Chicago school of grappling

What Chicago school of grappling does

Chicago School of Grappling LLC is a privately-held, single-location martial arts training academy operating at 722 S. Racine Ave. in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 2015, the business delivers in-person instruction in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (both gi and no-gi), Muay Thai kickboxing, and wrestling/takedowns to adult and junior members drawn primarily from surrounding neighborhoods including Pilsen, Little Village, the Medical District, Downtown, Greek Town, South Loop, and West Loop. Teaching is delivered by a roster of 12+ instructors with credentials ranging from BJJ black and brown belts to competition champions in NAGA, Titan Grappling, US Grappling, Mundials, and Pan American Championships, supported by specialists in no-gi grappling, wrestling-to-grappling transition, and women's classes.

The core product surface is instructor-led group classes organized into fundamentals, evening, no-gi, open mat, and kickboxing tracks, plus a formal competition team for both BJJ and kickboxing. The underlying "technology" is human coaching rather than software; the only third-party platform integration is Mindbody, which handles class scheduling, RSVP, subscription billing, and membership management. An online branded merchandise storefront extends the product surface into apparel and accessories. There is no proprietary software, no AI/ML tooling, and no mobile app — the digital footprint is a Wix-hosted marketing site with a blog ("Advice") and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn).

The revenue model is direct-to-consumer with two main streams: an unlimited-classes monthly subscription at $130 every 30 days (auto-renewing, cancel-anytime with no fee, no annual contracts) and a pay-as-you-go option at $25 per single class. A 7-day free trial — contact-initiated rather than auto-billing — serves as the top-of-funnel acquisition mechanism, and merchandise sales contribute a small supplementary stream. Customer segments are horizontal (general adults, martial arts competitors, and wrestlers transitioning to grappling), and all revenue is generated from individual consumers in the Chicago metro with no enterprise or institutional accounts. The company is founder-operated, has no external funding or parent entity, and has no disclosed ownership changes or M&A history.

Name

Chicago school of grappling

Legal name

Chicago School of Grappling LLC

Website

https://chicagoschoolofgrappling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chicago School of Grappling is a privately-held, single-location martial arts academy in Chicago offering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (gi and no-gi), Muay Thai kickboxing, and wrestling classes to adult and junior members on a $130/month unlimited or $25/class subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts Training Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Grappling & Submission Arts Training (Judo, BJJ, Wrestling) (HSADADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Combat Sports Gyms (Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai) (HSADADAB)

Keywords

• Martial arts training
• Brazilian jiu-jitsu
• Muay thai kickboxing
• Grappling instruction
• Self defense classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Monthly Membership - Unlimited Classes: Subscription model at $130 every 30 days. Provides access to all adult classes including jiu-jitsu, no-gi, open mat, and kickboxing. Cancel anytime with no fee. Auto-renewal on same day of month.
2. Pay-As-You-Go Classes: Single class purchases at $25 per class. Flexibility for customers not ready for subscription commitment. Access to BJJ Fundamentals, Evening BJJ, No-Gi, Open Mat, and Kickboxing.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including apparel with CSG branding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chicago School of Grappling is a Chicago-based martial arts academy offering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gi and No-Gi), Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Wrestling/Takedowns classes for adults. Training is delivered in-person at a single facility at 722 S. Racine Ave., with access provided through a monthly unlimited subscription ($130/30 days), individual class passes ($25/class), or a 7-day free trial.

Product overview

Chicago School of Grappling is a martial arts training facility offering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gi and No-Gi) and Muay Thai Kickboxing classes. The core offerings consist of grappling classes focused on ground defense and submission techniques, and kickboxing classes emphasizing strategic striking. Membership is available through unlimited monthly subscription ($130/30 days) or pay-as-you-go pricing ($25/class). The school features a competition team for advanced students and offers a 7-day free trial for new members. The training philosophy emphasizes a no-ego, casual environment with over 10 instructors teaching diverse styles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jiu-Jitsu / Grappling Classes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction in both Gi (with uniform) and No-Gi formats. Classes include fundamentals, evening BJJ, no-gi, and open mat sessions focused on ground defense, submission strategy, and live sparring, designed for adults ranging from beginners to advanced practitioners.
• Kickboxing / Muay Thai Classes Muay Thai kickboxing instruction covering striking with hands, feet, knees, and elbows, including clinch work and sparring. Focuses on strategic fighting rather than cardio-only fitness, with intro/fundamentals and competition team tracks available.
• Unlimited Classes Membership Monthly subscription priced at $130 every 30 days, providing unlimited access to all adult classes including BJJ, no-gi, open mat, and kickboxing. Auto-renews on the same day each month and can be cancelled any time without fee.
• Pay-As-You-Go Classes Individual class passes at $25 per class for BJJ Fundamentals, Evening BJJ, No-Gi, Open Mat, and Kickboxing. Designed for flexible scheduling and for prospective members testing the academy.
• 7-Day Free Trial 7-day free trial providing access to unlimited adult classes with no annual contracts and no hidden fees. Trial signup requires email contact and waiver submission, with no automatic billing.
• Competition Team Training Specialized training for competitive fighters including a kickboxing competition team led by Christian Geronimo, covering preparation for scrimmage events, smoker fights, and exhibitions, alongside BJJ competition preparation.
• Branded Merchandise Online shop selling branded apparel and accessories with Chicago School of Grappling branding, accessible through the academy website.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MindbodycoreTechnology or IntegrationMindbody is used as the booking and scheduling platform for class reservations and membership management. Members must book classes through Mindbody's platform (clients.mindbodyonline.com) and the platform handles membership subscriptions and payments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Renegade MMA (Chicago): A Chicago-area combat sports gym offering MMA, kickboxing, and BJJ. Comparable multi-discipline programming but with a heavier MMA competition orientation than CSG.

Broad incumbents

• UFC Gym: A national combat-sports-inspired fitness franchise offering MMA, BJJ, kickboxing, and strength programming. Overlaps with CSG's multi-discipline martial arts positioning but operates at much broader scale and brand reach.
• TITLE Boxing Club: A national fitness franchise focused on kickboxing and boxing group classes. Comparable to CSG on the kickboxing side, with a much larger multi-location footprint and broader fitness positioning.

Direct peers

• Yamasaki Academy (Chicago): A long-standing Chicago-area martial arts academy offering MMA, kickboxing, and BJJ with multiple instructors. Directly comparable in multi-discipline programming and Chicago adult learner segment.
• Gracie Barra Chicago: One of the largest global BJJ franchise networks with multiple Chicago-area locations offering gi/no-gi BJJ instruction. Directly comparable to CSG in core discipline (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and adult learner segment.
• Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Chicago-area): A Chicago-area BJJ school offering fundamentals through advanced grappling. Directly comparable core offering to CSG's BJJ fundamentals and evening BJJ classes.
• Alliance BJJ (Chicago affiliates): A globally competitive BJJ team with affiliated academies offering gi and no-gi classes. Comparable to CSG in competition-team pathway and adult grappling segment.
• Pedro Sauer BJJ (Chicago affiliate): Traditional/self-defense-focused BJJ lineage with affiliated academies in the Chicago area. Comparable to CSG in BJJ instruction, beginner-friendly approach, and adult segment.
• 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Chicago: A globally recognized no-gi-focused BJJ system with Chicago-area affiliates. Directly comparable to CSG on the no-gi grappling side and serves the same adult practitioner and competitor segments.

Emerging players

• Onnit Foundations (Onnit Gym): A fitness and martial arts-adjacent brand with BJJ/kickboxing programming and strong digital content. Comparable on the adult martial arts + fitness positioning with a notably stronger digital/brand layer than CSG.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Chicagoschoolofgrappling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-school-of-grappling/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicagoschoolofgrappling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago school of grappling