Six Blades Jiu Jitsu NOVA
6315 Backlick Rd Suite 200 2nd Floor, Springfield, VA 22150, USA
Jiu Jitsu, Martial Arts and Self Defense Training In Springfield, Virginia! The strength of RJJA is the hand selected instructors that live the Martial...
6315 Backlick Rd Suite 200 2nd Floor, Springfield, VA 22150, USA
Jiu Jitsu, Martial Arts and Self Defense Training In Springfield, Virginia! The strength of RJJA is the hand selected instructors that live the Martial...
Me and a few co-workers I train with dropped in the 6 am class while on a work trip. It was a great experience and we meshed very well with the instructor and other students. We were welcomed and had a great class of both instruction and rolling time. I will definitely stop by again when I am back in the DC area. I also appreciated the quick communication online when I had questions about the school. I would be happy to train here full time if I lived in the local area.
I dropped in while out of town for work and man - what a great community. Knowledgeable instructors that teach principle based technique. Everyone was very welcoming despite being absolute killers on the mats. I look forward to training again when I’m in the area and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a place to train.
I highly recommend Six Blades NOVA to anyone looking for a top-notch training facility with a supportive and motivating environment. It's a community that pushes you to be your best both on and off the mats. Six Blades NOVA is an outstanding place for both kids and adults to train and grow in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The instructors here are incredibly knowledgeable and humble, always pushing you to your limits and challenging you to be your best. They hold the kids accountable and continue to motivate them, which has made a significant difference in my children's progress. As an active duty military member, I deeply appreciate the camaraderie and family-like atmosphere at Six Blades NOVA. From day one, we were welcomed with open arms and treated with respect. After a year of training, our kids have made great strides and improvements in their techniques and grappling skills. The progress they've made is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the instructors.
My son started training here, and after a few weeks of watching him I decided to join too. I can't say enough good things about the highly-skilled black belt instructor, Emil, the disciplined upper-belts who are always willing to teach, and the camaraderie at Six Blades NOVA. I leave the gym everyday knowing that I am better than I was before before I walked in.
Great gym. Knowledgeable coaches. Hard rolls. Don’t show up if you’re weak or your wife dates other men. Your feelings will get hurt.
We move quite frequently, and a big concern for our family is finding a good Jiu-jitsu gym - one that shares our work ethics. Arriving in the DC area, we checked out a variety of gyms until we found Six Blades - we couldn't have asked for a better fit for our family. Determination, perseverance, accountability, and drive are just a few of the traits being taught and modeled. The coaches push the kids to reach their potential, so if families are looking for coddling cookie-cutter Jiu-jitsu, this may not be the gym for them. We have seen tremendous growth in our boys (on and off the mats) and we believe that Six Blades is helping in this formative period. We train multiple days each week and the coaches have catered to their individual needs. On the mats, all are treated with respect and are welcomed to their family. 5 Stars from our family!
World Class Academy! I began training here nearly six years ago after transferring from another NOVA based school. This academy offers a lot…I know of no other academy who prepares students with skills in Gi Jiu Jitsu, No Gi Jitsu, wrestling, and Judo. The atmosphere is extremely friendly. Both Professor Pete and Emil have become valued friends of mine as have many students. Cannot say enough good things about this Academy. Six Blades!
My son has been training here for about 10 months now. He absolutely loves it. The instructor/professor team is welcoming and the veteran kids brought him right into the fold. The instructors teach with discipline and train the kids to do the same. Exactly what I would expect in any martial arts discipline. Six Blades has increased my sons confidence, respect, and focus. Hats off to Emil, Pete, Dave, and the rest of the adult mentors and coaches. Highly recommend!
The best academy I’ve ever trained at. Professor Emil and Professor Pete are wonderful instructors. Great team that is supportive and want you to be the very best version of yourself on and off the mat. I’m so glad to have found a home with this group and academy!
This gym is the real deal and has literally changed my life. I have been to many martial arts gyms in my past, including some big names around the area. What makes Six Blades different is that from day one, I was accepted. In other gyms if you didn’t compete with the team or didn’t make BJJ your life, you were very clearly “on the outside”. Not here. The only requirement coach Emil and Pete make is to show up, be respectful and work your hardest. Seeing upper belts spend their entire class time working with a lower belt who is struggling is not just a one time thing, it’s part of the dna of this gym. Belts here are hard earned. There is no “paying for belts” like in other gyms. Classes are tough but so is the sport. Whether you are male or female, young or mature, your life will be changed if you are open to the process the owners have built here. It truly is something special and if you have the guts to keep going it will change your life too.
My daughters have trained here for six years and this is a great BJJ gym for kids and adults. The kids program is top-notch, evidenced by every tournament they participate in. My oldest daughter has also trained in the adult classes. No matter the belt, all are super welcoming to new students and they’ve created a great culture of learning and fun. Great school.
Top notch instructors and a great community and overall gym culture. Everyone is very welcoming and helpful. Can't recommend enough.
My daughter has been training at Six Blades for over a year now and she loves it. The instructors are great, the community is very supportive AND kids get donuts after their Saturday class! What’s not to like??
Great place to learn jiu jitsu. Rather your brand new or a seasoned vet on the mats, this is a great place. The owners Emil and Pete are great. Very knowledgeable and willing to help you learn. Great place to train
Awesome group of people, stopped in while passing through and had a great time, definitely would recommend going to if in the area.
Best BJJ in the area! Great staff.
Great atmosphere, great people and even better jiu-jitsu. If you want to dominate on the mat no other place in this area teaches you the flow, pressure and finish like you get here.
My son has been going to Ribeiro since 2019 and it has been a great experience for him. There aren't many sports at the elementary level that have practices more than once a week but going in 3x a week helps teach the importance of consistency and persistence in learning new skills. Even though it requires more commitment, he still looks forward to going to practice and has a ton of fun while he's there. There is a high instructor to student ratio to make sure the kids are getting a lot of feedback and to ensure safety at all times. I also appreciate the focus on building skills/competence rather than earning belts. That way the kids know they really earned it when they get a stripe or a new belt.
Going to a new BJJ gym is hard for anybody. Especially if you have never trained or like me, have been away from the game for a while. But look no further. Riberio NOVA is a welcoming family with great people, a tough but genuine training environment that is worth every penny. You won't be sorry.
I joined RJJ NOVA 1.5 years ago as a complete newcomer to BJJ and I have no plans of leaving. After a long stressful day at work there a few things in life that are more satisfying than gently applying a choke to your opponent and slowly making them tap :) If you have never done this then please give it a try. Very addictive. As was stated in other reviews above - I agree that one of the awesome things about RJJ NOVA is that other upper level members are 100% willing to take time for you and walk you through any techniques that you want to learn and brush up on. Very humbling how much time they are willing to spend with you after class for example even when sometimes their family members/kids are sitting there off the mat waiting on them to go home. They also have a very inclusive culture for newcomers by way of having drinks after training and do occasional potlucks throughout the year, and they even have periodic clothing group orders for custom academy apparel. Another impressive thing is that there are seminars offered multiple time per year - for example the 7x IBJJF world champion and hall of fame Xande Ribeiro seminar held on 5/6/21, as well as the 4-day long Gustavo Dias Seminar that was held from 3/1/21-3/4/21. Never been at other clubs but this seems pretty badass to me. Yes, I know the membership is not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Often times they are open 7 days a week, just keep that in mind. They have a system of 3 professors and multiple coaches, so depending on which professor you are working with you will get a different perspective of BJJ - one professors style might be more inclusive towards traditional customs while the others style might be more inclusive on raw technique (just as an example). But with having multiple professors, coaches and upper level members to you disposal - there is a ton of assistance available, especially for a lower level belt like me. If I had to nitpick on something the only thing that would come to mind is that it can be hard to get academy patches for your GI, especially if you need multiple sets of patches for multiple GI's, but that is about all I could come up with on the nitpicking side.
I've trained at two other schools in the past and have been training here for about 3 months and I've got to say this is my favorite gym. Emil and Pete are gentleman and all of the members are good people and training partners.
If you want to learn Jiu Jitsu, this is the place. RJJ NOVA is an EXTREMELY fundamentals-based gym. If you want to learn a super cool-looking inverted spider worm guard, go someplace else. RJJNova is where you learn to smash those garbage techniques. Great community, laid back, great instructors… I’ve trained many places, this will be my last gym. Flow, Pressure, Finish!
As a newcomer to BJJ, I was shockingly impressed by the overall culture within this academy. Emil and Pete are excellent instructors who are both personable and professional. As for the people who train here - positive attitudes all around, zero egos, and an environment where everyone is eager to learn from one another, regardless of rank or experience. I even enrolled my 6-year old daughter into the children's class and she absolutely loves it! Easily one of the most rewarding decisions I've made as a parent and for myself.
Great academy with great professors. Family like atmosphere that is very welcoming.
Great instructors with high level knowledge but patience for lower levels. Solid community of people who like to get after it
Great place to train. Family atmosphere. Emil and Pete are great teachers and the others students there show love, respect and a true passion for Jiu Jitsu. Highly recommend this place for training.
Top notch Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instruction with amazing people all around!
One of the best Brazilian jujitsu gyms in the area, great training great staff always professional and courteous,
Recommend by family friends 5 years ago, and it's become our home away from home. Emil and Pete are passionate about continually leading the legacy of Ribeiro JJ on the mats with discipline and heart. It started off with just loving the kids program to now the whole family rolls together. We will continue our journey until duty service calls us elsewhere. We are grateful for all the lessons we learn on the tatami as it rolls into daily discipline as well. Thank you Emil and Pete -OSS
I've been coming here for years and although I missed a year due to COVID and injury recovery, I was able to return to a greater group of practitioners. Everyone is welcoming, everyone has a great sense of humor, and they train hard! Still a Welcoming and family friendly school for jiujitsu and non-jiujitsu practitioners of every skill level. There's a variety of people to practice with whether it's a traditional class, Judo/take down week, open mat/sparring, Tuesday no-gi night, or flow rolling. Location is near Springfield Mall, 95 South, 395, and 495 with a number of places to eat and drink. The school is free spirited and not for the faint of mind, spirit, or heart.
This is a great gym. Emil and Pete are great teachers and the others at the gym that teach regularly are also really good and emphasize good technique. Everyone here is patient, competitive, and friendly. It's a great gym for all (kids, newbies, older students, etc). I think it would be difficult to find a better gym.
Emil Is an amazing highly educated black belt and tremendous teacher ! This Place is great for first time trainers or people who have been training long-term they make me feel extremely comfortable. All the members are very nice and approachable I highly recommend this place and the price is fantastic
Great place to learn jiu jitsu. Coaches are great to work with. I would recommend to everyone
Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu NoVA is a great academy. Emil is a very knowledgeable coach with exceptional teaching skills that he can translate to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The academy itself is very clean and inviting, with plenty of space and plenty of restrooms. If you are ready to challenge yourself, get in shape, and join a gym where weights are replaced by submissions, then Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu NoVA is the place for you.
A true top notch facility with a wonderful roster of students. Emil is a tremendous coach. Very knowledgeable and passionate about his students. He is a big reason people are finding a new love in Jiu-Jitsu. I could not recommend this place enough. OSS!
The Academy is an awesome place to train! Very professional with a family oriented atmosphere. You’re missing out if you’re not training here!
Best place in VA to train BJJ! Great instructors and great people on the mats. I would recommend to everyone!
Great vibe, good instruction and friendly students. This is without a doubt the most easygoing and inclusive dojo, while still maintaining competitive roll partners! Wish I could come more often!
Professor Emil Takeuchi has built an impressive BJJ academy. While TDY this calendar year I trained here as a visitor. It’s a good academy with a relaxed vibe, friendly and helpful upper belts, and a challenging level of technique—even in the warm up drills. It was time (and money) well spent. When I’m next in the DC area I will definitely train here again.
Great gym, best instructor ever. If you want to lose weight, learn how to defend yourself, or compete, this is the place to do it. I can't wait to get back and train there!
I’m not really sure where the comment about it costing too much is coming from. Well worth the cost and very reasonable in comparison to other Martial Art Academies and fitness classes in the area. The coaches and Team at NOVA are all extremely welcoming and make training a blast!
This is a great Academy and very welcoming for all. The Professor and Coaches are great and very helpful. I came in from out of town from another Ribeiro gym and Professor Takeuchi was very welcoming and treated me like his own student. Great Jiu Jitsu.
I started with Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu Academy NOVA way back in the old days before they moved to their current facility. I had absolutely no martial arts experience of any kind, but Pete and Emil were patient and had great attention to detail as they helped me earn my blue belt. Combine great instructors with a great family atmosphere and an excellent price and you have the perfect Academy to join. I highly recommend you stop by and see it for yourself.
EXCELLENT academy, welcoming environment to learn and train BJJ. I always felt like grappling gyms were rough, tough, aggressive and full of macho dudes trying to kill one another. This couldn’t be further from the truth at Ribeiro. This academy is NOT intimidating, the atmosphere is very positive and our training partners respect one another. We safely learn technique, develop skills while building comradery. The instuctors are the absolute best, go the extra mile and bring out the best in their students. I just finished my 6th month of training and can’t say enough great things about the academy.
My son has been attending classes here for almost two years and he still learns new skills everyday. They allow the kids to spare 5 Days a week with instructor guidance. The instructors are great and treat their students like family.
Ribeiro Nova is phenomenal place to train. The coaches are extremely knowledgeable and the students are very welcoming to new-comers. If you’re interested in learning from the best in the industry, I strongly recommend Ribeiro Nova!
Top notch instructors and state of the art facilities. What makes RJJ NOVA special is the willingness of advanced students to work with less advanced students to help them improve their skills. All types of people train here for lots of different reasons. BJJ is a challenging activity that yields significant physical and emotional rewards.
Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu Academy NOVA is an awesome place for students of all ages and skill levels. Emil and Pete are fantastic instructors with a gift for teaching. They tailor the instruction to meet the needs and abilities of each student. They have a superb kids program that has seen tremendous growth in a short amount of time. For the price, it's pretty much the best value youth program you'll find in any sport in Fairfax County. Come visit the gym and grab a trial class for free. You'll be hooked. See you on the mats!
This gym provides excellent instruction for kids and adults of all skill levels. Classes are held 5 days a week and include gi and no gi options. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for fun and fitness.
Honestly can't find anything to say other than "WOW". I've been to many academies and thus is by far the most personal I've ever seen.
I have been training with this academy since before it moved to the new location - about two years now. It is where I first started jiu jitsu, and even after moving to Maryland, I continue to train here. You'll find all kinds of people training here for all sorts of reasons. Some do it for self defense. Some do it for sport. Some do it for exercise (and believe me, you'll burn a ton of calories in just one class). Even as a blue belt now, I really enjoy the fundamentals class. It forces me to focus on and refine the basics that I might otherwise ignore. In a typical fundamentals class, you'll spar with two or three people (depending on how much time is left after learning technique), so you get experience working with people of different skill levels, sizes, and body types.
Personalized instruction from terrific coaches with decades of martial arts, competition and law enforcement/military experience. Incredibly welcoming to students from all walks of life, challenging them to be the best they can be. Moms, dads, government contractors, teachers, artists, kids (starting at age 5) all get the same respect and rigor that the young MMA-types receive. Very reasonably priced when compared with other MMA/BJJ gyms in the area with classes five days a week in a newly renovated space featuring approximately 3000 square feet of mat space.
This is an outstanding Brazilian Jiu-jitsu school. Emil and Pete are outstanding teachers. Great classmates, and the facility is great. Also, Emil teaches his kids and they do well in tournaments. If you're interested in learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu, this is a very good school to learn the art.
UPDATE: I believe everything in their response about this professor is true, and further proves my point, that someone in his position should be able to control their temper/outbursts; the fact that he doesn't is concerning. There is a teacher here to steer clear of. If you’re in a contract, just keep your distance as much as possible from Pete. If your kid is in the program, make sure you stay engaged while they train and don’t scroll your phone or go for a walk or anything. If you’re not in a contract yet, just go look elsewhere; there are plenty of great schools in this area. It sucks because Emil and the other experienced people here are cool and a wealth of knowledge. But, there’s no way to tell who’s going to be there, and Pete is a loose cannon; a black belt in skill and technique only in my opinion, no anger management or respect. You can find evidence of this on other popular review sites going back as far as 2018, and by talking to pretty much anyone else who has trained there and left.
great work out. joining is easy, cancelling is SUPER HARD!!! when you join, they tell you that it's easy to cancel and can cancel at any time, which is A LIE. when you call to cancel, they tell you need to give 45 day notice. so if you try to cancel within the first month, they will tell you NOPE. DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID; read the contract before signing. what they need to do is tell you that cancellation require 45 day notice when you join. but otherwise, great workout, knowledgeable instructors. As a reply to the below feedback: this is why I am saying "do not make the same mistake I did but read the contract before signing." I have no doubt the instructors know what they teach in jiu jitsu and it was fun but I do feel I was mislead by their comment in cancellation policy which actually is 45 days of advance notice is not spoken about but I was told it's easy to do so and can be done at any time. The signing up is super easy, done on iPad, not an actual paper, which is fine but I have a tendency to skip more than when it is presented on a paper. The reply says my husband signed, Not me, but I actually signed the iPad and with my credit card. All I I referring to is this: when you sign up, it did not matter who actually signs and pays for a month to month plan, but when it is cancelling now it matters and need 45 days disregarding a month only exists of 31 days at the maximum. So when the signing contract is although month to month, one is obligated to actually signing up for at least a month and half. That is what my negative reviews and stars are deducted from. I hope this review helps this business to grow and assists to develop their business management. Also the reason why we had to cancel is because he got hurt during the exercise and went to the ER. If you can be fully committed it's good for you.
I am unsure where to start with this place. My child has been going to Jiu Jitsu for 2 years elsewhere but the military moved us to this area. Looking online reviews were mixed especially noting 1 particular instructor. What the reviews fail to mention is that this place is a mess. It is on the second floor of a derelict bank building. The traditional sanitization standards to prevent ringworm and other footborne disease aren’t in place. Kids leave the mat barefoot to use bathrooms, run around on the regular nonmat floors. The mats themselves are standard gym mats, not the traditional spring board base with matting on top. The edges are exposed wood which present a high likelihood for concussions and other injuries. While there one kid got his fingers bent and was ignored while he cried on the mat. My child had her neck bent by a girl who didn’t seem to know what she was doing while the instructor just watched in silence. Kids leave the mat during class to run around, leading me to believe the basic discipline associated with the sport is not being instilled properly or at all. There was no accountability for violating supposed class rules. The instructor leading it on the day we did our trial seemed standard and on par at first. But it quickly digressed into him cussing outloud in front of children and belittling them. Granted I am not adverse to cussing in front of children but as a coach or instructor it is unprofessional, especially to an 8 year old. Further complicating our visit was the lack of continuity between instructors and the information they provide. When I called ahead I was told 2 trials to ensure transferring students would be a good fit. Was told to find the online schedule and show up at the times on there and confirmed while still on the phone Tuesdays was training no GI (not competition sparring as I learned night of our visit). The next night my wife took our child and this same instructor told her one trial and she had to pay right then and there to train. Additionally, the online calendar stated regular training on Wednesday only to be told in person the calendar was wrong. So why even direct parents to the calendar if it’s not being followed. Instead of trying to figure out who was putting out wrong information he loudly and with irritation in his voice was quick to dismiss her and tell her she was wrong. So, I called to confirm as she left and was met with attitude and a different answer of one trial not two as previously told. I told them good luck and I would take my business elsewhere and got hung up on. In hindsight the red flags began when I first called and was met with an irritated hello in place of six blades Jiu Jitsu. Both times I called this happened so both times I had to look to ensure I called the right place and even ask if this was a business or I called the wrong number. This instructor turned out to be abrasive and ill prepared to lead children. He may have the knowledge and be a great Jiu Jitsu competitor but he has no business interacting with children. Looking at reviews it is the same person and the owner response of “oh it’s fine. Prior military and LEOs act this way” doesn’t fit. If this person was in my organization in the military presently they would be forced from service as counter productive aka toxic. Framing behavior as acceptable based upon external profession or prior experience is not an acceptable one. With an area saturated with options for Jiu Jitsu training it is unthinkable to be such an out of touch facility.
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