The academy
About Gato Studio
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy on Chang Phueak Road in Si Phum, Chiang Mai, built around one room, a consistent coaching team and a training culture that absorbs newcomers.
4.9 stars from 84 Google reviews / Six training days / Gi rental available
What is Gato Studio BJJ? Gato Studio BJJ, also styled Gato Studio Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is an academy at 181/40 Chang Phueak Rd, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, teaching Gi, No-Gi, beginners and kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu six days a week. It is led by black belt head coach Nattakorn Mahittharithikrai and holds 4.9 stars from 84 Google reviews.
One room, done properly
The academy is not a chain and does not try to be a general fitness gym. It is a mat, a coaching team and a timetable that runs twice a day, which is what a grappling academy needs and very little else.
That focus shows up in the two things reviewers mention most: the state of the facility and the quality of the instruction. Clean mats are not a luxury in a sport where everyone spends an hour pressed against the floor, and detailed correction is the difference between training and simply attending.
Who trains here
The room is a mix that is particular to Chiang Mai. Thai students and long term residents train alongside remote workers who have based themselves here, and alongside travellers who found the academy while planning a trip. Beginners and experienced grapplers roll in the same sessions rather than being separated by rank.
That mix is why the culture is welcoming rather than closed. A room that sees new faces every week gets good at making them feel normal.
The academy at a glance
| Academy | Gato Studio BJJ, also styled Gato Studio Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
|---|---|
| Location | 181/40 Chang Phueak Rd, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200 |
| Head coach | Nattakorn Mahittharithikrai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt |
| Lineage | Carson Gracie to Olavo to Mick to Bank, affiliated with Mildura Martial Arts |
| Programmes | Gi, No-Gi, Fundamentals, kids, open mat, private lessons |
| Training days | Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday |
| Drop-in rate | 400 THB for non-members, single class or open mat |
| Google rating | 4.9 stars from 84 reviews |
| Contact | Instagram DM @gatostudio.bjj, no phone line |
Weekly timetable / Membership and drop-in rates / Find the academy
How the academy trains
Technique first
Sessions are built around one position taught in layers rather than a circuit of unrelated moves. Understanding beats collecting.
Controlled intensity
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a contact sport and injuries can happen. Beginners work at controlled intensity, and the coaching team stops rounds that get careless.
Everyone rolls
Belts train with belts they do not match. That is how a smaller white belt learns and how a bigger blue belt learns control.
Competition
Gato loves to compete
Members of the academy compete under the ADCC Submission Fighting Thailand Federation and at the SJJIF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, and they come back with medals.
Competing is not required here, and most people who train never enter anything. It matters for a different reason. A room that sends people to tournaments is a room where the technique gets tested against strangers, rather than only against training partners who already know what you like to do.
Photographed at ADCC Submission Fighting Thailand Federation events, the ADCC Thailand Asia and Oceania Championship 2025, and the SJJIF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2026 in Tokyo.
Come and see the room
The best way to judge an academy is to stand in it for an hour. Message the team and book a trial class.
Black belt instruction / Beginners welcome / Gi rental available