Black belts on the kids’ mat
Kids classes are taught by black and brown belts, which is unusual in children’s programs. On a busy afternoon you can see three black belts running a single kids class here.
Kids program · Upper West Side
Jiu-jitsu for kids, taught by black belts.
Nearly 400 children train with us on Columbus Avenue, from age 3 to 15, in three age groups with classes every day of the week. Here is exactly what your child will do, learn and work toward.
Our kids program is built around the two principles at the heart of jiu-jitsu: maximum efficiency and mutual benefit. Children learn to use their body well, to fall without getting hurt, and to help the people they train with. It is the same program at both Renzo Gracie academies in Manhattan; this page covers how it runs on the Upper West Side.
Why families choose us
The head instructor, five days a week
Luca Atalla teaches on the Upper West Side five days a week: 34 years of jiu-jitsu, 26 of teaching, and a judo black belt. He learned under Renzo Gracie and Carlos Gracie Jr., trained with Rickson and Hélio Gracie, and one of his first teachers, José Henrique Leão Teixeira Filho, is widely regarded as an authority on teaching jiu-jitsu to children in Brazil.
Supervised by Renzo Gracie
Renzo has been the pioneer of jiu-jitsu in New York since 1996. He defeated five UFC champions and coached UFC champions Matt Serra, Chris Weidman and Frankie Edgar.
Classes every day, plus a 5 PM option
Every age group trains seven days a week. Ages 6 to 8 add a second class at 5 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays for families who cannot make 4 PM — nine classes a week.
4,500 square feet on Columbus Avenue
A spacious, comfortable academy in the heart of the Upper West Side, a short walk from home and school for most of our families.
Families who stay for years
Parents tell us about instructors who are patient and encouraging while holding children to high standards, and about confidence and discipline that carry over to school and home. Many families train with two, three or four siblings.
Three age groups
Open a group to see a typical class, how we keep it safe, and what your child learns.
Ages 3 to 5 · 30 minutes
Learn to fall safely, move with control, and treat “fighting” as a game where nobody gets hurt. Techniques arrive the way small children learn best: repetition, games, and plenty of one-on-one time with an instructor.
Ages 3 to 5 · 30 minutes
Learn to fall safely, move with control, and treat “fighting” as a game where nobody gets hurt. Techniques arrive the way small children learn best: repetition, games, and plenty of one-on-one time with an instructor.
A typical class
- 1Breakfalls in a circle. Every way of falling, five to ten times each: sitting, kneeling, squatting and standing — backward, sideways and forward.
- 2Instructor stations. Each child goes to an instructor who takes them down gently (“fast or slow?”) and coaches the fall. Then the roles flip: the child learns the grips and takes the instructor down with a basic leg trip.
- 3Water break. At the halfway mark.
- 4Partner activities. In pairs, one pair per instructor: leg trips, sumo inside a circle, or a wrestling game of protecting your legs. When there is resistance, the instructor holds both children by the belt.
- 5A ground position. Passing or recovering the guard, practiced slowly to learn the movement.
- 6Backpack. Kids ride on an instructor’s back, learning back control with their feet hooked in. It is everyone’s favorite and ends the class on a high.
What they learn
- Body
- Falling without getting hurt, agility, coordination, balance, and a first sense of leverage.
- Jiu-jitsu
- A first look at the self-defense core: throws, guard, pins and back control.
- Character
- Respect, discipline and listening. “Fighting” is a game and nobody gets hurt. My partner helps me learn and I help them. There is no losing, only learning.
Safety
- Children never apply a submission on each other at this age.
- In “backpack,” small arms hold around the shoulders because they are too short for the proper grip yet. It is a hold, never a squeeze.
- No more than six children per instructor, usually fewer.
Ages 6 to 8 · 45 minutes
Children start training with each other, not only with instructors. They learn real techniques, test them against a partner who resists, and learn to keep it safe for both. Every child is also a training partner: helping your partner improve is how you improve.
Ages 6 to 8 · 45 minutes
Children start training with each other, not only with instructors. They learn real techniques, test them against a partner who resists, and learn to keep it safe for both. Every child is also a training partner: helping your partner improve is how you improve.
A typical class
- 1Warm-up. Breakfalls and rolls across the mat, some exercise, and solo movements on the ground.
- 2Technique. Usually a throw. The instructor explains it, partners practice it without resistance, and instructors correct each pair.
- 3Focused training. The same situation with resistance, often with a specific goal.
- 4Technique and focused training on the ground. For example, an open guard and a sweep. The child underneath tries to sweep, the child on top tries to pass, and they switch roles after two or three minutes.
- 5Free training. Short live rounds of two to three minutes, one or two per class.
What they learn
- Technique
- Classic throws, guards, sweeps and passes, and the habit of drilling them properly.
- Training with others
- Tapping and letting go, controlling strength, and taking care of your partner.
- Character
- Mutual benefit: everyone has to improve for everyone to get better.
Safety
- Submissions are rarely taught at this age, and only simple ones. In training, the goals are sweeps and passes.
- Partners are matched by size and level. When that is not possible, the stronger child’s job is to mentor, not to win.
Ages 9 and up · 45 minutes
The same structure as 6 to 8, with more depth. Children learn more detailed techniques, more submissions, and more of the strategy that connects them, on a path toward the adult classes.
Ages 9 and up · 45 minutes
The same structure as 6 to 8, with more depth. Children learn more detailed techniques, more submissions, and more of the strategy that connects them, on a path toward the adult classes.
A typical class
- 1Warm-up. Breakfalls and rolls, and often throwing drills with a partner straight away.
- 2Technique and focused training. Throws and ground work, each followed by training with resistance and a clear goal.
- 3Formats that keep it fresh. Stations, “king of the hill” rotations, and groups of three.
- 4Free training. Short live rounds where children use everything they know.
What they learn
- Technique
- Classic positions plus more advanced variations, such as hooking the leg from the outside in the open guard.
- Submissions
- Arm locks, triangles and chokes, learned with control.
- Toward the adult classes
- Usually around 13 to 15, when a teenager is ready, we invite them into adult classes and look after them closely through the change.
Safety
- Arm locks, triangles and chokes are taught and become goals in training, always with the rule of tapping early and letting go immediately.
- Instructors watch every pair during live training.
Belts and stripes
Children earn stripes on their belt and, after five stripes, the next belt. Every promotion has two minimums — time since the last one and classes attended — and instructors also look at technique and behavior before promoting.
- White and gray-and-white belts
- At least 1 month and 8 classes per stripe or belt
- Gray belt and up
- At least 2 months and 16 classes per stripe or belt
White → Gray (from age 3) → Yellow (from 7) → Orange (from 10) → Green (from 13). Each color has three steps: with a white bar, solid, and with a black bar. At 16, children move to the adult belts.
How often to come
Three times a week · What we recommend
Steady progress, and skills that really stick.
Twice a week · A good rhythm
Steady progress for most children.
Once a week · Possible, but slow
A missed week becomes a two-week gap, and from gray belt a stripe takes about four months instead of two. Children notice when friends move ahead.
Plans are available for once, twice or three times a week, and unlimited.
Moving up
Age sets the range; readiness decides the moment.
From 3 to 5 into 6 to 8
The biggest change in the program: longer classes, and training with other children instead of mostly with instructors. We give you our honest recommendation on timing; a child who moves before they are ready often struggles.
From 6 to 8 into 9 and up
Mostly by age. We may suggest waiting a little when a child would benefit from it.
Into the adult classes
Usually around 13 to 15. For a period, teenagers can train in both the kids’ and adult classes at no extra cost.
Before the first class
- Uniform
- Every child trains in a gi, the jiu-jitsu uniform. We lend one for trial classes.
- Bare feet, short nails
- No socks on the mat, and nails kept short so nobody gets scratched.
- No shoes on the mat. Ever.
- Our faces, and your children’s faces, touch that mat. Shoes stay outside the training area, the way they would in a Japanese home.
- Water
- Bring a bottle and keep it outside the mat. Classes have a set water break. The bathroom is always allowed.
- The first classes
- Many young children watch from the side several times before stepping on the mat. That is normal; most join in their own time.
- Games
- Many classes end with a game after the lesson. It is a bonus, not part of the class.
What we ask of parents
- Stay and watch, from outside the mat. Parents never step onto it.
- Leave the coaching to the instructors, even with the best intentions. Two voices confuse a child.
- No phone calls during class, and keep conversations quiet.
See every kids class this week on the full schedule.
Class Schedule
Every kids class this week. Pick your child’s age group.
All-LevelsFundamentalsNo-GiWomen'sYouth
Kids 3 to 5
30 min · Fred Hoppe
Kids 6 to 8
45 min · Luca Atalla
Kids 9 and up
45 min · Luca Atalla
Frequently Asked Questions
What age can my child start?
At 3. Ages 3 to 5 have a 30-minute class built around falling safely, games and one-on-one time with instructors. From 6, classes are 45 minutes.
Is jiu-jitsu safe for children?
There is no striking. Children learn to fall before anything else, learn to tap and let go from the first class, and are matched by size and level. Young children never apply submissions on each other. Bumps and the occasional tears happen in any contact sport; serious injuries in our academies have not happened, though no sport can promise they never will.
How does a trial class work?
Trial classes are free for local families and must be booked in advance. We lend your child a gi for the class. Some young children watch once or twice before joining in, which is completely normal.
Can I watch the class?
Yes. Parents watch from outside the mat. We ask you to leave the coaching to the instructors and to keep phone calls and conversations outside the class.
How often should my child train?
We recommend three times a week; twice works well too. Once a week is possible, but progress is slow and a missed week becomes a two-week gap.
Do you welcome children with different needs?
Yes. We do our best to keep every child in the group classes. Please talk to us before the first class so we can plan. For some children, private lessons are the better place to start.
Book Your Trial Class
Take the first step. No experience needed, no obligation.
Find Us
Address
Subcellar, 246 Columbus Ave
New York, NY 10023
Getting Here
Steps from the 72nd Street subway station (1/2/3 lines), between 71st and 72nd Streets on Columbus Avenue. Look for the entrance at street level and head downstairs to the subcellar.
Hours
Monday – Friday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Contact
Phone: (212) 787-3700
Email: uws@renzogracieuws.com