Jiu Jitsu Academies: The Secret to Success

Joe Guarino didn’t begin his martial arts journey in early childhood, nor did he step onto the mats as a lifelong fighter.

Instead, his story is one of transformation:

of a parent, tech professional, and former athlete finding something new later in life that would reshape not only his own habits, but the lives of many families in his community.

“I started at 35. I’m 41 now, so I’ve been doing this six years,” Joe recalls. “I never had. I was an ice hockey player my whole life. So I’ve done a lot of different sports, you know, extreme sports…but never did fight sports. And of course, now I wish I got into it way earlier in life…but for me, I got into it because I work in tech during the day, and I just had my third kid. I put on a lot of weight… and I was like, I’m not doing anything.”

Unlike most martial arts gym owners, Joe didn’t enter the space looking to make a career change or chase status. Like many, he was searching for self-improvement—a way to get fit, combat stress, and, as he soon discovered, a community to call his own.

“I feel really grateful to have found it. I never thought I’d be an academy owner.”

Finding Opportunity in Uncertainty

As the pandemic swept through Las Vegas, many jiu jitsu academies closed their doors, but Joe and a group of close training partners refused to stop. “We’d been together a lot of us about five or six years… we stayed together. We eventually kept training together and decided we needed our own mat space. And one thing after another led to this place. We came by one day, it was open and available, and made a couple calls, and it was like it was all meant to be.”

That intuition—the sense that this space on Water Street, with its historic legacy, could become something special—drove Joe and his group to leap into the unknown. But this wasn’t just about opening a gym. It was about creating a home for a community left adrift by circumstance.

Building a Unique Identity

Their new endeavor needed a name: something that reflected boundless growth and strength. “Unlimited Jiu Jitsu was a brand new brand that we wanted to come up with. Our own brand that we could basically identify as all the things that we loved,” Joe says. Pulling inspiration from their city, the color schemes of local teams like the Raiders and Knights, and above all else the concept of unlimited personal potential, they grounded their school in a philosophy of inclusivity and constant improvement.

The logo, influenced by the “Spartan mindset,” became a rallying symbol for members of all backgrounds and skill levels. “We came across unlimited because it symbolizes there not being necessarily limitations that anything’s possible. Believe a lot in the growth mindset… and there being limitless, unlimited possibilities to that.”

Forming a Tribe

From the beginning, Joe and his co-founders focused on culture. The priorities weren’t flashy medals or a cutthroat competition room, but rather the simple, essential experience of being welcomed, supported, and seen. “A lot of us have been together for many years, you know, and that’s the one thing that always surprises me when I go to other schools is sometimes it doesn’t feel as welcoming. And I always feel like we’re always like ultra welcoming to other people,” Joe notes.

He continues: “It’s an individual sport, but it’s very much we’re a team here when we’re here and it’s about supporting… whatever reason they’re there, whether they’re athlete getting bullied in school. Something like that kind of breaks down… barriers that might exist elsewhere.”

Focusing on Families and the Next Generation

At Unlimited Jiu Jitsu, families aren’t just welcome—they’re fundamental. Joe, a father of three, wanted his daughters to start training as early as three years old, and crafted a program to meet them right where they were. “We’re one of the few schools that starts at age 3… We knew that they could start at that age. We knew how to talk to them… we could put a program together for our tiny T. Rexes. Those are our three year olds.”

His approach with young children emphasizes fun and socialization. “It’s a short 30 minute class. We get them on the mat, we get them improving motor skills, different things to them. They think they’re having fun… and they’re actually learning, you know, how to move, how to roll, how to tumble, how to fall.”

Overcoming Business Roadblocks

Opening the doors of a martial arts academy isn’t just sweat and camaraderie—the back end is just as complex. Despite his technical background, Joe was still learning as he went. “Drafted a business plan, right. Identified, of course, you worry about things like location, your build out… you start looking for a name… your brand, your graphics, your logos… You start to worry about things like, you know, what software am I going to use to run my gym,” he explains.

Choosing the right administrative systems proved especially crucial. “In the beginning, we even started with a different piece of software and very quickly and early on felt the pain of picking bad software… after trying several, I found Gym Desk that was really in alignment with what I was looking for as far as features… There were so many features that were just like, we’ve needed this for so long. Thank goodness we finally found it.”

The Drive to Expand—With Integrity

Though Unlimited Jiu Jitsu’s growth has been rapid, Joe’s commitment isn’t just to scale for the sake of it. He protects the school’s culture carefully. “Definitely want to expand. Right. But I feel that there’s a right way to do it. I’ve seen far too many people try to grow too fast, and… it can be a struggle.”

His vision is one of sustainable, community-driven growth. “I designed and drafted this business as a franchise, so it’s completely franchisable, and I totally intend on gifting that to anyone that my professor feels is worthy… But I totally am open to sharing that… knowledge that I’ve built, you know, or at least gained to help the next person build their gym too.”

Conclusion: Purpose, Passion, and Community

For Joe, Unlimited Jiu Jitsu isn’t just a business or a hobby—it’s a family legacy and a means for personal and collective growth. “This was very much so a passion project for me. For me, I got to do all the things that I really enjoy doing… My wife always says that this is not a business, it’s my hobby. She’s like, you’re going to go hang out with your friends right now, aren’t you? But she really respects it.”

Now, with a thriving student body, a rich team culture, and a blueprint for sustainable expansion, Joe’s journey demonstrates the true secret to building a successful jiu jitsu school: “It’s just about self improvement at whatever level, for whatever reason you’re coming through the door… and I could see myself doing this for a very long time.”