A new jiu-jitsu academy in Santa Monica, California, run by black belts Kenny Florian and Jason Hunt, has opened to inspire growth and creativity among the local community. 

Although the idea had been gestating for some years, Meraki BJJ -- located on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and S. Barrington -- came together in a matter of months. From a shabby corner building to a luxury storefront, the venue is as much an art gallery as it as it is a jiu-jitsu academy. 

Partnering To Create A New Concept

Third degree black belt Florian, a UFC veteran in four weight classes and a longtime black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr., partnered with Hunt to establish a place for people to learn both judo and jiu-jitsu in its purest form. 

The two met at a gym in Los Angeles three years ago when Jason was training with black belt world champion and now UFC fighter Gilbert "Durinho" Burns. And through that MMA connection, the two crossed paths. 

​​Pictured right: L-R, judo world medalist Gabriel Mendes, Gracie Barra athlete Victor Silverio, Meraki co-founders Jason Hunt and Kenny Florian.

The idea for the gym came from mutual goals of opening a gym on the west side of Los Angeles that, from day one, would have a specific style and form. This was not to be a warehouse with mats, but rather a luxury academy where art and minimalism establish an engaging learning environment.

The Meaning Of "Meraki"

The Greek word Meraki defies easy translation. It means to put your soul into your work, leaving a piece of you and doing so with passion. 

Kenny's interpretation of jiu-jitsu uses such philosophy and the correlation between our lives and our time on the mats: "Training reveals a human's nature in that particular point in time," he said. "You can stay in that place or evolve from that place."



The influence of Jason adds both style and a judo curriculum. His background came as a judo student as a kid, which later transitioned him to jiu-jitsu. He moved from Texas to Los Angeles to attend Vidal Sassoon Academy where he learned how to cut hair, but eventually became the creative director after years of training. 

Around 2008 as a brown belt he left his hair-cutting roots and focused solely on jiu-jitsu, traveling to Brazil and learning from Ramon Lemos and others. He received his black belt jointly from Gilbert Burns and Romulo Barral in 2011. 

"I had the opportunity of training with a team that has produced some of the best competitors on the planet. Training with Ramon Lemos and all the great practitioners and competitors from that team made me a part of who I am," Jason said. "I still value that training experience so much. It helped me develop tremendously as a practitioner, competitor and now as a coach." 

A Focus On Pure Grappling

With Jason's experience as an instructor at Gracie Barra Northridge since it opened in 2011 and Kenny's time spent teaching over the course of a 20-year jiu-jitsu career, the classes are run with care and a specifically-designed curriculum.



You won't find MMA or striking classes at Meraki BJJ and this is why, according to Kenny, "I think there are many paths to enrich your life. And I think BJJ is that nice happy medium to get you there. The lessons are the same as MMA without having to feel as much pain. In a lot of ways I think its easier to learn from the lessons of BJJ than it is from fighting. It's more analogous to what most people consider art as well." 

Meraki stands alone as its own entity. The duo wants their students to have the opportunity to learn from the sports' best athletes no matter what team or affiliation. So they don't shun anyone, they don't subscribe to any political team.

"We want to keep our doors open to all." 

​Meraki BJJ is located at 11677 Santa Monica Blvd. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.