Although Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu consists of more than 600 techniques, studies of the real fights conducted by members of the Gracie Family show that 36 techniques have been used more often, and with greater success, than all the other techniques combined. Originally developed for the U.S. Army, Gracie Combatives is the only jiu-jitsu program that is entirely dedicated to the mastery of these 36 essential techniques.
Why So Many People Quit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Even though BJJ is widely accepted as one of the most effective martial arts on the planet, it's also known to be one of the most confusing and discouraging, especially when taught without a plan. At most BJJ schools, beginners are taught without a formal curriculum, without any emphasis on street self-defense, and they are encouraged to spar without first learning how to do so safely. More often than not, the beginner will sustain an injury early on that will make them question why they are wasting time doing BJJ, and then they quit.
The 3 Reasons Beginners Love Gracie Combatives
Having grown tired of seeing people quit BJJ, we decided to create the perfect beginner curriculum, and Gracie Combatives was the result. Since its original launch it 2008, Gracie Combatives has served as the foundation for hundreds of thousands of jiu-jitsu practitioners around the world. Here are the top three reasons why Gracie Combatives is trusted by so many students around the world:
- Linear Learning: Unlike other BJJ instructional videos which present techniques in random order (leaving it up to the student to decipher the art) every Gracie Combatives lesson is taught in linear fashion so that every technique builds on the skills acquired in previous lessons. Regardless of your skill level, or lack thereof, you’ll never feel confused or overwhelmed, and your confidence and technical proficiency will grow measurably in every single lesson.
- Self-Defense Emphasis: Sport BJJ can be very fun for advanced practitioners, but the sheer number of techniques can be overwhelming for beginners. By focusing 100% of the training time on the highest probability street self-defense situations, Gracie Combatives allows beginners to build confidence in their foundation while simultaneously learning skills that could actually save their lives.
- Safety First: Since there is no sparring in Gracie Combatives, injuries are extremely rare. Instead of being thrown to the wolves, this program gives beginner students the opportunity to work with a cooperative partner while learning the core techniques, safety protocols, and training etiquette that will ensure they are ready to begin sparring (safely) when they graduate from Gracie Combatives and transition into the Master Cycle.
The 13-Year Update
Gracie Combatives is the best-selling beginner jiu-jitsu program ever released by the Gracie Family. Thirteen years after it was first released on video, the program has been completely re-produced from top to bottom. While the core 36 techniques are the same, everything else about this collection has been improved. Here are some of the exciting new features included with Gracie Combatives 2.0:
- Bonus Slices: Every lesson features a totally new bonus technique (or slice) designed to improve your effectiveness against an opponent who may have some jiu-jitsu or grappling experience.
- The 32 Principles: When you understand how a technique works, you have a solution for one problem. When you understand why a technique works, you have a solution for every problem. For the first time ever, we identify the core 2-3 principles for every single Gracie Combatives lesson. Our hope is that by unlocking the power of the 32 Principles this early in your jiu-jitsu journey, you will reach the mountaintop of jiu-jitsu mastery in half the time it would otherwise take.
- Street Tips: The lessons cover the most commonly neglected aspects surrounding the use of BJJ in real life altercations including, but not limited to multiple attackers, biting, eye gouging, groin strikes, legal considerations, terrain considerations, weapons considerations, and so much more!
- 3-D Motion Graphics: Sometimes the best way to communicate a particular detail or movement, was to add 3-D motion graphics to the lesson, so we went for it!
- Solo Preparation Drills: No training partner, no problem. Every lesson features a thorough demonstration of the solo preparation drills you can use to build muscle memory without a partner or to warm-up your body for the technique of the day.
- Technique Slices: We mastered the art of making complex skills easy to understand. By breaking down each lesson into simplified drills or “slices,” we eliminate all the confusion so that anyone can learn jiu-jitsu.
- Reflex Development Drills: At the end of each lesson, we teach you how to combine all the techniques covered in the lesson to increase your confidence and build your muscle memory in their execution.
- Fight Simulation Drills: To make sure you understand how the technique of the day integrates seamlessly with all previously learned techniques, we provide a carefully scripted Fight Simulation Drill for you to practice until it feels natural.
- Mindset Minutes: Before moving on to the next lesson, we provide a short recap of the essential concepts covered in the lesson to make sure you retain what matters most.
The Gracie Combatives Belt Qualification Test
Historically, one of the biggest challenges of learning BJJ on video is that you could never be certain that you were doing the moves correctly. With the introduction of Gracie University's Video Evaluation Process, we eliminated this concern once and for all. Using this process, you will have the opportunity to video record yourself demonstrating the Gracie Combatives techniques before uploading the videos to the Gracie University Online Testing Center where an instructor will review and evaluate your performance (testing fees apply). If your test meets Gracie University standards, you will earn your Gracie Combatives Belt. If you score exceptionally high on the test, you will qualify to apply for participation in the Gracie University Instructor Certification Program (ICP), where you will learn the skills needed to teach Gracie Combatives and Gracie Bullyproof in your community. Bottom line, Gracie Combatives is the perfect introduction to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but by no means is it the end. How far you take it is entirely up to you. Learn more about Live Testing and the Video Evaluation Process by visiting the Gracie University Testing Center.
Note for Gracie Combatives 1.0 Owners
If you previously purchased the original Gracie Combatives collection, you will have 12 months (ending February 8, 2025) to test for your Gracie Combatives belt using the original program format and techniques. After this grace period expires, all Gracie Combatives belt testing will require students to know and demonstrate the new material in Gracie Combatives 2.0. Purchasers of the original Gracie Combatives collection are required to purchase the Gracie Combatives 2.0 program to gain access to the all the new material the updated program offers. The only exception to this is for monthly subscribers. Anyone who is on a monthly subscription plan will have the updated Gracie Combatives program automatically added to their lesson library. If you decide to purchase Gracie Combatives 2.0 to get access to all the new techniques and features, we think you'll be very happy with the program. If we're wrong, just let us know within 30 days, and we'll be happy to issue a full refund.