Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Team HK Martial Arts

Found some spare time to drop in for a session while on holiday. The class I attended was a Gracie Combatives lesson and have to say the instruction from Todd was top notch as well as all the guys on the mat being super friendly, welcoming and full of great advice. Coming from a sports jiu-​jitsu school back in Australia, I really appreciated the focus on self-​defence and the subtle differences between the application of techniques. If I had more time on holiday/​lived in Hawaii I would have definitely have continued training at this school and will definitely drop by again if I am in Honolulu.

I tried the free 10 day trail and learned a lot. The other students there are all there to learn and they help each other to better their BJJ. Todd is an excellent teacher and he is black belt under the Gracie’s. We also have access online to the all the classes to learn from and get review at home before and after class from the Gracie University. To me that is very important as well because you get to study the slices and go over it to get a better understand of it and it’s a great tool to learn.
You pay a monthly fee and you get to go to class as many times you feel comfortable with. There’s 2 classes everyday, a day class and an evening class. I’ve found it beneficial to me to go at least 3 times a week. I’m a little older now so my body needs the days off to rest lol. It’s a great workout for your mind, body, and soul. You are learning and using your brain while getting a great workout. You also learn at the pace u are comfortable. There’s no pressure to learn things faster nor is there anyone there to slow you down if you wanna excel quickly.
I am committed to BJJ now for the next year. I signed up for a year and got a free Gi from Todd. I am honored to join Todd Tanaka’s BJJ school and team.
I definitely recommend Team HK everyone that wants to join and learn BJJ. There’s a free 10 day trail, to see if this is the right school and team for you.
Mahalo Todd for letting me join this awesome team and for teaching me this martial art.

I dropped into Todd’s gym to get some training in while on vacation, because my wife tells me I tend to go crazy if I don’t train for awhile.
Todd and everyone at his academy were so friendly and welcomed me with open arms during my stay. The technical instruction was top notch, and I picked up some subtle details on a mount escape that I always use at my home academy.
One important thing I will say is that there is a strong self-​defense focus to his curriculum, and this is something that feels like is being lost at a lot of other schools. I’ve traveled to a lot of other academies, and I very rarely see places where students regularly train takedowns and put on the gloves to train for strikes (in a safe, controlled, and fun manner) while rolling. This one detail about Todd’s gym makes it a very special place to train. I would recommend this place to anybody who is interested in starting jiu-​jitsu and will definitely drop by again the next time I’m in town.

Let me start by saying that I’ve been to other schools, but I have really enjoyed the team atmosphere and camaraderie here. Team HK has been really helpful with the little details, which I think is really important with Gracie Jiu Jitsu. And besides being open 7 days a week, what else could you ask for? Thank you to Todd Tanaka and Team HK for showing me that Jiu Jitsu is not only a martial art but a lifestyle with an extended family…

Todd Tanaka is very knowledgeable and technical. I’ve been studying Gracie Jiu-​jitsu off and on for nearly 21 years and it still amazes me how much I learn from him. He always catches me when I perform my «bad habit» techniques.
The students are top notch… no egos, very humble, always willing to help. There has been a steady stream of out of town students, visiting from all over, wanting to train for a day or two while on vacation. Everyone treats them like a part of the family from the moment they walk in the door. Sounds cliché, but this is seriously what I’ve witnessed with my own two eyes.
Every age group has a place at HK. The kids class is fun and is infused with games to help the kids enjoy their experience. I am 40+ and the young guns are very respectful and take it easy on this old man.

I can’t think of anything to say about this academy that isn’t 100% phenomenal. I’ve been to other schools, studied other disciplines, but Team HK has a special quality about it that made me feel right at home. Todd Tanaka is a great instructor — you can tell straight off that teaching is his passion. His enthusiasm for his art and his students shines through whenever he teaches a class.
I make the trek from Kailua multiple times a week, sometimes even twice a day — and I never think twice about it. The extra time and effort on my part is worth it because this school is the best. If you’re on the fence about trying jiu-​jitsu, I encourage you to come to attend a class or two. I’m sure you’ll see why so many of us have made our commitment to Todd and Team HK. We’re not just an academy, we’re a family.

Awesome! Thorough lesson plan. I’m very much a noob at Jiu jitsu but the team/​family are very helpful and work hard to pass on the knowledge. From the experiences I’m having there people genuinely want the best for you. Everything there has practical application. They train you for real life situations. The teachers are very knowledgeable and have a strong eye for details. So many little nuances make your jitsu stronger. Something they’re ingraining in us.

This is the only Certified Gracie school on the island. So you can only expect the best. We’re taught humbleness, humility, and loyalty. I used to train at grappling unlimited when I realized that I wanted something that felt more like family and a little more organized. So I thought I’d give this school a try. I wouldn’t recommend any other school to anyone besides team HK. It’s organized, the people are very welcoming and eager to help you learn and grow, and Todd tanaka is the most humbling person I’ve ever met. He goes above and beyond for anyone, and just wants you to succeed. I thank everyone at this school for helping me along my journey. It’s been 2 years now and I’m so happy I came here.
And so will you. #comerollwithus

Seemed like it could be a great program. But the owner was being shady about the fees. He never gave me a set fee. He just left it all up to me to calculate. #Weirdo alert. I drove too dam far just for him to be shady about pricing over the phone and in person… Then I had to pay for parking too??? This sucked balls big time.

Very welcoming to an out of town student. I attended a basic Gracie Combatives and a Master Cycle/​RG101 class. Todd and his students were awesome. Very knowledgeable and talented group. I will return the next time I’m in the area!

If you asked me a year ago if I wanted to try Brazilian Jiujitsu, I’d be, «Ehh…mayyyybe.» I’d say that with the intent of hoping no one ever follows up on that. I mean from an outside perspective, why in the world would I want to do something akin to wrestling (which never appealed to me), roll around on the ground, and be in close contact with sweaty strangers where you’re both in extremely awkward positions!!!
In early 2014, my boyfellow shows me a video of Rener Gracie and Eve Torres-​Gracie demonstrating a basic wrist grab escape (from the Women’s Empowered program). My jaw dropped. In that 10 minute video, I understood the principles of the technique better than ever! This was the turning point. I was now officially interested in learning more.
TeamHK is the only place in Hawaii that is a Gracie-​Certified school with Gracie University/​Academy. It’s part of a world-​wide network with schools all over! Best yet, enrolling in a CTC can include access to Gracie University video lessons, which really helps someone like me to learn. Before I could take my trial run, a good friend of mine also happened to join TeamHK’s kickboxing and Women’s Empowered program. She really enjoyed it! I contacted Todd and gave him a head’s up of when I wanted a trial.
Todd Tanaka (black belt under Relson Gracie, son of Helio Gracie) and his school offers Combatives (the fundamentals), an advanced class, a Women’s Empowered self-​defense class, Women’s kickboxing, plus two different kids’ classes. One of the two biggest factors that made me love this school is that Todd is genuinely focused on self-​defense. While sport jiujitsu is also done, the Combatives class stresses how to protect yourself, which is beneficial to personal safety. The second biggest factor is the attitude and atmosphere. Everyone has been incredibly friendly, welcoming, and supportive! And when I say that, I do truly mean it — as an awkward female who is accustomed to (and by now, expect) being largely ignored or left behind when it comes to physical activity, this means more than anything. There is truly nothing more confidence-​building than peers and instructors who don’t give up on you, even when you’re about to give up yourself. The only other thing more awesome is when you get the *click* in your brain/​body and you start to «get it»! :) Thanks, Todd and company!
I cannot stress how awesome TeamHK is so you should just take my word for it, come in to train with us, and get addicted… just like I did. :) See you there!

I’m taking a kickboxing class. Teacher, Scott is very friendly. It’s easy to take this class. You can take other class, which is self– defense and jujitsu class if you want to. My boyfriend is taking a jujitsu class. You can go jujitsu class everyday. Kickboxing class is wed and sun. It’s kinda difficult to find a parking spot depending on day. Location is convenient. Let’s do exercise together! :)

Todd and the rest of the instructors and teammates of Team HK create a terrific learning and sparring environment for BJJ practitioners. I am 40+ year old and enrolled myself and my 4 year-​old triplets (a girl and two boys). The experience has been tremendous and will continue to shape all of us for our entire lives. We are getting close to completing our 1^st year as Team HK members and the future is only looking brighter.
I think it’s great for adults of all ages to take on the mental and physical challenges, and for kids, it is an immeasurable gift. They will grow up physically active, secure with their personal safety, developing the quality of their character, being a good teammate and with the knowledge and practice of being able to push themselves past what they thought were their limitations.
I have participated in many sports and other martial arts — I wish I had found BJJ and a place like Relson Gracie Team HK /​Todd Tanaka 35 yrs ago. If you have an inkling that you want to check them out, don’t wait, just do yourself a favor and try it out.

Receiving a week of free classes for our son who definitely needed some adjusting and the overall patience each instructor has with all the different students and skill levels during the same class time makes me believe they deserve the 5 stars I gave. They are very encouraging and patient with our son who was certainly closed up during the first class, but by the middle of the second he was right there by himself participating away! :)

This is truly the best place to train when it comes to Gracie Jiu-​Jitsu. If you want to learn from one of the best instructors in the game, come check out Todd Tanaka at Team HK. If you’re looking for a friendly learning environment, world-​class instruction, and a place that makes you feel like family, there is no better place.
Team HK offers diverse programs that will fit your individual needs: kids classes, 3 different women’s programs, and adult street combatives & sport jiu-​jitsu.
What makes this school different from the rest? It starts with the head instructor, Todd Tanaka. He has devised a system of learning that is challenging and original but never loses focus of his master’s teachings, Relson Gracie. The Relson Gracie system emphasizes the aspect of «self defense» first and everything builds from there. When you learn from Todd, you feel the passion and experience that has been passed down to him from Master Relson Gracie.
There are people that drop by all the time to come and train at Team HK. People from all over the world come to seek world-​class instruction from one of the friendliest, hospitable, and technical teachers in the game. You will not be disappointed because this is truly a rare find.

I normally train in CA, and I was welcomed in to come in and train while on vacation. Everyone that trains there is incredibly friendly and helpful. I look forward to visiting again.

I travel to Hawaii once a year for a week with my family and I always find a day to go train. This year I found Todd Tanaka and his team. They were very welcoming and ready to roll. I will definitely be back next year and if any of his team need a place to train in the bay area I can be found at Ralph Gracie Berkeley. Thanks!

Great place, to learn Jiujitsu especially, if you a student at UH manoa, it’s relatively close to the university.
this is a structured class, and is separated into basics and advance class. Naturally, if your a first timer. You yourself may be hesitant or intimidated but you will quickly learn the instructors & students are all quite friendly and easy to approach, and you can learn a little something something from everyone, everyone plays the game differently. (meaning spar style). Hell, there’s even classes for the young ones.
On top of that you will get a pretty good workout, later some self defense and best of all learn how to pull off SUBMISSIONS. On top of that on occasions, the team/​school gets together all do things that aren’t Jiujitsu related how cool is that?

I have been fortunate enough to start Jiu Jitsu here. It has definitely changed my life. I have met so many inspirational people and Todd Tanaka is an excellent sensei. All about the little details. Cause we know the lil details make the moves.

All I can say is that this place is my home. Great instructors and training partners. If you are looking for a great GJJ school this is the one