Asher Blocker
I have been training martial arts off & on (mostly on) for 18 years. I received my Jiujitsu purple belt from Shane Briggs (Relson Gracie) 13 years ago, and despite moving around, continue to train Jiujitsu to present day. I also teach kickboxing. Have done so for a decade, cornered 40+ fights, and had a couple fights myself. I did color commentary for 13 mma shows (Fox Sports South), also hosting fight related shows and events. My adult life has been consistently dedicated to martial arts. I moved to Charlotte 6.5 years ago. During these years (and the previous) I met and trained with every decent Jiujitsu instructor in the surrounding areas, including even the original black belts in the area like the late Louis, and Joe Hurst, eventually the next wave of black belts (Hall, Allen, Arel, Jimmo, etc.. all very good.. Sorry for the qualifiers, but it matters haha).
Upon first moving to the Queen City, I trained everywhere. I had a lot of connections, and used them. I wanted to find a Jiujitsu gym that was a perfect fit. So after bouncing around, and some periods of time off, I found John Piper and Charlotte Jiujitsu Academy in Sept of 2018. I was recommended to the open mat, which had an incredible 80 people that day. Id never seen anything like it. I continued to come every Saturday. The vibes in the room were amazing. The talent level truly impressive. I’ve literally trained all over the world and never been in a room like that. Quickly I went from just attending open mats to joining John for classes during the week, leaving the gym at which I was currently training. John’s genuine and open personality was infectious and pervasive. It was consistently the highest level training I’d ever had, but the mood was great.. everyone was laughing and having a great time always. John’s teaching was precise and detailed, with no fat. And because he’s an active competitor, he is up to date with the latest on what techniques are working at the highest level. We constantly have mma guys in, ufc fighters (had a former ufc champion just a few weeks ago drop in) as well as top rated IBJJF grappling competitors. And because John is so respected in the scene, he is able to bring in the best Jiujitsu minds to learn from and train with on a regular basis. CJJ is the only gym that ever gave me FOMO haha, as it seemed even on my days off, I’d miss big names passing through. His classes are packed, amd consistently great. I can’t express how amazing training there is, and that’s without being hyperbolic at all. It is truly a hidden gym of Jiujitsu on the east coast. If you have the chance to train here, do it!! The new facility is beautiful. Nice shower and locker room area. Aesthetically beautiful setup, nice equipment. Piper is all class and his business reflects it. I’ll never train anywhere else in Charlotte. This is school is top level by every perceivable measurement.
Instructors
Facility
Classes
Atmosphere
Posted 5 years ago
