If you’ve been searching for 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu in Bastrop, TX, here’s what you need to know. 10th Planet Airlock has been teaching the 10th Planet system in Bastrop since July 4, 2023. We’re led by two 10th Planet Black Belts with direct lineage to the system’s top instructors. And we train six days a week, morning and evening, inside Bastrop Fitness Project at 303 MLK Dr.
But if you’re new to all of this, let’s back up and explain what 10th Planet is. We want you to understand it before you step on the mat. Book a free class if you already know and just want to come train.
The 10th Planet System: Where It Came From
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu was created by Eddie Bravo in Los Angeles in 2003. Eddie earned his black belt under Jean Jacques Machado, and after famously submitting Royler Gracie at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, he built a system of jiu jitsu designed entirely around no-gi grappling. No kimono. No fabric grips. It’s all about body mechanics, leverage, and a set of techniques that nobody else was teaching at the time.
The system gained massive visibility in part through Eddie’s friendship with Joe Rogan, who is himself a 10th Planet Black Belt (and a 10th Planet friend right in Austin!). Rogan’s podcast conversations about jiu jitsu drove hundreds of thousands of people to search for 10th Planet gyms, and that exposure helped 10th Planet grow from a single gym in LA to over 200 affiliated schools worldwide. It’s one of the largest and most recognized no-gi jiu jitsu networks on the planet.
What Makes 10th Planet Different
Traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is typically trained in a gi, a heavy cotton uniform with collars, lapels, and sleeves that create hundreds of grip options. The gi is a legitimate training tool and gi jiu jitsu is a deep, respected art. But 10th Planet made a deliberate choice: no gi. The entire system is built for no-gi grappling.
Why does that matter? Because nobody in a real-world self-defense situation or an MMA fight is wearing a gi. The techniques you learn in the 10th Planet system of rubber guard, lockdown, truck, twisters, etc., are all designed to work without fabric. They rely on body positioning, overhooks, underhooks, and wrist control. What you drill on Tuesday is what would work on Saturday night, whether you’re on the competition mat or in a situation where you genuinely need to defend yourself.
The system is also constantly evolving. Eddie Bravo and the 10th Planet network are still developing new techniques and pathways. When you train at a 10th Planet gym, you’re plugged into a global community of grapplers who are pushing the art forward in real time.
10th Planet Airlock: Our Lineage in Bastrop
Reinaldo “Rei” Villa founded 10th Planet Airlock on July 4, 2023. Rei is a 10th Planet Black Belt under Curtis Hembroff at 10th Planet Austin and an IBJJF First Degree Black Belt. Before opening Airlock, Rei spent 20 years in the U.S. Army Infantry, including service as a Tactical Combatives Instructor at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and as a Certified Instructor for Sheepdog Response. He was stationed at Camp Swift in Bastrop County for five years before retiring from the Army in February 2024 and building Airlock here because Bastrop had become home.
Alongside Rei on the mat is Coach Chris Bennett, a 10th Planet Black Belt from 10th Planet Tucson under Anthony Birchak. Chris relocated from Arizona to Texas specifically to coach at Airlock. Two 10th Planet Black Belts with incredible lineage, training on the same mat in Bastrop. That depth of instruction is rare at any gym, let alone in a town of 14,000 people.
You can find our official listing on the 10th Planet HQ locations page.
What Training Here Looks Like
Adult no-gi jiu jitsu classes in Bastrop run six days a week with morning and evening options. A typical class starts with warm-ups built around the 10th Planet Warmups system, moves into technique instruction and drilling with a partner, then finishes with live positional work and rolling.
Rei teaches the story of a fight, how a real altercation unfolds from standing to the ground to a dominant position to a finish. Every technique connects to a bigger picture. Even on day one, you’ll see how individual moves fit into a system, which is what makes 10th Planet jiu jitsu click faster than learning random techniques in isolation.
If you’ve never trained before, we wrote a full walkthrough of what your first class looks like. Beginners are welcome in every class.
What We’ve Built in Three Years
Since opening on July 4, 2023, 10th Planet Airlock has become a proud partner of the We Defy Foundation, which provides jiu jitsu scholarships to combat-wounded veterans. In 2025, the Bastrop community voted us the #1 Best Martial Arts Gym in Bastrop County. We host seminars with visiting 10th Planet Black Belts and instructors from across the country. And on June 27, 2026, we celebrate our third anniversary with a seminar and community event.
We also offer Muay Thai three days a week, kids jiu jitsu for ages 5 and up, and a free women’s jiu jitsu class every Thursday.
Come Train
If you’ve been looking for 10th Planet jiu jitsu in Bastrop, you found it. We’re inside Bastrop Fitness Project at 303 Martin Luther King Dr, Bastrop, TX 78602. Right off Hwy 71. Near the Buc-ee’s.
Your first class is always free. No experience needed. No gear required.
Discounts for active duty military, veterans, law enforcement, and first responders.
Book your free trial class at 10th Planet Airlock →
Or call us: (512) 271-5260
Or email: airlockbjj@gmail.com
Check out the full class schedule here.
10th Planet Airlock | 303 Martin Luther King Dr, Bastrop, TX 78602 | Inside Bastrop Fitness Project | Voted #1 Best Martial Arts Gym in Bastrop County 2025 | We Defy Foundation Partner
