El Cerrito Martial Arts

Our 6 year old started at the beginning of the year, so he’s been doing it now for two and a half months. He loves it, and I honestly can’t say enough good things about this place!
The staff is superb. They have just the right mix of kindness, firmness, and discipline. I was really impressed that even as the «new guy,» my son was not given a free pass. From day one he was expected to bow onto and off of the mat, and if he forgot he was kindly but firmly led back to the edge so that he could do it correctly.
I am also a big fan of jiu jitsu, so I like that the curriculum is sort of a general martial arts education mixed with the basics of jiu jitsu. The teachers talk about how losing is just as important as winning — doing it with the correct attitude, and also recognizing that you can learn just as much (if not more) from having someone take you down than you can by taking someone down.
The best thing for me, as a parent, is that they aren’t just teaching the kids «the moves.» The instructors set aside class time to talk about specific character attributes that go hand-​in-​hand with martial arts, such as focus, discipline, and manners. These are things that my husband and I emphasize with the kids, but having an outside, respected authority figure reinforce it is amazingly effective. Every month or so, the kids work on earning a new «patch,» which goes on their uniform. When my kid started, the class was working on «focus.» He did not get this because he was just starting, but he was immediately determined to earn the next one, «discipline.» He actually came home and asked me for ways he could help me; he started getting ready for school in the morning without anyone telling him what to do; and he helped me a lot with his little brother. When he finally earned that patch, he was SO PROUD.
Oh, and did I mention parents’ nights out? Fantastic! Once a month Friday night «fun time,» totally free, and they can invite friends! I actually got to go out to dinner with my husband! I am also very much looking forward to this fall, when my kid will be able to use their after-​school pickup program, which sounds great.
Overall, I love that my kid is getting an outlet for his energy, learning how to control his body, and also working on really important character attributes that will help him throughout life, no matter what he does.

My 4 ½ year old son has been going here for eight months. We started with once a week on Saturdays when he was still 3. It took him several weeks to break the ice with the instructors. The instructors were very patient and coaxed him to do more each week. He’s gotten to love the classes so that we recently added a second day in the week. He has progressed much faster with the extra day. The instructors are all firm but patient. It’s obvious they have experience teaching young kids. My son’s focus and ability to comprehend not-​so-​simple instructions have accelerated.
I’ve observed Cody’s program for the older kids and I’m impressed. I can’t wait for my son to be in the after school pick up program!

Wow!!! what a wonderful dojo! I have been training with Cody at this dojo for about 9 months. My husband, and six-​year old daughter also train here. I cannot express how much I appreciate training with this dojo. Cody’s teaching style is effective, yet not over-​the-​top strict like some martial arts instructors I’ve had (I previously trained in Traditional Tae Kwon Do for three years, and karate for a year or so). The focus is on basics and technique, with plenty of mat time to roll and try out said techniques.
I also have been training in the Muay Thai kickboxing offered here, for about 3 weeks now. Adam, the Muay Thaie kickboxing instructor, is also awesome. He pushes us VERY hard, but in a motivational way, not an «in my face drill sergeant» way. The class is a good change up to Jiu Jitsu.
I get a great workout here, and the schedule is flexible enough that I’m able to go 3 – 4 times a week (and I’m a mother AND a graduate student!). The family class on Saturday is wonderful, a great bonding experience for our family.
Finally, this dojo is a community. I see the same students, and know each by name. People are safe while rolling, and really take care to treat each othe with respect and not hurt one another. I really feel supported here, as do my husband and daughter.

(updated January 16, 2012)
I’ve been training here for the last 6 months and feel that this is the best location for BJJ in the area as far as I am concerned. Yes, I am aware of the Gracie school in Berkeley but, even if I could afford to go there, I’d still prefer to stay here.
After I moved from Sacramento (where I started my training) I wasn’t sure if I could find another place that satisfied me in the same way but (after the first day I was here) I knew this was the place for me.
Cody is a very helpful, knowledgeable, and patient instructor that has helped my technical skills grow quite a bit. Everyone else who trains there is great to work with so we help each other improve (no one here is trying to prove they are better than anyone else). The classes are large enough to give a lot of variety while rolling but small enough that you can still get a lot of 1-​on-​1 advice with the main instructor.
I like it so much here that I decided to bring my wife in (she has been training in Taekwondo for a few years) and now she loves it also (doesn’t hurt her back as much as TKD training does and she likes the fact that now she knows how to strike AND grapple on the ground).
We also now bring in our 6 year old daughter for the kids class and she’s hooked as well. She really enjoys learning with the other kids (and, of course, the games that are played in the children’s class which help improve her balance or strength while having fun). About every other day she now wants to wrestle with me at home which I never turn down — it’s awesome!
All three of us love training here and will continue doing so until the day that we move away — thanks for making this possible for us Cody!

Wow!!! what a great place. My son loves coming here. My son is very shy and this has helped him tremendously with his confidence. He loves the games and learning all the techniques of BJJ. Cody is great with the kids. Highly recommended.

I haven’t been training with Cody for very long but the last three months that i been there I’ve learned so much from a great instructor like him self. Cody is a patient and very good instructor. Ever since i started going to his academy I’ve not only learned Jiu Jitsu but i learned respect for my fellow trainees. I like it very much and I GUARANTEE u will too.

This place is awesome! I train Jiu-​Jitsu since 1999 and was transferred by my company from Brazil to the bay area. After almost a year training in other BJJ clubs around the area I finally found a place that emphasizes technique rather than just pure physical strength. Sergio is a great competitor and a phenomenal teacher, with an amazing technical repertoire that is transmitted every day to his students (after almost a decade training Jiu-​Jitsu in Brazil with world renowned BJJ masters, I feel obliged to say that I am truly amazed by his vast BJJ knowledge). He sets the tone for the club and its affiliates, and is responsible for the positive and friendly attitude that characterizes the Open Door BJJ family. Cody has a lot of talent and his dedication to Jiu-​Jitsu and his students is inspiring. All folks over at Open Door are friendly and I’m very happy to be part of the team. If you want to learn Brazilian Jiu-​Jitsu in its purest form (and it does make a HUGE difference, make no mistake about that) do not hesitate to visit the Alameda, El Cerrito or Hayward locations.

Cody rocks!
I trained with Sergio at Ralph Gracies, so of course I sent my kids to Open Door. (Sorry Kurt, SF’s too far from Richmond at 5 pm) Sergio’s experience with little kids goes beyond anything I have ever seen. Cody is the coolest and most relaxed teacher, yet maintains control of class. He has a very good feel for how hard to push the kids with out going so far as to turn them off. My 5 y.o. daughter loves it and my 3 y.o. son can’t wait til he’s old enough (when my wife goes to pick up my daughter my son always jumps in at the end of the line for bows and handshakes). Cody has invited me to roll a couple times, so I «stayed after class» and rolled with the big boys. I can say that all the students have a good understanding of the fundamentals, and most importantly they didn’t consistantly display any bad habits (most schools have at least one or two bad habits that expose the flaws in their training). Everybody played it tight, and worked position before submission. The biggest flaw in my technique is that I tend to rely on my strength instead of technique, none of the Open Door students did this, which is a testament to the quality of their training. If there is anything bad I can say about Open Door it is that everyon fights very honestly. In other words no feints or bluffs. For me, Jiu Jitsu is a chess game, and faking out the opponent is half the fun. Maybe I’m just lazy, and they’re not, who knows. Anyways everyone has a great attitude and they are fun to roll with.
The quality of instruction and the attitude are great. I highly reccomend this academy.

I’ve been training at Open Door with Cody for about four months now, and I am thoroughly enjoying the experience. I get a ton of personal attention and individually-​tailored training from Cody. Everyone who trains at this gym is friendly and I felt completely comfortable and welcomed when I showed up. I am not a super-​athletic person, but Cody’s instruction is really simple to understand.
If you’re interested in Martial Arts at all, I highly recommend Open Door!