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City of Champions
San Diego

City of Champions opened in 2012 and is led by Dustin Thornton, a highly regarded BJJ coach. The gym offers Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, and Strength & Conditioning. While Muay Thai is offered, the gym's strongest reputation is in BJJ. Muay Thai coaches over the years have included Adrian (an early instructor) and Hiro (a traditional Muay Thai coach). If pure Muay Thai is your focus, this is a multi-discipline option — strong if you also want grappling.

Rating 5.0 (25)
Location Mid-City
Level Beginner;Intermediate;Advanced

About the Gym

City of Champions has been operating since 2012 in the Mid-City neighborhood near San Diego State. The gym is best known for its Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program under head coach Dustin Thornton, who is highly regarded in the local grappling scene. Muay Thai is offered alongside BJJ, with multiple coaches having taught Muay Thai over the years (Adrian was an early instructor, Hiro is mentioned by reviewers as a traditional Muay Thai instructor). The Muay Thai program is structured but is not the gym's primary focus. Reviewers consistently note the multi-discipline environment as a strength — many train both BJJ and Muay Thai. Strength and conditioning classes round out the offerings. The facility uses Swain/Dollamur mats for grappling and Title brand bags for striking. The gym is small and personal compared to large multi-discipline facilities like The Arena.

Class Schedule

Contact gym for current schedule

Pricing

Pricing on request

Head Coach

DV

Dustin Thornton (BJJ); Muay Thai coach varies

Head Coach (BJJ); Hiro / Adrian historically for Muay Thai

Dustin Thornton leads the BJJ program and the gym overall, with elite-level competition credentials in jiu-jitsu. Muay Thai coaching has been provided by different coaches over the gym's history (Adrian, Hiro mentioned in reviews).