P5 Academy

My son has been attending the kids class for about 3 months now. The instructor, Philip is great– he is very warm and patient with the kiddos. We’ve visited a few different dojos, and this one is by far the most affordable, with a friendly atmosphere and a relaxed, attentive instructor. You really get a sense that you are a part of a community, and you can tell that Sensei truly cares about the progress of each of his students. The kids class has mixed ages; my son is 9, but there are little ones as young as 5 in the program. The activities he uses to teach work well for all the age groups, and he will match kids when sparring. Overall, it has been a great experience for my son. He has learned a lot while having fun in the process. The only bad thing is that now he thinks its funny to pin Mama… LOL— so it looks like I might need to start taking classes too!

I have studied at many gyms, worked with many instructors and I have been lucky to be coached by great instructors. This place continues my good luck, after several years of training in Muay Thai I decided to make a change only to find that Phillip the owner and instructor encouraging me to take my knowledge of Muay Thai and combining it with JKD, Sport fighting and self defense are not the same, but his teachings are making it easier than I thought. He provides history of the art, examples, the class provides good instruction, fellow practitioners are willing to help when students are struggling. Oh and did I mention personal instruction also available, so get in before this place blows up, finding myself getting excited about martial arts again.

Phil is extremely knowledgeable in all areas of martial art and does a really good job of making the lessons fun. Everything you can look for in a teacher and will teach you whatever you want to learn!

P5 Academy has the best transit access of all jiujitsu schools in San Diego. It is on both the blue and orange trolley lines as well as close to bus routes 2,3,7,11,30,50,120,150,215,235,901,923,992 as well as the special rush hour routes to and from downtown. Routes 5, 20, 170, 929 are just a few blocks further away.
The facility is owner operated thus no going through some middleman or membership director with all kinds of conditions to join and train. There are 3 different rates based on whether you wish to train up to 2 days a week, 4 days a week, or on an unlimited basis. The membership costs are lower than most of the competition as well.
Besides jiujitsu, JKD, MMA, Pankration, Filipino Martial Arts, and boxing are also offered. The facility has classes Saturday through Thursday (6 days a week). The classes are small and there is always a lot of personal attention, considerably more than you can get elsewhere. There are plentiful open mat times as well. The facility is clean, completely accessible, and you will find no egos. Phillip Palmejar (Black Belt under Roy Harris) as owner and instructor does an excellent job in giving you personal attention and answering all your martial arts related questions.
The training environment is a place where everyone knows your name. Give P5 a try, I am glad that I did!

A great gym that offers everything. Myself coming from a background in bjj and kenpo karate can say that this is a great place. Good space and equipment, the instructor is humble, personable, and down to earth. A legit instructor in his arts. One of the best prices ive seen in san diego for bjj, offering very good schedule and membership plans.
Highly recommended

My son started going to P5 for the kids classes about a month ago. He loves it. Talks about it all the time and he can’t wait to go to the next class. A very family friendly atmosphere and Phil is great with the kids. The studio is also very clean. We checked out multiple MMA studios before deciding to join P5 and it was a great decision.

I have looked Into many other gyms, and none of them compare to this one. The great atmosphere, friendly practitioners and the skills of Phillip make this place stand out from the rest. I hope to train here for a long time.

This is honestly the greatest Martial Arts experience I’ve had in years. Although my time was limited as his student, the knowledge I’ve recieved from Sensei Phillip will always be with me when it comes to self defense and the philosophies of Bruce Lee. The facility is great, the location is alive, and the prices are really affordable. Each class will always be different than the last.

P5 Academy is a wonderful place to learn martial arts and get a good work out at the same time. Phillip Palmejar is a great trainer. He is very dedicated, passionate, and accommodating to his students. I have nothing but great things to say about this academy and would highly recommend it to others.

I came to San Diego with a second degree black belt in shotokan karate. I went to quite a few places trying to find the right gym to train out of and I finally found it when I walked into p5. Not only does Phillip know how to fight but he is a great instructor and fight coach. It’s a family feel in the academy, your not just another number. I look foreword to many good years training and fighting out of P5 Academy.

I’m in SD for about seven weeks for an internship. I went in for a bjj class a couple weeks ago and loved the atmosphere. The price is great too. Phillip has some good experienced and friendly students. This gym, opened last year, is on the rise. There’s also mma sparring and other martial arts like JKD. I’ve been doing bjj for a little over 1.5 years and have tried several gyms (I have a gym near where I go to college but when I go home I try other gyms) and this is definitely a keeper. If you want really good martial arts instruction this is the place to be.

I Started Training in martial arts at the age of 4 and I must say that Phillips ability to relay the information in different ways so people who learn differently can understand the concepts he is teaching is second to none. The training environment is awesome. I have trained with Phillip since the end of 08 and the attitude of training for longevity rather than most MMA gyms where injuries are frequent because of the way they train. That doesn’t mean we don’t compete as I was on the National team for Pankration in 2011 after competing @ nationals for my very first tournament in pankration ever. Phillip Is the man… Bottom Line. I would recommend this school to anyone who wants to learn martial arts.

I’ve know Phillip and Sunshine (owners of P5 Academy) for 10 years. These two are the real deal! I’ve watched them blossom into high level martial artists. If you’re going to learn a skill like this, I recommend learning from the best. They are committed, disciplined, focused and simply amazing people. P5 will help you kick ass in all areas of LIFE.

I’ve trained under Sensei Phillip Palmejar since 2009 and I couldn’t recommend his academy and his instruction more highly. Phillip is a highly gifted martial artist, kind person, and great teacher.
I started as a complete beginner to Brazilian Jiu-​Jitsu, but other students have joined with previous experience. Phillip welcomes and accommodates many levels of experience and varying levels of commitment; I participate in 3 to 4 classes a week, while others train anywhere from 6 times a week to once a month.
I like the fact that the environment of learning BJJ that Phillip encourages is friendly and not intimidating, but also is really respectful of the art.
The academy is large, has clean beautiful mats, and is extremely accessible (close to the 5 and 163 in downtown SD).
BJJ is super fun and P5 academy is a really welcoming place to begin training.