Grappling
Build your ground game through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling. Study positions, control, escapes, takedown awareness, and submissions with a clear technical focus.
Ralph Gracie BJJ · Sityodtong Muay Thai · Chicago
Join the Legacy.
Conquer the Fight.Masterthe art.
Train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Grappling, and MMA across Lincoln Park and South Loop. Choose your location, find your first class, and start with a 7-day trial.
Limited-time Fall Special
3 months.
All access.
Access to all classes at both Chicago MMA locations for three months, beginning the day you purchase.
Through September 30
22 days left
$650$520
20% off the three-month unlimited membership. Save $130.
Claim the Fall SpecialAdult programs
Choose your
path.
Three ways to train. Start with Grappling, Striking, or MMA, then choose the classes that match your interests and experience.
Explore Grappling
Striking
Develop balance, range, combinations, timing, and controlled partner work through the distinct striking practices of Muay Thai and K-1 Kickboxing.
MMA
Integrate striking and grappling into one connected practice, from distance and clinch work to takedown awareness, control, and ground transitions.
Kids and Youth Programs
A strong start
for young students.
Kids BJJ gives younger students an age-appropriate place to learn movement, technique, partner awareness, and training-room habits. Explore current placement guidance, parent resources, and first-class preparation.
For parents
First-class
questions.
What should my child wear?
A clean training shirt and shorts are enough for a first visit. Please leave jewelry at home and avoid clothing with zippers. Students train barefoot on the mats.
Does my child need BJJ gear for the trial?
Community equipment is available to borrow during the trial. Ask the coach if you are unsure which equipment applies to your child’s class. Ongoing students need their own appropriate equipment.
What are the age groups and class times?
The current Lincoln Park weekly schedule lists Kids & Youth Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for ages 5–9 and 9–13 on Monday and Wednesday from 4:30 PM–5:15 PM. The current South Loop schedule lists Kids & Youth Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Monday and Wednesday from 4:15 PM–5:00 PM; it does not specify an age breakdown. Please request a trial so Chicago MMA can confirm the right current placement.
How is the first class kept safe?
Kids BJJ is age-appropriate and coach-guided, with attention to movement, technique, partner awareness, and training-room habits. Share your child’s age when you request a trial so Chicago MMA can help with current availability and placement.
What should we do when we arrive?
Arrive 5–10 minutes early, introduce your child to the coach, and let them know it is a first visit. You can change in the locker rooms, watch from off the mats, and wait for the prior class to finish before stepping on.
Grappling, Striking, MMA, and Kids BJJ in Chicago
Train where you are
Two locations.
One membership.
Lincoln Park
1528 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60642
Train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Grappling, and MMA in Lincoln Park. Each location includes a dedicated strength room.
South Loop
110 E Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60616
Train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Grappling, and MMA in South Loop. Each location includes a dedicated strength room.
Leadership
Meet the people
behind the room.
Meet Misho Ceko, Patrick Gatbunton, and Rosie Aybar—part of the Chicago MMA coaching team.
01Chicago MMA leadershipFounder & Head Instructor
Misho Ceko
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and MMA
Fourth-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in the Ralph Gracie lineage, fourth-degree Luta Livre black belt, and Sityodtong Muay Thai coach with nearly 30 years in martial arts.
02Chicago MMA coachProfessor · Director of the Kids Program
Patrick Gatbunton
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu · Grappling · Kids BJJ
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, first degree, grappling champion, and Director of the Kids Program.
03Chicago MMA coachMuay Thai Trainer
Rosie Aybar
Muay Thai
Muay Thai fighter and trainer.
Learn more about the people who teach, guide, and build Chicago MMA.
Meet the teamChicago MMA lineage
Join the Legacy.
Chicago Mixed Martial Arts, founded in 2010, is part of the Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Sityodtong Muay Thai, and Luta Livre USA teams. Our roots go back 100 years.
Explore our History
01 / Grappling lineage
Gracie Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu developed in Brazil during the early twentieth century after Japanese judoka Mitsuyo Maeda shared judo and jiu-jitsu with Carlos Gracie. In 1925, Carlos opened the Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro, helping establish a family of methods that became globally associated with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
02 / Striking lineage
Sityodtong
Muay Thai
Sityodtong began as a Muay Thai training camp founded by Kru Yodtong Senanan in Thailand. The Sityodtong Boston history records Mark DellaGrotte’s training at the Pattaya camp with Kru Yodtong in the late 1990s and the permission he later received to teach in the United States.
03 / No-gi lineage
Luta
Livre
Brazilian Luta Livre is a grappling tradition that developed in Rio de Janeiro. The Luta Livre Submission federation’s history identifies Euclydes “Tatu” Hatem as an early central figure and traces his training in Rio in the late 1920s. The art is commonly practiced without a traditional jacket.
Start with 7 days.
The Chicago MMA trial is $49 for 7 days. Review the next steps, choose a location, and begin through our secure booking flow.
Start your trialYour first class
Start with a clear
Day One plan.
Come in workout clothes, arrive 5–10 minutes early, and introduce yourself to the coach. Trial members may borrow community equipment.
Book your class
Use the member portal or app, or book at the gym. The website schedule is there to help you choose a class.
Keep it simple
Wear a shirt and shorts without jewelry or zippers. Chicago MMA trains barefoot on the mats.
Join the room
Watch from off the mats until the prior class finishes, then meet your coach and training partners.