In short, BJJ is the best self defense system on the planet.  If you watch the UFC or any other competitive MMA sport, every fighter is–at the very least–trained in the fundamentals of BJJ.  The U.S. Armed Forces combatives manual is essentially a copy of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals curriculum.  If it’s adequate for professional warriors, you can rest assured it will meet your your needs as well.

For further detail, I highly recommend watching Rener Gracie’s explanation of BJJ in the following video (Note: he mentions BJJ being for men in the beginning only because this video was shot for the Art of Manliness website.  Everything he says 100% applies to everyone, regardless of sex, age or athleticism).

The instructor is Rob Shoecraft.  Rob has been training Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Athens, OH under Carlos Mendez since 2014.  He’s also a personal trainer and owner of Three Storm Fitness, LLC.

Gallipolis Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – Team RGA operates out of Fit Culture, a top-notch training facility located in Gallipolis, OH.  The address is:

78 Vinton Ave, Gallipolis, OH, 45631

Adult Fundamentals:

Monday: 5:45-6:45 PM

Tuesday: 5:45-6:45 PM

Thursday: 5:45-6:45 PM

Kids Fundamentals:

Monday: 4:30-5:30 PM

Thursday: 4:30-5:30 PM

• The first class is FREE.
• After that, it’s $50/month for everyone (be sure to ask about family discounts).
• A one-time fee is required to purchase a gi (i.e., BJJ uniform).  Check out this link for a gi recommendation, and order one online.  If you already have a white Jiu-Jitsu or Judo gi, feel free to wear it, and waive this expense.

6-12 years old. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with specific concerns.

If you’re interested in attending classes, simply show up to class at the scheduled time.  If you have any specific concerns or questions, however, please don’t hesitate to let us know ahead of time.

If you’re interested in signing up for personal training and BJJ, contact us through our contact page, email or Facebook (links at the top of the page).

Absolutely!  In fact, you could argue that they’re much safer learning BJJ than the alternative.  The Gracies commonly use the analogy that teaching a child (or an adult for that matter) self defense is just as important as giving them swimming lessons; chances are pretty good that they’ll never “need” either skill, but if they wind up in a situation where they do, not being equipped to handle it could result in grave consequence.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is purely about self-defense.  It focuses on control and preventing harm to oneself or others, not causing it.  Both children and adults learn to defend against strikes (punches, kicks, etc), but not how to inflict damage by using them.

In addition to teaching children how to defend themselves (and potentially their classmates), kids will learn how to talk to bullies and handle escalating situations, as well as self discipline and respect (we teach them to respect EVERYONE!).

Note: chokes are not part of the kids’ curriculum.

If you already have a white Jiu-Jitsu or Judo gi, feel free to wear it.  If not, no problem!  Just wear comfortable athletic clothing; something you would work out in.

White gis are required apparel for the fundamentals classes.  We try to keep them in stock, but worst case scenario, we’ll order you one at wholesale pricing.

While we certainly want to pay respect to tradition, there are also many practical reasons to wear a gi.  To name a few:

• Believe it or not, it’s much easier to move on the mats while wearing a gi.
• They help protect your body from painful annoyances like mat burn.
• They’re extremely resilient.  Street clothes simply won’t hold up very long to the demands of training.
• Several techniques–both offensive and defensive–employ the use of the gi.  And before you say, “I’m not going to be wearing my gi in a self defense situation”, the exact same techniques can be easily applied to any layered clothing your attacker might be wearing (hoodies, jackets, button up shirts, etc).
• The slight friction points created by the durable material help control movement flow, making learning and drilling techniques a bit easier.
• Because Rob is extremely self-conscious, and will hide in the corner if he’s the only person in the room wearing one…class will be ruined.

Click here for gi recommendations

First off, no experience is necessary.  Consider yourself lucky that you have a clean building site for a mighty foundation.

No one will EVER judge you for not knowing what you’re doing.

The beauty of Jiu-Jitsu (or any skill worth learning, for that matter) is NO ONE ever knew what they were doing when they first started.

Every participant knows exactly how you feel, and it’s their duty as practitioners to make your learning experience as comfortable as possible (that’s right, students are teachers too).   If they don’t, they will be dealt with; we have a zero-tolerance policy for any attitude short of respect.

BJJ is an infinitely expanding discipline.  If you’re lucky enough to ever talk with a BJJ Grandmaster (look for the red belt), they’ll be the first to tell you that they still have a lot to learn.

In practice, BJJ is primarily a grappling system.  That said, you will absolutely have people in your personal space when you train.  Unfortunately, that’s what tends to happen when someone tries to hurt or overpower you…they get all up in your business.  

New student reactions to technique demonstrations range anywhere from sophmoric snickers (we assume some interesting positions) to outright panic (“Wait…I have to do that with someone in this room…right now?”).

Please understand, you are not alone in your concerns.  Once you start, however, the apprehension will begin to fade away, and you’ll quickly begin to  develop invaluable skill of being comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.

Absolutely not.  Our prime focus is on self defense.  There are many world-reknown instructors who don’t compete.  It’s not for everyone, and that’s totally cool.

Having said that, if you ever wish to compete, we’ll do everything we can to help you succeed.

While you’ll certainly get better faster by training more often (and you’re encouraged to do so), you can definitely benefit from training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by only attending one class per week.  In fact, Rob Shoecraft, the instructor, only made it to class in Athens once/week for the first four years of his training.  Whatever you can do, do it consistently, and progress will follow.