevue. I was also invited to Marcelo Alonso’s school in Fife by a blogger, and T-Town MMA.
April 17, Sunday: –resting!
April 18, Monday: Sleeper Athletics 6:30-8:00pm
April 19, Tuesday: Marcelo Alonso’s school in Seattle, 9:30am-11am
April 20, Wednesday: Gracie Barra Seattle 11:45-12:30pm
April 21, Thursday: T-Town MMA Mixed BJJ 12:00-1:30pm / Foster BJJ in Kent, 5:30-7:00pm Women’s Jiu-Jitsu
April 22, Friday: (possibly Foster BJJ 10:30-12:00pm Submission Grappling (No Gi)
April 23, Saturday: (possibly Foster BJJ 10:30-12:00pm Submission Grappling (No Gi)
April 24, Sunday: (Possibly Foster BJJ 10:30-12:00pm Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Guard Drills)
So I’m open to suggestions! Where would you recommend? Where would you want to go?
[Edit] You may be interested in checking out Jiu Jiu’s West Coast Tour part 1, and Jiu Jiu’s West Coast Tour part 2.
Beginner Program
One a day! woweeee, heaven!
That is my dream and hope. We’ll see how the reality plays out.
That’s a really nice trip. Take lots of photos. Most of all have fun!
Thanks! I hope so! I’m a tiny bit scared that some people will say “RIVAL SCHOOL” and do a sort of bully beatdown on me. But overall excited. I’ve heard mixed things. I think since I’m a no-stripe white belt it will help prevent some beatdowns
LOL, BJJ isn’t like that! And who could beat down anybody with a name like Jiu-Jiu! BTW, I love the new nickname.
Thanks! And actually–what skeered me about that was this conversation about etiquette when visiting another school. I know, it was originally about me patching up my gi with many schools’ patches, but it became more than that, and someone mentioned that if you have a patch from a rival school that you may get the cold shoulder or “roughed up” by upper belts. Seeing as we’re a school in Korea, I doubt we’re anyone’s rivals
However, on the same forum, Clinzy said she has never been treated with anything but the utmost respect. So I suppose YMMV.
Sounds like a great trip! I can’t wait to read all about your journeys on your blog and live vicariously.
Thanks! I’m trying to decide on a format for consistency’s sake. Hopefully will get all sorted out before the trip!
If you are in Tacoma, WA, you should stop by T-Town MMA, and sit in on a BJJ class on Mon, Wed, or Friday night. Everybody there is super cool, and our instructor is always welcoming of out of town guests. Marcelo Alonso’s is a great place too, and that’s in Fife, which is on the way to Seattle. We have plenty of girls in our school, and all of the guys are great also, everybody is friendly and eager to help.
Thank you so much! I will definitely try to stop by! (and oops I meant to put “in Fife” and instead put “in BJJ” LOL). Thank you!
Actually, I might end up trying to sit in on a class during the day. I see there is a “mixed BJJ” class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon. I have a feeling if I scheduled a BJJ class every night that my friends might get a little upset
You spelled East wrong. You are supposed to be visiting ME, remember? =)
Have fun!!
Hahahahaha nice. Perhaps this will become a theme. Later I’ll have Jiu-Jiu’s East Coast Tour, then Jiu-Jiu’s British Tour, then Jiu-Jiu’s Brazilian Tour
Rodrigo Medeiros! If you are in San Diego you have to train with Rodrigo at Pacific Beach fight and fitness club. http://rodrigomedeirosbjj.com/ I haven’t been to that school, but I have been to two of his seminars. Rodrigo is soft spoken and relaxed. He’s also a very good teacher (with a cute Brazilian accent). Our team is BJJ Revolution Team. I think they’ve won nationals five times. I attend a Revolution school and have found it to be one of the best martial arts schools that I’ve attended. I’ve talked to other’s who have visited Revolution schools and they each said they were treated well and enjoyed the experience. The Revolution black belts that I’ve meet like Jeff Messina and Tim Creduer are all very nice and relaxed with good teaching skills. It seems that is a standard with Team Revolution… Oh, and did I mention… Rodrigo has a female black belt Gisele Braga…
Anyway, where every you decide to train, I’ll be waiting anxiously for the details. Good luck and have fun.
Thanks for the tip! I looked at their schedule and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fit it in (why doesn’t ANYONE offer classes on Sundays
) but if I can I will!
Thank you so much!
I like this idea a lot. I’m actually going to be on vacation in SoCal in late April (23rd-27th)- I might have to look at your suggestions and go train at one of those schools as well. Looking forward to your updates / school reviews?
P
Yep! I plan to have a West Coast Tour update/reviews!
I’ve always planned for my big training tour of the US (whenever that’s going to happen) to include Nino Schembri in LA. In my opinion one of the greatest of all time, invented the gogoplata, 5x brazilian champ and former world champ. His website is ninoschembribjj.com, he’s got classes every day of the week…
I wish he offered classes on Sundays or had gi classes on Tuesdays.
Hmmm…theoretically I could go to LA in the morning on Monday, then go over to Costa Mesa Monday after, then back up to LA for classes at Machados.
I NEED MORE TIME!!!!
Thank you for the tip! I hope that either a) someone else will be able to use this advice b) I will be able to use this in the future!
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Awesome! California is currently top of my list for BJJ training trips to the US, so this is handy for future (distant future) planning! Although I have to admit my priority would be skewed differently, so BJJ bloggers’/forumers’ academies > Cool academies (I would skip random academies altogether).
Which may mean some other state actually makes more sense, like Texas (Georgette, Jodi, Shama, Triin, jnp etc), Virginia (Leslie, Clinzy, most of the NHB Gear forum, etc) or Florida (Megan, Allie, Stephanie etc), Georgia (Kintanon, Dolph etc). Although California is the one that tempts my gf most (in her case, good weather and national parks are much more important than rolling around on the floor)
If I was going through California, Fabio Santos in San Diego would be a must, as that is where Caleb and Dagney train. I’d then be looking for places in San Francisco and LA.
I hear you. I think it would be amazing to take a BJJ Blogger Holiday some time!
I’ve changed the school I was thinking of visiting from Gracie San Diego to Dagney’s school. Who is Caleb? I’m also considering going to the Gracie San Diego from 7am to 8am and then hitting a class in Los Angeles from noon to 1pm. YES I HAVE AN ADDICTION. 
Thanks for giving me a swift kick to the head.
You are right–bloggers’ academies should trump random ones.
Hi!
For the Bay Area one. I think you should go from Cassio to Lana or Dave to either Peninsula to Ralph.
Since it’s a long drive from San Francisco to Pleasanton to Sacramento to San Francisco again. Unless you don’t mind driving around the Bay Area for hours! Haha
Also, For Lana Stefanac. I think she start teaching at Combat Sport Academy in Dublin, CA. Which it like 9 min away from Dave Camarillo Gym in Pleasanton, CA
You can contact Lana Stefanace via Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=539142301&sk=wall
Hope that helps! Good luck and fun!
Definitely go train with Stefanac! I was very impressed with her performance at the Mundials when she won double-gold, not just because of her skill, but her humility afterwards. Would be interesting to hear what she is like as a teacher.
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Julia I’m hooked on your blog! I absolutely love reading it. I feel as if you were sitting right in front of me telling me these wonderful stories. I’m fairly new to your blog so I have a ton of reading to catch up on ; ) Did you ever make it to San Francisco? Sacramento my hometown?
Thank you so much! I just posted tonight. I am back on the wagon.
I did get to San Francisco and to Sacramento. In Sac I went to Cassio Werneck’s school. I was so impressed by it!
I’m glad you joined in the conversation! Please continue adding comments–there are a few people who subscribe to some of the posts and will chime in even a year later
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