West Coast Martial Arts/ Machado Jiu Jitsu

West Coast Martial Arts/ Machado Jiu Jitsu has been a fixture in Gardnerville since 1988, founded with the aim of developing confidence, discipline, and respect both on and off the mats. Master George Fujii, a 9th Degree Black Belt in Mixed Martial Arts under Grand Master Ernie Reyes Sr. and a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Professor Carlos Machado, leads the academy. With over fifty years of martial arts experience and decades of full-time teaching, Master Fujii has guided generations of students in the Carson Valley, drawing on his background in wrestling, karate, taekwondo, and BJJ. The academy’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program is taught under the Carlos Machado Jiu Jitsu Association, ensuring students learn authentic, fundamentals-driven BJJ from a respected lineage. Classes are organized by age and experience, starting with kids’ BJJ for ages 6–12, where emphasis is placed on building confidence, control, and foundational grappling in a safe, structured environment. Teens and adults train in separate groups, with a focus on technical progression, practical self-defense, and steady improvement. The school also offers a dedicated women’s BJJ class for ages 13 and up, providing a supportive space for women to train and build self-defense skills. Alongside Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, West Coast Martial Arts integrates a structured martial arts curriculum affiliated with Ernie Reyes’ West Coast World Martial Arts, and includes MMA and Muay Thai for students 13 and older. Instruction is delivered by a team of black belts and colored belts, many of whom have long personal histories with the school. Classes are held Monday through Thursday in the evenings, and the facility is wheelchair accessible. Families across Gardnerville, Minden, and the wider Carson Valley have chosen this academy for its consistent, disciplined approach and deep local roots.

Amenities