Brotherhood
We fight for each other, not with each other. From your first session, you belong to a team that wants you to win.
When a training partner gets better, you do too.
We are Gracie Barra
Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone
The world's largest Jiu-Jitsu team, built on one belief. This art changes people, and those people change the world.
- Founded in 1986
- 1,200+ academies
- Certified instructors
Carlos Gracie and Hélio Gracie, 1951.
Founder's message
My life is dedicated to Jiu-Jitsu.
My goal was to build a brotherhood to lead the expansion of Jiu-Jitsu. But we must do this while respecting the essence of our art.
My students are an extension of my family.
I want each one of them to achieve their personal best while helping spread Jiu-Jitsu. We must do that by honouring the traditions and efforts of those who came before us.
AI narrated
Master Carlos Gracie JrFounder, Gracie Barra
40 years
The legacy of Gracie Barra
Forty years of Jiu-Jitsu for everyone, in the team's own words.
Originally narrated in Portuguese by Master Carlos Alberto Liberi. English version dubbed with an AI voice.
Our core values
Three things bring our team together.
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Integrity
We care more about people than numbers. We won't push someone through the door just to grow.
We respect the art and every student.
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Development
We are here to get better, not to stay the same. Every student grows, in skill and in character.
As each of us improves, the whole team grows with us.
Our mission
We seek to train body, mind and spirit through the highest level of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction.
We envision it as a vehicle for individual development and the strengthening of the family spirit, going beyond the winning-losing or contest philosophy.
Hélio Gracie He continued training and teaching Jiu-Jitsu into his 90s.
Who it is for
Jiu-Jitsu for everyone
Look around any session. Every kind of person is here.
The kid who gets picked on. The parent who wants to feel strong again. The beginner who has never grappled.
You begin where you are, and the method takes you forward at your own pace.
Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone
Our symbol
The Red Shield
You will see a red shield on our uniforms and our walls. Master Carlos Gracie Jr gave the whole team one symbol on purpose, so that no single person stood above the rest.
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The colour red
Master Carlos Gracie Jr chose red to stand for heart, blood, and love. His students train with heart, carry Jiu-Jitsu in their blood, and love their team.
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The triangle
The Gracie family has long used the triangle to stand for balance of body, mind and spirit. That balance is what Jiu-Jitsu builds in you.
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The G
The G inside the triangle stands for the Gracie family, who gave this art to the world. It keeps their legacy alive in every academy.
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One symbol for the whole team, so that no one stands above the rest.
Your first uniform
Everyone here wears the same uniform. It shows we train as one team, and that on the mat everyone is equal.
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You keep a layer on
A rashguard goes under the jacket. Heavy cotton is not meant to sit against bare skin.
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It holds its shape
Jiu-Jitsu is played by gripping the collar and sleeves. This weave is heavy enough to take it.
380gsm pearlweave cotton
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Everyone starts at white
A white belt is included with your first uniform, so it is not something extra to buy.
Jacket, trousers and belt
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The knees last
Most of Jiu-Jitsu happens on the floor, so the knees are reinforced to be harder wearing.
240gsm military ripstop
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The mat stays clean
Shoes come off at the edge and stay off. Bare feet are how a mat stays clean.
More than one academy
One system, taught everywhere
Gracie Barra is one team, wherever you train.
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More than 1,200 academies
Across six continents, all teaching the same way.
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One proven method
You know what comes next, wherever you train.
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Checked and certified coaches
Every coach meets the same standard before they are trusted to teach.
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Built around student safety
Every session follows a clear structure that helps students learn safely.
On the shoulders of giants
“Jiu-Jitsu is the triumph of human intelligence over brute force.” — Hélio Gracie
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1917 - It all begins
A young Carlos Gracie starts learning Jiu-Jitsu from Japanese master Mitsuyo Maeda. He goes on to teach his whole family.
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1920s - The first school
Carlos opens the first Gracie Jiu-Jitsu school, teaching from the front room of his home in Rio.
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1986 - Gracie Barra is born
Carlos Gracie Jr opens the first Gracie Barra academy in Barra da Tijuca. He names it after his community, not himself.
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2003 - The red shield
One red shield is created to stand for the whole team, wherever in the world they train.
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2010 - A bigger goal
Master Carlos Gracie Jr sets the team a target. A Gracie Barra in every city in the world.
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Today - A worldwide team
More than 1,200 academies across six continents, and still growing.
Common questions
What is Gracie Barra?
Gracie Barra is the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team in the world. It started in 1986 and now has more than 1,200 academies across six continents.
Each one teaches the same proven way.
How is Gracie Barra different from other Jiu-Jitsu teams?
At many academies, what you learn depends on which coach you get. Gracie Barra works differently.
One proven system, taught by qualified coaches, so the standard stays high wherever you train.
Who can train at Gracie Barra?
Almost anyone. We have sessions for young children, teens, and adults. You do not need to be fit, strong, or young to start.
That is what "Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone" means.
Can I train at other Gracie Barra academies?
Yes. Because every academy follows the same method, your training travels with you. Move city or go away on holiday, walk into any Gracie Barra, and you are home.