Co-ed · Beginner Program
Gracie Combatives®
Our foundational program: a structured beginner curriculum focused on controlling and ending a physical confrontation through positional control, escapes, and submissions. Most students begin here.
Who it's for
Built for the person who has never done this before.
Gracie Combatives assumes no background in martial arts, grappling, or fitness. Class pace is set for a first-timer, and technique is taught in a fixed order so you always know what comes next. The student body spans a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and starting points. By design.
What you'll learn
Four building blocks, taught in sequence.
Positional control
Learning to control a confrontation from different positions, including the ground, where size, weight, and unfamiliarity can leave an untrained person especially vulnerable.
Escapes
Getting out from underneath a bigger, stronger opponent using leverage and technique rather than strength.
Submissions
Ending a confrontation decisively and safely once you have control, without relying on strikes.
Standing self-defense
Responding to grabs, holds, and the early moments of a confrontation before it goes to the ground.
Why the method works
Technique over athleticism. Every time.
Gracie Combatives is built on a principle that runs through every lesson: leverage and position beat size and strength. That isn't a motivational claim. It's the engineering behind the curriculum. Techniques are taught in the order that makes them most likely to work under pressure, not the order that looks most impressive.
Working with partners of different sizes and backgrounds is part of the training from early on. It's closer to how a real confrontation plays out, and it's where the curriculum earns its reputation.
Structure
A fixed curriculum, not a grab bag of techniques.
Gracie Combatives is taught as a sequence of lessons, each building on the one before it. You can join at any time; the curriculum is designed to be entered and re-entered on a rotation, so a new student is never waiting for a fresh start date.
As you progress, techniques are reinforced through structured, cooperative practice with a partner, not unscripted sparring. Live training is introduced gradually, and only once fundamentals are in place.
Questions
Gracie Combatives® FAQ
How often should I train?
Can I start any time, or do I need to wait for a new session?
Related programs
Where students go next.
Get started
See Gracie Combatives® for yourself.
See if it's a fit — no obligation, no pressure.