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Oregon's BJJ lineage runs directly through one man: Matt Thornton, who opened the first Straight Blast Gym in Salem in 1992 after being introduced to jiu-jitsu the year prior. He trained under Rickson Gracie and later received his black belt through Chris Haueter, becoming the first person from Oregon to earn that rank in BJJ. When Thornton relocated SBG's headquarters to Portland in 1994, the city had a real foundation to build from. That original Portland gym at sbgi-pdx.com has since grown into an international association with over 60 affiliate schools worldwide, and it remains one of the most historically significant BJJ academies in the American Northwest.

Portland is still the center of gravity for Oregon grappling. Northwest Fighting Arts has been operating there since 1994, making it one of the city's longest-running multi-discipline academies. Renzo Gracie Academy Portland, Oregon Grappling Arts, Enso Jiu Jitsu, and Brazilian Top Team all operate within the metro area, with BTT's Chris Standing — a multiple-time IBJJF medalist with more than two decades of training — among the more decorated instructors in the city. Caio Terra Academy Portland opened in January 2020, run by black belt Aaron Neuman under the banner of 12-time IBJJF World Champion Caio Terra. The Portland suburbs are well-represented too: Impact Jiu Jitsu, founded in Beaverton in 1998 by Michael Chapman, is one of the state's most established academies and has produced over 100 black belts across its network of locations in Newberg, Hillsboro, McMinnville, and Wilsonville.

Outside Portland, the Willamette Valley has real depth. Eugene carries a solid no-gi scene anchored in part by 10th Planet affiliates, including University of MMA/10th Planet West Eugene, which caters to the university crowd. Corvallis is home to 10th Planet Corvallis, extending Eddie Bravo's no-gi system further into the mid-valley. Salem, the state capital, has several academies serving grappling athletes who don't want to make the hour drive to Portland. On the other side of the Cascades, Bend has grown into its own training hub — Straight Blast Gym Bend operates out of a full facility downtown and runs more than 60 hours of classes weekly across BJJ, MMA, and no-gi. Southern Oregon isn't an afterthought either: 10th Planet Grants Pass serves the Rogue Valley with no-gi, Muay Thai, and MMA programming.

Training culture across the state leans heavily on the SBG philosophy that Thornton built — evidence-based technique, live rolling over choreographed drilling, and minimal ego at the mat. That ethos spread through the SBG affiliate network and influenced academies that never formally affiliated. Oregon gyms tend to be technically focused and open to cross-training; inter-gym open mats happen regularly, particularly in the Portland metro. The no-gi contingent is strong relative to many states, partly because of 10th Planet's presence in multiple cities and partly because competition circuits like Grappling Industries run events in Portland that draw submissions-only crowds.

For anyone moving to Oregon or looking to start training, MatMade's Oregon directory lists 136 gyms across the state, searchable by city and affiliation. The Portland metro is an easy place to find a school regardless of whether you want gi, no-gi, or MMA-integrated training. Outside the major cities, coverage is thinner in rural eastern Oregon, but the Willamette Valley corridor from Eugene to Portland and the Bend area on the eastern slope of the Cascades each have enough options to train seriously without a long commute. Walk in, watch a class, and ask how long the head instructor has held their black belt and under whom — in Oregon, the lineages are usually clear and worth knowing.

Oregon

BJJ & Martial Arts in Portland, Oregon