Colhado Jiu-Jitsu is hands down one of the best places to train, whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced competitor. Led by Professor Matheus Colhado, a highly skilled black belt, this academy provides world-class instruction with a focus on both technique and strategy. Every class is taught with precision, ensuring that students not only learn the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but also develop discipline, confidence, and a strong work ethic.
One of the standout aspects of Colhado Jiu-Jitsu is its family-friendly atmosphere. The gym offers structured children's classes that provide a fun and safe environment for kids to build confidence, discipline, and self-defense skills. At the same time, adult classes cater to all levels, from hobbyists looking to stay in shape to serious competitors aiming to refine their craft.
Beyond the welcoming environment, Colhado Jiu-Jitsu is home to a highly competitive team. The academy has produced top-tier athletes who have won tournaments worldwide, proving that the training here is truly elite. If you're looking to test yourself at the highest level, you'll be surrounded by dedicated teammates who will push you to improve every step of the way.
Whether your goal is self-defense, fitness, personal growth, or competition success, Colhado Jiu-Jitsu provides an unparalleled training experience. With Professor Matheus Colhado’s expert guidance, a supportive team, and a proven track record of excellence, this gym is the ultimate place to learn and excel in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Great coaching and great community! I've been doing private lessons with Matheus for several years. He's great at customizing your BJJ game to your body type and athletic ability. I'm a woman in my 40s, and I feel perfectly comfortable rolling with people much younger and stronger than me. His explanations are super clear - I had no grappling experience when I started. Matheus and the whole gym have been awesome!
I've been coming to Colhado BJJ for a couple of years. It's a wonderful community, and the instructors push you to be better. They have a wide range of classes both in the mornings and the evenings and also great classes for beginners. As a woman I found it intimidating at first to try out BJJ, but fortunately there is a wonderful community of women at this gym. While I find BJJ very difficult, I also find learning it at this gym very rewarding. I highly recommend coming to Colhado BJJ.
This is a great gym that I try to attend every time I'm in the city. Every class, I have attended has at least a few brown and black belts. The coach is very detailed and technical in his instruction with a deep knolwdge of judo and MMA.
My family and I have been coming to Colhado for about 4 years now. The community at Colhado is great. Lots of fun, respectful people that like to roll hard. Lots of respect for each person and great instruction from Professor Matheus, Coach Jeff, and the rest of the black belts at Colhado. Our kids have also learned so much over the last few years and their confidence shows!
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for this wonderful jiu-jitsu community. It undoubtedly stands out as one of the finest in the city of San Francisco. The atmosphere is incredibly welcoming, and the instructors are highly skilled and dedicated. I wholeheartedly recommend this establishment to anyone seeking an exceptional place to train and forge meaningful friendships.
Great gym, friendly atmosphere, really good instruction. Whether you're looking to get in shape, learn self defense or have ambitions to start competing in jiu jitsu - this is a great place to train.
I feel so gratefull that I was introduced to jiu jitsu through professor Matheus Colhado, my JiuJitsu is awesome ☺️ and I feel strong and confident… The Colhado Gym community is very friendly!!
I dropped in for a few weeks during a recent trip to SF. I was impressed by the degree of hands-on training and welcoming atmosphere. Matheus Colhado and his team, in addition to being highly skilled and accomplished, are some of the most approachable and down to earth people I’ve met. The mats are clean and street parking is surprisingly easy to find. Whether you’re starting BJJ or looking to improve your existing game, I would highly recommend checking out this gym.
I started training BJJ under Coach Matheus back in 2017. From the very beginning I was greeted with a warm welcome not just from Matheus, but all the other long standing black belts and training partners.
The coaching is top level and the atmosphere that’s been built there is geared towards developing the beginners as opposed to focusing solely on the colored belts. It has a nice mix of males and females with females only classes held weekly. This is also a great place to take your kids and give them the benefits of BJJ with the multiple lessons scheduled during the week. The jiu jitsu is top level, and you will leave each class on a high whether you spent the night getting tapped or caught a submission or two during the 30 mins of open mat at the end of each class.
I have since relocated but I visit SF on an annual basis, and will always pay my first BJJ gym a visit to relish the same experience I had from the day I first started training there.
Start your BJJ journey at Colhado BJJ, San Francisco, or make a switch to here if you want fun, friendship, a warm embrace and top level jiu jitsu served to you every time you walk through the front door.
My kids were training here while I was training elsewhere. After feeling the vibe at Colhado, I happily switched gyms myself and now I train here as much as I can.
Matheus is a great instructor, he teaches the fundamentals and sprinkles in fun and exciting challenges, positional sparring, flow rolls, etc to keep you guessing and to keep training exciting.
There's a really great crew of people here, all body types and skill levels, so come on by and learn something.
I'm so happy I walked into this academy over a year ago now. What started as a search for a new workout routine (to balance out my excessive day job sitting), has become something that has had a profound effect on my life.
I was encouraged by my wife to try Jiu-Jitsu, and even though she hadn't gone to Colhado's at the time, her experience at her previous academy and what she heard/read about Colhado made her direct me here. Since then I have become the strongest I have ever been physically and mentally. I've been surrounded by amazing people with positive and supportive attitudes that encourage cyclical growth among us. And I have achieved what I wouldn't have imagined possible for myself.
I am still a white belt at the time of writing this review, but have won 3 gold, and 1 silver medals through the World League tournaments. My wife now also attends Colhado's and competes alongside me. It has been a new bonding experience for us and I love it!
I encourage anyone that wants to try Jiu-Jitsu to come here. We can help you grow just like everyone else continues to do for me.
Profesor Matheus is like no other, his classes are always fun, always learning something new, the most important thing for me as female is feeling safe and confident, training at Colhado provides that, love the sense of community and positive attitude of everyone, super friendly place, no bad energy, come and join us!
Welcome to Gotham City. Crime is up. Law enforcement is spread thin. The citizens are questioning the city’s leadership. Tweaked out zombies roam the streets. Crime is occurring in broad daylight. You worry about elders. Your worry for your children. You worry for yourself. A “Good” neighborhood is all subjective.
Yes, my friends - this is San Francisco as we know it to this day.
There is no time to wait for help. NO ONE IS COMING. You need to empower yourself against evil.
You’ve heard it before... it takes a wolf to take on a wolf. But what if you can be the Lion?...
Colhado Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy can be that solution. Learn from Professor Matheus Colhado, a highly decorated black belt, born and raised on the streets of Brazil. Learn from the Lion.
Professor Matheus Colhado is the owner and head instructor at Colhado Jiu Jitsu. He carries vast experience from the streets of Brazil, from striking martial arts to his primary craft of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Professor Colhado sets the tone and vibe of the academy. It resonates throughout his black belts and experienced students. The academy vibe is a sense of community, respect, humility and compassion.
You will find that egos are not tolerated at this academy. Students come from all walks of life like working professionals, parents, competitors, etc.
I do enjoy the large garage size door they open to allow open fresh air - you feel like you’re training outside with mats since the space is so large. You get a great workout without even knowing it and all the while learning self defense with friendly folks. I nice addition to the Jiu Jitsu program is on Tuesdays we have a certified yoga instructor (also a jiu jitsu experienced student) teach us yoga for improved mobility.
As a Father , as a Husband , as a working professional....it’s imperative to learn self defense and empower yourself - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can be that vehicle. You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it. You’ve seen it in the Mix Martial Arts (MMA) productions on TV. Now it’s time to learn from the Lion’s mouth. Professor Matheus Colhado’s high quality attention to detail is very rare to find in academies.
This is Gotham City - we must empower ourselves with proven self - defense systems to protect each other and loved ones.
As a family man himself, Professor Matheus Colhado, understands the concerns amongst us. Not only is he teaching us Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.... he is forging Warriors.
I have been training with Matheus since 2014. After being in the jiu jitsu community for as long as I have, being comfortable in the gym is the most thing. This place provides that. This gym is welcoming and does not have a toxic atmosphere.
You will find a good mix of people who have different motivations. If you are a weekend warrior who is looking to stay in shape or if you want to prepare for a tournament this is a great place to do that.
I've been training at Colhado for the last 3 or so years. I've definitely seen improvement in my overall BJJ game. Its definitely a very welcoming place to be. The other classmates and Professor Matteus is very positive and uplifting. The school does host bbqs, picnics, and have charity fundraising events here and there. There is a sense of family and comradery training at this school.
Is an amazing Jiu-Jitsu academy, the professor Matheus teaches different kind of techniques that you can use not only for competition or sparring but also for self defense, and it's awesome, all the team in Colhado (professors and students) are great people, it's a big family where you can feel like home. They are very professional, and well trained to teach you and support you, I've grown as a person here and that makes me very happy.
I've trained in other places and i definitely can say that this is a high level academy, i've learned so much, and i'm so grateful for it.
They are also amazing with the kids, my host kid is training there too, and he loves it, he has a lot of fun while he is learning all the different techniques, they are really good with the kids and adults.
Highly recommended !!!!
Wonderful place with great instructors. My son experienced some bullying at school before he started Jiu Jitsu now he protects his friends. I’m so greatful I can’t recommend this place enough.
A cultural Experience you must try...
It's not easy to find a high level gym that is also fun and pleasant.
I enjoy visiting different gyms and its not easy to find a very difficult bunch of roles that you walk away from 'happily defeated'...
I'm a half decent blue belt and I found some lady-blues that tied me up into a pretzel, so this tells me that the level is great, BUT it was never a bad energy tap or roll.
The members seem to all be cultivated to have a real pleasant rolling nature even in their high level= this is very rare to find!
No egos, all positives! The owner of the gym must be commended on creating a really great culture.
I'm big on hygiene and it looks like they clean the mats before every class as its spotless and smells good. There is sanitizer all over, plasters and pretty much everything the germaphobe in you might need...
It's not only the best gym in the world that I've experienced this far, but a real experience of authentic Brazilian Martial Arts culture, that has become a part of the San Francisco experiences you need to try.
I really appreciate this gym. I have been training here for over two years and I couldn't ask for a better place to train. The atmosphere is welcoming, people work hard, respect each other and it's like my second family! Matheus Colhado, the owner and main instructor, has a unique teaching style that has made it really easy to learn and I feel that my Jui Jitsu has improved a lot since I've been here.
Ótima academia! Professor capacitado, atencioso e extremamente técnico, sabe transmitir bem a arte do jiujitsu para seus alunos! Ambiente familiar, com turmas para crianças e repleto de boas pessoas que contribuem para a evolução e aprimoramento das técnicas.
My daughter thrives at this academy. The instructors are patient and seek out the best in each child. The instructors challenge the children to improve while not pushing them too hard. Kind, compassionate and fun. There is a strong sense of community. I’m grateful for the lifelong skills that my daughter is learning and the confidence that she has gained as a result of attending. I highly recommend Colhado BJJ Academy.
Great school to train! I’ve been there for over 10 years. The classes are very technical, the students really friendly and there’s plenty of room to practice.
I love the family oriented atmosphere they have going on.The coaches here are nice and not harsh on the kids. My little one loves going to class on the weekdays.
There are many places to train in the Bay Area, but this academy stands out for its level of instruction and the sense of community its members foster. Professor Matheus Colhado is one of the most mindful, empathetic, and skilled teachers I have had the privilege and pleasure of knowing in my decade of training. His approach to Jiu Jitsu — and to life in general — reflects the ethos of the martial arts: respect, discipline, integrity, compassion, and sincerity. He truly puts his everything into teaching all of his students at every age level.
Because of this, everybody benefits and grows.
Veterans and beginners alike learn how to think more critically about applying and teaching techniques. Alongside the high levels of skill, the people here make it feel as if you’ve known them your entire life. That warmth and openness is hard to come by; and it is certainly a highlight of training here.
Unlike other academies, this school’s goal is to train students equally for sport and the street.
And the instructors walk the walk.
Matheus will push you past your perceived limits. He tailors his teaching to your needs because he understands that every student is different, but everybody can learn Jiu Jitsu. The structure and approach of each class ensures the development of extremely well-rounded practitioners that have the confidence and awareness to apply techniques in virtually any scenario.
Most importantly, the people that train here are personable and accessible. As such, you will feel welcome from the moment you walk through the door to the moment you leave. Matheus ensures that destructive egos have no place on the premises — making it great for beginners and seasoned practitioners of all ages.
Matheus’s devotion to his students is not limited to the academy’s walls. He regularly holds events in the community focused on bringing his students and their families together. Barbecues, picnics, volunteer events, and seminars by some of the world’s best competitors help make this place more than just another gym.
Training here gives new meaning to the word, “family.” Professor Colhado is the reason I’ve been coming back — and recommending this academy — for the last nine years. Do yourself a favor and drop by. It will be one of the best decisions you’ve made!
I've been training here for 9 years. Great people, great vibe, great technical instruction from Matheus Colhado. My wife also trains here and my daughter will join when she gets older.
This is a very family friendly academy. Matheus is very detail oriented and passionate when it comes to his teachings. He leads and motivates everyone and you can see this influence followed by other black belts and Jeff who teaches the kids class. They work with people of all ages and skill levels and everyone always feels like part of the family day one.
I know Matheus colhado, for 10 years, on and off thet matt he is a stand up guy, great teacher, he is good at explaining the steps, and progression. I recommended I started when I was 14.
Until training with Matheus Colhado, I struggled to be engaged and be consistent with jiu jitsu. I had trained at two other gyms--one in San Francisco and one in New Jersey--before trying out Colhado BJJ Academy.
I started improving immediately (Matheus is an excellent instructor) and the culture of the gym made me want to come back. The members are kind and welcoming and look to teach and support each other, new and veteran alike. It wasn't something I was used to. Matheus creates an environment with a philosophy of "we are all here to learn with each other" and while being competitive.
As soon as I started, I began looking forward to training and seeing people. I came in much more often than I had before. I've been with Colhado BJJ Academy for 4 years now.
The inviting culture is made by Matheus. He is kind and family and community oriented. When two of our members had a child, Matheus set up a crib to encourage families to come train--knowing how difficult it is to get out and take care of yourself as a parent. Matheus asked me about my work and, after learning that I work at a group home for kids in the Sunset, he started a partnership with us. We provide services for kids in the foster and mental health systems. Matheus hosts barbecues for the kids that many of our members come to and has donated bikes around the holidays, using funds he raised from special jiu jitsu seminars.
I don't want to train anywhere else.
I have a 7 year old boy that enrolled one of they class. And Im so glad. My son learnig more than I was expecting!! The teachers are so kind and responsible... i highly recomend
well done coach Matheus. 100% satisfaction.
