by Yuliya Panfil

Estilo Jiu Jitsu, a martial arts studio inside the white brick corner building at 770 Park Rd NW, has just entered its fifth year of operation in the neighborhood. What started as a pandemic-era gamble in a local garage by co-owners (and spouses) Luis Pantoja and Sara Fusco, has now grown to a 125-student gym with classes and competition training for kids and adults.

Estilo, which means “style” in both Spanish and Portuguese, opened its doors in December 2021. It hosts classes for kids ages 4 and up on Sundays, and classes for adults, including dedicated women’s classes, most weeknights.

Reflecting on the gym’s evolution, owner and lead instructor Pantoja stressed Estilo’s technique-focused approach. He says it’s paramount that students learn to be technically proficient, instead of relying solely on strength, athleticism and aggression.

Estilo students grapple during a Sunday morning kids class

“We make it about the craft and the art,” Pantoja says. “Our training methods keep ego out of things, and we are getting excellent results. You don't have to be an asshole to be good at something.”

This approach is rooted in Pantoja’s own experience as a third degree black belt who medaled numerous times at the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Pan-American Championships and received a silver medal at the IBJJF World Championships. As a light featherweight fighter, Pantoja always had to prioritize technical proficiency over brute strength, an approach he strives to pass on to students.

Estilo co-owners Luis Pantoja and Sara Fusco in front of the studio

Pantoja grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, watching jiu jitsu on TV but unable to find a local studio. When he emigrated to the United States in 1998, he began training at the Yamasaki Academy in Maryland, eventually earning a third degree black belt. In 2004, he was tapped to open the studio’s DC branch, then called Third Power Gym.

For nearly two decades, Pantoja served as head instructor at Third Power Gym while Fusco, a documentary filmmaker by day, trained with him and earned a purple belt. Fusco says the mental aspect of jiu jitsu is what drew her to the sport.

“It’s physical chess,” she says. “It’s so dynamic and intensely cerebral.”

When the COVID pandemic shuttered studios across the District, Pantoja and Fusco put into motion a dream they had discussed over the years: launching their own jiu jitsu gym.

Pantoja helps students tie their gis in the 4-6 year old class

“We had been dreaming about it for a long time and strangely enough the pandemic presented an opportunity,” Fusco recalls. “There were landlords willing to take a risk on a start-up business, and we were fortunate in that difficult moment for the world to make something positive out of it.”

Estilo offered only adult classes at first but when Pantoja and Fusco’s 7-year old daughter Aila became interested in the sport, they decided to give kids classes a try. Pantoja finds creative ways to coax kids over their nervousness. For example, to teach grappling, he attaches clothespins to the pant legs of their gis (jiu jitsu uniforms) and sets them loose to try to grab pins off their partners.

Estilo instructors Michael Wray (left) and Alex Danoff

Over the years the studio has grown to 125 students. And while this number is nothing to sneeze at, Fusco emphasizes that Estilo intentionally remains small and community-focused. As a woman coming up in a sport that has seen its share of sexual assault scandals, Fusco says it has been a priority that “Everyone on the mat know each other, and that we know everyone’s name.”

At a particularly challenging time for the District and the neighborhood, Fusco and Pantoja say they hope Estilo can serve as an outlet for the community.

“We hope that this is a space where during difficult times members can come to train together, sweat together, and be connected,” Fusco says.

Estilo Jiu Jitsu
770 Park Rd NW #T01
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 499-8541 | Contact