Kentucky hosts a diverse Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community with 88 gyms across the state. Among the highest-rated are Gracie Jiu-Jitsu of Kentucky J-Town, Carlson Gracie NKY, and HICSMMA, each boasting perfect 5.0 ratings from over 110 reviews. These gyms represent some of the most established training centers within the region's martial arts landscape.
Louisville, KY
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu of Kentucky J -Town is situated at 11461 Blankenbaker Access Drive in Louisville, Kentucky. Serving martial arts students across Louisville and surrounding communities, the academy provides Brazilian jiu-jitsu training and self-defense education for practitioners of all ages. The academy operates as an affiliate under Master Pedro Sauer, an eighth-degree red-and-black belt under Rickson Gracie. The instructional staff leads classes with an emphasis on leverage, mechanical positioning, defensive escapes, and controlled partner drilling. Instruction creates a disciplined mat culture where beginning students and experienced practitioners can develop functional ground combat skills without unnecessary physical wear. The Louisville academy structures classes into structured developmental programs. Curriculum options include Adult Jiu Jitsu and Kids Martial Arts classes designed to cultivate coordination, focus, and anti-bullying habits. Sessions combine technique drilling, situational sparring, and cardiovascular conditioning to support physical fitness, athletic agility, and practical self-defense proficiency.
Newport, KY
Carlson Gracie NKY provides martial arts training and combat athletics at 818 Monmouth St in Newport, Kentucky. Representing the Carlson Gracie Team, the academy conducts classes for practitioners throughout Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area. The school is headed by Professor Aaron Thomas, a Carlson Gracie black belt with over ten years of coaching experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts. Head judo coach Andy Bosiljevac holds a 4th degree black belt in Judo, a BJJ brown belt, and collegiate wrestling background. The coaching staff also includes brown belts Steven "Squirrel" Hilton and Matt Rudolph, striking instructor Casey Hall, Little Bulldogs coach Tommy Graves, and women's program leader Julia Durstock. Curriculum options include gi and no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, MMA, and Little Bulldogs classes for ages 5 to 12. Prospective students can request a free trial through the academy website.
Bowling Green, KY
MMA and No-Gi are the defining disciplines for HICSMMA in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA, and the record carries a $$ price range. MMA identifies a mixed martial arts focus, while No-Gi specifies a grappling-oriented category without the gi as part of that discipline label. For a beginner, this combination can broadly frame martial arts as including both varied combat elements and close-range grappling awareness. For a competitor, MMA and No-Gi together signal attention to a blend of martial-arts contexts rather than a single striking-only or gi-specific identity. HICSMMA is distinguished by this exact MMA and No-Gi pairing, its Bowling Green location, and the supplied $$ relative price category in Kentucky, USA, without adding claims beyond those stated details.
Louisville, KY
Real Fighters Gym is located at 2710 Holloway Rd #4 in Louisville, KY 40299, situated in the Bluegrass Industrial Park. Operating since 1996, the facility serves as home to Team Haycraft, the gym's competitive fight team. Head Coach Eric Haycraft leads instruction at the gym, bringing experience as a student, fighter, and coach across kickboxing and Muay Thai. The gym's fighters participate on the international level, traveling to events in Spain, Germany, France, China, and Mexico. Training programs include Fitness Kickboxing and Dutch Kickboxing and Muay Thai. The curriculum encompasses an INTRO/Novice program teaching foundational combinations on heavy bags, progressing to Intermediate and Advanced levels. The Fitness Kickboxing schedule runs Monday through Thursday at 6:15 pm and Saturday at 11:00 am, with training utilizing 14-16 ounce boxing gloves, hand wraps, and shin guards.
Lexington, KY
Lexington Academy of Martial Arts operates at 949 National Avenue, Suite 180, in Lexington, Kentucky. Known locally as LAMA, the academy provides traditional martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction for students across the Lexington community. Program options include L'il LAMAs, juniors martial arts, adult martial arts, youth Jiu-Jitsu, and adult Jiu-Jitsu. Chief Taekwondo instructor Tina Hersel, a 6th Dan black belt in Taekwondo, oversees the striking and traditional forms curriculum. Hersel and the instructional staff focus on instilling discipline, focus, respect, and confidence in students, teaching practical self-defense skills alongside balance and coordination drills. Classes accommodate students starting at age 4 through adult levels, featuring structured belt promotion testing and after-school enrichment options. Training covers kicking combinations, defensive blocking, joint manipulation, and ground grappling. Families and adult practitioners can contact the Lexington facility to arrange an introductory class.
Somerset, KY
Gi and No-Gi are the stated training focus for Insight Brazilian Jiu Jitsu /Renzo Gracie in Somerset, Kentucky. Together, these labels cover Brazilian jiu-jitsu contexts both with the traditional gi and without it, helping a beginner distinguish between the two common grappling formats. A competitor can likewise see a record that spans both gi-based and No-Gi categories rather than only one of them. Insight Brazilian Jiu Jitsu /Renzo Gracie is listed in Somerset, KY, USA, with a $$ price-range category. Its name explicitly connects Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Renzo Gracie, while the supplied focus remains Gi and No-Gi. For comparison within Somerset, this record clearly presents a dual-format jiu-jitsu orientation and the provided $$ range, without implying details beyond the listed disciplines.
Crittenden, KY
MMA and No-Gi define the training focus at Barnyard MMA in Crittenden, Kentucky, USA, pairing a mixed martial arts category with a grappling format practiced without the traditional gi. That combination gives newcomers a clear view of two connected directions: MMA is a broad martial-arts category, while No-Gi identifies an approach centered on grappling without the traditional uniform. For competitors, the same listed focus signals a record associated with both MMA and No-Gi rather than a single discipline label, allowing the gym to be considered through those two categories together. Barnyard MMA carries a $$ price-range designation, and its Crittenden location places this MMA and No-Gi record in Kentucky within the United States, with the supplied distinction remaining its dual focus on MMA and No-Gi.
Richmond, KY
AFS Academy of Martial Arts/10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is listed with an MMA and No-Gi focus in Richmond, Kentucky. The MMA label places the record in mixed martial arts, while No-Gi identifies grappling practiced without the traditional gi, offering a useful broad distinction for someone new to these disciplines. For competitors, this combination signals a profile spanning MMA and No-Gi rather than one limited to gi-based grappling. AFS Academy of Martial Arts/10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is located in Richmond, KY, USA, and has a $$ price-range category. Its supplied name includes both Martial Arts and 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, while its listed focus remains precisely MMA and No-Gi. This Richmond record is therefore defined by that two-part combat-sports orientation and the provided $$ category, without adding claims beyond the available details.
Louisville, KY
Rough Hands BJJ provides martial arts instruction and submission grappling at 3048 Bardstown Road in Louisville, Kentucky. The 6,000-square-foot training center features three training floors, a weight room, and shower facilities for members. The academy was co-founded in 2017 by head coach Jesse Walker and youth program director Shelby York. Walker has coached since 2007 and holds a black belt under sixth-degree black belt Chris Haueter, alongside a Krav Maga black belt and SafeSport certification. The coaching staff includes Derek Jones, a second-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Bruce Shepherd, and Joshua Chavez, a brown belt who served ten years in the United States Coast Guard as a federal law enforcement officer. Instructional programs include adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for participants ages 17 and older, the Core Game beginner curriculum, SafeFall instruction, and the SHIELD women's self-defense series. Youth martial arts training is divided into BJJ First Steps for ages 4 to 6, Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for ages 7 to 12, and Teens Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for ages 13 to 16. Private instruction and group training sessions are also available.
Louisville, KY
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Louisville operates a 3000 square-foot main training area located at 3600 Chamberlain Lane, Suite 136 in Louisville, Kentucky 40241. The facility offers instruction in Gracie University curriculum programs, providing a 10-Day Free Trial for prospective students. Allan Manganello serves as the founder and head instructor of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Louisville. He is a retired LMPD police officer with 21 years of service who received black belt certification under Pedro Sauer in 2006 and holds the rank of 4th Degree Black Belt. Core adult offerings include Gracie Combatives for ages 15 and up across all belt levels, Women Empowered for ages 13 and up, and advanced training in Master Cycle. Youth programs feature Little Champs for children ages 5 through 8 and Jr. Combatives for ages 9 through 12, complemented by private lessons.
Lexington, KY
AKF Lexington Martial Arts is recorded for Lexington, KY, USA, with Martial Arts supplied as its broad classification. Its name pairs the initials AKF with Lexington Martial Arts, giving the listing a distinct and compact identifier. Martial Arts serves as an umbrella category for diverse combat disciplines and traditions, with meaning that can vary across individual contexts. The supplied geography situates this named record in Lexington, Kentucky, in the USA. Read together, the exact name, city, state, country, and classification distinguish AKF Lexington Martial Arts from similarly categorized entries that may share the Lexington area. This directory record offers a focused reference built only around the provided name and location details, with Martial Arts remaining the central classification.
Lexington, KY
Lexington Jiu-Jitsu & Fitness delivers ground grappling and self-defense education at 931 National Avenue in Lexington, Kentucky. The academy conducts martial arts and combat fitness programs for students across the Lexington area. The instructional staff is guided by Head Coach Michael Seals, a 3rd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Coaching is supported by 2nd Degree Black Belt Matt Silimperi alongside 1st Degree Black Belts Paul Riley, Chris Sizemore, Derek Ruiz, Jessie McDonald, and Paul Hogan. The veteran coaching roster brings extensive grappling experience, including over 18 years on the mats for Sizemore and more than 14 years for Hogan, with black belt George Birk supporting competition preparation. Academy coursework features Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals, self-directed drilling sessions, and structured live rolling classes that guide students through simulated competition rounds consisting of four 5-minute rounds with 45-second rest intervals. Training concentrates on leverage, escapes, positional transitions, and joint submissions.
