Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is primarily a grappling martial art with techniques and strategies deeply rooted in the science of ground fighting. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner will attempt to bring his opponent to the ground and then obtain a dominant position there. Once in this dominant position, the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner can choose from a wide arsenal of joint locks, chokes and strikes with which to subdue his attacker.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began to receive international attention when Royce Gracie won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993. The UFC pitted martial artists of various styles in no-holds-barred competition to settle the age old question, "Which style is the best?" Despite being the lightest competitor, Gracie went on to win three UFC championships and is the only competitor in UFC history to win four fights in a single night. Today, there are few martial artists in the world who have not heard of the Gracie family. Their unique style of grappling, called Gracie-style Jiu-Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is based upon two simple assumptions:

Working from these simple assumptions, the Gracie family have developed a system of fighting that has revolutionized the martial arts world. Unlike most martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is relatively new. The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy first opened its doors in 1925, and for more than 75 years, the Gracies have practiced, fought and refined their Jiu-Jitsu in their native country of Brazil. However, it has only been within the last 10 years that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has received major international recognition from the martial arts community.

The techniques of Jiu-Jitsu are based upon the effective use of leverage, which enables a fighter to lift a great amount of weight and generate tremendous force using minimal energy. Only by utilizing leverage and technique can a smaller, lighter and weaker person hope to defend himself against an attacker who is larger, heavier and stronger. Time and again, Jiu-Jitsu representatives have shown the efficiency of the art by dominating fighting tournaments such as The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). That almost every professional mixed martial arts competitor now cross-trains in Jiu-Jitsu is a testament to its effectiveness both inside and outside the ring.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has revolutionized the martial arts community and has become the most sought-after martial art system in the world. Those looking for a truly efficient self-defense style are really looking for the effectiveness and simplicity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.


HOW DO WE TRAIN?
We at Gracie Barra Orlando teach  jiu-jitsu in a very relaxed and non-formal atmosphere. We don´t do any strange rituals and we teach the classes with alot of humor. Our main goal is to make it fun training with us.

As with any endeavor, Jiu-Jitsu requires patience, determination and time to learn and master. Previous experience in other grappling arts is helpful, but is not a requirement for training. Students will quickly realize there are no secret techniques, easy solutions or quick shortcuts—just plain old-fashioned hard work. Only through hundreds of hours of repetition, refinement and live sparring can the student retain the information and ingrain the techniques and strategies of Jiu-Jitsu to a state of reflex.

One cannot expect to master Jiu-Jitsu in a few short months. Knowledge of technique does not equal skill. The only way to improve your skills is to acquire enough "mat time." Therefore, all students are strongly encouraged to attend class on a regular basis. Imagine how difficult it is to learn a new language. It would be even more difficult if you did not practice often. Beginners to Jiu-Jitsu should expect at least 4 to 6 months of solid training before seeing significant returns in their technique and physical conditioning, and at least 12 months of training to get a solid grasp of the basics. It basically all comes down to your time spent on the mat. There is no formalized kata training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and students are promoted solely on their technical proficiency and their ability to perform on the mat. Most individuals do not receive their black belts until after 8 to 10 solid years of training—minimum! However, don't be discouraged if this time frame seems long. The color of your belt is unimportant and its only purpose is to hold your pants up. Your focus should be on improving yourself, your skills and having fun!

     Our class is structured as follows:

• Warm-up and Stretching
• Jiu-Jitsu Techniques
• Training Drills
• Live Sparring

Beginners will initially focus on building a solid foundation in technique and theory with an emphasis placed on practical and efficient self-defense methods. A solid foundation in the basics is essential for progress in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—namely, the ability to escape from virtually any position that you may find yourself trapped in. The logic is that, because your opponent will likely be larger and stronger than you, by default, he will be able to control and pin you without effort. By understanding proper body mechanics and key principles, the beginner will learn and develop their skills much faster. One need not concern himself with learning a plethora of techniques at this point. It is much better for a student to know only 20 techniques and perform them reflexively with a 100% success rate than know 100 techniques and perform them with only a 20% success rate.

Intermediate and advanced students will primarily focus on strategy, refining their technique and learning to "flow" with their opponent. As a student acquires increasing technical proficiency and skill, he or she will be allowed to apply their knowledge in free sparring sessions with other students. Sparring builds stamina and endurance while allowing the student to test their technical skills against an uncooperative opponent. This training method allows the student to train hard as if he or she were really fighting, but without sustaining injuries.

All club members are encouraged to supplement their Jiu-Jitsu training outside of class time with stretching, yoga, weight lifting, cardiovascular conditioning and even other martial arts. Maybe you have always wanted to try kickboxing. Fortunately, Muay Thai Kickboxing is offered at our academy. Click HERE to find out more about this martial art. Diversifying your skill sets will not only improve your knowledge base and your physical conditioning, it will also give you insight into other martial art styles—their cultures, philosophies, techniques and strategies. You are then free to incorporate anything you feel is efficient into your own Jiu-Jitsu training. Rather than get bogged down by the debate, "Who's style is best?" Jiu-Jitsu practitioners prefer to train hard to constantly improve and refine their skills. This mindset has given Jiu-Jitsu practitioners tremendous freedom to absorb and incorporate any technique or training methodology which improves their skills. Jiu-jitsu means "flexible" or "gentle" discipline. This principle applies not only to the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner's overall approach towards combat, but also towards the flexibility and free-thinking of the mind. Innovation, creativity and progression are always encouraged. Always seek for more efficient use of your body's resources. Always ask yourself, "is there a better way?" Debating "Who's style is best?" is an inefficient use of your time. While others debate, we train!