Kaizen Academy Ranked Among the Best Jiu-Jitsu Schools in Los Angeles

We’re excited to share that Kaizen Academy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has been ranked #4 on BestLA.club’s list of the Top 9 Best Jujitsu Schools in Los Angeles.

For a small Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Venice, recognition like this means a lot.

Kaizen was built around a simple idea: consistent, thoughtful improvement over time. That philosophy applies to our students, our instructors, our curriculum, and the academy itself.

We never set out to become the biggest martial arts school in Los Angeles. Our goal has always been to create a place where people can receive high-quality instruction, train hard, enjoy the process, and feel like they are part of a real community.

Seeing Kaizen recognized alongside established martial arts academies throughout Los Angeles is something we’re proud of—and something we owe largely to the students and families who train with us every week.

Ranked #4 Among the Top Jiu-Jitsu Schools in Los Angeles

BestLA.club’s current Los Angeles Jiu-Jitsu ranking includes Kaizen Academy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Venice at #4 among nine recommended Jiu-Jitsu schools in Los Angeles.

Their listing also shows Kaizen with a 5-star rating based on 51 reviews at the time of publication.

According to BestLA, its rankings are calculated using factors including public reviews, average ratings, review volume, online visibility, business authority, and the quality of available business information.

That makes this recognition especially meaningful to us because many of those signals ultimately come back to the experiences our members have had inside the academy.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review, recommend Kaizen to a friend, bring their children to class, or simply continue showing up to train.

What BestLA Highlighted About Kaizen Academy

In its profile of Kaizen Academy, BestLA highlighted several parts of our program that we’ve worked hard to develop, including our small classes, structured curriculum, Adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, private instruction, and competition-focused training.

Those programs all come back to the same basic philosophy: create an environment where students can steadily improve with quality coaching and plenty of individual attention.

Small Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Classes

One of the defining characteristics of Kaizen is our class size.

We intentionally maintain a more personal training environment where coaches can actually watch students train, answer questions, correct details, and understand what individual students are working on.

Whether someone is attending their first BJJ class or has trained for years, we want them to receive meaningful coaching rather than simply disappearing into a crowded room.

For beginners especially, that additional attention can make the first few months of Jiu-Jitsu significantly less intimidating.

If you’ve never trained before, our guide to what to expect at your first BJJ class walks through the experience from the moment you arrive.

Structured BJJ Training for Beginners and Experienced Students

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can feel overwhelming when you first start.

There are hundreds of positions, transitions, submissions, escapes, and concepts to learn. Rather than presenting techniques randomly from class to class, we organize our instruction into focused units so students can spend meaningful time understanding a position before moving on.

Beginners train alongside more experienced students, but the material is designed to provide clear fundamentals while still offering additional layers for advanced practitioners.

You do not need previous martial arts experience, exceptional flexibility, or elite conditioning to start training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

You simply need to start.

For anyone specifically searching for beginner-friendly BJJ near Venice and the Westside of Los Angeles, new students are welcome to come experience a class before deciding whether Jiu-Jitsu is right for them.

Gi and No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Venice

Kaizen offers both Gi and No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for adults.

Our Adult BJJ program includes access to both styles, allowing students to build a more complete grappling game.

Gi training allows students to use the jacket and pants for grips, control, sweeps, and submissions. No-Gi training removes those grips and tends to emphasize movement, wrestling, positional control, and body-to-body connections.

Some students eventually develop a preference for one style. Others enjoy training both.

At Kaizen, you don’t have to choose.

Our BJJ class schedule provides regular opportunities to train Gi and No-Gi throughout the week.

If you’re unsure where to begin, we also put together a complete guide explaining Gi vs. No-Gi BJJ and which style beginners should start with.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Complete Beginners

One thing we want to make especially clear is that you do not need to “get in shape” before starting Jiu-Jitsu.

You also don’t need to wait for a special enrollment period.

New students are welcome in our regular classes.

Our curriculum introduces the fundamental positions of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while experienced students learn additional details, reactions, and variations within the same positions.

That allows beginners and experienced grapplers to train together without either group being ignored.

If you’re searching for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Venice, CA or BJJ near Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, Culver City, Playa Vista, or the surrounding Westside, you are welcome to come experience a class before deciding whether Jiu-Jitsu is right for you.

Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Venice

BestLA also highlighted our Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program, which is an important part of Kaizen Academy.

We offer age-appropriate Jiu-Jitsu training beginning at 3 years old.

Our youngest students work on movement, balance, coordination, listening skills, partner exercises, and basic grappling concepts. As students get older, the curriculum gradually introduces more detailed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu positions, escapes, controls, submissions, and live training.

Our goal isn't simply to teach children techniques.

We want kids to become more comfortable solving problems, dealing with pressure, working with partners, listening to coaches, and developing confidence through real skill development.

We also work to maintain small class sizes so children receive meaningful coaching during class.

Parents who want a deeper look at how we teach can read our breakdown of the Kaizen Academy Kids BJJ curriculum.

Training for Competitors Without Becoming a “Competition-Only” Gym

Competition can be one of the best tools available for accelerating improvement in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but not everyone wants to compete.

That is perfectly fine.

Kaizen welcomes people who train for fitness, self-defense, recreation, personal development, or simply because they enjoy Jiu-Jitsu.

At the same time, students who want to compete have access to coaching from an instructor who continues to actively compete at the black belt level.

That balance is important to us.

You can train seriously without being pressured to compete.

And if you decide that you do want to test yourself in competition, we can help you prepare.

You can learn more about our instructors, affiliation, and coaching philosophy on the About Kaizen Academy page.

Muay Thai at Kaizen Academy

Kaizen has also expanded beyond grappling with adult Muay Thai and kickboxing classes in Venice.

Our Muay Thai program is designed to be technical and approachable rather than built around a stereotypical fight-gym environment.

Students learn striking fundamentals including punches, kicks, knees, elbows, footwork, defense, combinations, pad work, and clinch concepts.

Just like our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program, complete beginners are welcome.

For students interested in becoming more well-rounded martial artists, training both BJJ and Muay Thai provides experience in two very different areas of martial arts: grappling and striking.

Students interested in doing both can also view our BJJ and Muay Thai membership options.

What “Kaizen” Means to Us

The Japanese concept of kaizen is usually translated as continuous improvement or change for the better.

That idea is at the center of the academy.

Progress in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rarely happens through one breakthrough moment.

It happens through hundreds of small ones.

Learning one better grip.

Recognizing a position a little sooner.

Surviving somewhere that used to make you panic.

Finally escaping a position you've been stuck in for months.

Helping a newer student understand something that once confused you.

Showing up on a day when you almost stayed home.

Those small improvements compound.

Eventually, you look back and realize how far you've come.

That is the culture we want to continue building at Kaizen Academy.

Proud to Represent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Venice

Los Angeles has an extraordinary martial arts community and some of the most accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors and academies in the world.

Being included among BestLA.club's recommended Jiu-Jitsu schools in Los Angeles is something we genuinely appreciate.

But more important than any ranking is what happens on the mats every day.

A small group of people shows up.

We learn.

We drill.

We spar.

We help each other improve.

Then we come back and do it again.

That is Kaizen.

Try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Kaizen Academy

If you've been searching for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in Venice, CA, the best way to decide whether Kaizen is right for you is to experience it yourself.

We offer a free trial class with no obligation and no strings attached.

Complete beginners are welcome.

For a Gi trial class, we can provide a loaner

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