Ginsberg Academy BJJ

"I trained at this gym for 1.5 years. Pros: The community of students is exceptionally friendly and caring; I gained many wonderful friendships on the mat. I developed a solid foundation in jiu jitsu through the principal gi and no gi classes. Additional classes (judo, leglock techniques and low-impact attacks) are stellar; these assistant coaches are professional and caring. Cons: On several occasions, I felt uncomfortable because of the way myself and a number of other women were treated at the gym. I left the gym when it became clear that several women had felt the same way. I encourage women to look elsewhere for a jiu jitsu gym."

"This school is amazing. I’ve been training BJJ for 6 years and I love coming to Cambridge to train at Ginsberg Academy. Easy to find. Immaculately clean. Professor Ginsberg is incredibly knowledgeable, super accommodating and welcoming! The community in the gym is so friendly, which is amazing and so important! It can be intimidating training at a new gym, from the moment I first stepped in this school, it’s been a beautiful and encouraging journey! Really love the whole team and the vibe! Can’t say enough great things."

"Hidden gem, not only the quality of jiu jitsu but also the person that professor Dave is. As one of his black belts I regularly bring students from my academy in North Carolina to train with him (both men and women). We are treated as family from the time we arrive to the time we leave. Every single one of us is treated with nothing but respect. We always look forward to our next visit. We only wish we were closer so we could do it more often."

"I've been training at Ginsberg Academy for the past six months and would strongly recommend it to anyone considering starting BJJ or changing gyms. A few notes: - The culture is very friendly, casual but serious in intention, and welcoming of newcomers. - Professor Ginsberg, a 5th degree black belt under Mario Sperry, typically teaches the BJJ and MMA classes himself, and there are specialist coaches for Judo, Wrestling, and Muay Thai. - The senior students are very good, technically sharp but also generous with their time for teaching beginners. - While most students at the gym are hobbyists, many are amateur competitors and occasionally pros will drop in for a class. These connections to the highest levels of the sport impart a kind of noticeable energy, in a good way: everyone reaps the benefits of learning what does or doesn't work against people who do BJJ for a living. That said, training at Ginsberg Academy is a choose-your-own-adventure and competition is warmly encouraged but absolutely not pressured. - Ginsberg Academy has the strongest emphasis on safety (including health and hygiene) of any gym I've visited, and it's hard to imagine training any other way now. - It can sometimes get a little crowded on the mats during weeknight open mats, which in light of everything else is a nice problem to have."

"I am a blue belt, with regular experience from 5 American and 5 European BJJ schools, and plenty of occasional drop-ins elsewhere. I can responsibility say that Ginsberg Academy is top-notch, with an amazing attention to detail, but even more importantly - extremely high professionalism, unparalleled focus on safety in training, as well as the highest cleanliness standards (definitely the best I've seen, which is great not just because of comfort, but also because of health and safety, nobody wants to get the pink eye!). Coach Dave is an amazing athlete with lots of tricks up his sleeve, and troves of BJJ knowledge to share, but what I appreciate most is his demeanour: he really treats everyone equal, welcomes people of all backgrounds and paths, and is extremely generous and supportive. The people, who are training there, are also super friendly and supportive. Even if they could really smash you because of the skill differential, they foremostly focus on helping you grow and generously share their knowledge. It is a community that really helps you develop. The dojo itself is very spacious, well maintained, and equipped. The bathrooms have two shower cabins and one toilet - nothing fancy, but ok. If the location works for you, don't even think about it and drop in to check if you like it - the high chances are, you will."