Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy

From my husband, Justino
Not only Jui Jitsu heaven, LIFE HEAVEN!
The instruction is incredible. Led by Rorion, Ryron and Rener, all of the instructors (including Alex, Sam, Alex, and others) break down complex movements into small slices, analyzing every detail and angle of movement. They communicate patiently and in such a way that all levels of experience can benefit ranging from new white belts all the way up to highly advanced black belts. The environment and philosophy is warm and playful (gentle) yet so real (martial) at the same time. They really know what they are doing physically and mentally at all times.
The facilities are unparalleled. Beautiful lounge and welcome area. Plenty of clean towels, hot showers, and beautiful locker rooms. The walls are lined with magazine covers, articles, and posters from early days of UFC, Jui Jitsu, and other martial arts magazines. The green room is huge and there carpeted bench seating for guests and visitors.
Like any organizations, the leaders set the tone and in this case they absolutely nailed it. The Gracie Jui Jitsu acadamy in Torrance is the one and only place to go if you want the best experience, training, and life journey.

Went to Pedro Sauer seminar. People and atmosphere were chill. Rener was there and was very polite.

Training at the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy is by far one of the best decisions I’ve made in my adult life.
If your in the area and especially if you have kids, I recommend that you at least go and watch a class, checkout their amazing museum
(family history, including how the UFC started and more)
or even try the class.

My goal is to be able to protect myself in the streets. I tried other Academies, but I felt like the time I spent was being used to learn how to score points and not on how to not get punched in the face. I like my face, and I don’t think points will save it. This Academy specializes on face getting punched in prevention. With that I am sold.
Great Schedule
Clear structured path to your journey
Pricing isn’t bad
Great Mat Space
Great Restrooms
A lot of people to meet
Should come in early for parking

Having a number of years of training in both Kenpo and Krav Maga, I felt it was time to learn a more complete art. This is it! Not only is this best street self defense system, it also works best for someone who is older (57) like me.
The school is top notch. Clean, spacious and well equipped. The instructors are also as good as they get. Their approach to learning is by far the best out there.
I’ve met some incredible martial artists over the years. What I’ve learned is just because you excel at something, doesn’t mean you know how to teach it. This school prides itself on the quality of their instructors. Outstanding!
I also highly recommend their kids program. You need to see one to really appreciate their philosophy.
Great school, instructors and facilities. Plus, you can’t beat the 10 day free trial.

This review is for the «Little Champs» program.
My daughter (6) has been attending for about 6 months now and she is loving it. Mostly I want to commend the instructors Alex, Jimmy and the blue belt young man Zac he’s a ball of energy the kids love him.
I have only ever had a single issue here and it was with a student being a little rough. I brought it up to the instructors and it was immediately addressed. Nothing awkward they just adjusted and helped no further problems.
The program is great they don’t go over submissions and free rolling. They do however place a big importance on being good citizens and preparing for the application of BJJ. The verbal exercises have made her more comfortable on the playground and in school. The actual BJJ portion of it is mainly positional awareness and transition which is great since the adage is position over submission.
She loves this program and will continue to attend she says she’s going for the green belt. I highly recommend this for the kids. If you are in doubt just try it and let it speak for itself. She doesn’t always want to go like all kids but every time we leave she just loves telling me about her favorite part (it’s usually dodgeball.)
TL;DR
Great kids instructors
Very responsive to parent concerns
Verbal jiu jitsu focus
Great fun.

Just completed my first session, which is free, and looking to start my next 10 day free trial. No sparring today, but still sweated my butt off. This place is so welcoming, structured, clean and they have the most amazing trainers. Alex and Jimmy rock! If you’re thinking about learning to fight, so you never have to fight, than BJJ is for you. Run from any other jiu jitsu schools and head to Gracie Academy. You’ll thank me later!
P. S. Believe the reviews, parking is a bitch.

Is an awesome place be even if you’ve trained at another academy and you want to get a good base of the fundamentals and basic understanding of jiu-​jitsu this would be the place for you life changing and eye opening

I attended the women’s empowerment self defense class after a dear friend of mine who is a black belt in jiu-​jitsu recommended that I check it out. I was a bit skeptical but figured, hey why not? I LOVED IT!!! Rener and his wife Eve Gracie were so much fun!!! I did not want this class to end. Even though it was a short 2 hour class and only went over some basics in women learning how to protect themselves I walked out of there feeling empowered and knowing a heck of a lot more than when I walked in. There were other students who train jiu-​jitsu who volunteered there time to come and help out and everyone was so nice, helpful and making sure that we were all safe and careful to avoid hurting ourselves. If you’re ever able to participate in this women’s only self defense seminar I urge you too please check it out. Eve Gracie is so knowledgeable and a sting advocate for women’s self defense and on top of that she is so nice. The facility is GORGEOUS and the staff was phenomenal. I love it here and I really hope that perhaps I can get my daughter and I training jiu-​jitsu now. I was so impressed

**This review is specifically for their online store**
I had been in the market for Angela Gracie’s recipe book. Originally I was going to purchase it through Amazon but I remembered that the Gracie’s sell merchandise via their own site. Not only was the recipe book less expensive through their site, they also threw in some stickers and a very nice note thanking me for my purchase. Also, I was sent a follow up email on behalf of Rener asking me to contact them if i had any issues with my purchase. As a professional who manages employees in a customer service capacity I appreciated all the attention to detail. I admire companies that follow up to ensure a client or customer is satisfied. And because of the solid service I would not hesitate to purchase again or recommend their online store.
Obrigada!

The staff & instructors are very friendly & professional. I think this helps foster a more cooperative & less competitive environment. The Academy is always clean. The men’s locker & shower are immaculate & well stocked w clean towels. The only caveat is parking but students can park at Hope United Methodist Church which is maybe 100 yards away. The Academy is sometimes referred to as the «Mecca» of Jiu-​Jitsu. In my years I’ve seen & trained w/​some students from Japan, Australia, France & Great Britain. Our daughter trains there & it’s amazing to see how full the Little Champs class is.

I have trained at a few other jiujitsu schools, this one has the best instructors (Ryron and Rener) and best outline for learning. Friendly environment, no big ego’s, clean, and a great place to train.

This review is for the free seminar from their women’s empowerment series.
I really enjoyed my experience! I was a bit nervous about attending a self class by myself, but I surprisingly felt at ease throughout the two hour seminar. Both Eve and the male instructor made combating sexual assault… fun! Eve was extremely helpful in making me feel strong and confident in the event I would need to protect myself sexual assaults and attacks. The male instructor was also very sensitive and understanding to women’s issues and concerns. The BIG thing I appreciated here was that they never put the woman at fault for her sexual assault; you’d be surprised at how many self defense classes still make women feel like they deserved to be attacked.
The instructors are really awesome at reallllly slowing down the moves to ensure that you see it from all different angles and perspectives. They also repeat the moves multiple times, making sure that you fully grasp what you’re learning.
I really liked that the instructors surprise attacks on you; it tested my instincts to see if I actually absorbed the material. I also appreciated their psychological breakdown of how assaulter plan their attacks. Although I may never take another self defense class, the lessons and tips I learned here were invaluable. I would have never thought to use some of the tricks I learned.
My only complaint was the 30 minute recruitment that they imposed on us after the actual seminar was over. I wish they would have included that in the schedule, but I do understand that they want new students to join. The seminar actually ran from 2:30−5.

I showed up to support a friend for the women empowerment class she join the free 2hr class today. … Rener and Eve Gracie are awesome there funny and made the class fun. They had me laughing and I was there for support.. Every female should learn this program or Gracie combatives. You won’t regret it

Rener,
Isn’t it something that I have to publicly do this to make you apologize for what you did and know was wrong? You know exactly what you did and your actions are indefensible.
There were 3 students from the academy bullying Seth, not one. The fact is that the mother of only one of the 3 came in and threatened you (i.e. the academy) after Seth was exonerated by the school principal. You told me that she threatened to spread that you had a bully as an instructor and «how would that look?» She was angry and did what angry people do, use poor judgement.
When I tried to make you aware of this you became angry and would not even let me speak of the other two boys who attend Seth’s public school and the Gracie Academy. I told Brian their names. I even told you that the school psychologist believed she understood why the boys were attacking Seth at school and not the academy. Your response was «I don’t believe that» and blew me off.
Rener, I was not there at his school when this happened, but neither were you. When you talked with Seth about this at the academy, and did not even ask my permission to do so (which you know I would have done), you violated my rights as a parent. You would be wise not to do that with another parent.
Your information about the incident was provided by a mother who has in the past been spreading false rumors about Seth at the academy. I brought this to your fathers attention a year before she threatened you and Rorion said it did not sound important at the time and not to worry about it. Talk with Alex and your father, they will remember.
You were not in a difficult position Rener. in truth, you rapidly reacted to being threatened and for your own reasons, did what you did, without letting me properly share the facts of the matter. On the very morning you were threatened and this women lied to you about the facts, you labeled Seth a liability and a bully. Contrary to what you stated, I was not allowed to defend my son. You rushed to judgement and said things that were abominable, like «having wasted too much time already on this» and the reference to money and private classes.
I wish there were a misunderstanding, but there is only the truth of what happened.
You try to impress that we are friend and you are sorry for what happened. If that is so, why have you allowed Seth to be away for 10 months without a word or care?
It’s simple, you, Brian and your family simply don’t care. Which is exactly why I don’t recommend your establishment to anyone. You only pretend to care when it fits your business paradigm, which is no way to run a business and runs contrary to what you preach to everyone. I thought I knew your father well enough to know that he would not condone this type of behavior. Perhaps I was wrong.
I appreciate everything that the academy did for Seth, but your past actions reflect your true mentality. Of the harm that you have caused to Seth, I will only say this, he is still in therapy and has had suicidal thoughts.
You and Brian lack faith in your teachings. He was trained for years on what to do when being faced with a bullying situation. He was an assistant instructor. He did the right thing Rener. I wish I could say the same for you.
I accept your apology, but too much harm has already been done. I pray you gain some wisdom from all of this.

Wife and son practice there. Great staff and best instructors. The Gracie Family is GREAT. I recommend. If you are serious about martial arts, this is it.

In a perfect world a simple «no» would be sufficient enough to rid yourself of jerks, assholes, and dangerous situations. In reality, however, there are bad people and in some cases the concept of civility/​morality has been lost. With this being said, I decided to learn the art of Brazilian Jiu-​Jitsu in order to protect myself.
I’ve taken self-​defense classes before but none of those classes offered the more realistic scenario or simulation of being in a struggle. Currently, I have just finished 7 combative classes and I am completely in love with Brazilian Jiu-​Jitsu and the Gracie Academy. Although there is a women’s empowerment program that focuses on rape prevention offered at Gracie, I decided to jump straight into the Combatives Training Program, or the entry level program that teaches the core standing and defense techniques.
As someone who hasn’t formally adopted any MMA before I must admit walking onto the mat in my GI for the first time was a bit daunting and I was really nervous. Thankfully the front desk staff told the instructor that it was my first time so he gave me an intro to the class prior to its start plus a little extra attention during the practice. Jordan, the instructor, was patient and enthusiastic. He made sure my form and movement were correct and he made sure I was able to perform the technique not only on my partner but on him as well.
All the instructors at Gracie are superb! They possess the comprehensive knowledge in Gracie Jiu-​Jitsu, they give you attention and feedback and more importantly, they are very supportive and encouraging. They want you to succeed and help empower you to feel strong and confident. After every class I walk away with new found confidence and a new friend to share my experience with. So far I’ve had the pleasure of having Jordan, Alex (no hair), Alex (pretty hair), Guido, Rener, and another instructor who’s name escapes me. Just as they remember my name I’ll try to remember theirs.
So far I am loving my journey in Gracie Jiu-​Jitsu and I am working very hard to earn my blue belt. I wholeheartedly recommend BJJ and training at this facility.
Special shout out to Jackie and Liz at the front desk, their smiles and welcoming attitude are a treat to see every day.

This is as good as it gets. Being taught by a Gracie cannot be beat. The moves are broken down in such detail that you simply can’t go wrong. Getting in decent shape along the way helps as well. My children love it here and we are treated as family.
«Amazing»…

Out of the probably 30 schools i’ve been to (and 20ish i’ve reviewed), this school has by far the most amount of higher belts in a class I have ever seen. Every class will typically have around four or five black belts who are taking the class, and lots of browns and purples. It’s like a candy paradise-​land for a blue belt who isn’t challenged at the average white/​blue belt gym. Every class I get tapped out several times by several different people, and that’s the way it should be.
They typically skip the traditional warm-​ups and go straight into technique. Just because of this you can get in around 33% more technique time. Also they usually give you some free time to just work on something generally speaking. Currently we’re working on sweeps so at the beginning of the class they just say «ok, work on sweeps». This free time is very valuable to me to practice things I know I need work on.
Obviously you get to learn from big-​name Gracie’s, and that’s cool.
Now the money! Naturally this school costs more than most jiu-​jitsu gyms. It may be a little outside of my personal budget (i’m on a trial period) but the pricing is consistent with other high-​quality gyms. Also, this is the nicest facility I have ever seen. Not only do they have showers, which most gyms don’t, but they’re very nice, and includes soap and free towels which is pretty bomb. The changing area is nice, and the mats are extremely clean. There’s this little asian girl who works the front desk, I dunno what her name is but she was super helpful when I had a bajillion questions about the gym and the memberships.

First off the people here is what make the place so great. The two Son’s Ryron and Rener who do most of the teaching are simply the nicest, best teacher’s I have ever witnessed. Rener reminds me of the Tony Roberts of JiuJitsu very animated with a lot of energy and he packs so much information in what he says so listen carefully.
The academy itself is 5 star very clean spacious and modern. There also a museum of sorts that display the Gracie Heritage.
The Jiu jitsu itself is best of the best. I’ve been to other schools and it’s not even close. The attention to detail was shocking. If you want to learn the most effective way to defend yourself and heck even get in shape this is the place.
The first thing they will teach all new students is Gracie combatives which is their adult course. It’s about 40 moves which will effectively teach you to be very competent against a street fight attacker. The moves all correlate with each other and you will learn the moves all flow together. After getting some experience learning moves will they then let you spar. I believe this is definitely the way to do it cause if you don’t know how to spar it can lead to injuries. I’ve been to schools where the teach you like one move how to arm bar then off to sparring. Wow white belts who are new generally think they are really fighting and don’t know about control and even what they are doing which just leads to bad situations. So kudos for the foresight into making white belts wait.
I got my blue belt in Gojin Jiujitsu which is Japanese style in about 2.5 years. Which is the fifth belt in that system. In the Gracie system it goes white then blue belt. I was here for about a year and was a 4^th strip white belt. I would say I learned more here in that short time and felt more versed in different situations because the teaching here is that much better. And the learning doesn’t stop in the classes. Can definitely pick the minds of anyone here. And I just watch the upper belts roll to see what they are doing.
The pricing is more expensive here but what do you expect your training with arguable the best who reinvented and improved the art.
But definitely would recommend this place as it is life changing and you will even pick up some Gracie philosophies regarding eating habits and training. If you know about the history of martial Arts it’s like training with Bruce Lee back in the day. A once in a lifetime experience.