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Reviews from Jiu-Jitsu Blog members who have trained at Indiana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Member recommendations raise an academy's Jiu-Jitsu Blog Score.
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Brian Aulby
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Life-Changing Community of Heart and Purpose
To James Clingerman and the entire IBJJA family: Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being more than a gym you’ve been a lifeline. When I first walked through your doors in November 2023, I weighed 283.7 lbs and carried burdens far beyond the physical. Today, I’m at 235 lbs and dropping, but the true transformation runs deeper. This gym reignited my hope, discipline, and belief in myself.
Your generous 30-day trial isn’t just a gift it’s an act of faith in people. Though I didn’t train as much as I’d hoped early on, I immediately felt welcomed like family. Ryan and the IBJJA manager, radiates kindness and authenticity, whether they guiding kids (who adore them both!) or cheering on adults. Coach Lionel’s judo expertise is unmatched, but it’s his patience that makes him extraordinary. Korey, who taught me to jab with grace, embodies the gym’s spirit: skilled yet humble, challenging yet encouraging.
This place isn’t just about Jiu Jitsu it’s about rebuilding lives. Alongside my sobriety journey, the discipline and camaraderie here have saved me from self-destruction. God led me to IBJJA, and through James’ leadership, I’ve found strength I didn’t know I had. I no longer train here but I will always be grateful for the lessons learned!
To anyone reading: Don’t take my word for it. Walk through these doors. Whether you’re seeking fitness, community, or a fresh start, IBJJA meets you where you are. James, Ryan, Lionel, Korey—you’ve given me more than a gym. You’ve given me a family. Forever grateful. 🙏
Start your journey here. Your future self will thank you.
This is a wonderful school, the instructors are very patient and passionate about the block of instruction that they are teaching as it pertains to physical fitness and self defense. The entire staff is extremely family oriented, I really wish I didn't get so busy with work because I really enjoyed my time at the academy. I highly recommend that if you or anyone that you know who is interested in the sport, attend this academy. I have a few more months until I am scheduled to PCS to another location, and I can honestly say that everyone who I met will truly be missed.
You can tell a lot about a place by the way they treat guests that do not benefit them…and with that being said, this is an amazing BJJ academy. I was traveling for work and wanted a place to train while out of town. Found this place and from the website alone, I could tell this was going to be a great experience with how welcoming they are with visitors. They did not disappoint. Went to the 6 AM class and was taught by Coach Kyle. The whole time I legitimately felt like I was part of the team. He was very welcoming and took the time to help me understand the drills and gave me great feedback to help me better my game. The rolls were great too. At no point did I feel like anyone had an ego and was out to hurt me. Everyone trained hard and safely.
I went back in the evening to purchase some merch and thank the staff for allowing me to train. Candice reached out to me and made sure I enjoyed the class and was super helpful with assisting me with getting some rash guards. Met Professor James and he was about as nice as and as humble as they come. Everyone was awesome.
Lastly, their merchandise they sell seems to be top notch and high quality.
This is my new Indianapolis home away from home. Hope I can return in the future and train some more.
Top notch instructors. No better place around in the local area to advance your skills or start your martial arts journey. Friendly people and staff. Safe environment.
Great group of people and the facility is quite amazing. Tons of mat space, locker rooms, showers, etc. If you live in the area, I would highly recommend you give them a try. If you’re traveling and need a place to train, this is a perfect spot to land. Clean, safe, and friendly place.
Finding a BJJ gym while traveling can always be an ordeal. Indiana BJJ Academy is one of those places that make this easy. If you go to the website, you will see a link labeled “Welcome Visitors”. Drop ins can train without the typical drop in fee when visiting from out of town, which is becoming more and more rare nowadays.
The head coach, Coach Clingerman runs a great academy. While he is obviously extremely knowledgeable in BJJ, he is extremely personable and fun to train with. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the students he has there are very welcoming of a drop in (me in this case). Thanks to my training partners today for being open to train with a visitor, and to Candace who did a lot of the behind the scenes work to allow me to visit.
Thanks again to everyone for the hospitality and a great training session.
I gave Coach Clingerman a review previously, but it did not transfer from his older location (Endurance BJJ). It was two years ago, but I will attach it so you can see this is their normal.
*****from June 2022*****
This academy is a 100% class act. Here was my experience.
I traveled to Indianapolis to visit family for the week. Like many others, I don’t like to have a zero activity week, even while on vacation. I also find that if I have no BJJ days, my first day back (after just a week) is absolutely miserably painful.
I looked for BJJ locations near my family’s home, and found Endurance BJJ just 10 or so minutes away. When I looked them up online, I saw something that I haven’t seen before...a section addressing visitors labeled “Welcome Visitors”.
I contacted Endurance BJJ and received an immediate response from Candace. She was able to get me setup and answered several questions. There was no mat fee, and they were fine with me wearing my Gi from my home academy. She told me that Coach Clingerman would be expecting me.
I arrived at the date and time I found convenient for the hectic family schedule we had (I only had time for one training date). Coach Clingerman knew I was coming and remembered where I was from. He showed me around the gym and a few rules they all followed.
Once changed, I headed to the mat and started to meet some of Coach Clingerman’s students. To say that Coach Clingerman and his students were gracious hosts is an understatement. I had a great time and got to drill and roll with some amazing people. Coach Clingerman is a fantastic instructor, and his academy would be my choice if I lived in the area.
I would highly recommend Endurance BJJ for your home academy if you’re local. If you’re traveling and need a spot to get in a good BJJ session, you should call and stop by.
Thank you for the hospitality and great experience.
This is the best place to get Jiu Jitsu experience. James and his team offer the highest level of training and knowledge to everyone who is willing to learn. If I could, I'd give them 10 stars.
IBJJA is good a great place ,,,,very neat and clean for kids ….The coaches are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly….My son is very happy to join IBJJA././Highly recommended…..
I have been hopping around trying to find a BJJ academy for me and this is absolutely the one. I was a little skiddish and uncomfortable in starting BJJ in general, and Coach James made all of that go away seconds into walking in the building. They start you off with a great intro lesson before your first class that made me extremely comfortable going forward, and then my first class was no different. Great instructors, really making sure you are understanding what is going on, offering great assistance and making the students very comfortable. I am so glad i found IBJJA and am excited to go from here. If you are on the fence about starting, or trying to find the academy that is right for you, give IBJJA a try!
IBJJA was a great experience for our boys. They were 5 and 8 when we attended so we experienced both classes. It's a great way to keep kids active between sports seasons. It greatly helped their movements in other sports as well! Highly recommend IBJJA!
Randomly started going to classes here, and I couldn't be happier about it. The coaches are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. I didn't expect to feel welcomed as someone who started this journey a bit late, and everyone is very supportive and welcoming. Highly recommend.
Approachable staff, excellent culture and camaraderie. Classes are available for all levels of experience. The gym is clean and ever expanding in its capabilities.
Great experience, friendly environment, great prices on gear. Couldn't have asked for a better place to train while on the road. definitely my go to spot next time in in the area.
Learning BJJ at IBJJA has been a wonderful experience for the past 6 months. The gym is professionally managed by well experienced and competent BJJ martial artists. The staff and patrons are friendly, hilarious, and chill people. You get the sense that everyone there has the same mission: to get better and to have fun. I felt no judgement beginning my BJJ journey at 30 years old, and felt like I belonged from the start. If you are on the fence about starting BJJ this is the place for you! I have experienced noticeable positive benefits to my physical and mental health from BJJ. I look forward to continuing my journey at IBJJA for many years to come!
I step away from my gym several times throughout the month and come here to get a different perspective. the attention to technique detail is very high and the facility is clean. the people I've encountered were both helpful and friendly. I can't recommend training here more!!
This is an excellent gym. All of the coaches are very skilled and knowledgeable. Whether it’s kids classes or adult classes the first priority is always safety of the students. James and the rest of the coaches have fostered a culture in the gym that makes everybody very inviting and excited to teach you new things. I’d recommend this gym to anybody interested in learning bjj. Whether you are just looking for a new hobby or you are a serious competitor you’ll find what you’re looking for at IBJJA.
Our family knew we wanted to be a part of IBJJA before we even stepped foot in the school. We did an extensive amount of research as we were looking for a very specific school. Honestly, we were looking for the best in Indy. And what we found at IBJJA exceeded all expectations -- facility, coaches, curriculum, cleanliness...all of it. We signed up before my husband even finished his first class.
They treat their students and families with respect and kindness -- making them know they matter...and are not simply another dollar sign each month. Trust me, in this industry, there are many schools that do just that.
Our son has also been accepted with open arms and has watched classes since he was a couple months old and now even gets some training in (age 4). Everyone knows him by name and truly treats him as one of their own. If he's not there, they always ask where he's at and when he'll be back. Like I said, everyone matters here.
I could not ask for a better BJJ school for my son to grow up in -- and the fact he gets to learn at the same school as his father is icing on the cake.
If you're looking for a top notch BJJ school, you've found it in Indiana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and all their coaches/staff. Professor James Clingerman is truly one of the best instructors I've ever seen in the industry.
10/10 will ALWAYS recommend.
IBJJA is a phenomenal academy. The mat space is massive which is nice when there is a full house because there is plenty of space to roll. The instruction is top notch and the coaches are extremely well versed. There are multiple class times so you can find a class that meets your schedule. There is a great group of core people at this facility and it is truly a space where you can learn and grow. It is a very welcoming environment. I have trained there for over 2 yrs now and it has been life changing for me. I love this group of people and would be lost without them. If you need a place to train full time or when you are just passing through this is the place you will want to be.
Honestly idk where my life would be right now without ibjja. When I first walked though them doors i had no idea what was about to happen to Me but let me tell you it has changed my life for the better. When I first started I didn't know anything about anything now today I stand here with multiple awards that I believe to only be possible because of the great coaches and teammates I have the pleasure of working with daily. I used to be so out shape but thanks to jiu-jitsu I'm the best shape of my life and even my mental is in a better spot. I'll never leave this academy.
I've been learning bjj, kickboxing, and mma from James and his friends/ coaches since my 30 day trial in 2007. It's the best instruction and attention to detail you can get for your money from coast to coast. He's done it all and has the video, medals/trophies, and stories to prove it! Give the 30 day trial a go and see where it can take you!
Moved back to Indiana after being stationed in Hawaii for three years. Coming back I knew I wanted to join a gym right away and I couldn't be happier. The atmosphere, coaching, and overall experience is second to none and welcoming to all!
IBJJA is an amazing academy to train at. I have been training there for almost two years now and though I have visited closer gyms, this one feels like home. I love the welcoming feeling every time I enter those doors. Everyone there (coaches and students), are all interested in helping you improve your jiu jitsu. The coaches are very intelligent and teach a variety of moves for students of all belts. I also love how higher belts will roll with the white belts and if asked, give feedback on their roll together. I personally think that is a huge stepping stone in getting better. I always feel shy to ask but they are very thorough when responding, even walking me through certain moves/drills to help me improve.
IBJJA is the BEST gym in Greenwood, IN. James Clingerman and the people who train at IBJJA are great people with excellent, competition tested Jiu-Jitsu. James is an extremely knowledgeable instructor.
I dropped in for a class and two open mats while visiting Indy for the holidays. Everyone was incredibly welcoming—as the only woman on the mats for these three visits, I never felt out of place. Great place and people to train with. I’ll be back next Christmas!
I dropped by IBJJ during a work trip. Coach AJ was our instructor and what a great class she taught. Very fun and inviting room with great coaching. I espically loved her tips on building a competition strategy. A+++
Was in town for a few weeks for business and contacted the academy to see if I could drop in for some classes. Beautiful facility, top quality instruction, everyone was welcoming and super friendly. I spent 2 weeks dropping in on classes and they refused to charge me a drop in fee. Took a few awesome new tricks back to my home gym too!
I thought my cardio was decent until I trained here! Loved every minute of it everyone is respectful and great to train with definitely recommend training here!
James and Aj Clingerman run one of the best academies around. If you're serious about getting in shape, making new friends, or gaining practical self defense skills, look no further.
Had a great time while training here. Coach James was professional and his students friendly. Great environment to train in. I'm looking forward to going back.
Coach Ryan and Coach Manning are great. Coach Manning works well and shows patience working with the toddlers and kids class. Coach Ryan does great with the intro to the adult class as well. Great atmosphere.
I have now been at this academy for almost 2 months and love it. I went to 3 other Indianapolis academies prior to starting full time with IBJJA and hands down this is the cleanest gym, awesome coaches and has the most diverse classes available. They also have very fair monthly pricing too. Just stop eating fast food 10 days out of the month and you will be squared away. Love it and anyone out there that is nervous about joining or has self doubt, This academy is very welcoming! Hell I just got a “welcome to the team” card in the mail which sparked this review. Awesome academy.
Love this gym and all the different options for classes! Their kids class is always a hit with all our kids as well. Great school, great leaders, always clean and always friendly.
I was only here for a few months before Covid hit but in those short months the gym did an amazing job of making me feel included and part of the BJJ family. Definitely going to be back once things get back to normal for me! Great place for anyone with any level of experience!
Iv been to quite a few places across the country and I have to say, hands down, the best gym Iv been to! The fundamentals class really gives you a great intro into BJJ and everyone is very friendly and welcoming!
I can’t say enough good things about this place! They are very welcoming, considering that it is not easy to try a sport as an adult. They made me feel like I belong there. Both James and AJ the owners are great people that truly love everything about Jiu Jitsu and you can see that on the mat. It is a fun environment to be apart of All the coaches and people there are great and willing to help you learn this art. It is not a belt factory and they do not just hand out belts because of it. I don’t think I would respect it as much as I do if they just handed out promotions to people that don’t commit. For example I have been going there on and off since 2016 and am a white belt. This is because I have not committed my self and had long breaks in between training. This is 100% my fault. Even then I can walk in there and feel at home after some time. It’s a clean environment they do care about you as well as the coaches. I highly recommend this place!
I've been going here for three weeks now for jiu jitsu and everything has been great. They have knowledgeable teachers and everyone has been very welcoming and instructive. It's a great workout with great people I would recommend anyone to come learn here. Have a nice day!
If you want a safe, fun, and challenging way to get in shape and challenge your mind then you should try out BJJ for a few weeks. The environment at IBJJA is very safe, fun, family friendly, and yet still serious about teaching and training top notch Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. My 9 year old son and I started going a little less than a year ago and both love the school and all the coaches. The zoom classes and flexible class schedules have helped me be able to get in classes and workouts without sacrificing family, or work commitments. I really enjoy learning BJJ alongside my son; he gets really excited to show me what his favorite coach, coach Manning, is teaching in classes. I highly recommend anyone of ANY age trying it out for a month. I think they might have a promo to try out a month for free.
Love this place! I have been training as a part of this team for over 6 years now and don’t intend on stopping anytime soon. The facilities are great, the coaches and teammates are top notch and I can’t recommend this academy enough.
Getting started in any martial art is intimidating but this team is superb at reducing the feel of pressure and fear of starting a combat sport. Give them a chance, I promise you won’t regret it!
I’ve been train at IBJJA for over seven years now and it’s the best decision that I’ve made since moving to Indiana. The coaching staff is amazing at breaking down techniques and the environment makes everyone feel like part of a big family.
IBJJA features excellent instruction, a variety of upper belts that are always available to assist, a number of classes available during the week, and a clean and safe environment. But what really sets it apart is how owner James Clingerman and his wife AJ make you feel like part of the family. You can find whatever you want here; self defense, exercise, challenging yourself, or all of the above. Classes are fun and as tough as you want them to be. I highly recommend all gender, shape, size, and age of people to try IBJJA's free month to see what you think. I've been training here for several years now and am so convinced I will always want jiu-jitsu in my life that I opted for the lifetime membership!
This team is a great organization with James and AJ working tirelessly to bring BJJ to all people looking to join. They have several affiliate gyms that allow for open cross training regardless of your home gym. This organization has really inspired me to make BJJ a lifelong journey.
This place is by far one of the best Jiujitsu schools in Indiana, there approach to the techniques and way of teaching just makes you understand and retain the knowledge they are passing along no matter how difficult the technique is the coaches will ensure you understand. It's not just a gym / or dojo, everyone here is like family and it shows the minute you walk through the door. Give it a try you dont have anything to loose and I promise you, you won't regret it.
A very nicely ran Academy. I travel for my job so if I want to train I cross train with other gyms. The team was welcoming and friendly. I will return.
IBJJA is the absolute best place you can train. Every coach treats you with respect and makes you feel like part of a family. Everybody that trains there are great people and I love training there under coach James. If you are looking for a place to start learning how to defend yourself or just looking to get in shape with kickboxing or jujitsu male or female I highly recommend attending. Everything about IBJJA is amazing and I’m proud and honored to say I train at IBJJA.
Ive been training for 15 years and this place is the real deal. You can not find a better place to train. Not only is the Gym top notch but the professor knows what he is doing. you will be missing out by not going.
James is a world class instructor and great guy as well. The training here is top notch and it is a warm and friendly enviornment. They will make you feel welcome and part of the family from the time you walk in!
Great for anyone looking for fitness, self defense, competition, or just fun.
Team James Clingerman is fantastic. Great coaches, clean and kid friendly environment. Not only do you get to train with awesome in-house coaches but they bring in people for seminars. Wilson Reis and Josh Hinger are two that come to mind.
I've trained at other gyms and the detail of instruction is the best I've seen by a long shot. Not only is the instruction great but it's very clean facility and has a family environment.
The staff and coaches here are fantastic. A very welcoming environment with top notch coaching/training. If you are not training here, you are not training.
First, and best place I trained in BJJ and Muay Thai. James and the other instructors are awesome. Honestly the other places I have tried since I moved away are not on the same level even. No ego or BS at IBJJA. Keep up the awesome work and miss you all.
James runs the top BJJ school in Central Indiana. His instruction is detail oriented and ever evolving. He has such a welcoming atmosphere and brings a no-ego approach to teaching and learning. This is the place to improve your game!
“If you’re not training here, you’re not training,” is often said at IBJAA, because it’s true. You will be pushed to do more and go farther than you thought you could. It’s the perfect place if you wish to make an active lifestyle choice. No matter what body build or skill level, you will be supported in exceeding your goals. Various competitions, races, and charity events are scheduled so that members can prepare and train harder for ongoing challenges. It is a place where you will see elite champion coaches train beginners and skilled athletes at their ability level with the same amount of respect and encouragement. It also is a place where there is a spirit of community and camaraderie. Staff are always present at competitions supporting and coaching along the sidelines. Social events are family oriented and filled with light-hearted fun. IBJAA truly is the place if you want life-changing training.
The Indiana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy is an excellent school for those at all skill level. My husband, my children, as well as myself, all participate in various classes and we all love it. The school provides a solid foundation for those of us just beginning, and continued skill and challenges for those much more experienced. Children even have an opportunity to participate and compete if they choose. More importantly, valuable lessons of dedication, determination, self-empowerment, teamwork, and reasoning are obtained just by being involved!
I have been around the world twice, and trained with everyone at least once! Well maybe not everyone, but I have had the fortune to train at a lot of great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies, and the Indiana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy, located in central Indiana, is no exception! It, or rather all who train there benefit from it being one of the longest running and most successful BJJ/MMA academies in Indiana. Not to give you a uphill in the snow story, but back when I started training Jiu-Jitsu, there I could count the number of brown and black belts in the state of Indiana on one hand. IBJJA has 3 to 4 brown belts and 5 to 6 purple belts on the mat at one given time. IBJJA offers a great and clean environment to train in. It is family friendly, pride is left at the door, and everyone there, from it's staff to it's students just wants to train and help each other progress and spread the gentle art!
I've been training at this Academy for close to 2 years. All the coaches here are top notch and experts at what they do. The Academy is always very clean and well maintained. If your looking for a place to train and awesome team in Indianapolis and surrounding areas be sure to check this place out!
We cancelled after our daughter told us she just wasn’t into it and wanted to take piano lessons instead. This was done both in writing via email and over the phone. We were set up for direct debit and THE OWNER CONTINUED TO CHARGE US $75 PER MONTH FOR 8 MONTHS! After multiple calls and emails, we finally had to switch to a new debit card to stop the payments. The owner and his wife have promised to return our $600 on multiple occasions but never actually do anything and we are now being forced to take legal action.
I wish I could give zero stars. This is the kind of thing the creates financial hardship for families. I hope that this company has not done this to anyone else. Avoid at all costs!
Not enough space to list the pros but here are all the cons
1. Sign a 1 year contract that will automatically withdraw money from your bank account .
2. Classes are based more on schedule availability instead of experience and skill set. Ideally it would be best if there were classes for just blue and white belts and classes separate for purple belts and above that way it can better address the district needs and skill set of each student.
3. No lockers in the locker room for the price you pay you would expect more.
4. Do not expect to have training that is tailor made to your individual skill set and experience. I have a background in wrestling and would benefit more grappling moves like arm triangles, anacondas and how to adjust to grappling with a GI when you are use to grappling with out relying on opponents wardrobe. Even in the wrestling that they teach it does not focus on the specific difference in technique you need to adjust to someone based Gi, regular clothes or grappling to someone who is not wearing a shirt. Possibly if you pay for private classes you might get training that is tailor made towards your experience, ability and strengths.
5. During one of the wrestling classes I attended a guy almost hit me with an awesome flying armbar but he ended up ripping my shirt sleeve and landing on the back of his head. Then I was lectured by the instructor about making sure I wear 100% cotton shirt. It is ridicules to think in a street fight you can control every time the wardrobe of your opponent.
6. Do not expect the BJJ coaches to intervene if they see someone holding on to a submission hold too long despite if an individual is tapping out to a submission. This is particularly awful if like myself you have a pre existing injuries. I actually had to take 2 days off of work once due to how sore and bruised I was. If learning martial arts is not your livelihood then this should not happen. I had one occasion in which as a white belt a was grappling with James the owner (this was just part of training not like I challenged him or anything) I made the mistake of grabbing his ankle in an awkward angle. This was unintentional and not done with malice and rather than explaining to me that this move is not allowed and possibly giving an opportunity to apologize he reacted in a unprofessional manner. He immediately locked in a arm bar and held it for a prolong period of time despite the fact that I tapped. You would think a black belt would have the discipline to control his control temperament and recognize a teachable moment and not be vindictive towards a student.
7. It is ridicules that multiple people mentioned that there are no egos there. I can honestly say they have some phenomenal individuals there that are invested and passionate about nurturing a passion for wrestling , kick boxing, and BJJ. I can also tell you that there is one brown belt there that is a real jerk. He rips people off with his individual classes. I have also seen some purple belts and blue belts that get a joy out of disrespecting and hurting white belts. That is everywhere you go you are destined to run into some twisted individuals that feel they can enhance their self worth by demeaning someone else. Luckily only there are not that many of those jerks there and the amount of passionate individuals that are not only good athletes but good ambassadors for the various programs they offer exceeds the amount of jerks there are there.
8. They only have wrestling offered during Fridays in the evening .They only have wrestling offered during Fridays in the evening .I counted this as a pro and a con because there are other facilities at the same price or cheaper that offer No Gi/ submission wrestling more often with a more flexible schedule.
