About Us

This place is a GEM. Awesome jiu jitsu in Chatham, VA of all places... My wife and I were in town visiting from CA and were surprised and curious to find this gym off of hwy 29. We were so glad we decided to visit! You couldn't find a more enthusiastic, open minded instructor than Haile. His love and enthusiasm for BJJ permeates the gym and his students, creating a welcoming and electric vibe. Everyone I trained with was solid and ego-less; you can tell that Haile had taught them well. There was a wide range of students from all different ages, which speaks highly of the instruction because they're taking care of the smaller and younger students. Chatham is lucky there's a place like this in the area to learn self defense and get fit. This will always be a place that we'll be visiting next time we're in town.

Great family friendly school that is clean with a lot of mat space. The school also has workout equipment with a nice changing room. The school has a large selection of class times early morning to evening, BJJ, women only, law enforcement only and workout classes. Family owned and operated and the owners are very interested in the success of their students. After moving into the second half of my life and raising a family for the last 18 years I found myself at the age of 49, out of shape, and over weight. I had been looking for a way to improve my physical health. I could not get in a routine or stick to a plan to exercise, run, bike, etc. Most of the time I just got bored with the workout and moved on to something less strenuous or more fun. I had been looking for a team type sport or exercise program that could help motivate me. Then one day I was eating across highway from Forge with my daughter and I saw the sign for the school. I Immediately called and found their first class was starting in 2 days. I attended the first class and I have been training at forge jiu jitsu for 16 mos. I have lost over 30 lbs, my heart rate is below 60, I feel less stressed and I have much more energy. On top of that I have met a lot of people who care about helping me improve and I am learning some great self-defense training. My 16 year old son is now training at the 6am workout class twice a week before he goes to school. All I can say is WOW and thank you for bringing the school to Chatham. I can’t say enough good about the school. It a safe, clean and positive atmosphere. It’s a great place that has filled a void in my life.

Awesome environment and instruction for jiu jitsu. Clean mat spaces and most importantly welcoming and friendly, and was also very patient. Also, awesome workout too!

Great people and very clean facility. Instructors are very well knowledgeable and have excellent patience and insure everyone is learning the techniques. Great place to learn the sport.

I highly recommend Forge Jiu Jitsu-in Chatham VA! My teen daughter attended camp at Chatham Hall this summer and had the wonderful opportunity of learning some Jiu Jitsu moves from Forge instructor, Abi. Abi, did such an amazing job of demonstrating self defense moves to camp goers. My daughter said she felt more confident and empowered after learning some Jiu Jitsu. My daughter is so excited to continue to learn more from Abi and the whole wonderful crew at Forge!

My husband, twins, and myself have been members of Forge since January 2021. Top of the line jiu jitsu classes for adults, women, and kids. My twins are 9 and Haile is so patient and good with the kids. There are so many class times, we are able to fit in jiu jitsu several times during the week, even with our busy schedules. They have top of the line coaches for the classes and at the same time are such a family friendly gym. It’s still hard to believe that there is a jiu jitsu gym of this caliber in Chatham, VA. As if it couldn’t get better, Bryn and Haile are some of the nicest people we’ve ever met. I constantly encourage people to join the Forge family.

I started coming to Forge as a way to try BJJ but really just to get in shape. From the first day I came to the gym I was welcomed. Even though it was overwhelming with everything going on, the coaches and my teammates respected my skill set (or lack of skill set) and physical ability and worked with me. Not only did I fall in love with the people, the gym and the sport, but I had my daughter try it out, and now she loves coming to the kids’ class and gaining a similar experience too. I cannot thank everyone at Forge Jiu Jitsu enough for the friendships, coaching and mentoring since I’ve joined.

It is tough to say in a few words what the past year at Forge has done for my family. I first started looking into a martial arts program for my energetic seven year that would show him guidance and discipline, but still be a fun experience for him. My son continuously talked about how much fun it would be if I joined the mats with him. Luckily, Forge started a women’s only class where I first attended. It’s easy to say I was hooked within the first few classes and six months later we not only gained new skills at this amazing sport but a new family at Forge. Haile is a dedicated instructor that is able to explain techniques that both adults and children can understand, but the attention he gives to everyone in the class and to individual questions in unmatched. If you are looking for a fun experience for yourself or your child, Forge is where it is at!