Midland BJJ — Local services in Midland

I have been training at Midland BJJ since February of 2021. The gym offers a one week trial for you to try and see if BJJ would be worth pursuing for you.

My personal experience so far has been remarkable and I have greatly enjoyed this newfound hobby. I started while probably around 50lbs overweight and with no prior experience in martial arts. Starting jiu jitsu has helped me get to a healthier mental and physical state in a few short months. It is a great way for people of all sizes and ages to learn self-defense and have fun while doing it. I still consider myself to be a complete beginner but I have found practice and learning little by little to be quite enjoyable. So far, I have no plans to compete and I am using this as my sole source of physical exercise throughout the week.

The gym lessons include Gi and no-gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from beginner to advanced levels, wrestling, and MMA. Most of these are available for children, teenagers, and adults and should you need more help in a smaller setting, private coaching sessions can also be purchased.

Brad, the lead instructor and owner, is one of several black belts who regularly are at Midland BJJ and share instruction duty over the week. Since I have joined Midland BJJ, there have also been seminars provided free of charge for members around every other month. These consist of a few lessons over a day or two with a guest instructor who competed at a high level in MMA or Jiu Jitsu with the possibility of purchasing private lessons as well.

There is a lot of variety among the students in terms of experience along with size and body types so chances are not only will you be able to practice with someone that is about your size, you will also get to practice around smaller or bigger people. It may be a bit daunting to get started, but once you do you may find BJJ to have an overall positive impact on your life and you will want to come back to learn more.

Midland BJJ is a great place to learn, I have found that instructors are great people both on and off the mat. I highly recommend swinging by and signing up...

Midland BJJ is a phenomenal place to train. My VA counselor recommended getting back into a combat sport to help with PTSD. To say the team at Midland BJJ has helped with that is an understatement. Brad Barnes isn’t just a great coach/professor, he’s a great man. He’s knowledgeable, professional, direct, and compassionate. Once I explained why I was interested, he walked me through everything putting me completely at ease with starting my training. He went out of his way to make sure I trained with more experienced upper belts that helped me understand the techniques. He took care of all the uniform items I would need and made recommendations on everything from books, equipment, videos and training aids to help me get better. The atmosphere at the gym is really eclectic. Yes people are training and training hard at a violent sport/self defense discipline, but it’s completely relaxed. From top competitors down to brand new students, everyone was extremely friendly, supportive and uplifting. The training itself is difficult... but the rewarding feeling of accomplishment COMPLETELY makes it worthwhile and it is an incredible stress reliever. I think the thing that surprised me the most was how PHYSICALLY rewarding it was. I had been dieting for a few weeks before I started and lost a few pounds, but I dropped 30 more within 6 months of training here. Do not say, “I need to get in shape first”, it will get you in shape. The last thing I’ll say is that most schools I’ve been told really focus on students that are serious competitors, and the people doing it for the mental health, exercise and self defense benefits get left behind. Not here, every student regardless of rank, reason or ability gets the same level of attention. That’s not to say the competitors here aren’t successful because they do extremely well in tournaments. It’s just that Brad treats everyone there equally and everyone feels important to him. Do not...

I joined in the beginning of 2024 moving from another gym in San Diego. I was instantly in love with this place after my first class. The jiu jitsu Brad and the other coaches teach is next level. I travel to a lot of other gyms all over the country and it is incredible to see how what we learn at Midland bjj is practical, effective, and above average in all regards. I love the community here. If you want a tough competitive battle you will find that here. If you want a flow roll you can find that here. If you want to work on technique or just pick someone's brain and drill you can find that here. The class structure is fantastic and the techniques are broken down and taught step by step in a way that is palatable to someone on day 1. I really love the rock and roll vibe and the people that are members here are so friendly and willing to share their knowledge. The vibe Brad puts off in the gym inspires me to be a better version of myself. He pushes his students to be intentional with training, to push their limits to better themselves in all aspects and i appreciate that it really helps me focus on my goal not just in the gym but in my life all around. I am happy I chose to join Midland bjj and am excited to continue this journey with them and watch my game grow and improve every month! I encourage anyone interested in MMA or jiu jitsu to come by and try out a class. You will be hooked just...