Training Report: Black House Jiu-Jitsu (Miami Beach, FL, USA)

Hello, everyone. I am back! After a long break due to COVID-19, I finally had a chance to travel again. I felt rather strange visiting a new gym in a new city after quarantining in my tiny NYC apartment for so long. At the same time, I could not be more excited to start an adventure of training around the world. Although this short trip to Miami was filled with my friend’s bachelor party activities, I was able to sneak out and had an opportunity to train at Black House Jiu-Jitsu in Miami Beach.

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City
Miami Beach is a south Florida island city connected by bridges to mainland Miami. When you imagine Miami, the first thing that may come to your mind is the beach that runs mile after mile filled with golden sands and sun-seeking tourists. On top of that, countless bars and energetic nightclubs that stay up all night do not let down its well-deserved reputation as one of the country’s top nightlife cities. However, that’s not all that Miami can offer. More laid-back visitors can relax in Lummus Park which can give you a taste of the Miami vibe and stroll through the Art Deco District to enjoy the eye-catching Art Deco skyline.

Overview
Black House Jiu-Jitsu in Miami Beach is headed by Will Abreu who is a black belt under Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu. Professor Abreu is a former folk-style, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestler who successfully transitioned to BJJ earning IBJJF No-Gi Pan Championship titles. Born and raised in Miami, Professor Abreu is looking to encourage next-generation athletes from the area to learn how to be disciplined whiling focusing and pursuing their goals through martial arts. He is successfully supporting them by providing necessary guidance and creating an environment for the local athletes. The academy is currently partnered with Miami Martial Arts and the City of Miami Beach to provide Jiu-Jitsu to the local community.

When I reached out via social media, Professor Abreu kindly invited me to train at his academy. 3 hours after my flight landed in Miami on a Thursday evening, I headed to Black House Jiu-Jitsu in Miami Beach. I was not familiar with the area, but it was not too challenging to find an academy since I ran into Troy who was wearing a “Mexican Ground Karate” rashguard who kindly led me to the academy.

When I arrived, Professor Abreu was already running the Kids Jiu-Jitsu class, but he welcomed me to his academy. The mat was fully occupied with energetic kids while adults were gearing up for the next class. The general atmosphere at Black House was welcoming and friendly, and the detailed instructions on dogfight positions and half-guard sweep variations were on point during the visit. Students in the academy vary in age from high school teenagers to dads with superpowers, but the level of energy was quite notable. In addition, I can only guess that it is due to Professor Abreu’s background and influence that students love to scramble and wrestle during the roll. Anyway, I cannot deny that, with high-level Jiu-Jitsu, it was not an easy training session at Black House, especially before my friend’s bachelor party.

With its family-like atmosphere and outstanding instructions, I would highly recommend dropping by Black House Jiu-Jitsu among countless BJJ academies that are based in Miami. When you are in Miami, it is likely that you want to enjoy the beach and/or go out to party. However, I wouldn’t want to miss out on training and rolling at Black House if I were you. Thank you, Professor Abreu, Troy, Austin, and the rest of the Black House family! I will be back.

Location
Although Google Maps show the current location as 7140 Abbott Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141, United States, classes are held in North Shore Park & Youth Center (501 72nd St, Miami Beach, FL 33141), which is conveniently located across the street. (Google Maps: Link). The academy also has classes in Flamingo Park, which is located at 1200 Meridian Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (Google Maps: Link)

Schedule
Black House Jiu-Jitsu offers classes from Monday to Saturday in the mornings and evenings. The academy’s most recent schedule for each location is posted below:

Website
Black House Jiu-Jitsu

Visitor Pass
The academy welcomes all visitors from any affiliations, and the drop-in fee is $20. Just a reminder: It is always courteous to reach out to the gym before your visit!

Pictures from Miami