I have been training here for a few months, and my wife comes with me, a lot of females for her to train with, so it is a very comfortable environment for her. Professor Fox is awesome, and puts effort into trying to make you better not just get through the class. It is kept very clean also which is a big plus.

My two children (12 and 15) and I have had a wonderful time training here over the last year. Very clean environment, and Professor Don has always treated us with the utmost respect. He helped my son take gold at his first competition.

Professor Fox is a great instructor, very welcoming, friendly, safe and clean. I come from a Judo back ground and he was very accommodating to me and immediately made me feel at home. The classes are well structured. I live 50 mins away and only able to attend one class per week but it is well worth the drive and look forward to it every time.

“ Excellent academy, clean, friendly and organized prof Don Fox and his team will teach you real Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, self defense and empowerment. Gracie Barra Bloomington is the best academy of Bloomington/ Downs IL area. Sign up for a free lesson. It will be one of the best decisions of your life ! “

GB Bloomington is an excellent gym. I recently moved to the area last year and visited a few other gyms. The thing that sold me on the school was the facility and atmosphere created by Don and the other students. Its a great blend of everything beautiful about bjj: physically competitive but in a controlled, safe and educational environment with good humble people. It is really clean with students in various stages of skill. its a hell of a workout at the same you develop useful skills in a very technical art. Not much more you can ask for. I highly recommend Gracie Barra Bloomington!By the way. I am Filipino. Never encountered any racism in my end. Rolled with multiple races/cultures in the gym and everyone has been super welcoming. I cant speak for everyone but thats just been my experience.

I have been coming here for almost 9 months, and I absolutely love training here. I wanted to find a place to learn practical and effective self defense techniques as well as accomplish my goals for fitness, and this place definitely exceeded my expectations. Professor Fox is an excellent teacher, and everyone there is great to work with.

What a crew! A small school, passionate coaches and teachers, a high energy and well-rounded professor who pushes for safety above all; can a newbie really ask for more?The facility is so clean and well maintained and the people—the people make the school. I’m very particular and critical of community and culture and if you’re a first timer, this is the place to be!I absolutely can’t wait to demolish all my goals with this school!

Be careful here...

This is the best school you can invest you and your familys future in. I have visited Gracie Barra Bloomington several times, and it never failed to present itself as the best martial arts academy in the Bloomington/Normal area. The head instructor, Professor Don Fox, is one of the nicest gentleman you will find. Not only does he carries himself professionally, always a pleasant to have a chat with, and also has a big heart in improving lives around his community. Despite other opportunities in his life, he has a strong believe that it is his destiny to bring this life-changing martial art to the community and change lives in Bloomington/Normal, IL. Although my family lives 2 hours away, we always find it like home when we visit his academy, and instantly in love with the positive energy of the Gracie Barra Bloomington team! If you are looking for a place to start your family in self-defense and martial arts, do not pass on the opportunity to try a class with Professor Don Fox at Gracie Barra Bloomington!

GB Bloomington is the BEST Martial Arts School in the area! They offer everyone a Free Trial Class to anyone looking to check the school out! Dont get fouled by fake reviews! Go and see by yourself ! GB Bloomington welcomes men, women and children from all races and walks of life looking to learn real marital arts.

Been training at Gracie Barra Bloomington since I was 10 years old. Fast forward 7 years later and I’m still training here happier than ever. Professor Don Fox has been an inspiration over the years and continues to suprise me with the awesome techniques he demonstrates. I have been gifted with such an amazing place to train and has a great group of students that have become great friends of mine. Even when I was the youngest student in the adult class years ago, I felt equally accepted by my teammates and did not feel like I was any different. Do yourself a favor and come check out Gracie Barra Bloomington and you won’t regret it.

Great place to learn jiu jitsu. Professor Fox has always treated me and my boy Tyson great! He’s very passionate about the art and makes classes fun and a good workout. The racism comments are completely ridiculous. There are many different races in the classes and everyone is treated the same.

This is one of the best martial arts schools in the area, the staff are extremely friendly and welcoming. My girlfriend has been taking classes there for a year now and she loves it. Would recommend for people of all ages!

Great instructor

Fantastic academy! Very clean and neat and well-run by a Professor who is obviously very passionate about BJJ. Thrilled to watch my son progress and happy to see hubby back on the mats as well!

Wont let you train if you have previous experience. Meridith Don Fox has protective orders against him from two of his exs because he abused them. Its a matter of public record. Dont trust him. Or this gym.

Great teacher and facility

One of the best decisions I ever made in my life! The training is second to none. Classes are taught by very experienced and knowledgeable jiujutsu practitioners and the instruction is outstanding. Another awesome benefit is that you are able to train at any Gracie Barra school in the world! The training facility is excellent and top notch guest instructors come onsight to host seminars throughout the year.This school is perfect for anyone interested in learning jiujutsu, self-defense, physical fitness, and meeting new people. The people are so supportive and helpful. Its like having an extended family.

Great place to learn and great workout and great instructors

The Best Place to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Self Defense in The Normal - Bloomington area. Gracie Barra Bloomington is clean, spacious, friendly and Safe! Amazing instruction under Prof Don Fox one of the most accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu experts in the area. I highly recommend GB Bloomington for men, women and children looking to learn real marital arts, get in shape and make a tone of new friends.

Learning a martial art has been a lifelong ambition and over the years Brazilian jiu-jitsu has emerged as the leading art form in competition and self-defense. It wasn’t until recently that I began to think about getting involved but I wanted to train at a Gracie sanctioned institution as the Gracie family largely re-invented jiu-jitsu. Ignorantly, I thought I would have to relocate to a major city for such a privilege. Thankfully, last Thanksgiving I decided to Google Jiu-Jitsu in my area and discovered what I wanted had been operating right under my nose for nearly as long as I’ve been in Bloomington.Gracie Barra Bloomington is as advertised: An institution to learn self-confidence, self-defense, and self-discipline. It’s not easy; no art form should be, but the professor and his coaches teach largely through positive re-enforcement. Still, it is an art form and is taught like one accordingly and is the wrong place for byproducts of this new world order that awards trophies for mere participation or will recognize your way of doing things solely based on your feelings.EVERYONE else should come by, at least once, and check it out! You never know until you try! Students at Gracie Barra Bloomington come from all different walks of life and backgrounds. I even got my dental hygienist interested and co-workers ask me about it all the time!If you’re interested, what are you waiting for?

Gracie Barra Bloomington is an amazing school that providing a welcoming, family-like environment to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I have trained with Professor Don Fox for nearly three years. He is an excellent instructor and I am grateful for his teaching and encouragement both on and off of the mat.I am happy to call the schools coaches and students my friends. The school is made up of a diverse group of individuals and is very inclusive. Everyone has a common goal: to continually grow through jiu-jitsu, both as martial artists and as individuals. The Gracie Barra family is friendly, helpful, and very encouraging. Anyone interested in jiu-jitsu, fitness, or simply getting to know a wonderful group of people should stop in and see what its all about.

While attending this school, I was subject to racial profiling/discrimination. When I first arrived, it was difficult for me to find a partner as the only black male at the time.Only 2 out of the nearly 40 students in the adult class would work with me. Most of them were very rude to me at first, and tried to intimidate me into quitting.I had a particular incident with the chief instructor where I was blatantly profiled and threatened. On January of 2016, I forgot my water bottle in the changing room.While going back to get it, the chief instructor became suspicious and stopped me. He came charging and shouted at me to leave in front of all of the students. Then he started squaring off with me. He grabbed my hand in a forced handshake and put me in a firm wrist lock as a form of intimidation and pain compliance.The situation escalated so fast that I was completely dumbfounded. The magnitude of his voice was so loud that he could be heard outside of the building. Then his assistant instructor stood with his arms crossed in suspicion, asking me, Are you looking for something? with a scowl. I was completely taken aback and speechless. It took a moment for me to soak in what just happened.As the only person of color there, at the time, it wasnt hard for me to put 2+2 together. I have seen all of his other white students go back to get things that they forgot. In all of these cases, there was no suspicion.The moment I did the same thing, I am seen as suspicious and creepy or snooping around. This is all based on profiling and racial bias. I walked away out of concern for my safety and because he demanded that I leave his place of business. He really betrayed my trust.What bothered me the most was that none of his students questioned what he did or came to my defense. They all stood there watching this happen. It was the bystander effect. He made me look like a thief in front of everyone.I think it was also his way of putting a black male in his place, because apparently, were all criminals and thieves. We need to be tamed. The changing room was next to a rack where people placed their personal belongings. He thought I was going to go back there and steal something out of someones bag.I was paying this person over $100/month for my membership and making $40k a year. What kind of thief would pay $100/month just to infiltrate your gym to commit larceny?On top of that, I worked security and law enforcement, and he knew that. Also, I had been attending this gym for 7 months, why would I randomly, out of the blue, decide to commit larceny?Regardless, my unforgiveable blackness overshadowed all of that. Needless to say, I left this gym for good. I later filed a police report for disorderly conduct.I addressed the issue with his chain of command and they gave me the Well look into it, speech. Believe it or not, there are actually black males who have no criminal history (thats amazing, isnt it?).I have a right to post a negative review. I have received an intimidating email from one of his fanatical students for doing so, basically telling me, shut up or else.If youre white, then yes, its a great place. When youre a black male, youre not welcomed there. They will let you know that very quickly. The gym owner will be watching you like a hawk, expecting you to steal something.The chief instructor will find any excuse to get on your case. He discriminates blacks through profiling, bullying, and intimidation. The man does not do a good job of hiding his racism. You can see right through him, hes very phony.This place is more like a cult with a culture of racism and violence. They are all about escalation. Having 3 or 4 Uncle Toms attending a gym is not diversity.When you support and defend a racist, that makes you a racist. I will not be silenced or intimidated by thugs. Just because youre invited, it doesnt mean that youre welcomed. People of color should STAY AWAY.

Gracie Barra Bloomington is an amazing gym with a great professor! Everyone treats you with respect and like family.

Fantastic place to learn discipline, self defense and self confidence!

Racist