Good Jiu Jitsu. Good people.

Washington DC’s #1 choice for expert instruction and a welcoming, ego-free training environment for all experience levels.

Our Classes.

Fundamentals

Advanced

Women

Kids

Your first class is on us.

About us.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a dynamic and highly effective martial art that empowers individuals of all ages and body types. It focuses on proper technique, leverage and strategy – not strength and size – with the goal of controlling and submitting opponents using joint locks and chokeholds. And it's an intense full-body workout that improves your strength, flexibility, and cardio.

Run by third-degree black belt Luis Pantoja, Estilo Jiu Jitsu offers a learning environment where students are actively engaged in real-time problem-solving and decision-making, providing both an intellectual and physical challenge. Luis has nearly 20 years of experience teaching and competing at a high level, and his instruction is rooted in concepts and techniques that are battle-tested and that work. And our classes are intentionally smaller in order to cultivate a more focused, personalized training experience.

Our commitment to you:

  • We will remember your name and your face.

  • We are genuinely invested in our students and dedicated to your progress.

  • We will challenge and encourage you, and offer hands-on guidance.

  • There is no sink or swim mentality here. We have room for everyone.

  • No one will try to kill you on your first day. We want you to come back!

  • You can ask and receive direct feedback.

  • We are obsessive about cleanliness and hygiene.

Margot Ciccarelli

Margot Ciccarelli

Jon Thomas

Jon Thomas

Levi Jones-Leary & Alanis Santiago

Levi Jones-Leary & Alanis Santiago

Adam Wardzinski

Adam Wardzinski

World class.

Not only do we strive to bring you world-class instruction, we're also committed to bringing in world-class talent. We host competitors and experts who are at the very top of the Jiu Jitsu game, and at the cutting edge of techniques and learning. These exciting opportunities give our students direct access to a diversity of information and perspectives to help deepen their knowledge and skillsets, all within a smaller seminar setting where they can receive more personalized attention.

Nomadic x Estilo

We are also excited to be working in collaboration with top-level black belt Margot Ciccarelli (sometimes known as “Nomadic Mars”), exploring new and optimal ways to train, learn and compete. We’re eager to tap into Margot’s expertise as an elite competitor, practitioner, teacher and philosophizer, and to have her around to help us reimagine the training environment and introduce different challenges to students so they are constantly adapting, changing, progressing and evolving.

Margot is a professional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete and coach, winning five World Championships in her colored belt career. She has become one of the top grappling prospects of her generation. Her style creates art with movement; aesthetically beautiful as well as effective. She currently trains at the renowned Art of Jiu Jitsu in Costa Mesa, CA.

Estilo diferente.

  • "Top quality instruction. Luis is a high level black belt, and DC is lucky to have him. He's super generous with his time. If you're more serious about developing your game, the instruction here will take you as far as you want to go. Nice, well-rounded selection of classes."

    Matt Y.

  • "If you’re a woman coming in to the sport, this is the holy grail of BJJ. Your classmates are patient and respectful, everyone’s there to learn (instead of trying to dominate), everything’s clean, well-lit, and the instruction is the best in the city."

    Michelle G.

  • "I have been training with the school for over three years and can highly recommend it to both beginners and experienced students and practitioners. I have trained at other BJJ academies and can say hands down this is the best environment I've had."

    Paul S.

  • "Estilo Jiu Jitsu offers an authentic martial arts experience with tons of experience and top notch instruction. The gym culture is friendly and welcoming, everyone vibes very well which makes for some high quality jiu jitsu."

    Luz T.

  • "My experience at Estilo for the past year and a half has set a high bar in terms of my expectations for how a school should operate. The level of instruction, the variety of activities (expert seminars, in-house tournaments, open mats + events) truly approaches building a community holistically."

    Clarence Y.

Tako.

Our octopus logo symbolizes the Estilo training philosophy. Known for its creative problem-solving skills, adaptability, and intelligence, the octopus represents our commitment to developing these qualities in training and competition. And “tako” is the Japanese word for octopus, a nod to the Japanese roots of our martial art.