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.

Our son has been enrolled since the beginning of the year and the class structure is great!
Our family enjoys being part of the Gracie Barra family and all of the positive values it brings to our community.

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.

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!

Great facility and Team! My kids has been training bjj there for a year now and it has been great… highly recommended

My family has been coming here for years. Hands down the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym in the area and the kids class is top notch. Professor Thiago is a world class teacher and competitor. The gym is very welcoming and has every level of experience.

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 entire family started training here about 6 months ago and the instruction is exceptional. Every member of our family looks forward to training with Professor Thiago, Professor Victor and the entire coaching staff. It has become an extended family with the families and competition team watching as the kids push and gain confidence while increasing their skills.

Both Professors Thiago and Victor, and all the coaches are fantastic with our kids. They show kindness and patience no matter what the skill level of their students are. Through Jiu Jitsu at Gracie Barra Stafford, my kids have gained confidence and lifelong friendships. Thanks y’all!

Gracie Barra Stafford is a place where you genuinely find Coaches and a Professor who cares for their students. Their devotion and commitment to the team is by far like nothing I have ever seen. My daughter started training two years ago this coming April 2021 and I can honestly say she has grown in so many ways due to her training. She has found a strong sense of self confidence , fitness, and values above all else the ability to be a member of a team that supports one another and works together to move to the next level. The guidance and instruction of her Professor and Coaches has given her the confidence and the ability to not only be able to practice jiu-jitsu but to be able to truly be a part of a team. Gracie Barra Stafford is a place where you will find a team of many working together as one under leadership that is in my opinion the best of the best. Thank you Gracie Barra for all that you do.

My four year old really enjoys his time at this place. Jamie and Mike are great with younger children and exhibit a good amount of patience. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to provide their child structure, discipline, exercise and an enjoyable time.

The instructors ensure all participants are practicing good hygiene and maintaining space in-between exercises and activities. Hand sanitizer is available and in depth cleaning is done to the mats and equipment prior to each class.

Gracie Barra Stafford is second to none for BJJ in Northern VA. Professor Thiago brings more than two decades of high level experience and world class competition proven techniques. Coach Jamie is a pan-am and world masters medalist with years of knowledge and experience to share. All of the higher ranked people help out the newer people. Instructions are clear and the techniques work. I recently won 1st place in my division in my first tournament. The children’s program is a great balance of fun and learning. I’m in the process of persuading my wife to let me bring my 5 year old....to be continued. This academy is a safe place to grow as a person through BJJ and there is value in each and every class. I’ve been training here since last August, but it feels like longer. I recommend this academy to anyone interested in BJJ, fitness, self defense, and finding out what they’re capable of. Come try a class! You’re sure to sweat and laugh at least once.

This place is amazing. The owners answer every question and genuinely care about the students and treat you like family. Professor Thiago is phenomenal and works well with children as well as the adults. My daughter has some anxiety issues - taking jiu jitsu has helped her a lot with her confidence and lessened the frequency of her anxiety attacks. She has had some during class - and they have helped her through it so she could finish instead of just removing her from class. I can’t praise this place enough. Highly recommend!!

This place is an excellent option for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The professor and coaches are proficient Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners and they have designed a curriculum to allow newcomers to ease into this sport as well as reserve options for advanced practitioners to hone their skills. They are both respectful and kind to everyone.

In terms of a martial arts program for kids, there really is no better option in Stafford and I highly recommend it!

My family and I have had a great experience here! Lots of good training, and a growing group of students make this a fun and supportive learning environment for all levels. I highly recommend this academy!

3 month update.... Still awesome! You should come, and bring your family and friends! Still a great workout, still friendly and learning every class! Love this place!

The school is very clean and the instruction is top notch. Professor Thiago is great with kid, his passion for teaching can be seen every time he steps on the mats. I drive over an hour to come train with him because I know it keeps my Jiu Jitsu sharp. Thank you for what you guys are doing for the Stafford community!

As a new member, they were very welcoming. They treat everyone with respect and make sure you understand everything that is taught. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for BJJ.

The most ligit ju jitsu gym I've been to! I say that because I've been searching for a gym for quite some time. This gym focuses on technique and realistic situations to practice in. They move through the moves in steps which is very helpful and easy to grasp and also incorporate everything you have learned that day into a situational grappling situation. Not to mention the monthly pricing isn't bad at all. Love I'd recommend it to anyone

This was so incredible , it made want to be apart of something different and wonderful 🤎I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and the instructors as well as the student ! Wish I could come everyday !

Professional Staff who really have a passion for their craft. Excellent with the smaller kids teaching discipline while having fun.