Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu IN ALTAMONTE SPRINGS
ACHIEVING JIU-JITSU AND FITNESS GOALS TOGETHER
Welcome to United Legion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Altamonte Springs. At our facility, we offer martial arts, self-defense, and physical fitness. We’re located in Seminole County near I-4 and positioned to serve all north Central Florida residents.
We serve the following areas:
- Altamonte Springs
- Orlando
- Wekiva Springs
- Longwood
- Maitland
- Lake Mary
- Apopka
At ULBJJ, we focus on the fundamental techniques of the art and strive to provide a challenging, safe training environment. Our mat space is a robust 1,400 square feet, providing ample room for group classes.
Our mission is to make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu accessible to everyone. We work with students of nearly all ages—from four years old and up—ensuring that men, women, and kids have a quality place to train.
To assist you with your fitness goals, our gym area is equipped with squat racks, barbells, dumbbells, and more.
Lastly, come to enjoy the camaraderie. As a member of ULBJJ, you’ll not only receive excellent training, but you’ll also meet new friends. We train hard, help each other, and improve together, one roll at time.

THE NEED FOR JIU-JITSU TRAINING
Personal protection is something to consider because people are unpredictable. We may be leaving Publix or Starbucks and what seemed like a normal evening suddenly becomes a self-defense scenario.
To be better prepared, we must be skilled in distance management. The different ranges in which a fight can happen include:
- Long range (10 feet and beyond)
- Medium range (5 to 10 feet)
- Short range (close-quarters, hand-to-hand)
While long and medium-range situations typically require the use of weapons, close-quarters altercations almost always imply hand-to-hand fighting. With that said, BJJ training is something we can never overlook because we never know when we may need to defend ourselves.
For hand-to-hand scenarios, practitioners as disparate as Navy Seals to MMA fighters have proven that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the best arts one can learn.
As retired Navy Seal commander Jocko Willink said, “The first thing you start with is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because it’s going to teach you how to handle yourself when that combative situation becomes a grappling scenario.”
VARIOUS FORMS OF MARTIAL ARTS
At the start of your martial arts journey, one of the first questions to ask is, “What martial art should I learn?” This question can bring clarity; it can also cause confusion because there are hundreds of styles from which to choose.
When selecting a martial art, one consideration is practicality. It’s critical to ask how effective a style would be should you need to defend yourself. For instance, assume you chose a martial art that entails mastering the bow staff, ninja stars, or nunchucks.
Learning those systems are acceptable if your goal is to master a new hobby. What if, however, you’re accosted in a Publix parking lot and have to defend yourself? Would you be carrying those items on a daily basis? Learning an art that requires mastering those tools my be fun but not practical.
Options for Self Defense
Many martial arts instructors promote theories that a student can somehow defeat multiple opponents. Those scenarios should be reserved for movies. Truthfully, the best option is always to avoid, evade, or escape from dangerous situations. You’ll avoid any potential physical harm or legal trouble.
The second option—if the altercation is inevitable—is to fight. In that case you’ll need to have mastered a marital art that will work on a stronger opponent. There is no perfect fighting art, but there are a handful of styles that can give you such fighting competence. These include:
Although there are myriad martial arts to choose from, these six probably constitute the most effective forms of unarmed combat. Finally, keep in mind that there are only so many hours in a day and we can only master one thing at time. For these reasons we recommend starting with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.


KEY TAKE AWAYS
When choosing a martial art, consider:
Practicality.
If you’re looking for something that will provide physical fitness, almost any martial art will do. If, however, you want something that will increase your fitness and is also practical, start with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This art can give you the tools to deal with larger and stronger opponents.
Self-defense is necessary.
We can’t control if or when we may be forced to defend ourselves, but we can choose to be ready. As Sun Tzu said, “The skillful warrior does not rely on the enemy not coming, but on his own preparedness.” Proper prior preparation is the key to feeling confident in our survival skills.
We offer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu In Altamonte Springs.
We’re conveniently located in Altamonte Springs, next to I-4. We also are positioned to serve the surrounding towns: Wekiva springs, Longwood, Apopka, Lake Mary, Maitland, and north Orlando. If you live within a 10-miles radius from our academy, we’d love to help you with your self-defense and fitness goals.
SUMMARY
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is critical for self-defense; we also offer physical fitness through weightlifting, convenience, solid customer service, and camaraderie.
If you want more information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Altamonte Springs, feel welcome to give us a call!
PROGRAMS
MEMBER REVIEWS
Tamie Youmans9 January 2025 I've been training with JD since I was a kid and would recommend his gym to anyone! This is the perfect place for anyone looking for discipline, skill, and a great community. JD's does a great job of teaching the basics of self-defense, while also providing a place for the more experienced to hone their skills. The environment has always felt safe, clean, and encouraging--which I find especially important as a girl! Overall, this is a great gym for people of all ages and skill sets. Arelis Capitanio28 December 2024 I have to say that on my first day of training I was shown around and introduced to everyone actually they can up to me and introduce themselves to me and it was a very warm environment. Everyone was friendly and respectful the instructor JD is warm and friendly and very knowledgeable he explains everything with patience and clarity and It’s also a female friendly gym I’ve gone to other places that really don’t warm up to woman training jiujitsu but this school is not one of them and it’s a clean environment and would and will recommend United Legion . Shane Arnold27 December 2024 Love it 👍🏽 Kristina Linares20 December 2024 ULBJJ is awesome! Great workout! I've had so much fun there and felt so welcomed already after my first week. The owner JD is a genuinely good person. I love how he runs his business and how he approaches/teaches jiu jitsu. He has built a good culture of respect, humility, friendly atmosphere and everyone helps each other. No egos. He's really great with the kids too. I feel very safe for me and my 5yo daughter. I definitely recommend and encourage the ladies to come join us so we can build our lady tribe! 💪🏻☺️💃🏻 Jose Pereira20 December 2024 Coach JD is a fantastic coach , he teaches kids the discipline that they need , but just the right amount of. Nothing is given , it’s earned . My kid has been enjoying having a coach that pushes him to do his absolute best and to not give up . Gaby Riv20 December 2024 Words cannot describe how amazing JD is as a coach . My son had recently just started about a week ago , and although is taking some time for him to get used to workouts and movements . JD and his helpers definitely take the time and have the patience to teach Maryam Phillips3 December 2024 Amazing class! Girls and boys need this! JD is super passionate about teaching! Amazing environment for kids to build confidence and thrive. It’s perfect balance of focus and discipline and technique and recommend to all our friends ! Love United Legion! L K26 November 2024 Very well run, clean, professional and friendly gym. The other students are friendly and respectful, not a lot of egos. Great instruction by the Professor. Overall a great gym. Milin Patel26 November 2024 Fantastic environment, and great welcoming energy for new students. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area. Jannette Serrano19 November 2024 United Legion is amazing for kids! JD is an incredible instructor—patient, skilled, and great at making every class fun and engaging. The classes strike the perfect balance between learning jiu-jitsu, staying active, and building important values like respect and teamwork. If you’re looking for a welcoming, top-notch place for your child to thrive, United Legion is the best choice!
To try a few classes, click below!