One of the oldest cities in the United States Boston has a lot of culture and history, ranging back to the colonial days and the area of extremely important events during the American Revolutionary War. Living in Boston has been an amazing experience. During my 2 years there I’ve met many amazing people and experienced many new things. Although cost of living is extremely high, everything else such as transportation and food is extremely convenient.
The BJJ Experience
Because of school and proximity to where I was living, I camped out at Florian Martial Arts Center for my two years there, while visiting other schools such as BTT Boston to supplement my training. The BJJ scene in Boston, in my opinion, is not as competitive as New Jersey or New York but you can definitely still find some tough rolls, especially now the Bernardo Faria opened a school in Massachusetts.
I would say it really comes down to what you are looking for and what life style you have in Boston. If you are just visiting, working professional, occasional competitor living in Boston, many of these schools are great places to sign up. If you are one of those living the “BJJ Lifestyle”, aka full time competitor, I would recommend BTT, Broadway BJJ, or Bernardo’s.
I have listed all the schools I have visited below, please take a look.
Boston BJJ
- Address: 10 Dedham St, Newton, MA 02461
- Website: http://bbjiujitsu.com/
- Phone: (617) 969-9901
The very first school I visited when I visited Boston for my university interview. Its a bit far from the city but not unreachable if you don’t have a car. Nice group of guys, with sizable mat space and solid instructions.
BTT Boston
- Address: 305 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149
- Website: http://braziliantopteamboston.com/
- Phone: (617) 389-7973
A little bit further up north from the city center, this school had a bunch of tough and skilled guys. Great instruction and friendly atmosphere, if you are looking to be competitive definitely try this school out.
Bernardo Faria Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
- Address: 131a Great Rd, Bedford, MA 01730
- Phone: (781) 428-1364
The one and only Bernardo Faria. His school is a bit of a hike to get to since its all the way in the suburbs up north. But you will not be disappointing when you visit. The school is located in a house, 2 floors of mat space and showers. Bernardo and Matheus Gonzaga run a excellent program, with high level training and instruction. He consistently has black belts from other schools come train and teach so if you are thinking of being a full time competitor, you may want to consider coming here.
Florian Martial Arts Center
- Address: 17 Station St 4th floor, Brookline, MA 02445
- Website: http://florianmartialartscenter.com/
- Phone: (617) 232-3228
Located near one of the busiest place in Boston, Coolidge Corner, Florians Martials has been good to me during my time there. Opened by Kenny Florian (UFC fame) and his brother Keith Florian, the school offers a variety of classes, in BJJ, MMA/Striking, Yoga, and Personal Training. The school tends to have a lot of newer members but everyone there is very open and supportive. Please stop by if you get the chance.
Gracie Barra Boston
- Address: 957 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
- Website: http://www.graciebarraboston.com/
- Phone: (617) 787-5255
Ginsberg Academy
- Address: 2000 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140
- Website: https://ginsbergacademy.com/
- Phone: (617) 821-1585
Getting Around Boston and Massachusetts
The city of Boston, for a American city, is pretty easy to get around without the need for a personal car. Public transportation (MBTA) is one of the better ones (despite being old and run down). Your options range from the local “T”, with multiple lines organized into colors of Blue, Orange, Red, Silver, and Green. Most used lines for visitors would most likely be Red and Green. The Green line gets you from East side of Boston (Downtown and Financial District) to the West Side (Boston College and Suburbs). The Red Line ranges from Cambridge (Home of Harvard and MIT) to the south, ending at Braintree. If the T takes too long, too crowded, or breaks down (happens often), there is the option of using the bus, taxi, or uber/lyft.
You can usually buy a ticket from machines located in various areas of the stops. If you are planning to stay longer in Boston, I recommend getting a CharlieCard. You can pick one up from any of the MBTA employees and charge it either at the stations or at specific local stores.
Places to Visit
As mentioned before Boston has a lot of historical sites to visit (Only listed ones I have been too but there are many more!):
- Boston Tea Part Ships & Museum
- Paul Revere House
- Boston National Historical Park
- Black Heritage Trail
- Bunker ill Monument
- Old State House
- Freedom Trail
- USS Constitution
Other things to do in Boston:
- Watch the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park
- Boston Public Garden
- Boston Duck Tour
- Museum of Science in Cambridge
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Isabella Steward Gardens
- Wind sailing or kayaking down the Charles River
Outside of Boston, Massachusetts and the states surrounding has a lot of great places to hike, sites to visit.
Places to Eat
- Dolphin Bay – Allston
- Sweet Cheeks Q
- Punjab Palace – Brighton
- Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
- Boston Burger Company – Cambridge
- Hokkaido Santouka Ramen – Cambridge
If you have any other questions concerning training, living, schools, etc, please let me know. I would be more then happy to help you out.
Jiujitsu Life 
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