Everything you need to know about using BJJ Recon — whether you’re planning your next drop-in or managing your academy’s listing.
General
Is BJJ Recon free?
Yes. BJJ Recon is completely free for practitioners. You can search for academies, rate gyms, track your training, build a bucket list, plan road trips, and share everything with your training partners, all without paying a cent. Our revenue model is built around providing management and visibility tools for gym owners, so the discovery and training experience stays free for the community.
How accurate is the gym data?
Our database of over 6,000 academies was built using verified business data across all 50 U.S. states. That said, gyms open, close, and relocate, so if you notice something that looks off, we want to hear about it. You can report issues directly from any gym’s info card using the “Report an Issue” option, or email us at support@bjjrecon.com.
Can I suggest a gym that’s missing?
Absolutely. If you know of an academy that isn’t on the map, send us the details at support@bjjrecon.com and we’ll work on getting it added. The goal is comprehensive coverage, and the community’s help makes that possible.
Is my data private and secure?
BJJ Recon is built on industry-standard infrastructure with secure authentication. We don’t sell your data or share it with third parties. Your account information, training log, bucket list, and road trips are tied to your account and are only visible to you unless you choose to share them. Competition results are always kept private.
Can I install BJJ Recon on my phone?
Yes. BJJ Recon is a progressive web app (PWA), which means you can install it directly to your phone’s home screen for a full-screen, app-like experience, no app store needed. Open the menu and look for the install option to get platform-specific instructions for your device.
How do I contact support?
You can reach us at support@bjjrecon.com for general inquiries, or use the “Share Feedback” option in your profile menu to submit a bug report, feature request, or general feedback directly from the app. Bug reports automatically include helpful device information so we can diagnose problems faster.
For Practitioners
Do I need an account to use BJJ Recon?
You can browse the map and explore academies without an account. However, creating a free account unlocks the full experience, including rating gyms, tracking your training, saving gyms to your bucket list, planning road trips, QR check-ins, and family profiles. Signing up takes less than a minute.
How do I search for a gym?
There are two ways to find academies on BJJ Recon. You can use the interactive map, start at the all-states view, where each state shows a cluster with the number of academies inside it, then click into any state to see individual gym pins. Alternatively, use the search bar in the sidebar to search by academy name, city, or affiliation. Clicking on any gym, whether on the map or in the sidebar, opens an info card with details and a directions button. You can also filter academies by rating or specific gym intel like class types and amenities.
How do community ratings work?
Every logged-in user can rate any academy across four dimensions: Cleanliness, Visitor-Friendly, Female-Friendly, and Vibe. Each gym’s aggregate ratings appear on its info card, giving you a quick read on what to expect before you drop in. You can submit one rating per gym.
How does the Training Tracker work?
The Training Tracker lets you log every session with one of eight session types: Gi Class, No-Gi Class, Open Mat, Private, Comp Prep, Muay Thai, MMA, and Strength. Each type has its own icon and color. The Stats tab shows your total sessions, current streak, sessions this week, and a breakdown by type. Use the compact week strip to navigate through your training history quickly. You can also log sessions under a dependent’s profile if you’re tracking training for your kids.
How do I log a competition?
Competitions are tracked separately from training sessions. From the Competitions tab, you can log an event with the event name, division type (Gi, No-Gi, or Both), your result (Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Did Not Place), and your weight class. Competition entries are always private, they’re never visible to gym owners.
How does QR check-in work?
If a gym has a QR code set up through BJJ Recon, just scan it with your phone’s camera. The app will recognize the check-in link automatically. If you’re not logged in, you’ll be prompted to sign in first, and the check-in will complete automatically afterward. There’s a 50-minute cooldown between check-ins at the same gym.
Can I track training for my kids?
Yes. You can create dependent profiles for your children, each with their own name, belt rank, and stripe count. When logging a training session or competition, select which family member the entry is for. At QR check-in, you can select multiple family members to check in simultaneously, each one logs as a separate attendance record.
How do I save a gym to my bucket list?
When you open a gym’s info card, you’ll see an option to add it to your bucket list. Once saved, you can access your full bucket list from the main menu. From there, you can mark gyms as visited (with the date you trained there) and share your entire list via a unique URL.
How do I plan a road trip?
BJJ Recon lets you create up to two separate road trips, each with a custom name. Here’s how it works:
- Open the Road Trip Planner from the main menu.
- Select which trip you want to build, Trip 1 or Trip 2, using the tab switcher. This step is important: you need to have a trip selected before adding stops.
- Browse the map or search for academies, and add gyms to your selected trip from their info card.
- Back in the planner, drag stops to reorder them however you’d like.
- Set a starting point for your trip (BJJ Recon will geocode the location for you).
- When you’re ready to hit the road, launch your route directly in Apple Maps or Google Maps.
Each trip is shareable via URL, so you can send it to your training partners to coordinate. If you add a gym that’s already saved in either trip, you’ll see an “Added” indicator so you don’t accidentally duplicate stops.
Can I share my bucket list or road trip?
Yes, both your bucket list and each road trip have a unique shareable URL. You can copy the link directly, use your device’s native share sheet, or share to Twitter, Facebook, iMessage, WhatsApp, or email. Anyone who opens your link will see a read-only view of your list or trip.
What is the Fly feature?
The Fly feature helps you plan flights to visit gyms. On any academy’s info card, tap the Fly option, enter your origin city or address (with autocomplete), and BJJ Recon will hand you off to Google Flights with the destination pre-populated. It’s a quick shortcut for planning training trips.
What are hi5s?
Hi5s are emoji reactions you can give to other athletes’ check-ins at your gym. It’s a lightweight way to acknowledge and encourage your training community. You can see hi5s you’ve received in the “Received” tab of the Training Community panel, and control your visibility in your profile settings.
What do the different map styles do?
BJJ Recon offers three map styles, Light, Streets, and Dark. You can cycle through them from the profile dropdown menu. It’s purely a visual preference and doesn’t affect functionality.
How do I get directions to a gym?
Every gym info card includes a directions button that opens the location in Google Maps. From there, you can navigate directly to the academy.
For Gym Owners
How do I claim my academy on BJJ Recon?
If your gym is listed on BJJ Recon, you can claim it directly from the platform:
- Create an account and select the “I’m a gym owner” option during signup.
- Find your academy on the map or through search.
- Open your gym’s info card and select the option to claim it.
- Fill out the claim form with your role, phone number, and an optional message.
- Submit your claim and our team will personally verify your ownership.
We verify every claim individually to protect the integrity of the platform. Once approved, your academy receives a verified badge that’s visible to all BJJ Recon users.
What does a verified badge mean?
A verified badge indicates that the gym’s ownership has been confirmed by the BJJ Recon team. It signals to practitioners that the listing is accurate and actively managed, which builds trust and can influence a traveler’s decision to drop in.
What can I do for free as a gym owner?
Every verified gym owner gets free access to claim and manage their listing, update gym intel (drop-in fees, class types, amenities), add hours of operation, display a phone number and website link, and maintain their presence on the platform. Your basic listing and verified badge will always be free.
What does the $199/year subscription include?
The owner subscription unlocks the full management toolkit for $199 per year (single annual payment, no tiers or monthly option). This includes QR check-in codes you can display at your academy, a real-time attendance dashboard with date range filtering, PDF and CSV export of attendance data, student tracking and retention tools, a custom gym greeting displayed on your info card, and photo gallery and video embed management. If you’re interested, reach out through the subscription form in the owner dashboard or contact us directly.
How does QR check-in work for my gym?
Once subscribed, you can generate a unique QR code for your academy. Display it at your front desk or entrance. When athletes scan it, their check-in is logged automatically in your attendance dashboard. You’ll see a notification badge when new check-ins come in. From your dashboard, you can view attendance by date range and export the data as a PDF or CSV.
What if my gym’s information is incorrect?
If any details about your academy are wrong, name, location, affiliation, reach out to us at support@bjjrecon.com and we’ll get it corrected. You can also update your own gym intel (drop-in fees, class types, amenities) directly from the owner dashboard once your claim is verified. Accuracy is a priority, and we appreciate gym owners helping us keep listings up to date.
What if my gym isn’t listed yet?
If your academy isn’t on the map, submit a claim anyway, our claim form supports new gym submissions. We’ll get your academy added and verified. You can also email us at support@bjjrecon.com with your gym details.
Still Have Questions?
We’re here to help. Reach out anytime at support@bjjrecon.com.