7116 177 Ave, Edmonton, AB T5Z 0W9, Canada
Reviews from Jiu-Jitsu Blog members who have trained at Dark Horse Jiu Jitsu. Member recommendations raise an academy's Jiu-Jitsu Blog Score.
An absolute game changer for our family! I’ve trained at many different gyms over the years, and Dark Horse Jiu Jitsu is easily the most welcoming, friendly, and family-oriented academy I have ever stepped into. In my opinion, Jiu Jitsu is hands-down the best martial art for real-world self-defense, and Dark Horse is the premier place to learn it. It strikes the perfect, rare balance: it is a highly encouraging environment for beginners, yet still offers an intensely competitive training floor. Best of all, there is a total absence of gym heroes trying to win practice here—just a top-notch community of dedicated teammates building each other up. The coaching staff is world-class. Instructor Tim (Black Belt) is a complete master of technique, highly skillful, and incredibly welcoming. He is exceptionally conscious of student pairings and additional needs, seamlessly making adjustments if you are banged up so you can train safely. Instructor Ian (4-Stripe Purple Belt) is also phenomenal—packed with knowledge, approachable, and brings a fun, great energy to every single class. Joining Dark Horse has literally changed my teenagers' lives. Since starting, both my son and daughter have gained massive amounts of confidence, while getting visibly stronger and healthier. It’s amazing how rapidly their technical skills have progressed—they have absorbed an incredible amount of knowledge in such a short period of time. As a parent, nothing beats the remarkable experience of being able to roll with my kids in a technically sharp, competitive, yet safety-conscious environment. If you have ever considered martial arts, this is your sign. Do yourself a huge favor and check out their free 1-week trial. From absolute beginners to seasoned practitioners, Dark Horse is the place to be!
I’ve always wanted to put my daughters in Jiu Jitsu but found it to be pretty expensive. Some friends recommended Dark Horse to my wife and I, and we’ve been really impressed. The pricing is very reasonable, and the welcoming atmosphere exceeded our expectations. After only a few classes of bringing my daughters, I decided to enroll in the adult classes myself. Timmy and Ian are great coaches! They are patient, knowledgeable, and really good at making everyone feel like part of the team. I would highly recommend Dark Horse Jiu Jitsu to anyone that’s considering this sport.
Dark Horse Jiu-Jitsu is an incredible, humbling, and confidence-boosting experience for myself. It replaces mindless screen time for real physical strength building and, problem-solving under pressure, "steel sharpens steel" Tim and Ian have created a welcoming tight-knit community that feels like my second family. I highly recommend! They call me STONES remember the name!!!💪🏾
Shout out to the Coaches Tim & Ian. I recently completed the BJJ Fundamentals Program and can’t say enough good things about Coaches T From day one, they created a welcoming and supportive environment while maintaining high standards on the mats. Their teaching style breaks down techniques in a way that’s easy to understand, whether you’re completely new to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or looking to build a strong foundation. What stood out most was their patience, attention to detail, and genuine investment in each student’s progress. They don’t just show techniques—they explain the concepts behind them and make sure everyone understands before moving on. The improvement I’ve seen in my confidence, movement, and overall understanding of BJJ in a relatively short time has been incredible. If you’re thinking about starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I highly recommend learning from Tim and Ian. The Fundamentals Program provided a solid foundation and made the journey both challenging and enjoyable. Looking forward to continuing my training under their guidance.
Timmy and Ian are great instructors and have been amazing to learn from. They are dedicated to the sport and have lots of experience teaching practitioners of all of levels. Great gym vibes, everyone is welcoming and want to see you improve. You'll get lots of practice with defensive and offensive drills and sparring to practice what you've learned every class. If you're looking for a more personalized coaching experience and something less commercial, give their free class tryout a shot!
Timmy is a fantastic instructor. Years of experience in the art of jiujitsu and he makes the entire process easy to learn with plenty of opportunities to improve on your techniques. Every session has been a blast!
My son absolutely loves this jujitsu class, and as a parent, I couldn’t be happier with the experience. Timmy shows an incredible amount of knowledge—not just of jujitsu techniques, but of how kids learn at different speeds. He is patient, encouraging, and alway takes the time to explain things clearly, making sure every child feels supported and confident. What really stands out is the positive environment he creates. Timmy focuses on discipline, respect, and perseverance, while still making classes fun and engaging. My son has grown not only in skill, but also in confidence and focus, and he genuinely looks forward to every class. I highly recommend this program to any parent looking for knowledgeable instructors who truly care about their students.
I completed the 6-week introductory program at Dark Horse Jiu Jitsu, and I can’t recommend it enough. As a complete beginner, I was a bit nervous, but Timmy made every lesson incredibly approachable. He found the perfect balance between letting us learn at our own pace and challenging us to actually apply the skills in real-time. I left every class feeling rewarded and discovered a genuine love for the sport I didn't know I had. If you're on the fence about trying BJJ, this is the place to start!
Had an amazing training session with Tim. Tim really shows what BJJ is about, I have about 40lbs over him and he can wrestle and tap me without losing his breath; often talking while doing it. Tim is the real deal when it comes to BJJ as well as instructing, his calm and systematic approach makes for both an amazing workout as well as a very educational session. If you’re anticipating if you should dive into BJJ, start with Tim, there is no one better to teach you, and your family about being the smaller person that can punch way above their weight. He’s an amazing coach to both grown adults as well as children, an absolute BJJ genius that Edmonton is lucky to have.
Complete Fitness and Martial Arts
40 Chisholm Ave Unit 60, St. Albert, AB T8N 7K6, Canada
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