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. Every student starts 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. It's co-ed by design — women and men train together as training partners from day one, not as an occasional exception. Class pace is set for a first-timer, and technique is taught in a fixed order so you always know what comes next.
What you'll learn
Four building blocks, taught in sequence.
Positional control
Learning to control a confrontation from any position — including the ground, where most real physical altercations end up.
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.
A genuinely co-ed room
Not a men's class that welcomes women. A shared one.
Roughly half of any given Combatives class is women. Training partners rotate, so everyone works with a range of body types and experience levels — which is also closer to how a real confrontation actually plays out.
If you'd prefer to start in a women-only room instead, or in addition, see Women Empowered.
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
Do I need to be in shape before I start?
Will I spar on day one?
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.
An intro class is the easiest way to know if this is right for you.