Elizabethtown, PA · Since 2012
Real coaching, hard rounds, and a room that knows your name. Beginners, competitors, and local families train together at 101 Cherry Street.
Inside our room
These are our coaches, students, and training floor—not stock martial-arts photography.
Compete locally at Fighting Dragons: six-minute submission-only matches, no points, adult divisions, and free absolute divisions.
Send your name, mobile number, and preferred class. A coach will contact you to confirm the best first visit and the $59 startup special.
Call or text a coach to reserve your first class.
(717) 350-8554
Embark on your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey with a welcoming room, structured fundamentals, and a steady path into live training.
Refine your game with technical classes, harder rounds, and a room that supports advanced students and active competitors.
Give kids a safe and supportive place to build self-defense skills, confidence, coordination, and teamwork.
Get extra rounds, competition prep, and live work with students who want more mat time.
Sunday Morning
Adults / All Levels
Everyone remembers their first day on the mats. Our room is structured so new students are introduced to movements and positions without being thrown into the deep end.
As a 3G affiliate school, we preserve direct lineage, proven curriculum, and high standards for promotions, competition, and self-defense.
BJJ Head Coach
Nathan Merkel is a 3rd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt with over 20 years of BJJ experience and more than a decade of teaching experience. He received his black belt under Rosendo Diaz in 2016 and has been certified to teach Jeet Kune Do under Richard Bustillo, one of Bruce Lee's original students, since 2012. A former MMA coach for Fighting Dragons for five years, he has extensive experience developing students and competitors in grappling, striking, and mixed martial arts.
BJJ Coach
Adam Joseph brings a practical, self-defense-focused approach to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, drawing on two years of MMA experience and a background in law enforcement training. A purple belt, he has trained at Elizabethtown BJJ since 2019. He holds Gracie Survival Tactics Level 2 certification and instructs for his police department and the municipal police academy, where he emphasizes control, situational awareness, and techniques that work under pressure. His goal is to help students build confidence and technical skill they can use on and off the mats.
Open Mat Lead
Eric Grill won the 2025 IBJJF Masters 5 European Heavyweight division and leads open mat. If you are getting ready to compete, come sharpen your game. If you are new, want to learn, or just want to try something different, open mat is a great place to start. Bring your friends, or the training partners who push you the hardest.
Real feedback from people who train in the room every week.
Absolutely great environment. Coach Nate is second to none, and the veteran guys in class take the time to help you develop and evolve.
I got my blue belt through this school. Coach Nathan Merkel is very knowledgeable, explains things clearly, and the room is cool and accepting.
Great place to train BJJ. It has a family environment with a knowledgeable black belt leading the room.
Coach Nate is patient and knowledgeable, and the environment is super welcoming for women and men. Great place to start your martial arts journey.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling-based martial art built around leverage, positioning, technique, self-defense, and live sparring. Elizabethtown BJJ presents it as training for beginners, professionals, and kids alike.
Elizabethtown BJJ is welcoming new members and guests. New students can start with a $59 startup special that includes two weeks of training and a free gi. After that, training is month to month with no contracts, and any additional immediate family member is half off.
Serving Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Hershey, Lancaster & Central PA.
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