Best BJJ Gyms in North America: Where Champions Actually Train
Ten years ago, if you wanted to train with elite grapplers, you flew to Rio de Janeiro. Today, the best BJJ gyms in North America have completely shifted the sport’s center of gravity. Austin now hosts both New Wave and B-Team within miles of each other—the two strongest No-Gi teams on the planet, born from the famous Danaher Death Squad split. California offers AOJ’s technical perfection and Atos’s competition intensity. New York’s Blue Basement remains a rite of passage for every serious grappler. And Montreal’s Tristar proves you don’t need to cross borders for world-class instruction. Here’s the honest breakdown of where champions actually train in 2026—and what to expect when you visit