Tidewater Jiu-Jitsu Academy

Tidewater is absolutely phenomenal. When you walk in the front door your greeted with a smile and a Hey brother welcome.... I've trained with this academy twice now, and have taken private lessons with Professor Chris and Dwayne. These guys are professionals and Jedi Knights in their craft. If you want to learn The art of jujitsu both self-defense and competition this is the place you need to be at.

Our son started training bjj 7 years ago in WA and we needed to find a gym when we moved back to VA. We found tidewater and we knew immediately this was a great place to train. Now my other 2 kids and myself train. Kids class is awesome all coaches and professors breakdown everything for the kids. The adults class is always well instructed with great professors. Good people and great family vibe here. Come check them out if you are looking for a family friendly place to train. You won’t be disappointed.

My 8yo has been rolling at Tidewater for 18 months. The facility is one of the best jiu jitsu gyms I’ve been too. Clean, spacious, and welcoming. The COACHING is first class. The adults are rockstars, but the way the coaches interact with the kids is amazing. They create an environment that pushes limits AND make everything accessible to every kid. They are AMAZING.

So our five year old started coming here back in November and we couldn’t be happier! He went from being so shy and hesitant about going on the mat and now is rushing me out the door most Jiu-Jitsu days. Anthony is fantastic with the kids. The kids are as young as four and naturally are emotional at times and he does a great job assisting with self regulation. He keeps it safe, disciplined and FUN. Jordan, his assistant coach is perfect as well. Such a great addition to teaching The class. I appreciate them really helping our son come out of his shell. The more experienced kids in the class are clearly being taught well and help the younger more inexperienced kids out. Which shows perfect sportsmanship. This was a huge factor in deciding extra curricular activities for our kids. My husband has now started going as well and my 2.5 year old daughter is begging to start going. She will start when she’s four.

My nine-year-old son has been training at Tidewater Jiu Jitsu since 2023, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with our experience. In my opinion, everything in martial arts rises and falls with the coaches. They determine the quality of instruction, the safety of the children, and the overall atmosphere of the gym. Tidewater truly excels in this area. The coaches are outstanding. Anthony, Chris, Dwayne, Anna, Landan, and Jordan—thank you for the dedication and passion you bring to this journey. The quality of your coaching is reflected not only in regular training but also in results. Over the past few years, my son has competed in several tournaments and has consistently placed at the top in his age and weight class. More importantly, these achievements reflect the philosophy taught by Prof. Anthony: we train together to become better and stronger, and we compete to learn, grow, and develop as individuals. I now see these values clearly in my son. He is confident and self-assured, balanced and determined—both on and off the mats. For that reason, I can wholeheartedly recommend Tidewater BJJ to any parent considering martial arts for their child. The children don’t just learn techniques in theory or by endlessly repeating movements, as is common in some traditional martial arts. Instead, what they learn is practiced and applied together in a controlled, safe, and realistic environment. This gives me confidence that my son truly knows how to defend himself—not just in theory, but in practice.