Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has taken the world by storm in recent years as a powerful martial art, especially for situations involving one-on-one self-defence. BJJ is also a very efficient fat-burning workout and is excellent for those who want to get into the best shape of their lives. It can burn up to a whopping 750 calories per hour. In Singapore alone, the sport has dramatically increased in popularity; the number of BJJ schools has mushroomed in recent years and the number of practitioners has risen approximately 300% in the last few years. A grappling-based ground martial art, BJJ is a graceful mixture of technique, balance, leverage, and timing. The aim of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is to control an opponent on the ground with a dominant position before executing a submission (typically a joint lock or a chokehold). While 100% of street fights start in standing position, it is a known fact that a large percentage of street fights end up on the ground at some point. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is perhaps the most effective martial art in the world when it comes to fighting on the ground. Whether it is for self-defence, fitness, or fun, this martial art has seen skyrocketing popularity in recent times in Singapore and around the world.

If you want to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, here are the top 5 BJJ schools in Singapore:

1) Evolve MMA
Led by 12 world champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts, Evolve MMA caters to everyone from complete beginners to advanced competitors. As the largest BJJ school in Singapore, Evolve has won various awards as Asia's top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school. If you would like to train with famous BJJ black belts champions such as Shinya Aoki, Leandro Brodinho, Rafael dos Anjos, Teco Shinzato, and others, then Evolve is worth a look. Students benefit from the variety of BJJ styles offered by the different BJJ black belt instructors. A family-oriented school with clean facilities, Evolve also has the largest Children's Program in Asia. Classes run all day every day from 6am to 11pm every day.

2) BJJ Singapore
Singaporean BJJ black belt Jason Quek is arguably Singapore's greatest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pioneer. He launched Singapore's first and longest running Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in 2006 during a time when there was almost zero interest in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, there were fewer than 5 blue belts in the entire country in 2006. Today, his school is regarded as one of the finest competition schools in Singapore. BJJ Singapore also has a good No-Gi program since Quek is well-versed in BJJ with and without the Gi. While Quek is the primary instructor, he does have some of his top students helping out to teach classes too. Classes run 6 days a week (Monday to Saturday) with a focus on evening classes.

3) Fight G
Fight G's BJJ program is headed up by world champion prodigy and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Shane Suzuki. Fight G has a big focus on competition and Suzuki's classes are known to be very tough and demanding. Suzuki is a technical wizard who pushes his students hard. If you want to fight, Fight G is a good school for you. Suzuki is an active BJJ competitor in the region with excellent results. Fight G is centrally located with easy access and a good schedule. It is noteworthy to know that Fight G is owned by Singapore's legendary MMA pioneer Darren da Silva. Classes run 6 days a week and mostly in the evenings.

4) Impact MMA
Led by world-class BJJ black belt Leke Machado and Singapore BJJ national champion Sul Mohamad Sulaiman, Impact MMA is one of the best BJJ schools in Singapore. The quality of instruction is very good, especially by local standards. Machado hails from Brazil and is a professional MMA fighter with a 5-2 record. Sulaiman is one of Singapore's best BJJ competitors, is a national team wrestler and a judo black belt. Impact MMA is also the home of Royston Wee who was recently let go by the UFC. Situated in the Central Business District, Impact MMA has excellent facilities and a good schedule.

5) Equilibrium MMA
Equilibrium might be the smallest school on this list, but it still packs a punch in terms of authenticity. Bruno Amorim is a brown belt world champion. Hailing from Brazil, he is also an active MMA fighter with a respectable 4-2 record. Equilibrium caters mostly to university students. It offers most of its classes in the evenings. Equilibrium is also open 7 days a week although it has a limited schedule on weekends.