Martial Arts in Bethesda, MD
Kids, teens, adults, and women from Bethesda train real Brazilian jiu-jitsu at our family-owned GFTeam academy in Takoma Park — about 5 miles east of Downtown Bethesda, one straight drive down East-West Hwy (MD 410). Your first class is free.
A family academy, one road from home
Bethesda families train with us from Downtown Bethesda, Woodmont Triangle, Edgemoor, Battery Park, Bradley Hills, and North Bethesda — from Bethesda Row and the Capital Crescent Trail to the Medical Center corridor. What brings them east on MD 410 is a family-owned GFTeam academy, run since 2015 by a Pan American Champion, at 720 Erie Ave in Takoma Park — about 5 miles from Downtown Bethesda, with a drive that is one road almost the whole way.
Kids Jiu-Jitsu
Confidence, discipline, and real self-defense — weekday classes at 5:00 PM, Saturdays at 9:00 AM.
Kids Jiu-Jitsu Program →Teens Jiu-Jitsu
A dedicated youth program — while some schools fold 15+ into adult classes, our teens train in their own sessions, Mon–Thu 6:00–7:00 PM.
Teens Program →Beginner Adult BJJ
Start from zero: beginner evenings at 6:00 PM and 7:00 AM morning gi, Tue–Thu.
Beginner Program →Women's-Only BJJ
Three women's-only sessions a week in a dedicated women's program.
Women's Program →Martial Arts Summer Camp
Five weekly day-camp sessions for ages 4–12, 8:30 AM–4:00 PM with aftercare to 6:00 PM.
Summer Camp 2027 →Your First Class Is Free
Every program starts with a free trial in a real group class. No experience, no gear, no pressure.
Book a Free Trial Class →Directions to 720 Erie Ave
Start downtown
Begin in Downtown Bethesda (Wisconsin Ave & Montgomery Ave, by Bethesda Row) and get on East-West Hwy (MD 410) heading east.
Stay on MD 410 east
MD 410 carries you through Chevy Chase and into Takoma Park — no highways to merge onto, no downtown DC traffic. It is the same road the whole way.
Finish on Erie Ave
Continue to Flower Ave, head south to Erie Ave, and turn onto Erie Ave — WDC BJJ is at 720 Erie Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912, right where Erie Ave meets Flower Ave.
Arrive 15 minutes early
For your first class, arrive 15 minutes early in comfortable athletic clothes (no pockets or zippers) with a water bottle, and check in at the door.
Your first class is free.
No experience needed, and no contracts or long-term commitment — just come train. Enrollment includes a free uniform for kids, youth, and adults.
1. Send the free-trial request or call us.
2. We confirm the right class for your age and schedule.
3. Arrive 15 minutes early in athletic clothes.
4. Train in a real group class — then decide with zero pressure.
A training week that fits Bethesda life
Bethesda days run on school pickup, the Red Line, and the Medical Center shift change. Our week is laid out the same way: kids train right after school, teens right after that, and adults get both an after-work room and a before-work one — all a straight MD 410 drive from Bethesda.
Kids at 5, teens at 6
Kids classes run weekdays at 5:00 PM — reachable from Downtown Bethesda, Bradley Hills, and North Bethesda right after the school day — with an older-kids session and the dedicated teens program (ages 13–17) following at 6:00 PM. One trip, both kids trained.
Kids Jiu-Jitsu ProgramThe 7 AM gi crew
Adults Gi at 7:00 AM, Tuesday through Thursday, is built for commuters: train, shower, and start the day before the Wisconsin Ave and Red Line crowds. Bethesda adults who can't do evenings build their whole week on this class.
Adults Gi ProgramBeginners at 6, open mat Saturday
Adult beginner sessions run at 6:00 PM Monday through Thursday, the advanced room at 7:00 PM, and Saturday starts with kids at 9:00 AM and No-Gi Open Mat at 10:00 AM — the whole family's week, about 5 miles from Downtown Bethesda.
See the Full ScheduleAdults No-Gi
Thursday No-Gi Drills and Saturday open mat — the other half of the adult program.
No-Gi Program →Competition Team
Bethesda students compete at IBJJF Opens and local events with our comp team.
Competition Team →Member Reviews
5.0 stars across 112 Google reviews — hear it from the families who train here.
Read Reviews →Everything you're wondering
About 5 miles. WDC BJJ is at 720 Erie Ave in Takoma Park — there is no WDC BJJ location in Bethesda; Bethesda families train at our Takoma Park academy, about 5 miles east of Downtown Bethesda. By car, it is one road most of the way: East-West Hwy (MD 410) runs from Bethesda through Chevy Chase straight into Takoma Park.
Yes — weekday kids classes run at 5:00 PM, and the drive from Bethesda down MD 410 is a straight shot into Takoma Park. Classes are grouped by age and size, and for a first class you just arrive 15 minutes early and check in at the door.
Yes — Adults Gi runs Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:00 AM, hard training that finishes in time for the workday and the commute, whether you head downtown or to the Medical Center.
Yes — we have our own parking lot at the gym, with free parking at 720 Erie Ave, Takoma Park. Arrive 15 minutes early for your first class and check in at the door.
Yes — your first class is free, for every program: kids 4–12, teens 13–17, adults, and women's-only. No payment, no contract, no obligation.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a grappling art: no striking, no forms to memorize — leverage, escapes, and control, practiced live with partners. Many Bethesda families choose it because kids learn real self-defense while they train, and adults get a complete workout that teaches a skill.
Programs vary by how often you train, and we don't publish prices online. Come try a free class, and we'll walk you through the option that fits your family — with no contracts or long-term commitment.