Real Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for adults, women, and kids across the Memphis metro and North Mississippi. Welcoming mats. Real instruction. A school built for first-timers and lifers alike.
Free Trial Class
One full class on us
Black Belt Coach JD
Training since 1999 · gym owner since 2005
All Levels Welcome
Zero experience required
Years coaching
Active students
Classes per week
Star-rated coaching
Why Shackelford's
Shackelford's MMA Center is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy serving the Memphis metro and the surrounding Mid-South from two locations — Olive Branch, MS and Hernando, MS. Our adult classes and Junior Warriors kids program welcome students from every neighborhood around Memphis — from East Memphis and Midtown to Germantown, Collierville, Cordova, Bartlett, Whitehaven, and just across the state line in Olive Branch, Southaven, Horn Lake, and Hernando.
We're a dedicated BJJ school in the Memphis area that takes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seriously — and at the same time, we're a friendly, family-first gym where a brand-new white belt is treated with the same respect as a competition-grade purple belt. That balance is rare, and it's the reason some of our students happily drive close to an hour each way to train with us. Browse our weekly class schedule to see when we're on the mat.
Head coach and owner JD is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has been training since 1999, with a successful MMA and jiu-jitsu career behind him. He opened his first gym in 2005 — so whether you're searching for BJJ classes near Memphis because you want to lose weight, learn real self-defense, get your kid into Junior Warriors, find a way to manage stress, or train fast-paced no-gi jiu-jitsu, you're learning from someone who's lived this art for over two decades.
Below you'll find every program we run, an interactive class schedule, our latest articles from the mat, answers to the questions Memphis-area newcomers ask most, and a quick contact form. Or just call (901) 582-5558 and we'll get you on the mat this week.
The Shackelford Method
How we turn first-timers into confident grapplers — without the ego or the McDojo nonsense.
Head Coach & Owner · BJJ Black Belt
Black belt. Training since 1999. Opened his first gym in 2005. Over two decades on the mat.
Head coach and owner JD is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has been training since 1999, with a successful MMA and jiu-jitsu career behind him. He opened his first gym in 2005 — you're learning from someone who has lived this art for over two decades.
Every class teaches one technique well — not ten poorly. Coaches correct your form rep by rep, the way Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was meant to be taught.
Live training (rolling) is optional, always. Drill for a few weeks before you ever roll if you want. We meet you where you are and bring you forward.
Most fights end on the ground. BJJ is the only major martial art built around exactly that — and we keep our curriculum honest about it.
Adults can train Monday and Wednesday nights in Hernando, plus Tuesday and Thursday in Olive Branch — including a 5:30 AM Tuesday session for early risers. Junior Warriors meets Tue/Thu in Olive Branch.
Training partners who notice when you don't show up. Some of our students drive almost an hour each way to be on these mats — that should tell you something.
Real Transformations
Forget the belt for a minute. Here's what transformation looks like for real Memphis-area students.
Marcus T.'s Story
Marcus walked in at 42, convinced he was too old, too stiff, and too out-of-shape to train. Eighteen months later he earned his blue belt — and lost 28 pounds without ever stepping on a treadmill. He still drives in three nights a week after work.
Cordova · Memphis Metro
Lily R. (age 9)'s Story
Lily started our kids program after a rough stretch at school. Her parents didn't want a fighter — they wanted their daughter back. One semester later her teacher called to ask what changed. She had learned, in her own body, that she was harder to push around than anyone realized.
Olive Branch · North Mississippi
Composite examples illustrative of typical student journeys. Real testimonials below.
Choose Your Path
We split our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes by age, experience, and goal so you train with the right people from day one.
Discipline, focus, and confidence for ages 9–15. Free gi included with membership.
Learn moreZero-experience-friendly classes for adults of every fitness level.
Learn more
Practical self-defense and empowerment in a welcoming environment.
Learn more
Burn 700+ calories per class while learning a real skill.
Learn more
Build unshakable self-confidence one round at a time.
Learn moreComfortable workout clothes, fast-paced grappling, all levels welcome.
Learn moreTrade Memphis traffic and screen time for the mat.
Learn moreOne full class, completely free. Step on the mat, drill a real technique, and see if Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fits your life — without spending a dime.
Reserve your spot today
Inside The Room
Nervous about your first class? Here's exactly what your 1 hour and 20 minutes looks like, minute by minute. No surprises.
Step 1
We meet you at the door and ease into a 5-minute warm-up. Hips, neck, shoulders — gently.
Step 2
Coach JD demonstrates one technique with a senior student. You watch the whole sequence twice before you ever try it.
Step 3
You drill the technique with a partner, slowly and cleanly. A coach moves around the room correcting form, one pair at a time.
Step 4
Controlled positional rounds. You start in a specific position and work the technique you just drilled — at a pace that matches yours.
Step 5
The last 20 minutes of every adult class is open mat for live training, also called rolling. Totally optional. Most folks find it's the most fun part of the night — but stay or skip it, your call.
You'll leave sweaty, smiling, and asking when you can come back.
The Journey
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the slowest-promoting martial art on earth — and that's the point. Every belt is earned, not handed out.
Belt 1
Day one. You learn how to fall safely, how to escape bad positions, and how to hold a frame. Most students train here 18–24 months.
Belt 2
Real BJJ is starting to make sense. You have a guard, you can pass, and you've started building your own game. Roughly 2–4 years on the mat.
Belt 3
You're dangerous to upper belts on a good day. Your game has identity. Most purple belts have trained 4–6 years and coach beginners.
Belt 4
Polishing what already works. Trimming what doesn't. Brown belts at our school have typically logged 6–9 years of consistent training.
Belt 5
Ten-plus years of work. Not the end — the start of teaching the next generation of Memphis-area grapplers.
Service Area
Our students drive in from every corner of the Memphis area. If you live in any of these neighborhoods, you're 15–25 minutes from our front door.
FAQ
Reviews
"I'd looked at three other Memphis-area BJJ gyms before walking into Shackelford's. The difference was night and day. Real instruction, no ego, and I actually look forward to driving in after work."
"I came in nervous as a complete beginner. Coach JD and the team made me feel welcome from minute one. Six months in I'm hooked."
"My daughter went from shy to confident in a single semester of Junior Warriors. The kids program here is the real deal."
The Vibe
Shackelford's MMA Center is a serious BJJ school — and a room full of people who actually enjoy being around each other. Whether it's Coach JD wrapping a student in purple tape for a birthday gag, or the whole adult class grabbing a group shot after Thursday night training, this is a gym where the mats are tough and the people are not.
Come find out why some of our students happily drive close to an hour each way — not just for the instruction, but for the people waiting on the other end.
From The Blog
Memphis Area
A no-fluff guide to finding a real BJJ gym in the Memphis metro — what to look for, what to avoid, and how to spot a school worth your time.
Beginners
Everything a Memphis-area beginner needs to know about starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — what to wear, what to expect, and how to survive your first month.
Junior Warriors
What Memphis-area parents should know about Junior Warriors, our kids BJJ program for ages 9–15 — and why jiu-jitsu builds discipline, focus, and bully-proof confidence.
Ready to train?
Your first class is on us. Real Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, taught well, minutes from the Memphis metro.
Get Started
Fill out the form and we'll be in touch within one business day. Want to skip ahead? Just call — a real person answers.
8804 Caroma St, Suite 155, Olive Branch, MS 38654
