Common Questions

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone, not just young males who like rough and tumble. Every technique is learned slowly and cooperatively, so there is almost no chance of getting hurt, and we match you with a partner who fits the type of person you are. There is no competitive sparring at all until you have earned your Fundamentals Belt. Above all it is important that everyone has fun - that is the best environment to learn in.

You may think you will never use the skills we teach, but in fact you will use them every time you speak. How? Confidence. Knowing you can comfortably defend yourself increases your confidence enormously, and that makes you a better parent, partner, business person and human being.

You do not need to get fit first. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a fantastic way to get healthy and fit, and compared with the gym it is great fun.

Like the Gracie Academy headquarters in California, our academies have a no-barrier policy between men and women. We understand this can be a problem for women who are new to the art, so we recommend starting in the women-only LadySafe classes. When you are ready you can move to the main adult classes and learn the full system. LadySafe covers the techniques that protect you from a sexual predator rather than the whole art, but it is an excellent introduction to it.

Even if your child has not been bullied, that is no reason not to prepare them. Eventually someone at school will try to take advantage of or be unkind to your little one, and a child who trains with us will be ready when that time comes. And if you think your child is tough and does not need it: there is always someone tougher. We do not just teach children to defend themselves, we teach them to be good human beings who respect each other and use their power to help others.

Every academy in the network offers a 10 consecutive day, no-obligation free trial. You turn up to any class for your programme and take part in the full lesson. We loan you a plain white Gi (uniform) for the trial against a small refundable card deposit; if you decide not to continue you return it and pay nothing. The trial is an unlimited membership for 10 calendar days from your first session, not 10 sessions.

Both came from the same source and share the same sweeps, submissions, controls and escapes. The difference is the teaching philosophy. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is taught first and foremost as a self-defence system, with the objective of staying safe and prevailing in a real street confrontation - including strikes, weapons and the standing phase of a fight. Most Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is taught as a recreational sport, focused on winning under tournament rules. Read the full article on our GJJ vs BJJ page.

Yes. If you train at a Gracie Foundation academy your instructor will mark your account as a member, and the programme courses you are enrolled in - Fundamentals, Intermediate, Advanced, Standing Self-Defence, BullySafe and LadySafe - are free to watch. Use them to review past lessons and prepare for the next one.

Membership fees are paid to your academy, not to the network, and each academy has its own policy. As with all gyms, fees are not refunded because you did not attend; it is the student's responsibility to cancel their membership in writing.