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August 2023 by Scott
I was able to drop in while visiting town and had a great time. The staff, coaches, and training partners were friendly and welcoming, and the gym has a great atmosphere. Great place to train in Hilo.
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April 2023 by James Hanrahan
Amazing place. I was in town for work and was invited to the gym. As soon as I walked in the door I was welcomed and everyone was super friendly. If you're looking for a place to roll this is it.
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March 2023 by Arissa Sayles
Amazing jiu jitsu academy run by awesome professors/coaches! Great place to learn the art of jiu jitsu, as well as make lifelong friends.
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September 2022 by Andrew Strickland
An exceptional and professional academy! Been training here for over 6 months and already placing in international tournaments. Professors Kawika, Todd, and Lance are among the most strategic practitioners in the game. No regrets.
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August 2022 by T. Leilani Nerveza-Clark
Hoʻokano - Jamie was not welcoming at all. According to their brochure they offer trial classes, but those were not offered to me & my husband; instead we were told it’s $20 to drop in a class. We entered the suite late into the basics class & were told it’s too late to join. At the dojo we train at, with TWO fifth degree Brazilian black belts that got their black belts directly from Carlson Gracie Jr., our professors are very welcoming & unpretentious and allow anyone to come give BJJ a try. Choosing the right dojo means everything when learning BJJ, in Hilo, check out one of the other gyms.
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June 2022 by Spencer Reeves
Traveled to Hilo on vacation and squeezed a class in here and had a blast. Facility was spotless, everyone was super welcoming, and the technical level was high; what more could you ask for? Mat fee was reasonable as well. Swing by and check them out if you are in the area!
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May 2022 by Jennifer Christine B.
First I hope Kawika and whoever represents Roma will finally respond to this even thought they didn't give me the courtesy of responding to a deeply thought out and respectful message sent to them last year. THEY LOOKED AT MY MESSAGE AND DID NOT RESPOND. They reaffirmed the treatment that I felt at their place by not responding to me and ignoring me. Disclaimer: First I am originally from Los Angeles and African American. I have a local partner and I have been here for 11 years and am at least familiar with the culture and expected a real ohana feel to this place. So I had high expectations. I rolled here on and off for maybe almost 2 years. I didn't come with an ego even though I have done martial arts on and off for several years. I wanted to start from scratch and was ready to get advice in anyway shape or form. I am a PhD student at Subaru Telescope working on techniques to discover exoplanets, so one, I am no d*** b***** I observe and analyze for a living, so my observations are well formulated and thought out, otherwise I would not give my opinion. I gave these people the benefit of the doubt and went with the flow for a while. Flat out: I think they are cliquey and maybe even borden line racist. Yeh I said it. You guys treated me weird as f**** No one ever asked me how I was doing, even though I came in with a smile on my face every time. No one EVER asked me what I did for a living. DID YOU KNOW I HELP DISCOVER EXOPLANETS?! NO! I am only saying this because they didn't care about me as a person. My partner also rolled there and you hated on him too. I also heard from another person that you guys give weird vibes. When I would submit people you guys didn't coach me through or tell me how to strengthen my technique, it looked like you didn't give a crap about helping me grow even if I exhibited a bit of potential. AGAIN, if you wanted me to patch up to be apart of your "crew" then you should have been transparent about that. I would have honored that and tried to commit as much as I could. The people in the class were more friendly and helpful than the instructors. Like I sent in the message awhile ago to Roma, Kawika's girlfriend was the only friendly person, and it might have been her job to do that. I felt invisible there and WEIRD. I have been in several martial arts places, even was trained by the late Bill Ryusaki in Hawaiian Kenpo for more than a year and really saw what it was like to be with a humble and cool instructor. This place was not the Bees knees. Would NEVER recommend. Try Nu Era, they aint about that dollar and they actually teach you and talk to you. I waited like 4 plus years to say this. I held my tongue too long. I wish you guys would get back to what martial arts is about. Please respond Roma I'd love to hear your take. :). I even asked was there something I did that was disrespectful in the message because I'd own up ( even though I for sure didn't). Maybe you didn't respond because I said I wasn't very fond of that Todd-guy? Does it matter? Should have respected my opinions and responded like all businesses do. It would actually be surprising if you step up and send me a message on facebook. Look at your message history, my message is there. And please if anyone reads this that rolled with me years ago, hit me up I'd love to talk story and hear your opinions because I was calm cool and collected when I was there and didn't bother no one. So help me understand this non- inclusive Roma culture??? I am pretty fond of dojo's and gyms and egos and earning your right to be somewhere but this was different.
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January 2022 by T. NervezaClark
Hoʻokano - Jamie was not welcoming at all. According to their brochure they offer trial classes, but those were not offered to me & my husband; instead we were told it’s $20 to drop in a class. We entered the suite late into the basics class & were told it’s too late to join. At the dojo we train at, with TWO fifth degree Brazilian black belts that got their black belts directly from Carlson Gracie Jr., our professors are very welcoming & unpretentious and allow anyone to come give BJJ a try. Choosing the right dojo means everything when learning BJJ, in Hilo, check out one of the other gyms.
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October 2021 by TonyLindsay Sanchez
Awesome place to train!!
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August 2021 by George R.
Been taking our kids here for a few years now. Can't believe they are not on Yelp yet which means we need more yelpers in Hilo because Roma Jujitsu Academy is well known here! They are known for their core jujitsu values and competing in tournaments. Professor Kawika & wife Jamie are awesome! They treat you like Ohana! Even the coaches Tammy & Todd! Staff is awesome! What makes Roma stand out from the rest is the family atmosphere for all ages! There's no hot shots in here ! They roll as a family! Prob one of the most cleanest environments too! Currently they are following state and county covid guidelines which means right now classes are limited and no inside spectators. You might be put on a wait list due to demand yet it will be worth the wait! Once you get your spot make sure you hold on to it as we had to be back on the wait list for a few months upon coming back. Hopefully when guidelines are lifted they can allow spectators. Always sanitation & temperature checks upon entering. Took my kids out during the start of covid and finally brought them back as things are slowly getting back to normal. If yourself or keiki's are looking for martial arts fundamentals or just physical activities this is the place and well worth it! Check their website or FB/IG pages for info!
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March 2021 by Moi Soltan
If you want the best Jujitsu Academy in the big island This is the Best!!! I’m so grateful to train under professional guidance from Professor Kawika and Coach Todd. Very professional and knowledgeable thank you so much!!!
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March 2021 by Shannon Schutz
Very friendly and consistent, all the staff there make you feel like family.
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November 2019 by Captain Dekoning
Very clean, very helpful with any questions you may have. Easy to pay set up, you can pay on the phone. Website or In person.Area is Super clean with a waiting area for the parents. I can’t say enough about how Awesone Kawika is! He is full of great knowledge and wisdom. Had so much patiences and always willing to go the extra mile to help a student understand. I honestly can’t say enough about the great stuff this place is. Hilo town is truly bless to have him, his Ohana and Academy here.Thank you Kawika !!!
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November 2019 by Vard
Thank you Kawika and Jamie Would rate 4.5 stars if I could. Not perfect but best gym on island for me. As a total beginner- Just started BJJ a couple months ago, so my knowledge is limited obviously. I Went to all the BJJ gyms on big island and this was the one I ended up going to regularly and was best for me because:1. It’s clean at Roma (my friend got a hole in his foot from infection at a different gym in Hilo where the mats looked like they were never cleaned regularly) don’t have to worry about that at Roma.2. Class structure is good for beginners like me, white belts learn basics first and are not just sidelined in one big class. You get attention and coaching for your level of skill (which is starting at zero for me).3. Positive atmosphere, Feels like a cooperative and safe environment for learning / training. Appreciate incorporation of belief in God and am sure this adds to the positive vibe of the gym and teaching style of Kawika4. Coaches are well qualified and able to communicate effectively to individuals.Very Minor complaints would be:1. I wish the carriculum incorporated “Street jujitsu” or actual fighting situational techniques. Blocking or throwing kicks or punches, distance management etc never mentioned once. Even as a beginner of BJJ I find myself often thinking if I did this or that move in a real fight I would just get kicked with a boot to the head. The classes seem to be 100% sport or point oriented. which would just be more my personal goals of incorporating BJJ into other self defense and this is not really a ding on Roma at all.2.Wish there was a shower / locker room.Overall just want to say thank you to Roma for sharing your knowledge and love of BJJ. This is a great place if you come here you will be happy with what you learn.
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August 2019 by Guy Saru
Structured, clean, and very welcoming. Needed to find not only a gym or place to roll, but a family to be a part of which I found. So blessed to continue my endless journey here
