Adult Beginner
Where most Clairemont members start. The 5-week beginner course, 80-plus cohorts, 1,000-plus graduates. The best on-ramp from zero.
Start the course →Clairemont has always been the honest middle of San Diego, close to everything, affordable, community-first. The gym you pick should match that. Legion sits a short run north up I-805 on Miramar Road.
You want a place that is 10 minutes from Clairemont Square, treats beginners like actual people, and runs an instruction system you can trust with your kids and with your own time.
Legion American Jiu-Jitsu sits just north up I-805 on Miramar Road. We run structured adult and kids classes, our team is 20 coaches deep so coverage never lapses, and we hold a 5.0 across 2,000-plus Google reviews. If you have been looking for a real training program, this is the short drive.
Clairemont residents drive past half a dozen strip-mall gyms every week. What you have not seen, because there is not one in the neighborhood, is a jiu-jitsu academy with set curriculum, skilled instructors, and structure that takes you from day one through promotions over years.
From Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Balboa Avenue, or Mt. Etna, the drive is short. Free dedicated parking right in front of the door.
Promotions over years, not random Monday-night classes. The kind of structure you would expect from a school, not a strip-mall gym.
Coverage never lapses. We are a local San Diego gym run by a team that knows its members by name and remembers what you were working on last week.
Clairemont parents bring their kids up for the Kids program and stay for the Adult class. Couples found jiu-jitsu together. Many have been here for years.
Legion is at 7550 Miramar Road, Suite 330. Whatever corner of Clairemont you start from, it is a short, honest drive north.
Take Clairemont Drive north, merge onto I-805 North, and exit Miramar Road east. Legion is on your left at 7550 Miramar Road, Suite 330.
Drive time 8 to 10 minBalboa Avenue east to I-805 North, then exit Miramar Road. The shortest path of all the Clairemont starts.
Drive time 8 to 10 minMorena Boulevard to I-5 North, take SR-52 East, then I-805 North and exit Miramar Road east. A few extra miles but a clean run.
Drive time 12 to 15 min
Hundreds of members train every week without crowding. An equipped weight room and an in-house recording studio live inside the same 6,500 square foot space, so strength work and your training happen under one roof.
The team of 20 coaches includes Keenan Cornelius and is led by owner Miha Perhavec. Same instructors month after month, same curriculum unlocking the same way.
Owner And Head Coach
Leads the Legion program and the beginner curriculum that has graduated more than 1,000 students through 80-plus cohorts.
Coach
World-class competitor on the mats every week, part of a 20-coach team that keeps instruction consistent for members at every level.
Youth And Adult Trained
Coaches with youth-specific certifications run the kids groups. Adult classes keep the same faces and the same structured path week after week.
A 60-minute adult class: warm-up, technique of the day, supervised drilling with a matched partner, and optional live rolling you enter on your own timeline. First class is free, loaner gi included, no fitness baseline required.
Where most Clairemont members start. The 5-week beginner course, 80-plus cohorts, 1,000-plus graduates. The best on-ramp from zero.
Start the course →For members past the beginner course. Technique development, live rolling, competition prep if you want it.
See the schedule →No-gi. Tempo, scrambles, leg locks, the modern grappling game under one roof.
See the schedule →Age-grouped so a 5-year-old is not paired with an 11-year-old. Coaches with youth-specific certifications and plenty of patience.
Kids program →After the trial we walk you through membership pricing transparently. No high-pressure tour, no disappearing coach once you sign, no surprise fees six weeks in. Most Clairemont members train two or three times a week and settle into a rhythm inside the first month.
Adults new to jiu-jitsu get a complimentary orientation, then enroll in the 5-week beginner course.
Adults with prior experience can skip the orientation and book a trial class instead.
Kids get a 1-on-1 intro, a group class, and a free uniform rental for the trial.
Couples and families regularly train together. Kids classes overlap with the parent class, so one trip covers both.
Legion is at 7550 Miramar Road, Suite 330, San Diego, CA 92126. Free dedicated parking sits right in front of the door.
7550 Miramar Road, Suite 330
San Diego, CA 92126
Free dedicated parking right in front of the door. No structure fees, no meters, no hunting for a spot.
858-888-1815
We will help you find a class time and book your free first class.
Your neighbors already train here. Longtime Clairemont families, couples, and the kids of all of them. The reviews come from your block, not a marketing department.
Probably the best jiu-jitsu for kids in San Diego. I have had my kid for three years. The lead instructors actually know childhood education and design classes around that.
Beautiful training room with lots of high level athletes. There is training for all levels, all styles and everyone is included whether you are looking for competitive rounds or slower pace.
Loving the 5 week beginner course. Every day is a new tool in the belt!
Our Kids Jiu-Jitsu program starts at age 4. Classes are age-grouped, so 4-year-olds drill with peers their own size, never with older or bigger kids.
Karate and taekwondo are striking arts taught mostly through pre-set forms. Jiu-jitsu is grappling: real-world physical control, escapes from holds, and resolving conflicts without strikes. For most kids, especially those dealing with bullying, the leverage-based approach builds confidence faster and translates more directly to real situations.
No. Kids classes are age-grouped: 4 to 6 year olds together, 7 to 9s together, 10 to 13s together. We do not put a 5-year-old across from an 11-year-old.
Adult beginners schedule a complimentary orientation with a coach, then enroll in our 5-week beginner course. The course is structured from day one so you finish able to roll safely with peers, not just survive. Over a thousand graduates and four years of refinement.
Roughly 10 minutes from Clairemont Square. Central and North Clairemont are an 8 to 10 minute drive up I-805, and Bay Park is 12 to 15 minutes. Free dedicated parking sits right in front of the door.
The short drive north is the honest one. Adults start with the 5-week beginner course. Kids start with a 1-on-1 intro and a free uniform rental. First class is free.