I feel compelled to write a Google review because we've had such a positive experience at Gracie Humaita Austin. This is the third gym we've been a member of, and the 9th BJJ gym at which we've trained. We've only had positive experiences at these gyms, but Gracie Humaita stands out.
Two of my boys are a part of their exceptional kids program - both kids and Juniors. For any kids training, I'd choose a highly engaged purple belt over a unengaged black belt any day. But in this case, for their juniors program, there are always four to six black belts on the mat, and all the black belt instructors are hands-on and highly engaged with the kids.
The head of the program, Koji Bamba, is a great leader. He demands focus and attention but is very compassionate, with safety for the kids as his number one priority. A black belt himself, he remains a dedicated student of the game, constantly learning cutting edge best practices on coaching and jiu jitsu to help these young athletes best develop an effective martial arts practice.
When we were at our previous gym we noticed that the Humaita kids stood out at competitions. It seemed like they had a excellent system. Since we've been at Humaita, my eldest son, who is 11 years old, has experienced the fastest pace of development in his years of training. The kids have a lot of fun together, and there's a strong sense of community among the parents, students, and instructors. Head instructor, Paulo Coelho Brandao, is an absolute legend in the sport. He was training partners and student of Royler Gracie, who started the Gracie Humaita chain of gyms. Professor Paulo is a present figure in the gym and even runs an occasional juniors class. All the instructors are skilled at helping the kids train safely with partners who are both less skilled and more advanced, allowing them to understand how to accomplish goals in specific situations, both offensively and defensively when going against different skill levels.
The kids program, age 4-7, is run by Marcus Medeiros. Main goals for kids this age is to help them feel comfortable in the gym and to have fun. That is the case here as my 5 year old can't wait to go to class. But he's also learning legitimate jiu jitsu already. This isn't just playtime and daycare. It's fun but effective jiu jitsu and Professor Medeiros does a fantastic job with the kiddos.
While any well-run martial arts program can instill discipline in a child, I want our time invested in learning a martial art to be as effective as possible in mastering something truly impactful. We couldn't be happier at Gracie Humaita, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have found this gem of a gym / community.
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Posted 1 year ago
