Double Five Jiu-Jitsu
1531 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642, USA
Andre “Maneco” Leite is a multi-time World, European, and Pan-American Champion with over 30 years of experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
1531 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642, USA
Andre “Maneco” Leite is a multi-time World, European, and Pan-American Champion with over 30 years of experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
I stopped by last weekend for class and I enjoyed every minute of it. Coach Andre and all the higher belts welcomed me in with open arms and I got some great rolls out of it! The instruction here is fantastic and I would recommend this school to anyone in the area.
This is the ultimate jiu jitsu gym in the west town/west loop area. Andre is a very knowledgeable coach and always helps push you to be better. The other guys were all very welcoming from day 1, I never experienced the awkward moment of not having a training partner and this has been a great community to make friends that actually want the best for you. This gym has greatly improved my quality of life physically, mentally, and socially and it hasn’t even been 3 full months yet
Great place to train! Anyone considering it should definitely check this place out. Highly recommend
This place is brilliant - professional instructors (also being very patient with you!), friendly people and clean environment. Due to personal reason I didn’t continue with it but highly recommend who wants to progress or just starts BJJ to come to this place :) Loads of help and encouragement during the session. Thanks Andre & Cristina!
Am disabled with one hand due to an accident and they all treat me the same and help teach me techniques more suited for me , great gym the owner and his wife(good amount of female students as well) are amazing people and very skilled at ju jitsu ! All the guys that help teach classes are amazing as well. Great for discipline , getting in shape or just a fun new hobby that will help you keep yourself safe in worst case scenarios
The best Jiu Jitsu gym in Chicago! Changed my life for the better 🙌🙏
Professor Andre and his team were very welcoming. The whole team is solid.
High level jiu jitsu instructors and practitioners with countless hours of competition experience and accolades. A great place for the opportunity to learn a variety of skill sets. Welcoming atmosphere is always felt!
The real deal. Purple belt here in Chicago for work for a year. Andre and Sergio tech outstanding classes. Great relevant techniques which focus on both the gold-standard fundamentals the some new-wave techniques. High level of talent in the training room.
Andre has done a fantastic job of creating an environment for both beginners and ardent competitors. World class technique, clean mats, and great people.
I've been training with Andre and the Double Five team for nearly two years now, and my only regret is the time that I lost researching different gyms in the area prior to committing to this one. If you're looking to get into (or back into) BJJ, and you want a place that has clean facilities, world class instruction, and where the focus is always, always, on the students - then stop searching. This is it. If you're unsure whether BJJ is right for you, or if it's something you can or cannot do - stop overthinking it and just try it. The gym offers free trial classes and other promotions to get you started. Once you do, you'll see there is more to this place than just a building where people go to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's a community, and the people you'll meet here, and train with, will become part of a second family to you.
Best high quality jiu jitsu experience, ranging anywhere from beginner to a competitive level
The best place to train BJJ for adults and kids.
I went up to Chicago for the new years to visit family and friends, I stayed at my cousins house who trains there and from the second I walked in I was treated like family. The atmosphere was great and everyone is so kind and always willing to help. I will definitely be back again soon.
Great people and a welcoming environment. I have and would recommended it to anyone interested in trying BJJ.
I love this place!
Great instructions. Makes new students feel welcome. Gym is focused on competition which means training is focused and effective. Also very clean.
I was traveling through the area and dropped in for an open mat. I was greeted with a very welcoming atmosphere in a clean well run gym that practices high quality Jiu-Jitsu. I was able to get several tough rounds in and will definitely be back anytime I'm in town.
Are used to go here and I love it and I think I’m gonna come back now
Excellent school. Friendly people, great instructors, very clean. Strongly recommend. 👍
Andre is meticulous about detail. He takes his time with beginners and turns it up for the more advanced students. The vibe is positive, all the black belt instructors are super encouraging. The academy just got a facelift inside with brand new matts, updated weight room, and beautifully upgraded and enlarged mens and womens locker rooms and showers. Love this place! Oss!!
Andre is a great teacher and everyone is friendly and welcoming.
Very welcoming gym, everyone is friendly. Recent renovations added more space to the growing gym. Ive been a student for a year now and have no complaints.
I strongly recommend, my son love it, meet with his new BJJ friends and instructor Allan. That is extremely able to get kids attention and is very kind to conduct the class. Structure is very good There is an area to warmup, two restrooms/dressing rooms, and we are also able to buy some drink’s (water, Gatorade, etc) in case we run out of it during or after training. 😅. Also it is always very clean and organized, really good environment and very knowledgeable coaches.
I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a Jiu Jitsu family in the area. I went to the six am class while in town for work. The other students were friendly, the place was clean, and instruction was excellent. I left my gi top there and went back later in the day and found it hung up to air dry, instead of wadded up and wet like I left it. So someone there was looking out for me and I appreciate that.
Attended 6Am class with Allen. Great instruction, friendly environment and great rolls.
Great rolls and the instructor is knowledgeable in bjj 🤙🏾
Was in town for a few days and Professor Maneco Team allowed me the opportunity to stop in and train. This is a great school with a very welcoming team. Thank you all for the experience. Best place in Chicago!
Constantly picking up details to add to my game. I've trained all over North and South America and nothing compares.
Amazing place to learn all about the gentle art. Andre, the head instructor possesses years of knowledge and continues to evolve. Great non threatening vibe truly makes this a comfortable place to train.
Great vibe here. No egos. All levels. 5 black belts on the mat when I rolled on Saturday.
So I'd been wanting to start BJJ for years but was always intimidated. I even tried a couple intro classes at another gym in Chicago but the vibe just wasn't right for me. This is why I'm so happy to have found Soul Fighters Chicago. Such a great gym with top notch instruction. To me Andre has found what is the perfect balance of seriousness/intensity in training while maintaining an overall welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. One thing I've found particularly great about the instruction is the attention to detail. Somehow if your foot is not quite in the right place or your hand needs to be rotated Andre can spot this from across the room and will correct you so you're not drilling with mistakes, its truly impressive. While I don't make it to a ton of evening classes (6:30 am crew checking in!) I'd also like to shout out to both Zito and Andrew's instruction in the fundamentals classes. They're both really great at making the new people feel relaxed and comfortable all while being a great teaching of techniques and concepts. This also brings me to the other students and overall vibe of this academy. Everyone is there is get better, have fun, and really takes the time to help each other. The feeling of camaraderie here is high and is what has allowed me to get over that initial intimidation and end up as a regular student going 2-4 times a week for the last 9 months. Overall I can not recommend Soul Fighters enough if you're interested in BJJ.
Such good defensive and moves
Great gym. Professor Andre is a great teacher.
Stopped in when we were in town for a tournament. Andre was very hospitable, open and inviting. We also got some really good training in with some high level guys. No egos just people wanting to train hard. Highly recommend.
I was in town on business and wanted to get a training session in. What a great experience. The instructors knew their stuff and more importantly knew how to teach. Thank you to Andrew, Zito and Braulio. If I'm in Chicago for business again, this is definitely my spot for training.
Andre is not only an expert, he has a generosity and affection that he shares with his students and guests.
We are traveling from out of state for work and stopped in to train. This staff was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and welcoming. Max taught the first class I attended and was very detail oriented and knowledgeable about what he was instructing. The next two classes were taught by Andre Maneco. He has extensive knowledge in jiujitsu, teaches not only how but why movements and techniques work. He has created an environment where students can be very competitive and still welcoming to other teams. Thank you all for an amazing experience and knowledge gained.
andre is a brilliant coach, and his team knows how to teach and coach.
Phenomenal place.
I train at Andre Maneco bjj for about a year now. To me what makes training here so special is his unique fighting style that he teaches to his students. Authentic bjj as authentic as you would get from the best schools from Brazil. His a multiple world champion multiple European champion multiple pan American champion etc etc I can go for hours. A 3rd degree black belt that can easily guide your path in the gentle art.if your a beginner or your advanced your welcome
Rude to students who try and learn by asking questions. Charged my card for two months straight after leaving the academy. Completely unethical as a business. I came and left because I saw what type of people I DONT want to be around. Tread carefully.
The prices are ridiculous for only bjj. There's a good reason they don't list their prices on their website. Andre is always trying to act like a tough guy, when he's already in his 40s. Just not a good place for bjj in general. The vibes are really bad and unwelcoming. You could find a cheaper place with better training around the city.
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