Why Choose Gracie Barra?
Certified Instructors
Our coaches and instructors are all ICP certified from Gracie Barra HQ. They're trained to properly teach Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques as well as in student safety, environmental safety (COVID), and training for children. They are additional certified in First Aid/CPR and back ground checked regularly.
Train All over the world
With over 800 schools world-wide, you will be able to train at a Gracie Barra academy no matter where you live, work, or travel to. With a GB membership you will be welcome at any Gracie Barra school.
Clean Environment
We take student health and safety seriously. We have a comprehensive cleaning schedule for our entire facility. Mats are sanitized after every class. Doors and furnishing are cleaned regularly. Students and spectators are temperature checked, hand sanitized and socially distanced or asked to wait outside class.
1. GB Jiu-Jitsu is a truly exciting way to get fit
Jiu-Jitsu is often likened to a game of human chess. If you don’t like to work out at a gym because you get bored, you’re not alone. Many of our students were tired of going to the gym, and they couldn’t find new songs or audio books to entertain them on the treadmill. They found Jiu-Jitsu to be the perfect workout because it requires a high level of concentration proportional to the amount of calories burned and pounds lost. What’s more, you’ll still learn to defend yourself. It’s a win-win situation.
2. GB people are committed to your progress in learning
The folks at GB make our school what it is, and you too will soon be one of us. You’ll be impressed by how committed each and every team member is to your learning. The instructors, staff and other students make our environment friendly yet demanding and challenging, which stimulates all of us to achieve our best.
3. The renowned Gracie Barra structure makes your journey in learning smooth and enjoyable
The class structure is the trademark of all Gracie Barra Schools. Classes start on time and adhere to a standardized curriculum and class structure. As a student, you know up front what is expected of you and have a clear understanding of what to expect from your instructors and training partners. The consistency of this structure combined with the creativity and innovation of our devoted instructors blend perfectly to facilitate your progress.
4. GB Community will change your life forever
When you join Gracie Barra, you are not just getting classes. You become part of a community united by the ideals of the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle. Special classes and side events coupled with ordinary classes create a fun and exciting calendar of activities that you and your family will love to take part in.
5. GB Fighting Techniques will be useful outside the mats, in real-life situations
You don’t come to class just to learn how to fight. You also work hard toward mastering the underlying principles that allow you to succeed on the mats. When applied to your life off the mats, these principles can bring more balance to your routine and help you reach your true potential.
6. You can train all over the world
There are over 800 Gracie Barra Schools worldwide. When you join a Gracie Barra school you are free to train at any location while traveling.
7. GB is an Environment for the Whole Family
One of the most unique characteristics about our schools is our family-orientated approach. Gracie Barra is proud to be a powerhouse with the most stalwart champions of Jiu-Jitsu in the world while still maintaining a training environment that is welcoming for the whole family: men, women, and children. At Gracie Barra, families find marvelous activities through which to spend quality time together.
8. You will train in germ-free facilities
Cleanliness is a top priority. Our schools adhere to the strict standard of cleanliness and hygiene set by Gracie Barra. GB School staff clean the facilities constantly, and all GB uniforms are washed regularly. Our GB School mats are cleaned on a daily basis with a specially designed cleaning agent that neutralizes bacteria, fungus and odors without detriment to the equipment.
9. You couldn’t find a safer environment
Student safety is our instructors’ primary goal. Training sessions are supervised at all times, and we have CPR-trained personnel on duty during every class.
10. Our more than 30 years of experience assure you a link to our art’s roots
A certified Gracie Barra Black Belt instructor is responsible for teaching classes and is committed to Keeping the Legacy Alive. Our team of instructors are trained in the teaching philosophy and methods of Master Carlos Gracie Jr., the founder of Gracie Barra. A legacy of over 30 years of teaching experience is at your service, so you don’t have to worry: you and your family are in great hands.
Gracie Barra is more than just a Jiu-Jitsu school. We are a worldwide community of instructors, students, athletes, and families passionate about Jiu-Jitsu and all benefits this sport brings to our lives. Our organization is found on the six continents by over 800 schools.
Guided by the values of brotherhood, integrity, and development, Gracie Barra schools unstoppable work for each member to achieve his/ her personal goal providing the best Jiu-Jitsu experience.
Jiu-jitsu is often comparable to a chess game, a human chess game, as it allows every practitioner to use their learning and techniques according to the training partner. Practicing Jiu-Jitsu, you will never get bored, you will always learn and apply your learning in every training.
Gracie Barra people are committed to your progress in learning. All classes in each level adhere to a standardized curriculum and class structure. In that way, if you travel to another place, you can learn the same techniques you would be learning in the school you are enrolled in. We want you to feel and know your improvement. The consistency of our structure combined with dedication and innovation of each school blend perfectly to provide you the best learning and experience.
History of Gracie Barra & Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The history of the Gracie Barra Team is directly connected to the history of the Jiu-Jitsu per se. The origins of Jiu-Jitsu can be tracked 2000BC in places like India, Greece, Rome, China, and even Native America.
Despite rudimentary versions of Jiu-Jitsu have appeared in different cultures along with the history, it was in the feudal Japan society Jiu-Jitsu art had growth as a style of combat. However, in the 19th century, Japan went through a radical political and social transformation that drove Jiu-Jitsu from a reputable art of combat to illegal practice.
One of the most remarkable students of Kano, Mitsuyu Maeda had above average skills and helped to spread Jiu-Jitsu around the world to different cultures. Having his roots in other Jiu-Jitsu schools, Maeda was experienced also in self-defense skills and ground fighting in situations with real combat.
Maeda landed in Brazil in 1914, where he met Carlos Gracie's parents, Gastao and Cesalina. The parents decided to take Carlos Gracie to learn Jiu-Jitsu from the Japanese Maeda to help them calm down and discipline their son.
The studies under Maeda had a profound impact on Carlos Gracie's mind. Maeda's skills and dedication helped Carlos Gracie to discover a meaning in life through the passion for Jiu-Jitsu. For the understanding of the amazing benefits of this martial art, Carlos decided to grow Jiu-Jitsu Gracie as a national sport in Brazil. The first Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school was a small house with the living room transformed into a training area. In that house, Carlos Gracie, his brother Hélio Gracie, and the young brothers engaged in a new Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle. That's how the first generation of Gracie brothers started the path to accomplish the great success the Gracie Family has achieved over the years.
In the 20th century, Jigoro Kano, as a member of the Japanese Ministry of Culture and Martial Artist, played an important role to rescue Jiu-Jitsu's reputation. Jigoro Kano's style combined the reality of real combat with the essence of Jiu-Jitsu.