Andre Maneco BJJ

I have taken several different martial arts in my lifetime (my dad signed me up for aikido with him and my brothers when I was 8 and I’ve studied different disciplines on and off since then). I have attended several different schools. I have had some good instructors, and some that were not so good. I did some research on different BJJ schools and asked some friends who also do BJJ. I found that Andre Maneco has a very good reputation and an impressive resume. I have only been studying here for two weeks, but I already feel more comfortable than I have at any other dojo etc that I’ve ever attended. Everyone is very nice. I have not experienced any arrogance with higher belts as I have in other schools. Pierre teaches the fundamentals class. He is very nice, professional, and knowledgeable. He explains things thoroughly and gives an explanation for why certain moves are done a certain way. This helps me understand and remember a lot better. Now for Andre… I don’t even know where to begin. He is probably the nicest, most welcoming master I’ve ever studied under. He is genuinely concerned about the experience each student has there. He tells us that he wants us to come to as many classes as we can because he wants us to learn a lot and have very strong BJJ skills. Most other places set a limit for the number of classes you can attend each week. He is extremely knowledgeable and he explains things very well. He also tells us the reason for doing the moves and explains the different scenarios that could happen if you do it wrong. He gets down on the mats with each student and shows them how it is supposed to be done. He then asks people of higher rank to work with students so they have a clear understanding of each move, and he still comes around to each pair to help. He is very welcoming, and funny. He makes us feel comfortable and makes us laugh sometimes, which makes things less intimidating. He commands respect, not because he tells you to give it to him, but because of how he is as a master and as a person. I would highly recommend this school to anyone, new or experienced, who wants to study BJJ.

If you want a place to really learn BJJ you must come and join this team! Andre is one of the most decorated guys in town and has a lot passion to teach and compete. The environment is great, the staff knows how to treat you well and make you feel comfortable. Don’t think twice, stop by and see by yourself!

The instructors are phenomenal here. My son has been here for 18 months and his confidence level is worlds away from when he started. The classes keep the kids busy constantly (unlike a number of karate classes we have been to) and the instructor (especially Andre) genuinely cares about the kids. Andre is developing a wonderful kids program and we intend to be a part of it for many years.

If you’ve never done any type of martial arts before like me, walking into a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy for the first was intimidating. To say the least. After all, BJJ is bad ass and a master like Andre attracts students dedicated to the craft.
However I quickly found that starting out was not as nearly as intimidating as I imagined. Andre is very welcoming and everyone who trains with him has the same mentality: a rising tide lifts all ships.
Not only is Andre one of the best BJJ fighters in the world, he is also one of the most patient instructors you will find. The other students I train with are also very patient and always take the time to help me improve.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for him to train with us on a Thursday night, fight in Portugal on Saturday and be back to train with us on Monday night. You will be hard pressed to find anybody who competes as much as Andre. This has a huge positive impact on the atmosphere at his academy.
A key aspect of getting good at anything is how much time you spend honing your skills. One of the coolest things about training with Andre is as a white belt, once he’s certain you have the basics down (and won’t kill anybody), he will let you spar as much as you like. This is how you get better. Fast.
As a white belt, you will get lots of mat time sparing with lots of blue and higher belts. In fact, you will get as much mat time as a purple belt. If you checkout other academies, you will find this is very rare. Very very rare. Most white belts get minimal mat time.
At other academies, you will also find most of them are in the business of selling you Jiu Jitsu training packages like a high pressure time share pitch. With Andre, there is none of that. You join the academy, you show up and you train.
Occasionally, he will have some special guests fighters hosting specialty workshops. However he doesn’t sell it like a buy-​here, pay-​here car lot salesman.
Andre is in the business of turning you into a bad ass BJJ fighter. Period. Whether it’s to learn some basic self defense, to fight MMA or to compete in BJJ competitions.

Nice clean facility, good matt space.
Incredible teaching from 20 years of experience.
Amazing environment everyone is friendly.
Great idea to get in shape for the new year and expand your mind.

Great training environment !
The gym is filled with positive people always looking to help eachother.
The facility is very nice with a good mat space and kept VERY CLEAN.
Andre Maneco is a world class fighter and possibly even a better instructor.
The gym caters to everyone from the person looking to get in shape and learn jiu jitsu to the person looking to be the next world champion.

I’ve been training here since it opened. Great team of people at all skill levels. The professor teaches class unless he’s traveling to compete.

Great clean space and phenomenal instruction, especially the kids program. Most martial arts schools see kids as an annoying but necessary revenue stream, but Andre provides the highest level of instruction for students of all ages.