BJJ Gyms in Illinois

Illinois BJJ is overwhelmingly a Chicago story — the metro accounts for nearly all of the state's mat density, with the city itself running 50+ academies and a tightly packed western/northern suburb ring adding several dozen more. The headline lineage is **Carlson Gracie Headquarters** in Chicago, the late Carlson Gracie Sr.'s last U.S. base and still the upstream affiliation for a meaningful share of the city's independents (Lakeside, Vianna Brothers, Bender, Double Five, Dynamite, BJJ X Yoga, plus suburban offshoots in Wilmette, Glenview, Lyons, Palos Heights, Evergreen Park, and Aurora). The other lineage cluster worth knowing is **Gracie Barra under the Redzovic family** — Idriz, Adis, and Ramy Redzovic anchor Stronghold, Supreme, All Star (Lombard), Southside, Brazil 021, and Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club, making Gracie Barra arguably the most visible chain in Chicago retail BJJ. **10th Planet** has Chicago and Lombard locations; **Renzo Gracie Chicago** runs through Rodrigo Uflacker's academy plus TDC and Ralph Gracie's Chicago outpost; **Brazilian Top Team** has a major presence at Chicago Martial Arts in Deerfield and Midwest Training Center in Schaumburg; **Checkmat** shows up via Vuk BJJ (Elmhurst) and Pure BJJ in the city. Expect monthly dues in the $130-$180 range for adult unlimited, with the higher end concentrated in Loop, Lincoln Park, and North Shore locations. Outside Chicagoland, BJJ density drops sharply. Edwardsville (Metro East / St. Louis suburb) is currently the only downstate city represented in this directory; Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Peoria, and Rockford have local scenes that aren't yet covered.