ugly
- Thread starter ugly
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2005
- Messages
- 6,473
- Reaction score
- 0
I've trained at several BJJ and grappling places in the Pittsburgh Area, and I intend to visit more over the summer break. I figure that the more places that I go, the more perspectives that I can get. Of course, I'm also a little neurotic too... 
Here are the specs from several places where I have trained grappling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Many of the places also offer instruction in other martial arts too. Contact them for details! YRMV:
Here are the specs from several places where I have trained grappling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Many of the places also offer instruction in other martial arts too. Contact them for details! YRMV:
- Name: Combative Grappling Systems
- Head Instructor: Casey Leonard
- Place: 515 Pleasant Valley Road, Trafford, Pa 15085
- Contact: Email t e a m c g s j j at msn dot com no spaces and unobfusticate (so spammers don't spam him)
- Days & Times: Wednesday 6:45 - 8:15 PM (Grappling), Friday 6:00 - 7:30 PM (MMA)
- Price: 1 class = $10/class, 2 Classes/week = $40/mo, Unlimited Classes = $50/mo, Privates = $30.00/hr, Current Military & Law Enforcement receive $10.00/mo off.
- Note: Not that nice a facility: just Puzzle Mats in a standard-sized area. However, the grapplers and instructors are extremely good. They are very nice and gave me a discount for my first class. (Review)
- Name: Lathen Martial Arts
- Head Instructor: Sifu Deily
- Place: 257 West Riverview Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202
- Contact: Email i n f o at lathenmartialarts dotcom no spaces and unobfusticate (so spammers don't spam him) or phone 412-734-5254.
- Days & Times: Friday 6:00 - 6:50 PM
- Price: $20 per class
- Note: Gi only. Not much mat space. I didn't like my visit there. (Review)
- Name: M.A.C. Fitness
- Head Instructor: Beau Clark
- Place: 110 VIP Drive, Wexford, PA 15090
- Contact: Use Web Form
- Days & Times: See web site for grappling schedule
- Price: $10 per session, other options
- Note: No-gi only. Also teaches boxing, kick-boxing, and MMA fighting. Beau competed in the 2003 ADCC, and many of the grapplers are also very tough.
- Name: Mark Shrader's MMA Academy
- Head Instructor: Mark Shrader
- Place: Two locations near Uniontown, see web site for addresses
- Contact: Phone 724-439-4545 or see web site
- Days & Times: See online schedule. I go on Saturday occasionally.
- Price: Contact Mark. I pay a reduced rate since I have to travel far and only attend once a month; don't expect to pay what I do!!!
- Note: No-gi only. Third nicest facility in the area. Most classes combine striking and grappling drills and geared toward MMA competition. Has a cage.
- Name: PA Karate Academy
- Head Instructor: Mr. Garon
- Place: 126 Gallery Drive, McMurray, PA 15317 (About 10 minutes from Bill Vucick)
- Contact: Phone 724-941-4900
- Days & Times: See web site, Grappling only on Saturday from 10:00-11:00 AM.
- Price: Contact for details.
- Note: Everyone wears gi pants ant a tee shirt; however, a gi is not required or grappling.
- Name: Penn Hills Martial Arts Center.
- Head Instructor: Dan Moore
- Place: 800 7th St., Verona, PA 15147
- Contact: Phone 412-828-6466.
- Days & Times: Tuesday 6-7:30 PM.
- Price: $30/month
- Note: No-gi only. Very skilled wrestlers, and great instruction on takedowns as well as groundwork. However, I heard that they stopped grappling. :-(
- Name: Personal Training Tactics
- Head Instructor: Donny Kaecher
- Place: In Baldwin
- Contact: Email p t t underscore m m a at yahoo dot com no spaces and unobfusticate (so spammers don't spam him), Phone Day 412-965-1112, Night 412-882-1678.
- Days & Times: Tuesday and Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
- Price: $15 per a class. If you pay for a month it is $50 per a month for one class a week and $60 a month for two classes a week.
- Note: No-gi only. Go in through the basement garage. Don and many of his other students are very talented.
- Name: Mad Dog Gym
- Head Instructor: Big Dave (Muay Thai), Mike Willus (Grappling)
- Place: 830 East Pittsburgh Mall, East Pittsburgh, PA 15112-1208 (In Hollywood Showbar Plaza)
- Contact: Phone 412-823-3962
- Days & Times: Tuesday 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 2:00 - 4:00 PM
- Price: $50/month
- Note: Also offers Muay Thai, gi, and MMA classes too. Small but high quality space. In the back of a tattoo shop.
- Name: Master Kim's Martial Arts and Fitness
- Head Instructor: Master Kyu Ha Kim and Master Eugene Kim
- Place: See web site for locations at South Hills and Cranberry.
- Contact: Phone South Hills: 412.881.5066, Cranberry: 724.774.4994
- Days & Times: See web site for schedule.
- Price: First lession free. I am unsure how much it costs afterward.
- Note: They practice Judo with a gi - not BJJ strictly. However, they are awesome instructors. Master Kim is a Korean judo champion. His son Eugene competed at a high level too. They run the Judo and TKD clubs and classes at Pitt as well.
- Name: Pittsburgh Fight Club
- Head Instructor: Eric Hibler
- Place: 4573 Campbells Run Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15205
- Contact: Contact via the web site or phone 412-429-9208.
- Days & Times: By appointment and with a group. I don't know the exact schedule.
- Price: See Web Site.
- Note: Hib is a good isntructor. I attended a seminar of his at Mark Shrader's, and it was decent. His facility is the one of the best in Pittsburgh, but one of the most expensive as well. You will most likely get a good workout here.
- Name: Steel City Martial Arts
- Head Instructor: Sensei Sonny Achille
- Place: Five minute walk from Washinton Juction (I take the train there), see web site's page on location
- Contact: Phone 412-835-5544 or form on web site
- Days & Times: See schedule on web site
- Price: $65/month for two practices a week plus open mat time on Friday. $85/month for all the BJJ classes/week plus open mat. Other options available by phone or in person
- Note: Gi only. Some of the best instruction that I received in Pittsburgh. Most structured environment as well. They are building a second school with even nicer mats and a more times to grapple.
- Name: Ultimate Fighting and Fitness
- Head Instructor: Bill Vucick
- Place: Bridgeville, contact for exact address
- Contact: Phone 412-716-6125
- Days & Times: Individual lesson by appointment; Sunday group lesson 1-2:30 PM
- Price: $25 for appointment; $15 for group lesson, free if you had an appointment that week.
- Note: No-gi only. Sometimes on Sunday we will add some striking or do boxing instead (if everyone agrees).
- Name: Wrecking Crew Jiu-Jitsu
- Head Instructor: Mike Demko
- Place: 317 Sampson Street, New Castle, PA 16101-2051
- Contact: See web site
- Days & Times: Tuesday, 5-7; Thursday 6-8; Saturday 11-1.
- Price: Contact for details
- Note: No-gi only. Also offers MMA training. Located in an Aikido school. The instructor pretty good and very smooth.
- Name: CMU Grappling Club
- President: Randy Jones
- Place: CMU campus - Skibo Gym
- Contact: See web site
- Days & Times: During CMU school year only, see web site for weekly days and times
- Price: Free
- Note: Sunday is Gi-optional day. Not affiliated with Jeff Grunden's group who also meet on CMU's campus. I used to practice most often at CMU.
- Name: Panther Grappling Club Club
- President: Frodo (me)
- Place: Trees Hall or Baierl Rec Center
- Contact: Visit the web forum
- Days & Times: see web site.
- Price: Free
- Note: No-Gi mostly, Gi optional. Loosely affiliated with University of Pittsburgh BJJ Club.
- Name: University of Pittsburgh BJJ Club
- President: Sam Warren
- Place: Trees Hall
- Contact: Email p i t t b j j at gmail dot com no spaces and unobfusticate (so spammers don't spam him) or visit the web forum
- Days & Times: Fridays 7:00-9:00 PM
- Price: Free
- Note: Gi only.
- Name: University of Pittsburgh East-West Martial Arts Club
- Head Instructor: Officer Curtis Smith
- Place: Trees Hall lower multi-purpose room
- Contact: Email s o r c + e a s t w e s t at pitt dot edu no spaces and unobfusticate (so spammers don't spam him) or Phone 412-398-2490
- Days & Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-7:00 PM, Grappling only on Thursday from 5:00-7:00 PM
- Price: Free
- Note: Japanese Jiu-Jitsu taught from a self-defense oriented perspective with striking. Everyone wears a gi; although, the gi is optional.
- Name: Martial Arts and Sports Complex
- Head Instructor: Craig Wolfley
- Place: 331 Station St., Bridgeville, PA 15017
- Contact: Phone 412-257-9868 or email q u e s t i o n s at masc73 dot com no spaces and unobfusticate (so spammers don't spam him)
- Days & Times: Contact for details.
- Price: Contact for details.
- Note: They teach boxing, kickboxing, muay Thai, freestyle jiu-jitsu, sports conditioning, and olympic weightlifting. Wolfley is a former offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a black belt in Walt Bayless's Combat Jiu-Jitsu system.
- Name: Rozzi Self-defense Center
- Head Instructor: Johnny Rozzi
- Place: 648 E. Washington St., Suite A, New Castle, PA. 16101
- Contact: Phone 724-498-5493 or email j k r o z at hotmail dot com no spaces and unobfusticate (so spammers don't spam him)
- Days & Times: Youth 8-14: Monday-Thursday 5-6; Adult: Monday-Thursday 6:30-7:30; Conditioning: Monday-Thursday 8-8:30; Competition: Sunday 10-11
- Price: Youth: $50 for 8 classes/month, $75 for 16 classes/month; Adult: $30 for 3 classes/month, $50 for 7 classes/month; $75 for 16 classes/month; Privates and other options available.
- Note: gi only.
- Name: Steel Valley Martial Arts & Fitness
- Head Instructor: Bill Easlick
- Place: 110 East Main Street, Scio, OH 43988
- Contact: Email s t e e l v a l l e y m m a at hotmail dot com no spaces and unobfusticate (so spammers don't spam him) or call (740) 945-1801
- Days & Times: Practice every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: Boxing 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM, MMA 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM.
- Price: Contact for details.
- Note: Other training times may be available on special request.
Jiu-Jitsu Cop
Green Belt
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2006
- Messages
- 1,418
- Reaction score
- 1
Whats up frodo could'nt come up with any more gyms?
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2005
- Messages
- 6,473
- Reaction score
- 0
There are actually a few more people who want to start grappling and MMA in Pittsburgh too. They are in the process of setting it up, though.
Jiu-Jitsu Cop
Green Belt
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2006
- Messages
- 1,418
- Reaction score
- 1
Cool, I was only kidding anyway.
Crimson_King
Orange Belt
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2006
- Messages
- 376
- Reaction score
- 0
i wish there were that many places where i live:icon_cry2
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2005
- Messages
- 6,473
- Reaction score
- 0
Crimson_King, did you try Ray's Judo-Jujitsu-Wrestling (540-387-4958) in Salem and Hybrid Martial Arts Center (540-345-8609) in Roanoke? I don't know anything about them except that they are near Salem, VA.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2006
- Messages
- 4,769
- Reaction score
- 0
HonestlyCrimson_King said:
My name is Rob and I am a brown belt at Trafford Judo. Our club (well some of us) sometimes work out at Kims club in South Hills or Cranberry as well just to mix it up. We do have some Bjj guys at our club (one from High Ground Jui Jitsu others not sure) and we usually have extra classes on Wednesdays dedicated more towards ground work. The club is very cheap, big, nice and we have a workout area in the warehouse of the club that is set up like a cross fit area (kind of). Our instructor built it for us to use when we want. We have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Kids classes on Saturdays (although some adults come as well and work out before or after class (then we go work out at Area 51) and as I mentioned we do Newaza on Wednesdays. Large area. Paul would let you try it for free for a while till you see if you like it. Let me know if you are interested. Message me and I will get back to you or give you my number or something.
