Programs · Teens
Gracie Teens
Jiu-Jitsu built for the most important years of your child's life.
The teenage years are when confidence, identity, and resilience are shaped. Gracie Teens is designed specifically for this stage — giving young people the self-defense skills, discipline, and community they need to navigate adolescence with calm, capable confidence.
Who It's For
Teens ages 13–15. Students who have completed Gracie Bullyproof® and are ready to advance, as well as teens new to jiu-jitsu with no prior experience.
What They Learn
Gracie Teens bridges the gap between the Bullyproof kids curriculum and adult Gracie Combatives. Students learn practical self-defense techniques appropriate to the real-world situations teenagers face — including defense against standing attacks, ground control, and how to stay calm and effective under pressure.
Beyond technique, the program builds:
- Physical confidence and body awareness
- Discipline and respect on and off the mat
- A peer community built around positive values
- The mental resilience to handle adversity without aggression
The Environment
Teens train in a structured, age appropriate setting. The culture at NVGJJ is ego free and collaborative and students are here to help each other grow, not to dominate. For many teens, this becomes one of the most positive communities in their life.
Why Jiu Jitsu for Teens
Most teenagers are looking for something that challenges them physically and mentally and that respects their intelligence. Jiu Jitsu does both.
Unlike team sports, Jiu Jitsu is personal. Progress is measured against yourself, not a scoreboard. A teenager who struggles at first and keeps showing up learns something that no athletic achievement can teach that consistency and resilience matter more than talent.
The self defense skills are real and practical. But for most of our teen students, the confidence they develop on the mat is what changes how they carry themselves everywhere else.
FAQ
Gracie Teens Questions
No. Students with no martial arts background are welcome. Teens who've completed Gracie Bullyproof will have a head start but classes are designed to accommodate both.
Controlled sparring is introduced gradually once foundational technique is established, not from day one. The focus is always on cooperative, skill-building training.
Gracie Teens is designed for students ages 13–15. Students 16 and above are welcome to join our adult Gracie Combatives program.
The opposite. Gracie Jiu Jitsu teaches calm, controlled responses, not aggression. Students who train consistently tend to become less reactive because they're no longer operating from fear or insecurity.
Yes. Every new student at NVGJJ starts with a 10-day free trial including unlimited classes. No commitment required.
Your teen can try Gracie Jiu-Jitsu free for 10 days — including unlimited classes. No experience needed, no pressure, no commitment.