MMA Gyms in Tokyo
Here is a list of MMA gyms in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.
AACC (The Abe brothers’ gym) in Omori – JR Keihin Tohoku Line, Omori Station
Alliance Square (Tsuyoshi Kosaka, TK’s gym) in Akasaka/near Roppongi- Tokyo Metro (Subway) Chiyoda Line, Nogizaka Station
Brave (Kazuyuki Miyata’s gym, 2 locations) in Kita-Senju, Tokyo – JR Joban Line, Chiyoda Line, Tobu Isesaki Line, Tsukuba Express, Kita-Senju Station, and Misato, Saitama – JR Musashino Line, Misato or Shin-Misato Stations.
Brightness Monma Dojo (Hidetaka Monma’s gym) in Adachi-ward – Tobu Isesaki Line, Nishi-Arai Station
Cloud Akiyama Dojo – (Yoshihiro Akiyama’s gym) in Hiro – (Subway) Hibiya Line, Hiro Station
Deep Impact Gym in Okubo – JR
Grabaka (2 locations)
- Higashi-Nakano – (Subway) Tozai Line, Ochiai Station
- Okubo – JR Yamanote Line, Shin-Okubo Station
Krazy Bee (Yamamoto “Kid’s” gym) in Magome – Toei Asakusa Line, Magome Station
Laughter 7 (Kazushi Sakuraba’s gym) in Omori – JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, Omori Station/Keihin Kyuko Dentetsu, Omori Kaigan Station
Mach Dojo in Sugamo, JR Yamanote Line, Sugamo Station
Paraestra (mainly jiu-jitsu with some Shooto classes)
- Edogawa-ku – (Subway) Tozai Line, Nishi-Kasai Station
- Edogawa-ku – JR Sobu Line, Koiwa Station
- Nerima-ku – Toei Oedo Line, Shin-Egota Station
- 3 locations in Chiba
Purebred (Shooto) in Saitama, JR Utsunomiya Line, Higashi-Omiya Station
Shooting Gym (Shooto) in Yokohama, JR (and other) lines, Yokohama Station
RSCL Gym (Takanori Gomi’s gym) in Suginami-ward, Keio Inokashira Line, Kugayama Station
Roots Gym (Rumina Sato’s gym) in Odawara, JR, Odawara Station
Toikatsu Dojo in Nakano, JR Chuo Line, Nakano Station; (Subway) Tozai Line – Nakano Station, Marunouchi Line – Shin-Nakano Station, Seibu Ikebukuro Line – Araiyakushi-mae Station
U-File (5 locations)
Wajutsu Keishukai (5 locations with different subnames)
- WK main gym: (Subway) Marunouchi Line/Chiyoda Line, Shin-Ochanomizu Station and JR Sobu Line, Ochanomizu Station
- WK A3: Tobu Tojo Line, Wako-shi Station (Saitama)
- WK RJW: (Subway) Tozai Line, Monzen-Nakacho Station
- WK Gods: Tokyu Iketami Line, Senzoku-ike Station
- WK Tiger Place: JR Nanbu Line, Shitte Station
Having trained at a number of these gyms, and knowing the professional fighters and trainers there, I would be happy to recommend one depending on your training preferences and location.
Note that most of these gyms do not offer information or instruction in English, but I have not found this a problem. Rather than trying to contact them, it is often best to visit the gym in the evening and speak to someone there. Someone with some, or at least limited English ability should be able to help you.
I am only going for a week, but take training very serious! I am going to be training in thailand for a week, and am stopping in Tokyo for a week on my way to the US from Afghanistan. I want to spend all of my vacation training hard before I come back. Please e-mail me with some advice if you could…thank you
Justin
OK, I’ve sent you a mail.
I’m going to school in Japan this fall, and I’m torn between training at Laughter 7, Paraestra and Alliance-Square. Could you tell me how much Saku teaches from guard or half guard?
Thanks
I haven’t taken any of Sakuraba’s classes at Laughter 7, but I know he teaches mainly sweeps and taking the back from the guard/half guard. His philosophy is to gain top position whenever possible. Depending on your weight class, Paraestra could be a good option for you, although I personally recommend Alliance Square.
Im going to be in Tokyo for a week and was wondering what cool gyms there are to visit maybe meet some fighters, Sato, Gomi, Mach, Aoki regular guys I guess. Any information would be helpful.
OK, it depends on when you’re going to be here and where you’ll be staying.
going to japan in march what is the best gym for me have trained for many years and wrestled , want to go to laughter 7 for sure , want to stay about a month , will check out tks gym as well, im going to stay in tokyo is that where most gyms are , are they hard to get to ,
Thanks for the info,
Neal, some of them can be hard to find but I can help you there (depending on where you’ll be staying). I would recommend either of the 2 you mentioned and maybe Killer Bee. Send me an email when you’re here and I’ll help you more!
I just moved to Nishi Arai and saw that the Brightness Monma Dojo is very close to my house. I am working here for a year and do not have any mma experience. As someone who is new to japanese language and culture would it be alright for me to roll over to that gym? Do they take newbies? Newbies who do not speak Japanese? thanks
Sure Javier, Monma doesn’t speak much English but he’s a very friendly guy and you’ll learn a lot there. I also train there so I can help with any translation you need. Also there’s another couple of American guys who train there who I’m sure can help you some with the language.
Hi Stewart
I got your details from Adam Linton,I’m a FIFA football agent based in Glasgow and along with my business partner moving in to the field of MMA Fighting,we have contact with various Promoters in the UK and Europe and would like to start to put on fights in The UK,Europe and beyond,who controls the fighters in Japan ? can fighters fight outside Japan as say freelance or are they tied to various stables,would european fighters be able to be part of a fight bill in Japan?
Yours
Frank Murphy
0044(0)7889767774
Hi Frank,
Both ways are no problem depending on their contracts elsewhere, but that usually only affects large organisations like the UFC.
Thanks Stewart! My problem is I dont get out of work til after 9pm. But I am going to try to drop in and check it out.
cheers!
i work full time and have time only in the evenings. i live in roppongi and work at tokyo station. can you recommend a gym that’s convenient to either of these locations. i am a beginner
Hi there, I am looking to go to tokyo, japan in January or Febuary for 5-6 months to train MMA on a daily basis (more or less) and possibly do some amateur shooto. I’ve been doing kickboxing and juijitsu for a few years now so I’m not a complete noob to the sport. I’m still sorting out where I’m going to be living but I dont want to make any final decisions until I’ve found a place to train. I’m reallly interested in Krazy Bee but do they welcome foreigners? Also, I barely know any japanese, I’ll probably be at a very basic level by the time I get there.
If Krazy Bee is not an option, is there anywhere else that you think I should attend?
Thanks!
TK’s “Alliance Square” gym is very near Roppongi, they have classes in the evenings. There are others around that area too depending on what training you want to focus on.
Not many gyms have English speakers but it’s not really a problem. Krazy Bee has a good reputation for hard training and I’m sure you’ll be welcomed there (there may even be an English speaker or two). I also recommend AACC. What is your weight class?
Sweet Thanks for the quick response.155 right now, might be closer to 150 once I end up leaving. AACC looks pretty good too.
I may be moving to Japan soon and need to continue my training. Is it not common at all for schools to have morning classes?
hello, i m going to stay 2 months in tokyo, suginami.
i m looking to train in shooto., are gym around where train 5/6 days at week , more than 1 hour?
thank s al ot
Very few places I know of have them (other than the weekend), but I will check and try to let you know.
Takanori Gomi’s RASCAL gym in is Suginami.
Hello Stewart,
thank s a lot for promply reply.
i would like spend at best my stay in tokyo,for this i keeping to serch for the right gym.
looking timetable seem easy and fast metro and train service in tokyo.
i check the gym you suggest, but seem work only 5 days ,ech time per 1 hour.
now i would like choose beetwin:
http://www.gutsman.jp/
http://www.paraestra.com/
http://www.grabaka.com/
any suggest about?
thank s a lot
andrea
Gutsman I know very little about other than they have a number of fighters actively fighting now. Paraestra has a good reputation for ne waza and Grabaka has some top class fighters teaching there.
wow it s very difficult choose,
but looking paraestra schedule look very busy,
probably i ll go there.
thank s a lot
Hello, I currently live in yokosuka, did shinkyokushin for 6months, couple months of daido juku(my gym is closing soon). Do you know of any good mma, shooto gyms in yokohama? tokyo is just too far away ;(
Pancrase (P’s Lab) is in Yokohama, and DOBUITA is in Yokosuka http://dobuita.jp/index.html
Hi Stewart,
I hope you can help me
I am looking for a MMA gym. Currently I am living and working in Nihonbashi-Ningyocho so anywhere near to here would be great. Or on the Hibya/Asakusa line.
I don’t speak Japanese and I am not really fit anymore
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
There are plenty around. Have you had a look at my list page? There’s Kita-Senju, Shin-Ochanomizu, Monzen-Nakacho to name but a few!
Thanks for reply Stewart, already went to dobuita to check it out, looks pretty good, I think Im gonna start there..
Hi Stewart,
I missed the gym in Monzen-Nakacho which is really close
Thanks!
Hello Stewart,
Do you know where Takumi Yano trains? I wanna go to Japan for 3 months and I’d love to train at his place, Ugo Kai I believe it’s called.
Do you happen to know? It’d be a great help, I can’t find any info at all about it anywhere.
Hello Stewart,
We are a group of MMA-fighters/practitioners from Sweden who are planning a trip to Tokyo next summer for about 2-3 weeks of training. I was wondering if you could give some advice on where to train, we are all at advanced level but not yet pro-fighters.
The things we would look for at a gym would be:
- easy located
- high level of sparring
- foreigner friendly
Of course it would be really cool to train with some “celebrities” if possible like Sakuraba or Aoki.
Also are there gyms that are more wrestling/grappling oriented? Are the prices between gyms very different?
Thank you for your help!
Hi Stewart,
Could you recommend a gaijin friendly MMA gym near Sendagaya. shibuya/shinjuku area.
For a beginner who speaks english and very little japanese.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Oliver,
There are no shortage of gyms to train at here; I’ll be able to help you more when you’ve decided which part of Tokyo you’ll be staying in so keep in touch and I’ll do what I can.
Most gyms are easy to get to and some do have a very high level of sparring. Most are also foreigner friendly although few have English speakers. At the moment I would recommend Killer Bee, Yoshida Dojo, RJW, or Alliance Square. I can give you more info about these nearer the time you arrive.
I haven’t trained there but I have heard that the DEEP OFFICIAL GYM (IMPACT) is a good place to train.
Hi i want to come to japan and learn mma the real way i have past boxing and muay thai experience and im looking to come to japan for a while maybe 6-12 months. never been there dont know the place. whats are the best mma gyms out there?
Hi Stewart its harry again, im from london and i really want to learn mma professionally but i just dont know where to go, im looking for a place that will take me to the next level.
thanks
Hi Harry, can I ask why Japan?
Hi Stewart. Great site you have. Nice list of gyms. I included your site on my website http://www.martiallink.com Hope you’re cool with it. Take care. -Mark
Your link is located here:
http://www.martiallink.com/index.php?c=7
Thank you Mark! I need to make the gym list more comprehensive. I’ll link you up too.
Thanks Stewart for adding me to your links. Keep up the great work and good luck. Take care.
hi stewart, i dont know why? is there a better place, just need to get out of london if i wanna get serious
I hear you. Well, if you really want a totally different life-changing experience, Tokyo may give you that!
You you should make changes to the page name MMA gyms in Tokyo | MMA in Japan to more better for your blog post you make. I enjoyed the post nevertheless.
You mean more recent updates?
Hi I am planning to move to Tokyo from Arizona within the next few months to train & fight MMA. I am looking to train mostly no-gi Judo & Jiu-Jitsu, I hate training with gi’s. I fight for Rage in the Cage here in Arizona & am planning on fighting there in Tokyo. Where would be a good place for me to train & also a good league to fight for? I prefer to fight in cage instead of ring.
If you want to fight in the cage then Cage Force is your first option. As for training there’s a lot of places so it depends on where you’ll be staying.
Thank you so much for the list! I am a study abroad student and am looking to train MMA — I have trained for a while in the states.
I was also looking into competing in some amateur Shooto fights. I live in Koganei right now, so going to Nakano would be really convenient. What have you heard of Toikatsu?
Thanks again!
Hi Stewart, I live in Nishi Azabu… and I’m a beginner, only done Muay Thai for some months back in HK. Any suggestion ?? I guess I would need private or group lesson to get up to speed…
Thanks !