BJJ in Bern
About Bern
Bern, the capital of Switzerland, is a charming city known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Established in 1191, it sits on a loop of the Aare River, offering stunning views and a peaceful atmosphere. Notable landmarks include the Zytglogge clock tower, a medieval structure with an intricate astronomical clock, and the Federal Palace, which houses the Swiss government. The Bear Park, where the city’s emblematic bears live, is a popular attraction.
The city’s cultural scene is vibrant, with events like the Onion Market (Zibelemärit) and the Gurtenfestival. Bern is also famous for being the city where Albert Einstein lived during his time in Switzerland, and his legacy is honored at the Einstein Museum. The city offers a relaxed pace of life, with cozy cafes, traditional Swiss restaurants, and beautiful parks. Whether you’re exploring its historic streets or enjoying the views from the Rose Garden, Bern is a blend of history, culture, and modern charm.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
During a 2 month intership in Bern, Matthias was able to train BJJ and visit some gyms in the city, not only to write this blog post, but also to annoy people by pulling guard.
Joker Jiu Jitsu
Via a contact from a good friend, I got a recommendation for Joker Jiu-Jitsu.
I showed up there not knowing what to expect, and what I found was a group of very charming people that not only train together but also seem to be friends with each other.
What surprised me was that they train at two different schools.
The first one is Maru Dojo Bern, a very beautiful dojo in an old brewery, which is a brickstone house (watch the pictures).
The second location is their partner school Elements, which is in the basement of a business building.
Joker offers 7 training sessions for adults per week—6 of them at Maru Dojo and one at Elements.
The prices are fair, especially the yearly subscription.
They train mostly No-Gi, which fits my needs perfectly.
The training there is guided by one to two coaches who are capable and know what they are doing.
From what I understood and got to know, the coaches don’t follow a specific or strict curriculum but rather define a theme they focus on for roughly a month.
As I was able to annoy many people with my guard game, I had the honor to teach a class where I showed what I did to them over the last two months: back takes from De La Riva and Reverse De La Riva.
I’m very happy that I went to train there and would be going back for sure if I’m visiting Bern again or move there for work in the future.
I can’t tell you that much more about Bern other than from training and working in the hospital—which I enjoyed both very much!
If you’re planning on training BJJ in Bern, you should definitely go to Joker!
Past Travels
Read more about my past trips
Get In Touch
Feel free to write me if you have questions, recommendations or you want to invite me.
