Des Plaines Jiu-Jitsu for Complete Beginners
Des Plaines has a little of everything: a downtown built around the Des Plaines Theatre and the Metra station on Miner St, the Des Plaines Park District’s lakeside paths at Lake Opeka, and the fitness center and pools at Prairie Lakes. If you have been thinking about trying a martial art but worry you are too old, too stiff or too new, you are exactly who our beginner classes are for.
Brazil 021 is an Arlington Heights BJJ school led by world champion black belts, northwest of Des Plaines on Salt Creek Ln. The team was founded by Andre “Negão” Terencio, a 6th-degree black belt, and Hannette Staack, a 7x World Champion. See the full lineup of jiu-jitsu classes for kids and adults.
Most new adults start in Fundamentals with black belt Patrick Mullen. Patrick began training in 2017 alongside his teenage daughter and earned his black belt from Andre and Hannette, so he remembers what it is like to walk in knowing nothing. That memory shapes how he teaches people who are brand new.
Getting to Our Academy From Des Plaines
From downtown Des Plaines, pick up Rand Rd (US-12) and follow it northwest through Mount Prospect. Just past Randhurst Village, turn onto Euclid Ave and take it west across Arlington Heights to Salt Creek Ln, which connects Euclid Ave and Rohlwing Rd near the IL-53 interchange.
From the Prairie Lakes area or the south end of town, Algonquin Rd is the direct option. Head west to IL-53, go north, exit at Euclid Ave and turn onto Salt Creek Ln for 3350 West Salt Creek Ln #117.
Des Plaines BJJ Classes for Adults and Kids
Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals breaks the art into simple pieces: how to hold a position, how to escape a bad one, and how to finish safely. Each class builds on the last, and partners are expected to look after each other. When you are ready, Tuesday’s All Levels class and the Thursday and Saturday no-gi sessions give you more mat time.
For Des Plaines parents, kids classes are split by age. The youngest group learns through games that build balance and listening, while 7 to 11 year olds work on real escapes and controlled sparring. Both teach confidence, focus and how to handle a bully without throwing a punch.
- Adults Fundamentals (Gi): Mon & Wed 6:30–7:30 PM
- Adults All Levels (Gi): Tue 6:30–7:30 PM
- Adults Advanced No-Gi: Thu 6:30–7:30 PM; Sat 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
- Kids Class 1, Beginners (ages 3–6): Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri 4:15–5:00 PM
- Kids Class 2, All Levels (ages 7–11): Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri 5:15–6:15 PM; Sat 10:30–11:30 AM (No-Gi)
What Your First Month Looks Like
The first class is mostly about feeling welcome: a warm-up, a couple of basic positions, and drilling with a patient partner. By the second or third week, the names of positions start to stick. By the end of the first month, most beginners can explain what they are trying to do from the bottom and the top, and they are already looking forward to the next class. Nobody expects you to be good yet. They just expect you to come back.
Brazil 021 Arlington Heights holds a 4.9-star rating from 32 Google reviews. Book a free first class and start your first month.
From our blog: How Gi Jiu-Jitsu Teaches Patience and Technique.
