American Jiu Jitsu of Manhattan

If you are looking to compete, look the other way. If you are looking to learn how to defend yourself in a real street situation, this is the place for you. In a traditional dojo setting you will learn from experienced instructors who truly care about your progress. No need to trust me, take a free intro class and judge for yourself.

The mat space is comfortable to train on, and the head instructors have been teaching for years. They’re very good at striking a balance between making students feel both comfortable and pushing them to higher levels of achievement. The focus of the school, American Jiu Jitsu, is based in a self– defense philosophy and approach to practicing martial arts. I enjoy this approach, because it’s quite pragmatic – giving you options for all sorts of possibilities. There isn’t much sparring or testosterone culture here. Unfortunately, the dojo is a fifth floor walk up.

I train here. I’ve been a student with the system for a few years. I’ve trained in other arts in the past and didn’t find the instruction and skills to be as practical or immediately applicable as what I’ve learned through the American Jiu Jitsu curriculum.
The class intensity varies by instructor, but is generally pretty mild. If you’re looking for a good work out, this probably isn’t your place. However, if you’re looking to build your physical and mental abilities related to self defense, this is a great program and atmosphere in which to train.
All ages and skill levels are welcome and respected. The student body is a tight-​knit group that spends time together on and off the mat.
Sensei Glenn Genovas is a fantastic instructor. He brings a great sense of urgency and importance to each lesson, and helps tailor techniques and principles to the ability and limitations of students’ individual situations. You won’t just learn the motions, you’ll also learn exactly why those motions were chosen and how to tweak and modify them based on your body and that of your attacker. Sensei Glenn’s instruction isn’t limited to the belt list, it includes sparring and ground-​defense (grappling) classes. His goal is to make students well rounded and comfortable in unpredictable situations.
If you’re interested in learning/​improving practical self defense skills, improving your situational awareness, and making great friends you should stop by to watch a class or try a free session.

Sensei Genovas is a top-​notch instructor. He has a warm personality, positive attitude, and is as patient with newbies as he is with advanced students. His teaching approach makes it easy for everyone to learn and to learn safely. It’s not about the trophy, it’s about personal accomplishment.

I have been training in this art (American Jiu Jitsu) for many years now. The instructors at AJJ Manhattan are top notch, very approachable, and good at explaining not only how to do techniques but why we do them. The art is self defense based, not competition/​sport based like a lot of other martial arts. I like this because it’s practical and you can really use what you learn in real life… if you need to. The techniques are meant to shut an attacker down as quickly as possible. There are also some «luxury techniques» like throws, pins, etc which are fun to do and come from traditional arts like judo, Japanese forms of jiu jitsu etc.
In class, this is no Fight Club– but outside of class we’re ready to do some damage to any would-​be attackers.