About SJA
A room where beginners belong
Shepparton Jiu-Jitsu & Mixed Martial Arts Academy is built for everyday people. Most members walk in with no martial arts background at all, and that is exactly who our classes are designed for.
Our story
Real people trying to get better
SJA was never built to be a place just for fighters or people who already know what they're doing.
It was built for everyday people.
Growing up, I learnt pretty early that having the right people around you can change a lot. A good coach. A good mate. Someone who gives you their time, expects something from you and is still there when things aren't going great.
I was lucky enough to have people like that when I needed them, and that has shaped what I wanted SJA to become.
A place where people know your name. Where the new person gets looked after. Where the kid having a rough time has good people around them. Where you can come straight from work, have a shit day behind you, train for an hour and walk out feeling a little better.
We talk a lot about being rich with time. Giving it to our kids, our families, our members and the people around us.
Because not every win happens on the mats.
Sometimes the win is walking through the door when you nearly stayed home.
Sometimes it's watching your kid come out of their shell.
Sometimes it's finding a group of people you genuinely look forward to seeing each week.
And sometimes it's just having somewhere you belong when everything outside gets a bit chaotic.
That's the bones of SJA.
Good people. Good training. Looking after each other.
Comfort In The Chaos
Why train here
Come as you are. Put the work in.
People walk through our doors for all sorts of reasons.
Some want to compete. Some want to learn how to fight. Some want to get stronger, fitter or more confident. Some just need something that's theirs for a couple of hours each week.
You can be chasing your first fight or walking onto the mats for the first time. There's room for both here.
Nobody expects you to already be good. We just ask that you're willing to learn, put the work in and look after the people you train with.
You bring that. We'll meet you on the mats.
Our community
Built by the people in the room
SJA has never been about one person.
It's the parents who bring their kids down and end up staying for a chat. The person who walks in nervous on day one and a few months later is helping someone else through theirs. The fighters putting in rounds. The beginners learning the ropes. The people who notice when someone hasn't been around and check in.
We train hard. We have a laugh. We don't take ourselves too seriously. We celebrate the little wins. And when someone needs a hand, we look after them.
You don't have to be the loudest, toughest or best person in the room to matter here. Just be someone who adds to it.
The mats, walls and equipment make it a gym.
The people in the room make it SJA.
Come and watch a class
Not ready to jump in? Call us and come by to watch a session first. Then decide.