Gracie Barra Stafford

“The instructors are great, they keep the kids accountable and active.we have not been in the Northern VA area for very long, this was a great way to get my daughter active and meet new kids in the area. They offer a very friendly, clean environment for kids to learn and grow in their craft. Highly recommended.”

“Gracie Barra Stafford is the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school around! My son has been going for almost a year now and we’ve seen such a positive change in him, especially with his confidence. The professors and coaches really know how to encourage the children to try new things, support leadership, and discipline. I highly recommend GB of Stafford for any age, they truly help with bringing out the best in you.”

“Our daughter has been training at Gracie Stafford for nearly a year. The quality of training and mentorship she has received has been stunning. The instructors are a rare breed of experts who are both welcoming and, quite literally, some of the best BJJ practitioners in the world. If you want to learn BJJ, or if you want your children to train - while having fun doing it! - look no further than Gracie Barra Stafford.”

“You have many excellent choices of martial arts academies in this area, but Gracie Barra stands out in terms of culture, the dedication and focus of the owners, a laser focus on safety, and the skill of Professor Thiago both as a practitioner and instructor. Whether you are researching the right academy for yourself, your children, or both, here is why you want to choose Gracie Barra in Stafford. -Culture: This is a community and a family. You’ll feel it the moment you walk in the door. It starts with Professor Thiago knowing everyone’s name, even if you or your kids are there for the first day or for a trial class. The feeling extends as everyone takes care of each other, trains hard and strives to be their best, but maintains the utmost respect for other students. There are no jerks here who try to tear your arms off, because the Professor sets the example with his calm, caring leadership. We train and fight hard, but we respect and take care of each other above all things. I genuinely like the people I train with, without exception. The Professor’s family also trains at the academy, and this adds to the positive feeling of community. -Dedication and focus of the owners: Professor Thiago and Jamie run the academy full-time. This is what they do for a living. Teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and running the academy in the best way possible receive their total focus. It makes a difference in the level of organization, the time and effort they expend with the kids at tournaments, and Professor Thiago’s continued personal commitment to training and competing. -Laser focus on safety: Wherever you train, you are trusting the instructors to provide a safe environment. As someone who has led high-risk training, I recognize the best practices implemented at this academy. When it comes to children, you are trusting your child’s safety to the instructors. Gracie Barra does an excellent job mitigating risk at all levels. Professor Thiago identifies potential risks and briefs the students on how to mitigate. Supervision is excellent. For children’s classes, almost every coach assisting the Professor is a parent with a child or children in the class. Professor Thiago puts thought into how he pairs up the kids, ensuring proper matches in terms of size, skill, and attitude. All these count towards keeping the academy safe. Several of us that train at the academy are older and have a lifetime’s worth of injuries. The culture of taking care of each other and the focus on safety make it possible for us to train hard without losing time to injuries. -The skill of Professor Thiago both as a practitioner and instructor: It matters that the chief instructor still competes. It keeps him current and sharp. It also matters that the chief instructor is a jiu-jitsu professional that has maintained a singular focus on jiu-jitsu as his life’s work over decades. All this contributes to the quality of instruction. Even to those just starting out, having someone with Professor Thiago’s level of knowledge will give you the ability to progress faster and with greater safety. Being a professional who has dedicated his life to Gracie jiu-jitsu, the Professor brings the highest level of instructional excellence. For those at the academy who compete in jiu-jitsu tournaments, having this level of instruction and coaching is important for their development as competitors. If you’re hesitant about doing martial arts or having your child do martial arts, the best thing you can do is reach out and give it a try with a free class. You’ll know if it’s the right place for you by the end of the session. If you come to Gracie Barra Stafford, you’ll be surrounded by students who work hard and take care of each other, whether they are adults or kids, in a safe environment, with the best possible instruction.”

“Gracie Bart’s Jiu Jitsu in Stafford is outstanding. I watched my child’s confidence grow substantially from day one over six months. It was impressive to watch the instructors work so well with the kids. They are extremely professional and enthusiastic. I would recommend Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu Stafford to anyone interested. Mike, Tiago, and all the coaches are class acts!”