GloGlo Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

I had been looking for a program for my 4 year old son to join to get started in martial arts. As a caveat: I am an instructor at another school in the Bay Area in a different combative art. My son has grown up watching me teach and fight there and really wants to «be a ninja». My school doesn’t take kids until they are at least 9 years of age. My school also focuses on very aggressive striking which I don’t feel is appropriate for a 4 year old. Not that my son would do it, but I’d rather get called into the principals office because he restrained another child rather than struck that other child in the event he had to defend himself. Based on that as well as proximity to where I live, I had narrowed my search down to this school as well as another more MMA focused school in San Jose that take kids as young as 4.
We initially came to view the class in late April 2015 and met Dave and Gabe who teach the kids program. Both of them were very welcoming and immediately learned my son’s name as well my own. They remembered our names when we came back the following week. That’s a great sign as to how the school is run as students take direction from the instructors to create a welcoming, positive, ego-​free environment to learn in.
I wanted to see if my son was even interested in what the kids were doing in class. He paid attention and looked like he wanted to participate. Dave even asked him to participate in the fun games they do at the end of the kids class even though we were there to watch and weren’t officially one the 1 week trial.
Being an instructor elsewhere I take a fairly critical approach when evaluating other schools and instructors. I can’t speak to all of the BJJ instruction itself (I’ve only rolled sporadically through the years) because that’s not my background, but I can say that these guys to a tremendous job making sure the kids are properly learning fundamentals and basics of movement. The instructor to student ratio is excellent, and at many times has been 1 on 1, but is typically 1 to 4. Dave and Gabe are very patient and work to develop each child while keeping the kids motivated and smiling.
We signed up for the 1 week trial and went to the Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday classes the following week. My son loved it and we signed up at the end of that first week. The head instructor and owner of the school Leo walked us through the costs and sign up process which was pretty straightforward. There was no pressure to sign up, or sign a contract at any point. The quality of the school sells itself.
The facility is pretty impressive. The size of the mat room is huge. There is plenty of space to roll around without running into other people.
My son has been going here for about 5 months now and its been great to see the progression he has made. I have recommended this place to other parents and will continue to do so as long as the quality of instruction remains.
The only downside I see would be if your child is flighty and you or him/​her have trouble committing to an activity. Although payment is reasonable and is month to month, there is a cancellation fee if you decide to cancel your membership before the end of 1 year AND you have to give 30 days notice. The cancellation fee goes away after 12 months, so make sure you (or your kid) can commit to the program for a least that time otherwise you are out the cost of the mandatory GI/​enrollment fee, plus the cancellation fee, plus possibly a month of payment depending on when you give notice.
Give this school a shot! Your kids will thank you for it!

I’ve been training with Gloglo for 3 years. If you thinking about doing BJJ, then I highly recommend giving a Gloglo a shot. Gloglo is an authenticate, he earned his skills from Carlos Gracie in Brazil. Gloglo academy is awesome. The training facility is big and clean, the members are friendly, and the rates are reasonable. The schedule is flexible, there are morning and evening classes. The academy is also offering yoga and no gi classes. What more can you ask for!!!

I have been training with Gloglo for more than 1 year now and it has been a blast every time. Leo is a great teacher and a super nice guy in general. The schedule is flexible and we have the opportunity to train every day with sessions in the mornings and the evenings. I myself train twice a week and pop up in the morning classes when I am not able to attend my usual evening classes.
The training format is great and we usually spend couple weeks on a single position with ¾ variances of it. This allow us to really make sure we understand it and the different scenarios we may go through while attempting to use it when sparing.
The academy is BIG with tons of mat space. The mats are brand new and clean. We clean it every day after practice.
The academy is a friendly place where we all enjoy training with each others. It is a great place to meet new people and have some fun. No ego, no military style training. This is a real old school jiu-​jitsu academy run by third degree black belt coming straight from Brazil.
I highly recommend it to anybody who is interested in trying or training in jiu-​jitsu

I have been training in this academy for an year now. This review was long awaited, the school has a great environment to learn BJJ. Leo, is a great instructor and does give personal attention. People who train here are extremely friendly, its like a family. The higher belts have no ego, and its always a pleasure to train with them, as they are full of knowledge and willing to share.
A very important thing, I wanted to add is, this school maintains good hygiene which is actually important when you train in BJJ as its a contact sport. If you want to try BJJ, you have to come by to this school!!! :)

My son has been in Brazilian jiu-​jitsu for awhile and he loves it! He has built self confidence and has come a long way! If you put your son or daughter they will learn so much in training. I do recommend this place and I enjoy watching my son compete. I give this class a thumbs up

After moving from the East Coast and spending time training at some other MMA-​focused gyms in the Bay Area that also featured BJJ, my daughter (who also trains) went to Gloglo’s with her two young cousins. I tagged along. Upon meeting Gloglo, I was impressed with how friendly, encouraging and patient he was with the kids (20+ of them!) while at the same time disciplined and focused.
I decided to jump in the adult class the next time I brought the kids to class and the energy, community, teamwork and overall vibe of the school combined with Leo’s (Gloglo) expertise and teaching style convinced me this was the place to train.
That was over a year ago and I’ve been training there since.
Since then, the school (one of the largest in the Bay Area) has expanded further; the academy is kept extremely clean, there are multiple restrooms, private changing rooms and great amenities. Don’t underestimate the importance of this! Leo invests in the academy constantly and continues to make it an even better place to train.
Training in a safe, relaxed and clean environment is important — I’ve trained (while visiting) in 30+ academies, and this is one of the best I’ve experienced… and that’s important for families.
That said, we have a fantastic and growing student base — tons of kids, lots of females and guys that are interested in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, not those that try to take your arm home with them. Families come to train together. That’s awesome.
Leo and his two black belts are fantastic instructors and I’ve learned a lot based on a focus on fundamentals and basics. I am a better practitioner and student because of Leo and my fellow students.
I would highly encourage anyone to come give a class a try — I guarantee you’ll be hooked.

My 10 year old daughter has been training here for over a year. Before that she trained at a BJJ school out of state Kids get conditioning and BJJ skills in a mixed age class. I love watching new kids get right into the action and see how quickly they are having fun rolling. Unlike her previous school, Gloglo BJJ always has other girls in her classes. BJJ is an awesome sport because kids develop strength and self confidence in their personal security.

I just completed my first month at Gloglo BJJ and could not be more satisfied with my time here.
As an instructor, Gloglo embodies everything you want from a teacher. First of all, his expertise in BJJ is simply unmatched within the bay area. But on top of that, he is incredibly patient and attentive to each and every one of his students when drilling techniques. Most importantly, he is one of the nicest guys I have ever met.
Then there is the actual community at the academy. Every single person I have had the pleasure of meeting there has been welcoming, helpful, and a genuinely nice person. It really is like going to the gym every night with twenty friends.
And then there is the sport. I joined BJJ simply to get in shape. The first week I huffed and puffed my way through it, coming home and literally passing out each night after class. But after just over a month, there is already remarkable difference. Whether you are looking to lose weight, build muscle, or increase endurance, you will do all three in a remarkably short period of time. And you will do it having a lot more fun than going to 24 Hour Fitness picking up heavy things and putting them back down or running on a treadmill.
Once again, every aspect of this gym far surpassed my expectations and I could not be happier about joining.

I am updating my review after training under Leo Seixas at Gloglo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for one year. Everything I have expected from this academy has been fulfilled and more, I am even more excited about jiu jitsu now than I was when I started.
First, I would like to say that all of the good things that brought me to the academy in the first place have remained consistent throughout my year with Gloglo. There is a great positive team oriented environment at the school and everyone who is training ends up being friends and getting to know each other. In any martial arts this is important because these people will be a huge part of your life once you make that commitment to advance in jiu jitsu. Gloglo is a constant presence on the mats; explaining the details of the movements to the students and helping us grow. Everyone is quick to point out that Gloglo is very friendly and really makes training fun; he also really knows Brazilian jiu jitsu and is undoubtedly one of the top instructors in the Bay Area. The lineage of Gloglo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu comes directly from the roots of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it is very cool to have an instructor that you know is giving you the best knowledge from firsthand experience. In addition to the great instruction and awesome students, the schedule remains flexible which is huge for those of us with professional lives and families. The training has helped me to get into good shape and motivated me to lose weight; I have shed about 30 lbs in the last year because jiu jitsu is really a healthy lifestyle that translates both on and off the mats. All of these things that brought me to the academy in the first place are the reasons why I have found Gloglo BJJ to be the best place for me to train.
Now for the new things about the academy that are really great and continue to improve as the school grows.
First, the number of students has grown including specifically the number of female students and the number of kids under 16. Overall there is a huge variety of people, all at different levels and all different shapes and sizes, this really makes for good training because diversity is important. As far as the actual school goes, Gloglo has really put a lot into making great improvements and it definitely shows. The training space is huge, plenty of space which can handle classes of 30+ students and Gloglo has plans to expand that in the near future. Rolling and drilling on the top of the line Zebra mats is great and it is nice to see an instructor who invests to make sure the facility is top notch. Gloglo has added two changing rooms, totally a must in a co-​ed setting and really makes it convenient to come to and from work, class or whatever. Recently a number of oscillating fans were mounted on the walls around the training space and that has been a huge factor during the heat waves we have had over the summer. In addition to those changes, Gloglo has expanded the offerings of quality gear and also healthy drinks/​protein bars for post workout needs.
Bottom line, this academy keeps getting better. In my opinion this is the best place to train in San Jose and I am proud to call Gloglo Jiu Jitsu my academy. If you are thinking about giving jiu jitsu a try, don’t hesitate because it can change your life for the better.

Great place to train & make friends! I’ve been training here for 3 months now & I know I’ll keep training for many more. Everyone here (especially those with higher belt rankings) is very helpful in teaching techniques to new students. All of the instructors & students make it easy to train hard. I can confidently say new students can expect to progress quickly & make plenty of new friends, especially if they’re new to the Bay Area. In my experience, I would literally fight with a few other students & then we’ll all go out for dinner! Also, Jiu Jitsu is a great activity for kids & families. And GloGlo’s academy offers possibly the most family & friend oriented environment I’ve ever experienced in any gym. Go Team GLOGLO!

After one visit within a 2 week trial our 6 year old son loved it! We signed up on special Unilocal or Groupon I forget but my son is so eager to attend it’s a no brainer. A lot of that has to do with the instructors & the energetic students. We’ll commit to this for as long as his passion grows! We highly recommend Glo Glo Jiu-​Jitsu‼

Upon entering Gloglo for the first time with my girlfriend, we were greeted nicely by Leo Seixas (Gloglo) himself. As I got to try out the class for the first time, I found out the the energy at this academy is very positive. Everyone was very nice and helpful. Even those with higher belt rankings. They did not put on a «big-​ego» attitude but was there to help you learn new techniques and tricks.
Beginners, dont be intimidated as for the first couple weeks you will do one on one, or with a small group of other beginners on basic trainings and basic drill. I personally did the night classes and David was extremely helpful and patient with all his beginners.
Overall this place is good for experienced and beginners alike. Student discount is a great price, big open mats, helpful students and instructor, Gloglo will know your name and schedule really quick (its great to have instructors notice you), great cardio (the rolling sessions are killer). Overall 5 stars/​5 stars for sure.

With the rising popularity of MMA, there are many gyms that incorporate BJJ as just a part of their toolbox — essential, but only part of a bigger game. I found Gloglo at one such gym, and, since I was not interested in MMA, he encouraged me to come to his academy — dedicated to nothing but BJJ. Perfect.
That said, if you want to master the art of Brazilian Jujitsu, this is where to do it. The crowd here is friendly and diverse; the facilities are spacious and clean; the class hours are flexible; and Gloglo is a great head instructor who welcomes everyone with a big smile and the mantra of «train hard and have fun.»
A typical class begins with warm-​up, learning and practicing a technique that we continue to focus on for the rest of the week, then plenty of time for free sparring, a.k.a rolling. Everyone is free to go at their own pace, and there’s always an instructor on the mat to offer guidance and make sure people stay safe. By the end you’ll be sweaty and exhausted, in the best way possible.
Obviously BJJ is very hands-​on. One thing about being a minority female in BJJ is that you get over that quickly once you get into the sport. And you’ll find people tend to root for smaller people — this is, after all, a sport for the underdog, popularized by the underdog (i.e. Helio Gracie).
In my 4 months of training at Gloglo’s I’ve rolled with awesome ladies and men alike, and there’s never a shortage of training partners (though we could always have more girls here!). All in all, Gloglo’s gym is a great place to train and welcoming to all ages and genders.

Update
The gym used to be predominately adult males. Recently we’ve had a great influx of women and children which is great for the gym and for the sport overall.
It’s good to see BJJ become more of a mainstream family sport. Quite honestly the best learners are the women and children. I hope the sport continues to grow.

GloGlo is a great academy! It is very family oriented as the other reviews mention. My two kids, ages 5 and 12, have been training here since the summer and they love it. Leo is very sincere and friendly. He and the instructors are very knowledgeable and patient with the kids. They look forward to coming here. My 5 year old daughter took gymnastics for 3.5 years (she started when she was 1 ½ years old) and decided she wanted to stop going so she can take more classes. That is just a testament to how wonderful this place is. His new location is much bigger. I am glad to see that more kids classes will be added to the schedule.
I initially had taken them to another academy but felt that the instruction was very one sided. The instructor’s daughter was in the class and his main focus was on her technique. I felt that it would not be beneficial for my kids to train there. I was not going to pay $$$ to watch him focus on his daughter.
The reviews posted here are real. If you decide to come you will find out for yourself. I highly recommend GloGlo BJJ!!!

If you are looking to learn traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, then this is the place you need to go. There is no ego or tough guy vibe here, just people who want to learn jiu jitsu. GloGlo has over 20 years experience and has a way of explaining things in a way you can understand, along with the patients it takes to make you feel comfortable and excited to learn. I HIGHLY recommend GloGlo jiu jitsu academy to anyone who wants to learn BJJ in its purest form.

My family and I have been training with GloGlo for several years. His family type atmosphere really drew me to his training facility. My sons are 8 and 12 years old and they both enjoy his teaching style. His instructors are very knowledgeable and patient. The adult classes are good size and the facility has a clean environment. There is plenty room to train and the mats are sanitary. I have trained at many gyms and I have to say GloGlo gym is my favorite place for my kids to learn Brazilian Jiu-​jitsu. We will be training with him for a long time!

I love training at GloGlo BJJ!!! I first started training here about 5 months ago with barely any grappling experience. I’ve been to other academies before (one in Seattle and another in the Bay Area) and I can tell you that GloGlo BJJ is very different.
I still remember my first day at the academy (I was very nervous walking into a BJJ class). GloGlo was a very welcoming person and he made sure I knew what was going on and helped me out with the fundamentals. My first class ended up going past the allotted time for class, but GloGlo kept on teaching. I could tell that GloGlo really loves the art of jiu-​jitsu, teaching his students, and getting to know his students on a personal level.
Fast forward to today and I find that GloGlo is still the same person as he was when I arrived on my first day. He cares a lot about all of his students, and he is really willing to spend the time to help you out if you are enthusiastic with jiujitsu. I’ve trained at other academies, and I found that GloGlo’s fundamentals are solid and his way of teaching is fun, fundamentally sound, and he builds everything from the basics.
I initially only went twice a week, but the more i went to the academy, the more I wanted to train. I went from twice a week to three times a week to as many times as I could go! I attribute this to a number of things:
1. GloGlo– This dude is seriously awesome. He is a really nice and funny person with a plethora of knowledge about BJJ. He’s trained for his whole life, and his BJJ credentials are very noteworthy.
2. The people at this academy — Everyone is super friendly and humble and the group attitude at the gym is improve and have fun. Everyone is looking out for each other and everyone is trying to help everyone else get better at BJJ. There’s a lot of different personalities in this gym, and everyone is an interesting person to get to know!
3. The gym– GloGlo has these mats cleaned every day (I catch him cleaning them himself all the time!). The mats are in great condition and very clean. At other places, you hear of people getting ringworm or infections, but GloGlo makes sure that this gym is clean!
I hope that you’ll take the time to check out a BJJ class. You won’t regret it!

I’ve been training with Glo-​Glo for 4 years and has been the best decision I made. He is a great teacher with lots of patience.
When teaching new positions and techniques he stays with you until you get it right. He doesn’t pressure you, but makes sure your technique is right
He is also very good with kids. I train with him 3 times a week with my 18 and 14 years old sons, which is great because made us bond during these years.
He is very easy going and is really funny to be around him, especially when he makes the Brazilian BBQ to celebrate graduations, etc…
Don’t get me wrong, he is not a soft BJJ teacher, he is very good, with amazing techniques who knows exactly when to push you. He is not only a great BJJ but also an excelled teacher/​coach

Gloglo jiu jitsu is an amazing gym to train at. The coaches are very inspiring and dedicated to their students. They are patient, pay close attention to detail, and spend a lot of time helping us learn, correct, and improve our technique.
Whether you have previous experience training in jiu-​jutsu or you are interested in trying it for the first time, I highly recommend coming to check us out. Also, if you are interested in competing at tournaments (like I am), this is the place to train. There’s no pressure to compete, you can just come in to learn, have fun, and get a great workout.
All in all, if you are looking for a top notch gym, come to Gloglo jiujitsu. I’m sure you will love it.