When Eddie Bravo submitted Royler Gracie in 2003, he proved that unorthodox techniques could beat grappling royalty. Two decades later, 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu has evolved into a global network of No-Gi specialists who’ve turned the Rubber Guard, Twister, and Lockdown into legitimate competition weapons. The best 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu gyms in North America range from Bravo’s experimental HQ in Los Angeles to the Martinez brothers’ competition factory in San Diego, the gritty East Coast killers in Bethlehem, and Canada’s flagship academy in Montreal. Here’s our ranked breakdown of where to train if you prefer rashguards over kimonos—and why each gym deserves its reputation.
In the world of grappling, finding the best 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu gyms means finding the rebel alliance.
That’s the thing about Eddie Bravo’s system—it was born from heresy. When Bravo submitted Royler Gracie in 2003, he didn’t just win a match. He proved that a stoner from California with zero traditional credentials could beat grappling royalty using techniques the establishment said wouldn’t work. More than two decades later, that rebellious DNA still defines every 10th Planet academy on the continent.
The system ditches the traditional Gi entirely. Instead, it focuses on unorthodox, clinically named techniques like the Rubber Guard, the Twister, and the Lockdown—systems designed specifically for MMA and No-Gi submission wrestling. If you’ve ever watched a UFC fighter control an opponent from bottom guard using nothing but flexibility and angles, there’s a good chance you were watching 10th Planet in action.
For Ringside Report readers who prefer rashguards over kimonos—or for fans who follow our Thursday MMA coverage and want to train like the fighters they see on screen—here are the best 10th Planet academies in North America for 2026.
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This is where it all began. Located in downtown Los Angeles, “HQ” is where Eddie Bravo still teaches and experiments with new techniques. If you want to learn the system from the source and see the evolution of the Rubber Guard in real-time, this is the pilgrimage you have to make.
Here’s the reality: visiting HQ isn’t like dropping into a regular gym. Be prepared for a cerebral experience. Eddie’s classes are often deep dives into specific positions rather than generic drilling—you might spend an entire session exploring one transition that most instructors would cover in five minutes.
Best For: Purists who want to understand the philosophy behind the system, not just the techniques.
2. The Freaks: 10th Planet San Diego / South Bay (California)
Head Instructors: Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez, Geo “Freakahzoid” Martinez, PJ Barch
Come on, they call themselves “The Freaks” for a reason. The Martinez brothers and PJ Barch turned the 10th Planet style into a competition juggernaut. Their breakdancing backgrounds translate into incredible flexibility, creative movement, and a highly aggressive leg-lock game that’s been terrorizing ADCC trials for years.
This is arguably the most competitive branch of the entire affiliation. If you want hard rounds with active ADCC competitors who will expose every hole in your game, go here. Just don’t expect your ego to survive intact.
Best For: Competitors who want to pressure-test their skills against elite-level opposition.
3. The East Coast Killers: 10th Planet Bethlehem (Pennsylvania)
Head Instructors: Zach Maslany, JM Holland
Also known as Finishers MMA, this gym put the East Coast 10th Planet scene on the map. They’ve produced incredible homegrown talent like Grace Gundrum and Jon “Thor” Blank, run the popular “Finishers Sub Only” tournaments, and have built a reputation for developing grapplers with unbreakable defense and suffocating squeezes.
Don’t let the location fool you. What do you expect when serious grapplers have something to prove? The Lehigh Valley isn’t exactly a combat sports destination, which means everyone who trains here chose it deliberately. That self-selection creates a room full of people who actually want to get better.
Best For: East Coast grapplers who want world-class instruction without flying to California.
4. The Texas Alternative: 10th Planet Austin (Austin, TX)
Head Instructors: Curtis Hembroff, Ben Eddy
While Austin is now crowded with B-Team and New Wave, 10th Planet Austin (10PATX) remains the flagship for the pure Bravo system in Texas. Ben Eddy is a wizard of the Rubber Guard and Hindulotine, making this the best place in the South to master the system’s flexible guard attacks.
It isn’t very easy because Austin’s grappling scene is so stacked that 10PATX sometimes gets overlooked. That’s a mistake. If you’re visiting Austin for a “Jiu-Jitsu vacation,” adding a drop-in here is essential to contrast with the wrestling-heavy style of other local gyms.
Best For: Visitors who want the whole Austin experience beyond the New Wave/B-Team rivalry.
Dave Simon receiving his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu purple belt from Louis Ho
For our Montreal readers, you don’t need to fly to California to get elite 10th Planet instruction. Louis Ho was the first 10th Planet Black Belt in Canada and has built a room of killers in Montreal. The gym is known for high-level leg lock instruction and strong integration with the local MMA scene.
The gym frequently hosts seminars with big names from the US, keeping the technique current with the global meta. Between Tristar for traditional grappling and 10th Planet Montreal for the No-Gi rebel approach, this city has quietly become one of the best places in North America to develop a complete grappling game.
Best For: Montreal grapplers who want No-Gi specialization with an MMA focus.
6. The Cage Specialists: 10th Planet Las Vegas (Nevada)
Head Instructor: Casey Halstead
Las Vegas is the fight capital of the world, and this gym reflects that reality. Casey Halstead has coached countless UFC fighters, adapting the 10th Planet system specifically for the cage—where wall work, ground-and-pound defense, and standing back up all factor into the equation.
If your goal is MMA rather than pure sport Jiu-Jitsu, this is likely the best 10th Planet gym in the world for you. The technical instruction accounts for punches, elbows, and the realities of fighting in a cage rather than on open mats.
Best For: MMA fighters and anyone who wants their grappling to translate to real combat.
The Bottom Line
Here’s my prediction: within the next two years, we’ll see 10th Planet produce an ADCC champion. The Martinez brothers have been knocking on that door for years, and the system’s leg-lock evolution has caught up with—and in some cases surpassed—the Danaher-influenced meta that dominated the 2020s.
Whether you’re in Montreal looking to escape the winter at 10th Planet Montreal, or planning a trip to the sun-soaked mats of San Diego, the 10th Planet system offers something traditional academies don’t: permission to be weird.
Unlike schools that scold you for trying unorthodox moves, these gyms encourage creativity. So pack your wildest rashguard, leave your Gi at home, and go train with the rebels.
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