Mastering Your BJJ Recovery Routine
This guide will equip you with essential strategies to optimize your BJJ recovery, allowing you to bounce back faster and return to training stronger.
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Elizabethtown, PA · Since 2012
Your hometownjiu-jitsu room.
Real coaching, hard rounds, and a room that knows your name. Beginners, competitors, and local families train together at 101 Cherry Street.
First day friendlyNo experience required
Black belt led3G affiliate lineage
No contractsTrain month to month
Inside our room
Real people. Real mat time.
These are our coaches, students, and training floor—not stock martial-arts photography.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026
Elizabethtown BJJ No-Gi Submission Only Open
Compete locally at Fighting Dragons: six-minute submission-only matches, no points, adult divisions, and free absolute divisions.
BOOK YOUR FIRST CLASS
Tell us when you want to train
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) 350-8554CURRICULUM & PATHWAYS
PROGRAMS FOR EVERY LEVEL
ADULT BJJ
Beginners
Embark on your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey with a welcoming room, structured fundamentals, and a steady path into live training.
Best Fit: Best for adults who are brand new, restarting, or want a clear first class.
VIEW PROGRAM DETAIL →
ADULT BJJ
Professionals
Refine your game with technical classes, harder rounds, and a room that supports advanced students and active competitors.
Best Fit: Best for experienced students, active competitors, and serious hobbyists.
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AGES 5+
Kids
Give kids a safe and supportive place to build self-defense skills, confidence, coordination, and teamwork.
Best Fit: Best for families looking for structure, discipline, and confidence-building.
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ADULT BJJ
Open Mat
Get extra rounds, competition prep, and live work with students who want more mat time.
Best Fit: Best for competitors, serious hobbyists, and students who want extra live training.
VIEW PROGRAM DETAIL →
WEEKLY MAT SCOREBOARD
OPEN FULL SCHEDULE →Sunday
Sunday Morning
Adults / All Levels
⏰9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
📍 101 Cherry St, Elizabethtown, PAView all 7 days timetable →
FIRST CLASS GUIDE
WHAT TO EXPECT ON DAY ONE
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.
- ▸ Arrive 10–15 minutes early
- ▸ Wear comfortable workout gear & bring water
- ▸ Receive your official gi with the $59 startup offer
- ▸ Zero judgment, 100% supportive room
🥋 3G AFFILIATE LINEAGE
AUTHENTIC TECHNIQUE & TRADITION
As a 3G affiliate school, we preserve direct lineage, proven curriculum, and high standards for promotions, competition, and self-defense.
PROVEN INSTRUCTION & LEADERSHIP
MEET THE COACHING STAFF
🥋 3RD DEGREE BLACK BELT
BJJ Head Coach
Nathan Merkel
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.
Elizabethtown BJJRead Bio →
🥋 PURPLE BELT COACH
BJJ Coach
Adam Joseph
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.
Elizabethtown BJJRead Bio →
🏆 2025 IBJJF EUROPEAN CHAMPION
Open Mat Lead
Eric Grill
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.
Elizabethtown BJJRead Bio →
MEMBER EXPERIENCES
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY
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.
SeanGym Member
“
I got my blue belt through this school. Coach Nathan Merkel is very knowledgeable, explains things clearly, and the room is cool and accepting.
TonyGym Member
“
Great place to train BJJ. It has a family environment with a knowledgeable black belt leading the room.
AdamGym Member
“
Coach Nate is patient and knowledgeable, and the environment is super welcoming for women and men. Great place to start your martial arts journey.
BryanGym Member
THE MARTIAL ART
WHAT IS BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU?
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.
LOCAL DIRECTORY
POPULAR LOCAL SEARCHES
Serving Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Hershey, Lancaster & Central PA.
From the academy
View all articles →Jiu-Jitsu blog
Best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu jokes
Let’s face it, BJJ can be a tough sport. Between the sweat, the scrambles, and the occasional tap out, it’s easy to forget that there’s a whole lot of fun to be had on the mats.
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