Gracie Charlottesville* is Central Virginia's premier Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu self-defense academy located on the corner of Rt. 29 and Rio Rd at 1646 Seminole Trail across from Fashion Sq. Mall. We offer traditional Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instruction with a heavy emphasis on self-defense, grappling, and ground submissions.
We also offer high level Muay Thai instruction, as well as Western Boxing, Judo, Sambo, JKD/FMA weapons defense classes, and Yoga. All memberships are all-inclusive of all programs and students may come to as many or as few classes as they wish. Our state-of-the-art academy is friendly and accepting of all people who want to learn in a safe and comfortable environment.
We also offer high level Muay Thai instruction, as well as Western Boxing, Judo, Sambo, JKD/FMA weapons defense classes, and Yoga. All memberships are all-inclusive of all programs and students may come to as many or as few classes as they wish. Our state-of-the-art academy is friendly and accepting of all people who want to learn in a safe and comfortable environment.
Services
In this afternoon program kids will be given a small healthy snack while they have a half-hour to work on and get help with homework. After the snack/homework period the kids will be divided into groups and taught the basic concepts of self-defense, self-confidence, respect for others, and basic diet/fitness for martial arts.
Gracie Charlottesville's co-Founder and Black Belt Instructor, Brent Lillard credits much of his. Falling in love with martial arts movies as a kid, and being influenced by his father's love. Shaun Kennedy discovered jiu-jitsu in Hawaii in early 2009 when his wife was deployed to Iraq. Kristen is one of the most well-rounded martial arts instructors and competitors in the world.
Come check out our brand new academy located at the corner of Rt. 29 and Rio Rd in Charlottesville! We are the nicest and cleanest martial arts academy around! Mats cleaned by professional staff several times per day. At Gracie Charlottesville it is not the responsibility of the students to clean the facility.
To enroll in a Sauer on Demand subscription you must purchase a membership from our "Join the Family" page. Any return payment will be assessed a $25.00 fee. Any unsuccessful scheduled electronic transaction is subject to a $10 processing fee. Open Mat, Inc. is not responsible for any bank fees incurred by Customer.
Open Mat, Inc. is not responsible for any bank fees incurred by Customer. All memberships auto renew themselves each month on the same date unless otherwise noted, and remain in effect until a cancellation notice has been submitted and acknowledged. Rates are grandfathered in at the rate you start for as long as you hold an active membership.
Reviews (10)
Alex B.
Nov 14, 2021
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I was in Cville for one day and scheduled a private session with Kristen Debruycker. I was impressed with the facility (sauna, showers, awesome cleaning protocol) and of course Kristen's instruction-it was awesome and as a white belt sponge i had learned so many tools to add to my game. Thank you everyone at Gracie JJ Cville for warm welcome and to Kristen specifically for sharing her knowledge and for her patience. I now have a go-to place to train when i visit Cville.
Eric P.
Oct 23, 2021
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I have been extremely impressed with each visit to Gracie’s. We enrolled our 6 year old son into their Jiu Jitsu fundamentals class at the end of August, and he immediately loved coming to Gracie’s. Coaches Ms. Kristin and Mr. Will introduced themselves to him, learned his name, and put him with the rest of the group. I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in the next day and they immediately knew his name, and got him excited to get back onto the mat to play games until the class started. I am continuously impressed with Ms. Kristin and Mr. Will’s interactions with each child, and read
Andrew McIlwean
Sep 26, 2021
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Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality, Value
The instructors and staff are beyond welcoming and helpful no matter your background and skill level. The gym has every amenity you could want and the training is top notch. 11/10 recommend to anyone and everyone looking to train Gracie jiujitsu in Charlottesville
The instructors and staff are beyond welcoming and helpful no matter your background and skill level. The gym has every amenity you could want and the training is top notch. 11/10 recommend to anyone and everyone looking to train Gracie jiujitsu in Charlottesville
Xavier Castillo-Vieira
Sep 01, 2021
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This place is awesome. I have been wanting to try BJJ for a while and I finally decided to, I am so glad I picked Gracie Charlottesville. The community here is great and very helpful for all skill levels. Their facility is brand new, big, and has really nice amenities (shower, sauna, lockers, changing room, etc). If you want to give it a shot they also offer a completely free 1 week trial. Definitely recommend this gym!
Chris Maks
Aug 29, 2021
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The coaches and students are top notch. Knowledgeable staff and students who are welcoming and will roll at the level you want. Want to grind and go hard? No problem. Want to "flow roll" and work some technique? No problem. Want to train at 6am? No problem. I lost my phone and Brent from the front desk drove me back to my hotel. The spirit of martial arts lives in this place.
Hudson Golino
Jun 05, 2021
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Shane Pevehouse
May 24, 2021
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Having taught martial arts for 17 years prior to arriving in CVille, I visited several local gyms to observe the instructors and was immediately impressed with Kristen. Our girls (9 and 11) trained with her 4-5 days/week for 9 months and their attitudes, demeanors, self-confidence, and ability to protect themselves have all greatly improved. Our greatest regret moving back to Texas is that we can’t bring Kristen with us!
Brittany Bornstein
Dec 31, 2020
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We relocated from another state in 2020 and were looking for something to engage our 4yo son in to start meeting kids and learn a new skill. He started out very shy and apprehensive since starting in August. Since beginning, he has gained more confidence, strength, discipline, respect and pride in accomplishing the techniques he is learning in class. Another aspect I really like is earning of character stripes as this helps him learn about setting goals and learning to become a well rounded person. This is a lifelong skill teaching him that working hard is necessary in life and to be able to defend
Daniel Pownall
Nov 25, 2020
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So my kids and I just started going to Gracie Charlottesville and we LOVE it. I originally looked into it for my 5 year old son and 8 year old daughter. They did their first week for free to try it out and they are hooked! While researching I discovered that they offer unlimited training to sworn law enforcement officers COMPLETELY FREE!!! If you are in law enforcement and your agency is anything like mine, you do not receive nearly enough DT training. That is a huge problem and Gracie Charlottesville is the cure. Make the investment in yourself. And because its free, the only thing you have to
Matt Keyser
Aug 07, 2020
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I come from a wrestling & karate background but it had been almost 25 years since I had trained. I walked in the door at 51 & out of shape, but they made me feel welcome & free to train at my own pace. Kristen DeBruycker is an amazing teacher & John McCune has been very patient with my questions. All the upper belts are very generous with their time and knowledge in helping me learn while I roll. This mindset comes from the top & makes this school special.
