Daniel Gracie Delco

“Daniel Gracie Delco has been my first BJJ gym I have started training at. I have visited a couple gyms since starting but this is and will forever be my home at the end of the day. the culture of the gym is immaculate and is focused on a friendly and competitive environment. Brett is an incredible instructor who helps each student get the most out of themselves every class and always pushes them to become better.”

“My daughter and I both train at Brett’s place in Delco… it is unique… there are other places… we have tried others… here however there is a level of understanding, selflessness, and support from all involved which flows down from the owners philosophy about combat arts. “We need this…” Why else would you do this ? My daughter competes regularly at both BJJ and wrestles…Brett takes the time as well as his staff to prepare her and be there for her… find her things to expand her ability and understanding… discuss her thoughtfully… so important… Regardless of your desire to compete…just do something for yourself…have your child find something fun and rewarding for their self esteem and character you can find support for that here… Definitely not a cookie cutter BJJ joint that just churns… Lessons… This is hard… Hard is fun… Other things are easier… I choose challenge… such cool things for a kid to learn… If you have the opportunity stop in and get to know the great people that gravitate here.”

“When visiting family in Delco, I messaged Brett asking if I could stop in for a class. He was extremely welcoming and happy to have me drop in. Since then I've dropped in for several classes and every time I have learned something and have been impressed by the camaraderie on display. Everyone at the gym seems happy to be there and at ease with each other. I've trained at several gyms while learning Jiu-Jitsu and not every gym has that sense of camaraderie. It's a very valuable thing. Quality instruction and quality people.”

“I joined Daniel Gracie Delco gym about a year ago to get myself in better shape and learn self-defense. The head coach, Brett, has been incredibly welcoming and understanding. I have a little experience in kickboxing and wrestling but I was completely uneducated about Brazilian jujitsu. Not only have they gone out of their way to make me feel welcome, both the coaching staff and the other members, but I have also found friendships and camaraderie that I was missing in my life. I could not recommend this gym more to both the first time students and long time veterans.”

“Update: I was with this gym for about a year and some change. In May of 2023 they stopped teaching classes out of a firehouse and opened up their gym in prospect Park. I was asked to help coach the kids classes by the head coach. I wasn't sure about it because I am a white belt but I was convinced I would be an asset to the program and it would be easier for the little girls to feel comfortable with another woman who was also a mom. I did it for months and man I loved it, kids are truly amazing. Got to the point I was asked to cover classes if the head coach wasn't available that day or if someone was running late. The kids classes got so big and we were doing so well! Another person ended up joining who had kids and I ended up getting pregnant with my second and this person didn't respect me at all. She was only a blue belt herself and I tried to just deal with the situation myself because I wanted to get along with everyone and be a team. It got to the point where I thought brining it to Brett (the owner) would be appropriate because I didn't feel this situation was okay and after dealing with it by myself for months and not finding resolution, I thought this was the best plan. Well it was somehow perceived that I was the only person with the problem and that was it. I ended up leaving because I didn't like the way the kids class was run any more, a lot of the kids were getting frustrated and overwhelmed because of this individual and how they decided to coach (I also expressed this to Brett). It seems I wasn't the only person who left and it looks like the classes are much smaller now. Fast forward I am six weeks postpartum and I wanted to just come back for myself (not bring my son), the adult classes are fantastic and Brett is a great coach and teacher. I was told I am not welcomed back. No matter what gym you go to, issues will arise and not willing to resolve them and be okay with losing a member who dedicated a lot of their time into your gym is very upsetting. I trained about 5 days a week, cleaned the gym weekly and helped coach the kids class and had a great relationship with everyone. Now no one talks to me anymore, I think this could have been prevented. If you're thinking of coming here, do it! The adults classes have amazing teaching and coaching. I wish nothing but the best for them and hope their kids classes can be fixed and adjusted in the future! Been with this team for 2 months! Such a great group and an even better instructor. Such a welcoming group of people and excellent training partners. I love that this gym has traditional roots and doesn’t allow cliques and drama to fester. I know a lot of women hesitate to join gym’s because the lack of women in the classes, to be honest I sometimes forget because of how great of a training partner these guys are! My son will be also training, he has prior experience at another gym but I am so excited to get him involved at Daniel Gracie Delco. Love my team and can’t wait to see where this journey takes me and my son ❤️”