BETA Academy | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai & MMA

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Jordan thompson 2 weeks ago

I have spent around 4 years training at BETA across 9 years since starting BJJ. I received my blue and purple belt from BETA's owner, Nakapan. I have trained at several gyms in several states around the US and will easily say that BETA over the last decade has maintained some of the strongest positive and empowering communities. BETA is a great gym for fostering lifelong friendships, mentee/mentorships, and learning how to navigate the martial arts world while still being successful in work and life. I highly recommend it to people from all walks of life. It has consistently proven to be an inclusive and uplifting space for all individuals. The facilities are top of the line in the martial arts business, always maintained to a high degree of cleanliness. The staff are all wonderful and dedicated, all being highly trained under the tutelage of Nakapan both in martial arts instruction, customer service, and hospitality. Nakapan has helped foster a culture of balanced excellence. He truly leads from the front by stellar example of what discipline, dedication, and love of service and craft can manifest. Unfortunately, words only pitifully measure up to experience. With that said, drop in at the Friday 1pm grappling open sparring sessions and feel the power of BETA Academy for yourself! I'll be there! * (**experience recommended for the Friday 1pm, if no experience, no worries, just get your feet wet with a trial class instead)

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Kiki S 3 weeks ago

I am so impressed with this studio. The classes are a hit with my kid! All the coaches are understanding, empathetic, and super engaging. I don't know how they do it but the kids are engaged and excited the entire class. The kids show real respect to the coaches and look up to them, and the coaches in turn show that same respect to the kids and meet them where they are. The studio rewards commitment, team work, and encourages hard work and discipline. I am so very impressed, and glad I was able to find this studio. I know this is a place where my kid can develop a life long practice.

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Michael Burgos 3 weeks ago

I've had the pleasure of attending BETA Academy's Kudo Daidojuku offerings, including several Kudo workshops and the 2025 Kudo Seminar with Sensei JD Alexander. In brief, BETA Academy is an excellent location to study and train martial arts in the DC metro area. All the coaches at BETA demonstrate a high level of competitive competence and the ability to coach at a variety of levels, including complete beginners. Every Kudo event I've attended has begun and ended on time. Kudo events and workshops have covered the full range of 1v1 combat, including comprehensive striking (including headbutts and groin strikes), gi and no-gi grappling, close-quarters clinch fighting, and ground striking and grappling. To my knowledge, no one has left a Kudo event injured - so I'd content that Kudo training at BETA Academy is very safe and appropriately-challenging for athletes of all levels. Every instructor for Kudo events has been thorough, open to questions, and excited to engage with the rest of the USA's Kudo community. Workshops and seminars have combined traditional and modern instruction methods, including basic movements (kihon-geiko and ido-geiko), task-based gamified instruction (constraint-led approach), and structured sparring at various intensity levels. At no point is anyone forced to do anything that makes them uncomfortable. Finally, there is proper attendance to Kudo's cultural etiquette (reigi). The facility has plenty of street parking and garage parking options a few blocks away. The front desk has a staff member stationed there, with sign-in processes occurring on tablet devices. The men's locker room is clean and tidy. There are two showers, equipped with antibacterial/antifungal body wash. The sinks are equipped with antiseptic mouthwash, so no one in class has an excuse for bad breath. More academies should do this! The matted rooms are also clean, with no odor or discoloration on the mats. The mats are well-padded and well-fitted to the space. At no point did I feel at risk for dropping a toe into a crack in the mats, which is excellent. The heavy bags are well-mounted, sturdy, and able to withstand full-power impact. There is a separate boxing-style ring in the second matted room equipped with separate lockers, a sink, and bin filled with Kali sticks - all of which are in good repair and serviceable. Speaking as a strength and conditioning (S&C) coach by trade, BETA's separate S&C gym is well-equipped with everything one needs to develop an elite, combat-ready physique as well as support overall health and wellness. Regardless of what martial art you're interested in, Kudo, BJJ, Muay Thai, or MMA, BETA Academy has what you need. 10/10, highly recommended, and will be back again soon. Thank you to Professor Nakapan, George-senpai, Coach Adam, and Professor Luis as well as all the other coaches, members, and staff of BETA Academy for a stellar visit every time I stop by.

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Navin Patel (StochasticNAV) Edited 3 months ago

The guys are very accomodating here, very friendly, very nice facilities, and cool shirts. Very prestigious place. Everyone is super friendly, Nakapan is highly skilled, i came in on the dot with no gi or equipment, he gave me a spare one to borrow. They have great techniques, learnt a lot, and its an amazing community of martial artists. Nothing negative to say, hope to see you guys again! Osu!

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Bruce Kim 6 months ago

I attended a Kudo (Japanese martial art) seminar hosted at BETA Academy, and the experience was excellent. The facility is top-notch. The place has spacious mats, a cage setup, and a ring setup, along with clean locker rooms and a shower. Everything felt professional and well maintained. The owner, Nakapan, is incredibly skilled yet very humble and kind. You can tell he genuinely cares about the art, the athletes, and the community. Even though I was there specifically for Kudo, it was clear that BETA Academy is a high quality MMA gym with a great atmosphere. Highly recommend checking this place out, whether for seminars or regular training.