Reviews of Yorkdale Martial Arts Academy (School)

Giovanni Rico

I really enjoy how they slow down the learning process making sure you are not thrown into the fire before you are ready. professor Costa is really good at breaking down the details and explaining why and how the techniques work. their kids program is amazing to the point that my son gets so sad when we cant make class. highly recommend this gym!

Jay Gallant

I recently started attending with my wife and our two kids. Its a great environment and everyone is friendly and welcoming. Our kids love it. On her first day training, my 7 year old was a little nervous. One of the kids in her class ran up to her, took her by the hand and excitedly told her how great it was that she was coming tonight, etc. Great experiences for all of us. I see us training here for as long as we live in Toronto.

Alex Pomeransky

Good place! Great staff!

Sarah TheBully Smith

Met a lot of good people at my time at Bo4. Marco is amazing with beginners. I learned a lot of my defense from him. He really takes the time which each student. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is all about you get what you put in to it. He is a wonderful coach who really teaches to the students level. Beginner and advanced friendly. Good gym to train at. If your close to this location this is an excellent place to start your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. journey.

Dalena Dong

Beginner and female friendly! Supportive and fun environment with amazing people! Highly recommend it to all levels :)

ijko

awesome place! staff are very friendly

Michael A.

Been training with Professor Costa for over 7 years. He is a highly knowledgeable teacher with a wealth of experience teaching self-defence, grappling, striking and sport jiu-jitsu. You want to learn a real art? Come to Body of Four BJJ Academy!

caulipow3r jiu-jitsu

If you live in Toronto this is the place you want to go to. Great instructors and great people. Always a pleasure when I get the chance to go there and roll

Irakli Nikolaishvili

Best place to train in the city. The academy is very friendly towards the beginners as well as well seasoned competitors. The professor and his associates always look for new ways to engage their students and take the academy to new heights thus keeping it interesting for everyone involved.

Iam Dreamfire

Great gym, great people, very skilled instruction and also really found it possible to get into it successfully as a new person as novice classes are taught. Traditional yet modern teaching making you feel current but lots of stress on fundamentals which is GREAT.Would highly recommend!

Cam Mueller

Amazing! Whether you're completely new to jiu jitsu and looking to find a welcoming environment to start your journey or more experienced and looking to elevate your game, Professor Marco Costa and the crew at Body Of Four will push you to be the best you can be. Great friends on and off the mats and no inflated ego's to speak of. Get yourself over there and you'll see, the training speaks for itself.

Marci Lall

Professor Costa is literally an Encyclopedia of Martial Arts. His vast knowledge and skills show as an instructor. He's very passionate about his students and the community he has built at Body of Four is always growing. Great instruction, great people, nothing but but good vibes!

mano vcn

Very good environment to training

Jorge Riquelme

I'm a white belt (three stripes) from Chile, visiting Toronto for four weeks. After three weeks of been training here almost every day all I can say it's I was fortunate to land in this academy. Besides the typical factors that matter when you choose a place to train, like the infrastructure and the location, I would stress two aspects: First, the culture and environment of this academy. You can roll safely here. The higher belts are supportive and gentle when rolling with novices, letting you play your game and grow in the process before they gentle smash you :D. During my stay, I had the chance to roll with five black belts; that's a fantastic opportunity for a white belt like me! Second, the structure of the novice classes: every class you practice self-defense and takedowns. For example, it's my first time doing drills to defend myself against punches with someone in closed guard. This systematic approach gives a strong foundation to novices like myself, developing a more integral BJJ. I think this is an essential aspect that other academies left less attended, focusing more on a sportive BJJ. I leave this place very grateful. I've learned valuable things, details about techniques I usually try to apply when rolling. It's incredible how a couple of centimeters or a subtle change in angle make the difference in BJJ.

kyle pindar

Incredible! From beginner to black belt, child to senior, Professor Marco Costa has something for everyone. The classes are run to cover all aspects of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Sport BJJ, Judo/Takedowns, Self Defense and MMA. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming and the instruction is the best in the city. Everyday I walk in to class, I walk away with something new and a smile on my face.

Emile Perez

This is more than a gym or a martial arts academy. Becoming a member here is like gaining a new family. Everyone is so willing to help each other learn and progress. Professor Marco Costa is an incredible professor who has helped this family grow into one of the most successful academies in the GTA. Whether you come to compete, want to learn self-defense, or just get in shape Body of Four will give you everything you need to achieve your goals. Come in for the one week trial, you won't regret it!

Kevin Hua

Came to do a seminar here once and the instructors were all amazing. I can't say enough good things about this place.

Xi Lau

Excellent instructors, best gym in the city for BJJ. Sport, self defence, or recreation, this gym will suit your needs. Also the headquarters of many other affiliate gyms across Ontario. Very happy that I'm a part of the BO4 family

Lindsay G

I've been going here for the last 5 years. This is a great environment for beginners to start because they really take care of their students and ensure proper technique , that sparring is under control and that anyone with any limitations can still participate. It's such an inclusive environment with great people and I've made many friends here as well as enjoyed awesome training. On the bonus side I've learned to defend myself.

Brandon Gemme

Stellar professor and great environment for both new students and experienced students. Highly recommend trying out a class if you might be interested.

Renato D'Ambrosio

Extremely supportive and friendly community of people. Beautiful new facility and skilled, encouraging teachers. I've trained at three places in Toronto and Yorkdale is by far my favourite.

Luke Haines

Gi and no gi programs are both top notch and taught by excellent instructors. Facilities are large and clean. The environment is very friendly, perfect for beginners and serious competitors

Craig W

An awesome place to learn and train BJJ! Very clean facility with 3 mat areas for different classes for all skill levels. Instructors and students treat you like family and the culture is safe and inviting. Kids classes are amazing! Try it, you won't regret it!!

Alireza T

I tried their Sunday open mat and had a great time. Clean and spacious with lots of welcoming and friendly people to roll with.

Stacey MacNevin Art

An extremely supportive environment for all levels to learn BJJ. A caring community and amazing instruction by Professor Marco Costa along with the higher belts at the academy. Highly recommended. More then just a place to train.

Paul Wadhera

One of the best places to learn jiu-jitsu in the city. Professor Marco Costa and his team are extremely professional and excited to impart their knowledge for anyone to grow. This especially evident in the novice classes, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has very high attrition rate and Prof. Costa takes the time to teach you the fundamentals that you need to grow at your pace. There is a saying in Jiu-jitsu that you should trust the journey no matter how long. This is a place where you see it embodied, they prepare you for that journey the right way. Tip as a white belt just relax it will all come with time.

Adam Norman

This is a really great BJJ place, whether you're young (my kids) or older (me). Two things make it better: they have a great curriculum, and great rules. For instance, senior belts roll with junior belts--and they let themselves lose. Super policy! Paradoxically, white-belts are much less likely to get hurt if they are rolling with someone who knows what they're doing. But because the senior belts escalate as required, white-belts don't get their butts kicked. The kids' classes are really good. They've designed the classes for all levels, and there are lots of non-BJJ games for general fitness. Finally, the place is spotless, and the people are nice. Highly recommended.

rogelet B

great Gym, Professor Marco is a great knowledgeable teacher who cares for the gym and his students on and off the mats.

Mai Pham

Started back training in September after being at home for 3 months. Professor Marco was great in how he made me feel comfortable coming back. The facility is very clean and organized.

Mitchell Lanecki

I was recommended to this academy and thought I would give it a try. That was almost 2 years ago and I haven't left. The atmosphere is disciplined yet fun. The professor is highly skilled and empathic. He responds to the needs of all level of students. The facility is clean, highly organized and well maintained. There are numerous levels of teaching and many cool teacher so that you can find your groove. Joining this academy is one of the best decisions I have made in my life! Make it yours!

Nento

amazing place... love the people

Chris bell

Amazing place. Great location. All the instructors are amazing and very welcoming to beginners. Come train!!

Adamantium props

Great place to train! From Brazilian jiujitsu, to self defense to the amazing KBX / circuit training.

Michael Ahn

I joined the Body of Four family in 2016 and am constantly impressed with the culture Marco Costa has cultivated. I've been doing Brazilian Jiujitsu for 8 years now and am very pleased with the academy atmosphere The academy does an amazing job of giving you options in regards to how you want to train. Are you looking to try a new sport? The beginner program will build you up from the basics you'll have fun doing it. Are you an established jiujitsu practitioner who is trying to address some technical nuances? The academy's Advanced/Competition training will solve that problem for you. Join the Bo4 team and you'll have the tools to become a technical, wellrounded, bonafide martial artist.

Gustavo Castro

Best place if you want to start your BJJ journey beginner friendly, super great staff, awesome facilities, very accessible.

Cameron Levitt

Great school, fantastic teachers!

Guillermo Cabrera

The outline for the class is thorough and informative. I highly recommend this school for both beginners and advanced students.

Mike Lewis

I have been training with Professor Costa for more than 2 years now. I can say with complete confidence that he is one of the best instructors around. He explains and breaks down complex principles in a way that make sense to even a beginner. If you want to learn real Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then Yorkdale Martial Arts is the club. The team of black belts right down to the veteran white belts make you feel welcome from your first day. The club is spotless and run extremely well. The kids program is excellent and run by great teachers as well.

Zombie D

Best environment to learn BJJ period. The head instructor is humble and a vault of information. The students are down to earth and friendly you become one of the family pretty quickly. There are many experienced martial artists here as well as complete beginners to the sport. The level of technique here is top notch and you are constantly reminded of that which is good. It keeps your mind healthy. Come out and learn with an open mind; you'll be happy you did.

Dutty Shug

Great gym!! The members are friendly and the professors are very knowledgeable. You will learn a lot and have fun doing it too.

Len K

Overall, I only have great things to say about Body of Four. My son and I have been members now for a couple of months. From a parent’s perspective, the kid’s classes are phenomenal. This is by far my son’s favorite activity. It is very clear from watching both of the kid’s classes that their respective teachers are engaged and understand how to work with children/teenagers. Not coincidentally, both Matt and Josh are professional teachers/tutors. The cost for kids is also very reasonable, especially given there are 3 classes per week. The adult classes are also great. Classes have a very diverse make up of students. The environment is very professional, while relaxed enough for beginners to properly learn. There is usually an even mix of white and colored belts in the classes, which really helps facilitate learning as a beginner. Colored belts take the time to help white belts understand the nuances of moves and display no ego when rolling . For those new to the sport, BJJ is a great total body workout with a lot of strategic thinking. A nice change to the facility is they added a shower. This makes life a lot easier given you always leave class drenched in sweat. The only issue I have had so far, which is likely a positive for most people, is that the adult class schedule tends to change often. This is due to professor tweaking classes/schedule for betterment of academy. There are classes basically every day Monday-Friday, so it still very easy to find time to attend multiple classes during the week.

Eli Schneider

I started learning jiu jitsu at Yorkdale Martial Arts Academy in September 2020 after the COVID restrictions were temporarily lifted for gyms and martial arts studios. Professor Marco and the other students have definitely created a positive and challenging culture and I was able to work hard and push my boundaries from the first class even though I had never trained before. We're currently in another lockdown, but I'm looking forward to getting back to work as soon as it is safe to reopen. I hope to bring my kids too!

Gina Kim

I’ve wanted to try BJJ for a few years now, but I couldn't seem to find a place that I felt comfortable joining. I finally decided to try Yorkdale Martial Arts because they offered separate beginner classes and I’ve been here almost five months now. The facility itself is very clean and spacious. BJJ can definitely be intimidating for females since it’s predominantly males who train, but everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. Professor Marco and the instructors are very knowledgeable and professional - you can tell they truly care about their students and helping you grow in the sport. I love that they offer beginner-friendly classes so you’re not thrown in with the advanced belts right away. I would strongly encourage anyone to try this place out! I’m not able to attend as much as I’d like to since I live pretty far, but there’s a reason I choose to keep training here because of the great atmosphere & amazing people! :)

Mark Thomas

Strange atmosphere.

Derek Four Real

white belt instructor is very detailed and knows his stuff but class structure is horrible. don't know if this is covid related but schedule in not conducive to learning bjj. i have a background in sambo and wrestling and was treated as i was helpless.you have to attend one type of class and one type only: a white belt class which is 1 hr. of just basic instruction....and that's it. i asked when i can roll for live training and i had to take this "competition" class which i was not welcomed in anyway. higher belts are in a fraternity and treat white belts in the "competition" class as pariahs. i did not feel welcomed at all/ i don't see how you can evolve and grow as a white belt if you are stuck in a class with a bunch of white belts for who knows how long and not allowed to live roll? imagine doing box and not sparring for months on end? that is call boxercise, not really boxing.i was also a regional champion in wrestling in my country and i was not impressed with higher belts. i did not like the environment or class structure at all. i did not bother with no gi class since it was structured the same. joined elswehere

Jason Frias

Amazing facility to train in, family friendly atmosphere

Erjon Hoxha

Been going here for almost 2 years. Great place all around. Amazing and highly detailed instruction from people who really love what they do.

Chaim

Super high level instruction, friendly atmosphere with a place for those who want to compete as well. Professor Costa was very welcoming as well.

Ninad Desai

One of the best places to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the city. Professor Costa is a master instructor who covers every detail. Great atmosphere and friendly staff.

Ryan

This is a fantastic place for anyone who's ever considered training martial arts. It's a very welcoming atmosphere filled to the brim with amazing people with positive attitudes. The training itself is great - you can simply train the art as you wish, or if you are looking to compete then Professor Marco Costa (whose wealth of knowledge about Martial Arts as a whole surpasses many, many others) is more than good enough at pushing you to your limit and helping you train the way you should be training. Whether you want to make your first steps, or take your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the next level, this is THE PLACE to go. HIGHLY recommended.