Gracie Jiu Jitsu teaches the most important techniques, strategies and mindsets that made Gracie Jiu Jitsu successful, first.
The Art of Jiu Jitsu is worth more in every way than all of our athletics combined.
- Theodore Roosevelt*
We teach Original Gracie Jiu Jitsu all the way up through the most advanced and technical movements at North Vancouver BJJ. Gracie Jiu Jitsu delivers on the promise of a smaller, weaker opponent using intelligence over brute strength to survive and defeat a larger more aggressive opponent through time and battle tested techniques and strategies in a way that is more documented and proven than any other martial art in history.
We teach you, a student, to become skillful, fit and mobile, and do not make a student fodder for higher belts. We focus on helping students learn the core movements and tactics until they work perfectly, through attention to detail and repetition, feedback, and diligent instruction.
Even seasoned practitioners can benefit from improving, consolidating the fundamental core base of the art.
*Theodore Roosevelt learned Jiu Jitsu from Yoshiyaki Yamashita, one of the 4 guardians of the Kodokan. One of the other guardians, Tsunejiro Tomita, “The Professor” is Jigoro Kano’s first student at the Kodokan and also the teacher of Mitsuyo Maeda, the teacher of Carlos Gracie Sr. Carlos and his brother Helio, through diligent effort created and proved Gracie Jiu Jitsu to be the most effective form of self defence in the world as proven and demonstrated in many various real fight situations around the world.
NVBJJ is Certified
North Vancouver Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a Certified Training Center by Gracie University. That means you can learn everything you need to know in a challenging, fun, safe and energetic environment — starting from day one right through to the highest Jiu-Jitsu rankings. Classes are instructed with a depth of technique and mindset that is beneficial to any level of practitioner, from beginner to advanced.
The NVGJJ methodology imparts information in a way that establishes a core knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu and builds on that foundation as the student advances. Students are sure to learn the fundamental core deeply and progress with an authentic mastery of Jiu-Jitsu.
Jiu-Jitsu is used to defend yourself, while controlling the amount of damage done to an aggressor. The Gentle Art is meant to use the techniques that cause an aggressor to tire, make a mistake and fall victim to any number of joint locks, choke holds or controls that a Gracie/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner will perfect.
At our academy, Jiu-Jitsu is taught first as a way to defend against an attacker, later on as a way to sharpen techniques and train effectively with someone who is also skilled in Jiu-Jitsu.
Programs
JIU JITSU FUNDAMENTALS (Beginners start here)
Gracie Combatives is our beginner program for adults. We believe this is the best entry point in the world to learn and master the art of Brazilian or Gracie Jiu Jitsu. In this program, you will learn the 36 core techniques of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (also known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ) in a fun, safe, and educational environment. Each one-hour lesson addresses one standing and one ground self-defense technique, which are further broken down into technical drills to facilitate the learning process. At the end of each class a realistic reflex development combination sequence will be practiced, performed with varying degrees of intensity, subject to the level you have attained. You can start the program at any time and participate in any class without previous experience and, since safety and practical skill acquisition is our number one concern, there is a clear focus on the realistic practice of using Jiu Jitsu to neutralize the attacks of a bigger, stronger, more athletic opponent in this program. Upon successful completion of the Gracie Combatives program you will earn your Gracie Combatives Belt which will qualify you for advancement into the Master Cycle program.
WOMEN EMPOWERED
Women’s Jiu Jitsu
Women Empowered is the Gracie Self-Defense Program for Women. Originally, this 15-lesson program could only be accessed at the Gracie Academy HQ in Los Angeles, CA, but now, the entire program is available at our Certified Training Centre.
Through correspondence with law enforcement professionals and reports submitted by sexual assault victims, it was discovered that, while the specific circumstances of each assault may vary, the general attack strategies are strikingly similar in most cases. From target selection to the actual physical assault techniques, certain behavioural patterns existed in nearly every case reviewed,
Armed with an in-depth understanding of the most common psychological and physical attacks used by predators, the Women Empowered program was created. Law enforcement officials and survivors of sexual assault helped us identify the 20 most common attack strategies that a male assailant is likely to use on a woman. The Women Empowered program covers it all! Applying the principles of Gracie Jiu Jitsu of: leverage, timing, and energy efficiency – a series of techniques were developed to counter the most common attacks on women. In addition to the techniques, we teach a set of critical awareness principles and preemptive defensive strategies to help women reduce their risk of being targeted.
Why Women Empowered? Most self-defense programs don’t address what to do when the fight goes to the ground, but this is where we specialize. Also, 78% of sexual assaults are by people you know. Women Empowered has “non-violent” neutralization techniques, making it the only program that offers viable options to defend against “known” attackers.
To date, the Women Empowered program has been taught to thousands of women around the world. Of the few program graduates who were later attacked, all reported successfully escaping from the assailant using the techniques they learned through Women Empowered.
The best thing is, you don’t need any previous experience, you don’t need any physical attributes to be able to perform these techniques. The classes can be done in any order, so you can come in any time. The class is fun, educational, energizing, and the right mixture of challenging and welcoming! We hope you come check us out so we can share this revolutionary program with life saving techniques with you!
GRACIE BULLYPROOF
Mat Munchkins, Little Champs and Jr. Grapplers
Gracie Bullyproof www.graciekids.com
More than just Jiu Jitsu and martial arts for kids! We focus on Character Development though out the year. Each Development Chapter is divided into 8 week segments where we discuss, have special challenges, and several rewards including a games day to punctuate the importance of continuous development. The Chapters are divided into:
• January/February- Responsibility
• March/April- Health
• May/June- Respect
• July/ August- Citizenship
• September/ October- Manners
• November/ December- Caring
Gracie BullyProof is a land mark course for kids 3-12 (3-5), (6-8) or (8-12), teaching them the fundamental core basics of non-violent effective self-defence starting with:
• Awareness
• Using your voice and setting boundaries
• When to defend yourself verbally or physically
• All 6 character development chapters
ADVANCED JIU JITSU
The Master Cycle.
Beyond Gracie Combatives belt, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu consists of hundreds of advanced techniques organized into a clearly defined, systematic curriculum called the Master Cycle. The Master Cycle’s unique structure simplifies the journey to black belt by organizing all of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ) into seven positional chapters (Mount, Side Mount, Guard, Half Guard, Back Mount, Leg Locks, Standing), each of which is studied for several months before moving on to the next chapter.
If you’ve achieved the rank of Gracie Combatives belt or higher in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and you would like to continue on the path to BJJ black belt in a safe, structured, and masterful learning environment, the Master Cycle is for you!