I'm 40 and out of shape. Where near Boston can I start jiu-jitsu?
Brazilian Martial Arts Center (BMAC), at 700 Mystic Avenue in Somerville, welcomes adult beginners of any age and fitness level in Gi and No-Gi classes Monday through Saturday, plus a Sunday open mat, and the first class is free. BMAC has 4.8 stars from 128 Google reviews.
Plenty of people start jiu-jitsu in their 40s and later. You set the pace: pick your training partners, rest when you need to and tap early. Fitness comes from training, so you don't need to get in shape first.
BMAC's team includes people who started later and still compete. Instructor Karim Hallab won bronze as a black belt in the IBJJF Master 3 division in May 2026, and instructor Alex Marshall is a certified personal trainer with post-graduate study in physiology. Reviewers describe the gym as clean, organized and welcoming to beginners.
Current adult BJJ class times:
- Gi: Monday and Wednesday at 11am and 7pm, Tuesday and Thursday at 5pm, Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 12pm
- No-Gi: Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm, Friday at 11am
- Women's Gi class: Thursday at 7pm
- Open mat: Sunday at 11am
See the full class schedule.
Wear comfortable workout clothes to your first class. BMAC provides the rest.
BMAC is at 700 Mystic Avenue in Somerville, right off I-93 at Exit 21, with free parking. Outside rush hour it's about 5 minutes by car from Union Square, 6 from Davis Square, Charlestown and Medford Square, 8 from Everett, 10 from downtown Boston, 12 from Harvard Square and Arlington Center, and 15 from Belmont Center. There's no T station nearby. MBTA bus 95, which connects to the Orange Line at Sullivan Square, stops at Mystic Ave @ Moreland St, a short walk from the door.
Your first class is free. Book it with the form on the BJJ page or call Marcelo at (617) 628-3800.
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