BlackSmith Jiu Jitsu — Local services in Niceville

I'd give 1000 stars if I could. & 10000 more after. As an avid world-traveler and follower of the MMA realm since its inception, & having "practiced" BJJ myself (off/on) for nearly 14 years, I have trained and/or at least MET some of the absolute WORLD's FINEST in the BJJ/MMA realm... guys like Kendall Grove, Enson Inoue, Jocko, Dean Lister, J. Danaher, etc, etc. ...& Jimmy & Lisa Smith, & their entire BlackSmith Jiu-Jitsu FAMILY stand toe-to-toe with the absolute BEST of them.

BlackSmith lets it be KNOWN the moment you walk through the door: THIS PLACE IS A SANCUTARY. ALL are welcome here... provided you check your ego/problems at the door.

I have practiced at BlackSmith for nearly 5 years now & I have never seen so much as a significant nosebleed or major injury of ANY sort. Everyone in the gym is very mindful of one another.

There is a flavor for EVERYONE at BlackSmith. While beginners/white belts generally dominate the evening classes (commonplace), there are PLENTY of well-seasoned, different styles, different body types, & even different philosophies of approaching the rapidly dynamic human chess match that is submission grappling and jiu-jitsu at BlackSmith.

There are plenty of gi & no-Gi practioners; with dedicated classes for each style. There is even a bit of dedicated MMA practioners fairly regularly. I would not be surprised to see this grow into more developed/recurring scheduled class(es) in the near future. They are ALWAYS expamnding/growing.

Last but not least, if you're old/broken, aging dog years like I am, or have broken quite literally EVERY major joint in your body & your BJJ disciplinary scheduling is about as reliable as a goldfish... WE HAVE A PLACE FOR YOU TOO... it's in the back, with the rest of the old guys. Try not to ask anything dumb like climbing tree trunks in middle of class...

SO... whether you're into disrespecting your elders regularly, wearing funny pajama's & choking people with them, spandex (& I mean ALOT of SPANDEX; it's like a Rubbermaid factory in here sometimes), PLEASE come down to BlackSmith Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a TRULY world-class jiu-jitsu experience. Come as a stranger, leave as a family member... Ask for the old-guy with the bone in his nose & I'll pop right out the woodwork... SOMETIMES.

Sincerely, Jimmy/Lisa, you have put together a truly wonderful WONDERFUL sanctuary dedicated to ALL OF THE RIGHT THINGS in Jiu-Jitsu with NONE of the drama. I love you. I love what YOU have built. I am HONORED to have been but a small fragment of your continued success... I cannot wait to see what it on the horizon next.

God bless you all. Happy. Healthy. Beautiful. Blessed. Always. ALL WAYS. ...

From the first moment to reaching out to my final training day as an out of towner, I was made to feel at home. Professor Smith runs a flawless class. You won’t waste time doing repetitive warmups. Instead, he shows a move the whole class drills. In short, you get more training time.

Then his passion comes thru as he teaches. Like all good Professors, he shows the move, offers many scenarios, along with the solutions, and even offers a Q&A session for the lingering questions from the students.

It was also nice to see many higher belts on the mats, especially the black belts who would roam and offer pointers.

One of my highlights was rolling with Professor Smith. He sliced thru me like butter, but didn’t smash me. I could tell he was letting me work. I couldn’t even get my chest to his chest because of his framing and mobility. It was awesome!

As far as the other students go, they were all nice and super helpful. Not once did I feel like ego was an issue. For instance, I rolled with 3 upper belts (2 brown and a purple) and all of them were genuinely helpful and respectful. And I know for sure the 2 brown belts could have whipped up on me, but again, they had nothing to prove because their skill spoke for them.

This was a great family atmosphere all around with really clean facilities. The kids class, which occurred before the adult class, was well attended and those kids looked really sharp on the mats.

Last but not least is Lisa, the owner. She is so nice, professional, welcoming, responsive, and intuitive. She’s a real treasure to meet. And if you are interested in joining or visiting, she will most likely be the one you get to speak with.

Niceville is a better place with Blacksmith Jiu Jitsu. Try them out and you’ll be greatly surprised at the community...

It’s more than just a stripe on a belt.

For a long time, I didn’t understand that, and honestly, I don’t think you can until it’s you. I spent months watching Cayden train, being asked when I’d join. My answer was always the same: “Heck no. Never.”

But then I tried it.

The atmosphere at Blacksmith is different—it pulls you in. Lisa and Jimmy are some of the most welcoming, genuine people I’ve ever met. They lead by example, and because of that, everyone on the mats carries that same energy. It doesn’t matter if you’re a brand new white belt or a black belt, people are there to support you, answer your 100 questions, and push you to grow.

Jiu-jitsu takes time, effort, energy, and a lot of dedication (plus a little frustration). After long days at work, sometimes the last place I want to be is the mats. But the moment I walk in, the energy shifts and it becomes exactly where I want to be. It’s where my brain shuts off from the chaos of life and focuses only on the task at hand. For me, that’s peace.

The women I train with are incredible. They push me, encourage me, and make me better every single day. My training partner especially. She challenges me because she believes I can, and she slows it down when I need to understand every “what if.” I couldn’t ask for better people beside me.

The professors are knowledgeable, patient, and generous with their time. I’m thankful for them, and for everyone who has walked through Blacksmith’s doors. This small business has shown me kindness, compassion, and a community that has truly changed my life.

Jiu-jitsu is more than just a sport. It’s growth, it’s family, it’s resilience. If you’ve ever thought about trying it, I encourage you to do it. And if you’re in the Panhandle, I can’t recommend...