Westside Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy (Ogden, UT)
When I was a kid, a popular television show aired about a community bar in Boston, “where everyone knew your name.” The show’s name was “Cheers,” and I can’t remember the bar’s name, but it might as well have been called Westside Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Do your soul and Jiu-Jitsu practice a huge favor, and stop by Westside BJJ Academy for a roll and fellowship if you are on a travel layover in Salt Lake City or looking for a new BJJ home.
Like most sit-com shows, “Cheers” had a list of lovable characters that played off one another and made being in the bar for the 30-minute show fun and worthwhile…whether you were drinking or not. Why do I bring up this old television show? When I walked into Westside Jiu-Jitsu, it was as if everyone knew my name, not because they knew of me, but the welcoming I got from Professor Mark Johnson (Pedro Sauer) and the rest of the students reminded me of the first gym I joined and partially why I fell in love with Jiu-Jitsu and the culture surrounding it. They were welcoming, friendly, and being there was like seeing old friends. The atmosphere wasn’t that of a weight-training gym with potential for physical improvement if you lift all the weights repetitively. Westside BJJ offered the welcoming environment of an alcoholic anonymous meeting where everyone understood the addiction and repetitively worked with one another to improve our shared practice. (AA might be a little extreme, but BJJ can be an addiction…I’m making time for BJJ while on a snowboarding getaway…during a pandemic…that’s an addiction/heavy appreciation.) Some BJJ schools will bring in visitors like crash test dummy guests and use that opportunity to try all the shit they learned on you at one time to improve their BJJ practice..not yours. That environment works for some fighters, but I’m no longer a “fighter:” I’m a protector and practitioner.
I attended a weekday noon class, and there was a double-digit attendance of adult students. The class was attended by several belt colors, ages, genders, races, and professions. Class instruction was lean and mean, as it was the “lunch hour rush” of students meeting their fix for Jiu-Jitsu instead of tacos. Class started with rolling/sparring as the warmup. Not “take your head off” rolling, but flow-rolling that allows one to get into the rhythm of the movements and still be able to shout a question, answer and laugh with a friend entering class late. I like early-rolling in class because it lets me get done what I came to do…roll without concerns for late times and interference of common distractions to my roaming and easily-distracted brain. The class instructions were concise, with ample time to drill as well as oversight and the opportunity to work directly with Prof. Johnson. Prof. Johnson observed, critiqued and worked with each student during the drilling portion and shouted coaching tips to those drilling around him even while rolling with a student himself. Class concluded with more sparring and social exchanges of inside jokes as many changed clothes to return to work.
The picturesque surrounding mountains in Ogden can easily be blamed for the breathtaking moments, but there is a slight altitude adjustment (4,300 feet) for us sea-level breathers. So, prepare to be a bit more winded than the class regulars used to the thinner air. However, the heavy breathing made for a great workout whether you are training for competition or hobby, but bearable and not like near heart-attack training BJJ in Cusco, Peru.
Westside BJJ Academy is in the town of Ogden, which is a true 25-30 minute drive from the SLC airport. Westside BJJ Academy is close to the “central/downtown” area of Ogden, so the school is less than a block away from several pubs, coffee shops (one with a cool, hot yoga studio…tried them both and highly recommend) and restaurants to try before and after class.
There are a few other BJJ academies in Salt Lake City, and I stopped by to watch these schools for a moment. They all looked like good spots to train, but I chose Westside BJJ for several reasons. Westside BJJ offered many classes throughout the day for all ages. Westside BJJ has a good number of smiling kids enrolled, which relays a number of good things about the teaching style and reputation of the school within the community. The school is a Pedro Sauer affiliate which lets me know quality instruction from an established curriculum and a focus on self-defense exist to guide classes. Lastly, the school is run by accomplished author and respected BJJ black belt, Mark “Westside” Johnson. Mark walks the talk of a gentle-art warrior, is a solid Jiu-Jitero and highly patient instructor with over 20 years of BJJ and teaching experience. After attending one class with Prof. Johnson and the fine academy he has assembled, I knew I would return and had chosen the right school at which to train while visiting Utah.
