Training Report: Aorta BJJ (Brussels, Belgium)

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After almost 2 years of being a BJJ Globetrotter, I finally planned a reunion with my college friends in Brussels. Sadly, this will be my last training report in Europe (only for now!) before returning to the United States. Don’t worry, I expect more training in Europe in the future! On a Friday evening, I got off a TGV in Brussels. Right after checking into an Airbnb, I stopped by Aorta BJJ for an evening training session before reuniting with my friends, Sebastian and Scotty.

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City
Brussels, the capital city of Belgium and the European Union, has much more to offer than its famous waffles, beer and chocolate. Starting with the surreal art collections in museums and scenic parks around the city, Brussels’ streets beyond the city center are lined with breathtaking architecture and high-quality restaurants and bars that will make you wonder why you have not visited Brussels before.

Overview
Established in 2018, Aorta BJJ is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Brussels, Belgium headed by Professor Axel Vankimmenade who received his BJJ Black Belt under Bruno Pedras. He is not only one of the co-founders of Aorta Training Center but also an an accomplished competitor whose record speaks for his qualifications as an instructor. Professor Vankimmenade is also active in the Belgian martial arts community by working as a referee for Belgian Mixed Martial Arts Federation (BMMAF) and the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF). The academy currently has 3 black belt instructors who are highly skilled and experienced in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and offers a variety of martial arts disciplines including boxing and wrestling.

Fortunately, I had a chance to train with Professor Vankimmenade during my quick visit. I initially struggled a bit to find an entrance to the gym among beautiful brick buildings, but I was soon welcomed by a spacious gray and blue mat space and the professor himself. Given it was Friday evening, the class size seemed smaller than normal, but I did enjoy the tailored instruction and attention during the class. My initial impression was that the training was somewhat unorthodox utilizing exercise balls for warm-ups and drilling in the beginning. However, after training in Brussels, I have started to incorporate these drills into my own game and training routines. With the head coach’s attention and friendly students, my training experience was nothing but pleasant before offsetting all of my training gains with delicious Belgian frites and beer on a Friday night. With the quality of training and instruction, I can easily guess the overall skill level at the academy.

With its friendly atmosphere and top-notch unconventional training, visiting Aorta BJJ might give you different perspectives on your training regimen and BJJ games, not to mention that it will add another reason to visit Brussels. Thank you, Professor Vankimmenade and the rest of the Aorta family for being amazing hosts in Brussels. I will be back!

Location & Facility
The facility is located on the east side of Brussels (Rue de la Luzerne 40, 1030 Schaerbeek, Belgium). With the city’s public transportation system, you can easily reach the academy from the city center via tram. The facility includes a clean gray mat space for training and locker rooms for men and women. (Google Map: Link)

Schedule
Aorta BJJ offers classes ranging from BJJ to MMA every day. The academy’s most recent schedule is posted below:

Visitor Pass
The academy is a BJJ Globetrotters affiliated gym. However, it is always courteous to reach out to the gym before your visit.

Website — Aorta Training Center

Tourist Attractions

  • La Grand-Place— Located in the heart of Brussels, the Grand Place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the stunning iconic landmarks in Belgium. Surrounded by the beautiful city hall and guild offices with their striking architecture, the square will leave you awestruck as you stand in the middle of a living testimony of Brussels’ history. At certain times of the year or even of the day, you will find different events, markets, and atmosphere in the square.
  • Manneken Pis —This eccentric statue is a popular tourist attraction in Brussels although there isn’t much to it besides a small boy statue peeing into the fountain. The name simply translates to “little boy pee” and, if you are not paying attention, you are most likely to miss this statue. Due to its fame, many people expect a larger statue (at least I did), but will be often surprised to find Brussels’ tiny mascot in the city center.
  • Waffles, Frites, and Beer — I think this section is self-explanatory.

Thank you, Brussels. I hope to be back in this beautiful city soon!