JAO Martial Arts Academy/Caio Terra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

You won’t find another academy like this one! Jao Martial Arts Academy is one of the few schools that offers not only grade A training, but a great professional attitude with a family-​friendly feel to it. The kids, and adults training are sweet, and staff alike. Clean training area. Master Jao is an incredibly knowledgeable instructor with the patience of a saint. He also works great with every type of person who walks in. Most who walk in the school and try their first class aren’t scared or nervous. Training-​wise, it’s a great honor to be training with someone with 30 years experience in the arts and I pleased that the academy offers multiple martial arts that that can be learnt. Finally, I think my number one with Jao Martial Arts is the incredible atmosphere when you walk in. Everyone greets you so kindly and happily. Highly recommend trying a class! One of the best academies in NY.

JAO is an amazing coach and person! Everyone is always welcoming. I highly recommend any one in the NYC area stop in and see for yourself, you’ll be glad you did!!!

Went here for a few months before I got injured. The instructor was very patient and taught the techniques well. The students are pretty good and train hard here. Will def be signing back up once the doctor clears me. They also take care of the facility well. Always cleaning at the end of classes.

I’ve been training in martial arts for many years now, so I’ve experienced the good, the bad, and the outrageous. First off, you have a head instructor who actually cares. When Master Joel comes up to you, you get a genuine feeling that this guy knows what he’s talking about. Just looking around the school gives you a good feeling. Mats are clean, bags are tidy, and everything is in order as it should be. There are no off-​putting smells like in other schools. Clean, healthy, and importantly, safe. Then, once you get into training, you see the beautiful student-​teacher dynamic. Here, you have instructors who still actively practice. These guys are world champs as well as students themselves (under higher ranking masters of course). So, when Joel or any other of the instructors conduct class, you get a good vibe of experience and understanding. The attention to detail is impeccable, which is especially important for a martial arts school. I personally got very good vibes from the classes. Finally, the workout! Lets face it, at the gym you can only do so much. However, in this school, you’re constantly getting pushed. You feel parts of you’re body you’ve never felt before and after all the sweat and work, you realize your pants are becoming a little more loose. All the while, you have students who keep pushing you to do better. This school has a very warm and inviting atmosphere overall. If you have a question about technique, students will answer you with a smile and gladly demonstrate. The instructors will gladly come over to you and explain how and why you do the certain technique in that certain way. Overall, awesome school. Join the family!