Legacy Burbank

My 3 year old son has been training here for about 6 months — he absolutely loves it.
Professor Donny is a magician with kids, sign them up and sign them up quick — you will never regret it.

I trained at this gum a couple times and the coaches are great. I didn’t stay at this gym because they prices were way to high for me.

We signed up our kids to the Brazilian Jiu-​Jitsu Summer Camp, and they had the best time ever! I had always heard about the Alberto Crane Burbank Gracie Barra, and the place lives up to its name! The coaches are awesome with the kids. They know how to make the kids feel comfortable, and gain confidence in themselves. Coach Donny is great with the kids. We will definitely be back next year for summer camp again.

I have only seen this company bring their summer camp to the park and I did not like what I had seen. There was ONE counselor interacting with the kids, but two of the counselors were cuddling while watching the kids. The young boy had his arm around his girlfriend while playing on his phone. There’s a time and a place for that. Instead of interacting with the kids, the young counselors were treating it as if they were on a date by cuddling! Not impressed by the company based on that alone. Whether the actual classes themselves are good, I have no clue, but wouldn’t try them based on my observations of their interaction, or lack of, with the camp.

Clearly, a fair number of people train at GBB and enjoy the experience. Consider my review not an attempt to dissuade you from giving this place a try, but a warning so that you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
My interest in learning a martial art brought me to GBB in January of this year. My initial trial class was underwhelming. After a cardio warmup with some very rudimentary stretching and a few BJJ specific drills, the class took on a basic pattern. The instructor would first demonstrate a basic move, then send us off in pairs to work on it. Despite the small size of the class, the instructor was mostly disinterested in helping beyond his demonstration, and generally stood to the side while we practiced.
Still, I enjoyed drilling and «rolling» with the guys in the class and decided I would give it a shot for one month.
I actually thought this initial month would be free, since that’s what their website claims. The form I entered, which can be found here (
) claims 30 days free. It’s a scam to get you in the door. That should have tipped me off.
The initial litany of charges is difficult to swallow. I don’t remember the exact amounts, but it’s a monthly fee of around $ 160 for just BJJ, plus an activation fee of at least $ 50. I am estimating low because I honestly don’t remember. It may have been significantly more.
I went ahead and took the formidable leap, only to discover the next day, after liking the GBB Facebook page, that they were currently running a promotion that was not offered to me. The promotion was the first month 50% off, plus no activation fee. Needless to say, I felt cheated.
In Mr. Crane’s defense, when I returned to GBB, heated at my discovery, he quickly provided a mea culpa and a refund. I really wanted to believe that he didn’t realize he was cheating me. He insisted he «forgot» about the promotion. Now, I’m almost certain that isn’t the case.
As it turned out, I only attended two or three total classes at GBB. They were fine. In my second class, I actually learned a great deal more from another student than I did from the instructor. All told, I didn’t really think it was for me, and other things in my life popped up to occupy my time. It happens.
So as my initial month drew to a close, I visited the office and informed them I wanted to cancel my membership going forward. Oddly, they refused to accept my in-​person cancellation and demanded it in email form. Fine. T
The real bombshell: they required a 30-​day notice for a cancellation… meaning I would be charged for the month of February. Meaning unless you inform them on the very first day of your membership that you intend to cancel, you WILL be charged an additional $ 160 for a second month, whether you want it or not. Can you say bait and switch?
I’m sure this clause is included somewhere in the initial contract I signed. It’s fair to say I should have read it more carefully. Here’s the reality though: I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO COMB THROUGH THE FINE PRINT OF A LOCAL BUSINESS’ CONTRACT TO SEE WHERE THEY’RE TRYING TO CHEAT ME. This is the kind of policy that should be told to you up front. It’s blatantly obvious that they withhold this information to squeeze a guaranteed $ 160 out of you. It’s a policy worthy of a cell phone company, not a local dojo.
In all likelihood, this review will garner a response from Mr. Crane about the fact that I signed a contract and there was no intention to withhold information from me. Nonsense. I’m sure Mr. Crane makes a good teacher, and clearly he’s a good fighter, but he is also a slippery business man who plays fast and loose with the truth.
From all appearances, GBB is a competent gym for casual and serious BJJ practionioners alike. But they’re also much, much more than willing to cheat unsuspecting new customers out of hundreds of dollars by convenient omission of the truth. It’s not the kind of place I would ever want to practice a martial art in. Whether or not you do is up to you.

I was driving into Burger King of all places when I noticed a sandwich board for an all womens bootcamp outside of a gym I’d never seen before. I looked it up and found rave reviews and a busy Facebook page for the Tough Girl Bootcamp program. The first week is free, and I was hooked! Once I signed up I also received a full physical assessment and nutrition counseling. I’m not naturally active, and hate traditional gyms, but I love it here! I love the evening classes with some morning and weekend options. The trainers are fantastic, and I am already feeling better and seeing results. One thing I actually like is that they don’t offer an option to pay per class. You end up with a core group of women, some who have been coming for years. There is a real camaraderie and support system built in. I have two weddings to attend next month, but I’m sure I’ll be attending long after!

Gracie Barra Burbank is such a great place for kids to learn and have fun with Coach Donnie! He is amazing to watch and the kids love him! Not to mention, they offer an a great class for women only ~ ToughGirl Women Only Bootcamp with Coach Dawn and Coach Ida. If you want to workout and work hard, this is the place to do it. It’s a lot of fun, hard work, and you meet other women in your same position, all wanting to have a great workout yet gain strength, tone and basically get in shape. Trust me — you’ll love as much as all of us who go there. I’ve been going for quite some time now and cannot imagine not attending class and sweating up a storm while pushing myself as far as I can. It’s great stuff!
Dawn Roberts
Burbank, CA

This place is a rip off! I enrolled my 8 year old son. And after purchasing their over priced GI ($ 130), we got home and it was just the right size but if we wash it it will shrink and not fit anymore and of course they were out of the next size up. The instructors were nice enough but the program itself left a lot to be desired. They would spend at least 30 min per session doing running and exercise games leaving little time for actual BJJ training .At $ 125 per month I think they should focus on BJJ, not exercise. Every time I took him to class, there seemed to a lot of kids (not in class) running around unsupervised and undisciplined making a lot of noise and disrupting the parents trying to watch their kids who were actually in class. After 5 months my son lost interest and didn’t want to go anymore.
I called to cancel and was told by Edit they only accept email resignations, so I sent an email and then was told that it is a 6 month contract and that I would be billed for an additional month that My son would not use. I think that is completely unfair and underhanded. I would not recommend Gracie Barra Burbank to anyone who wants their child to learn BJJ. Edit (the manager or owner) was rude and trying to get over on people.

EXCELLENCE
=SUM (GB, AC, MT, BJJ, MMA, BBANK)
=IF (SUMgreaterthan4,“EXCELLENCE”)
It’s basically simple math. GB BBANK is Burbanks top Martial Arts school. The location is essential. Where else could you train then go over a hill to DTBBANK, make a left turn for 7 – 11 and Subway, visit a beautiful library after having SBUX, shop Costco or turn right and proceed straight to the enormous shopping center?
What Alberto does is to create a community within a community. Kept humble, clean and alpha — Gracie Barra Burbank is a church for winners. The energy and ambience keep men and women of all race, color, creed, weight, height, personality and ideology coming back for more. That’s no coincidence. His formula yields «EXCELLENCE».

I’m a black belt, former MMA fighter, and owner of my own gym down in Miami. I’ve known Alberto Crane via the tournament circuit and a year or so ago he stopped by my school in Miami and rolled with the guys. He was in town for about a week — super humble black belt, was cool enough to teach guys on the mat as if he were in his own gym, and was an all around great guy. His technique is awesome and his reputation is backed up by a stellar competition career on the mats and in the cage. If you are in the area, I recommend Professor Alberto’s gym.

Legendary Professor Alberto Crane, love coming for the great training any chance I get!

What a great place!!! Fabulous! I just started here and let me tell you. I have been to a lot of places that ran the gambit from the cobra kai sensei to real nice guy but too small and not enough technique to what the hell is this, but her at Gracie Barra jiu jitsu and MMA everyone is so nice, wonderful, and excellent training. The black belts are great, you never get anything below brown as instructor, the sparring is good and at the right pace, not lets go at 100% and see if we can kill you. the mats are clean and not filthy, the change is clean, and this place does not I repeat does not smell like a sweat sock, and they tell to clean your kimono. They also have MMA, Muay Thai, and fitness class for strength and conditioning which I am gonna take so I can compete in no gi competitions. Great place highly recommend it.

This is by far one of the best activities for anyone from young to old to get into mental and physical shape! My 8 year old had some confidence issues and after about 6 months at the gym i’ve never seen him so happy and opened up… My son and I will keep coming hear till I either move away or they move away!

Being a UFC fan I had always thought that it would be fun to learn BJJ. Walking through the door I wasn’t sure what to expect but was greeted with all smiles. I had an outfit for Judo that i could also use for BJJ. But if I didn’t have one they did have a rental. The class was very well organized. Starts out with warm ups then self defense and drilling and last «rolling» which is usually using something that you learned during class. Such as escapes for side control or mount.
Main point is how friendly everyone is. I’ve never experienced any kind of ego or judgement. Everyone is friendly and ready to help. New members are always welcomed. I went here for about a month before I posted this review. But after a month i can say for sure that this is a quality gym. Professor Crane has built a solid group of teachers and that in turn has attracted a solid group of students.

I have known about Alberto Crane since I started training NHB back in 1999. He is as legit as they come. He has been competing in BJJ and MMA since the 90’s, well before most people jumped on the band wagon.
Besides being a superb competitor, he is an even better instructor. He is great at communicating the small details most people miss out on, and has an encyclopedia-​like knowledge of mixed martial arts.
The staff at Gracie Barra Burbank are just as wonderful, with kids, adults, and women only programs headed by a variety of instructors. They have recently expanded, and now have 3 large mat areas, a boxing ring, a cage, a weight room, locker rooms, showers, and a dedicated area for an after school program for kids.
Overall, it is a great place to bring your family to enjoy the benefits of martial arts. If you are in the area, definitely check this place out!

If I could describe Gracie Barra Burbank in one word it would be «AWESOME»!
I have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai classes at Gracie Barra Burbank for a little over one year and it is amazing! The instruction that is offered here is wold class and Professor Crane does an outstanding job accommodating the needs of his students!
The energy at this gym is very positive and I’ve received a lot of help from higher ranking students. It’s an honor to know that I can train with a great group of students who’ll strive to improve technique without compromising the safety of their training partners. I can honestly say that I’ve never been intentionally injured by any one I’ve trained with.
One of the best features that I appreciate the most is that classes are offered 7 days a week and many classes are available in the morning as well as evening. This is perfect if you don’t have a traditional 9 – 5 schedule like myself.
If you’re considering beginning a martial art or looking for a new way to exercise I would highly recommend Gracie Barra Burbank! This academy has everything you need: Multiple classes, convenient schedule, lockers, shower, weight room, cage, a ring, and a street fighter 2 arcade (yes you read that correctly, it’ll feel like 1991 again).
Hopefully you’ll try a class and see for yourself! See you on the Mats!
–Brian D.

I absolutely LOVE this place and everyone associated with the business from the staff, students, coaches and everyone else you meet here. My boys, ages 8 and 5, tried Tae Kwon Do and hated it but after one Jiu Jitsu class they were hooked. About the business I can say it’s wonderful. The office staff and coaches are all friendly and always more than willing to take the time to talk to you. Beside having great customer service/​rapport there’s a real sense of community… family even. I can see us being with Gracie Barra for many years to come.

The Coaches and Professors really work hard to make it a fun, clean, and safe learning environment. I find everyone goes the extra mile to make sure you understand the curriculum and are advancing with your training.
Highly recommend you go in and try the gym and meet the people. Make it your new BJJ home.

I cannot say loudly enough how nice and accommodating everyone is here. Even though I have ZERO martial arts experience everyone made me feel welcome and as if I belonged.
I took the offer of the free class and was really nervous since I have no experience whatsoever. The instructor and some of the students with experience helped me understand the steps and get me comfortable. They even showed me some arm bar moves and me and some of the girls got a bit silly.
What a great experience and a fun challenge. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who thinks they need some discipline and Brazilian Jiu-​Jitsu in their lives.

We have two sons (ages 3 and 6) at Gracie Barra Burbank. They love it. It gives them great discipline, teaches them how to work as a team, and all the exercise wears them out which is a great way to get them to bed early. ;)
The overall program at Gracie Barra is A+.
The coaches and staff are fantastic with kids. No studio beats Gracie Barra!

This Place is awsome, from staff, to teachers! Myself and my boys take the classes and i have never seen individuals more devoted to teach than here at Gracie Barra-​Burbank, Donnie is off the charts when it comes to teaching and reaching out to the kids! Alberto Crane is always available if you have any questions! Team Crane!!!