Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals
The Gracie Barra GB1 curriculum. A fixed, repeating syllabus of the positions and escapes that everything else is built on. This is where every adult starts, no matter how athletic.
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Programs
Four disciplines under one roof, every one of them with a real beginner entry point. Come for the jiu-jitsu, stay for the striking — or the other way around.
Ages 3–17
Kids & Teens
Jiu-jitsu built for children, split by age and stage.
Jump to sectionAdults
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Fundamentals, advanced, no-gi and competition.
Full programStriking
Muay Thai
Punches, kicks, elbows, knees, clinch and conditioning.
Full programComplete
MMA & Striking
Where grappling and striking meet, safely coached.
Full programGracie Barra Kids
Kids & teens
jiu-jitsu
The Gracie Barra Kids Program is a complete curriculum designed specifically for children — not an adult class with the hard parts taken out. Classes are grouped by age and maturity so that a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old are each getting the version of jiu-jitsu that fits them.
Every class is structured and supervised: a warm-up that develops coordination, balance and body awareness; technique taught in small, achievable steps; drilling with a partner; and games or positional rounds that let children apply what they just learned. Children earn stripes and belts for consistent attendance, effort, attitude and technical progress — a visible ladder that keeps them motivated over years, not weeks.
Because jiu-jitsu is a grappling art, children learn to control a situation without throwing a punch. That makes it uniquely well suited to real playground problems. Our instructors weave anti-bullying strategy through the curriculum: how to use your voice first, how to keep distance, how to stay calm, how to escape a hold, and how to control someone safely until an adult arrives. The goal is a child who does not need to fight, because they are not frightened.
Parents notice the changes off the mat first — better focus at school, a more upright walk, more willingness to try something difficult and get it wrong in front of other people. Jiu-jitsu is very good at teaching children that losing a round is information, not failure.
Ages 3–5
Little Champions 1
Movement, coordination and listening. Short, high-energy classes built around games that quietly teach base, balance and rolling safely. The first goal is simply that they love being on the mat.
Ages 6–9
Little Champions 2
Real technique arrives: escapes, controlling positions, simple submissions and partner drilling. Discipline and mat etiquette start to matter, and the stripe system gives them something concrete to chase.
Ages 10–13
Juniors 1
A full curriculum with guard work, passing, takedowns and live positional sparring. This is the age where children start to understand jiu-jitsu as a problem to solve rather than a game to win.
Ages 14–17
Juniors 2 / Teens
Near-adult training with age-appropriate intensity. Strong conditioning, full live rounds, and a route into the adult program, competition team or assistant instructing.
Final age bands for Leonia will be confirmed with the opening schedule — we group by maturity and size as well as birthday.
What parents should know
01
No striking, ever
Kids jiu-jitsu contains no punching or kicking. It is grappling: leverage, position and control.
02
You can watch every class
Tiered seating faces the mat with a clear sightline. No glass, no monitor in the lobby.
03
Free trial before you commit
Every child starts with a trial class. Loaner uniforms are available — shorts and a t-shirt are fine on day one.
04
Siblings train together
Family memberships keep brothers and sisters on the same schedule, and the pre-opening discount applies to every child you enrol.
Every class starts the same way, at every Gracie Barra school in the world.
Adults
Adult programs
Whether you have never set foot on a mat or you have a competition season planned, there is a class that starts where you are.
Advanced & No-Gi
GB2 for blue belt and above, plus no-gi sessions where grips disappear and the pace changes. Longer live rounds, deeper technical detail.
Read moreMuay Thai & MMA
Stand-up striking on the bags and pads, and the MMA class that stitches striking, takedowns and ground work into one game.
Read moreYour first visit
What actually
happens on
day one
Nobody is going to throw you to the wolves. Here is the honest version of a first class at a Gracie Barra academy.
01
Arrive fifteen minutes early
Say hello at reception, fill in a short form, get shown where the changing rooms are and where to leave your shoes.
02
Wear whatever you have
Shorts without pockets or zips, and a t-shirt or rash guard. Loaner gis are available. Nails short, no jewellery.
03
Warm up with the class
Ten to fifteen minutes of movement. It is a workout, but it is scaled — nobody expects you to keep up on the first night.
04
Learn two or three things
A technique is demonstrated, broken down, and drilled slowly with a partner. Instructors circulate. You will be paired with someone experienced and patient.
05
Live training is optional
At the end of class people spar. On your first visit you can sit out and watch, or do light positional rounds. It is always your call.
Pre-opening offer
20% off your first year
Register before we open and your discount is locked in for twelve months — for you, or for every child you enrol. No payment today.