BJJ and MMA have been a part of my life for more than a decade. At one time or another I have rolled with the instructors of all but one of the major schools in town. Over the course of those years I pretty much figured out that in one way or another, all roads lead back to Gracie Barra Orlando, and most of the newer school owners in Central Florida have to admit that they learned BJJ from Marcio Simas. Three things matter to me when picking a school; am I learning a lot, are the instructors paying attention to me as an individual by showing me the holes in my game, and are there a good number of people I can't beat. GBO provides me all three, and that's why they get my money month after month. Is the level of competition high? Are you f-ing kidding me? On the mat at GBO I have encountered and learned from more than one BJJ World Champion, several UFC fighters that I've seen on TV, Brasilian National Champs, Pan American Champs and Florida State Gold Medalists. There are times when there will be five legit black belts in the room rolling at the same time. That's like 50 years of experience in the room at once.. No bad ass attitudes in the gym either. Everyone is interested in helping you learn in a supportive atmosphere from your first day on. You will have the chance to roll live as much or as little as you are comfortable with. If you don't want to take my word for it, Google Marcio and Gutty's names and you will see for yourself how rich their career history is and why there is no better place in Central Florida for the endless, addictive and rewarding journey that is BJJ. The bad part about GBO? There are still a bunch of people there that I can't beat yet. Man, I really hate that. read more

I love training with GB Orlando... I train at the Oveido location... great group of people. Everyone is there to learn and you don't find a whole lot of egos. Everyone wants to help and instruction is awesome. Yes there are contracts, yes you have to pay for belt tests... I was not super excited about that, but after training there for a year and a half, it's not really an issue. First, if you aren't willing to commit, what's the point? I've heard that Members Solutions, who handles GBO contracts, are willing to work with you if you need to take time off due to injury... but haven't heard anything about cancelling outright. As far as belt tests are concerned, there are 5 belts in their system that you have to test for and will likely take you 6+ years... c'mon, pay a few bucks a few times over ~6 years... that's a big deal? Beginner classes without grappling? Yeah, those exist... but there's also 'all levels' classes open to beginners with grappling. Also, once you've demonstrated certain proficiencies, you are invited to the advanced classes which offer live sparring as well. This usually happens within the first 10-15 classes... so maybe a month if you aren't slacking. Frankly, I'm glad I was slow-walked... Having some basic understanding helps prevent injury and develop skills the right way... We don't start off as sprinters... we crawl, we walk, THEN we run. First week is free for noobs... come in check it out and make the decision for yourself. read more

My Kids have been in Karate since the age of 4 both have earned their Black Belts. Now My Wife and I have enrolled them in the Orlando Gracie Barra School and we are incredibly impressed with the level of technique, Professionalism and friendliness of the entire staff and instructors Gucci, Marcio, Anthony and the others. They make everyone feel like family. Anyone complaining about costs of belt testing just has not been involved in Martial Arts training. there are costs with setting up these belt tests, instructors have to get paid as well as payment for the belts and facilities. It's part of running a business. We have never had a problem paying for any of this because we feel its part of contributing to the School and its running expenses. Having Paid for Karate Classes for over 6 years I can definitely say that the cost of the Gracie Barra Schools is very low and well worth it for the the Classes. If you have Kids who want to learn Jiu Jitsu from true Masters bring them to Gracie Barra Orlando where the instructors have proven themselves in world recognized Jiu Jitsu Tournaments. Great School, Great Instructors, Great Price, well worth it. My Kids love the atmosphere and that's the most important factor when it comes to keeping kids interested in Martial Arts at an early age. read more

Gracie Barra Orlando is one of the top Brazilian JiuJitsu schools in Florida. There are four locations in the Orlando area and all have incredible instructors and an amazing team. With over 7K square feet of training the downtown area has a great instructional environment and world class teachers with 6th Degree Professor Marcio Simas and 4th Degree Professor Gutty Muggiati (and 2013 World Masters/Seniors Champion). There are many great BJJ schools in the Central Florida location and almost all of them will have one thing in common; at one time nearly all of us trained together at Gracie Barra Orlando. I have trained at GBO since 1997, been a lifelong martial artist for 29 years and professional law enforcement officer for 28 of those years. Marcio Simas has always been a friend to law enforcement and those in our profession. This support created one of the first law enforcement BJJ clubs in the nation which started at the Orange County Sheriff's office in 2001. GBO is certainly worth coming down to check out! read more

My experience with Gracie Barra Orlando has been amazing thus far. Having been a student in the school for the last 18 months I can honestly say the professors are excellent. Professor Gutty is an awesome instructor, very knowledgeable, patient, and all around super cool as well as all the other instructors Marcio, Fabian, everyone I have encountered. If you are looking for a school where to learn the art of brazilian jiu jitsu, or take MMA or even Muay Thai, this is the place. They also have a weight room which I loved when I first came by to check out the facilities. Further, I would like to add the people you train with make a big difference in the experience. The people I have had the pleasure of training with here are all great training partners. Overall the facilities are well maintained and kept, the staff is super cool, the training partners are great, and my experience there has been a positive one. I would recommend Gracie Barra Orlando to anyone in a heartbeat. read more

I walked in 6 months ago and immediately knew I was joining a great organization. I was met with immediate encouragement, kindness and professionalism and the instruction was excellent. They really go through each detail in a way that's fun and easy to learn all in a no pressure environment. The facilities are well maintained, the staff is friendly and the multiple locations makes Gracie Barra an awesome place to learn jiu jitsu, get in shape, meet knew friends and have a lot of fun in the process. read more

If you are looking for the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instruction in town then you need to check this place out. For one price you can take unlimited classes: GI and no-GI at any of their 4 locations. If you are into MMA then you can also attend their Muay Thai kickboxing classes. Their training method is world-class and the results speak for themselves - check out their website. I have been part of their family for the last three years and at 50+ years I'm in the best shape of my life! read more

I attended a recent BJJ event where a coach representing this school behaved in an extremely unprofessional way. In front of families, including a friend's wife and young son, he made inappropriate and disrespectful comments and was loud and confrontational. It was disappointing to see this kind of behavior from someone wearing a black belt and representing the BJJ community. I hope the school leadership takes professionalism and respect more seriously in the future. -Event Spectator read more

Training at GBO has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The instruction is outstanding, the facilities are always clean, and the environment is super friendly. I started training about a year and a half ago and the sport has taken me to places I'd never thought I'd go and meet people that I'm glad to call my good friends. I can't recommend Gracie Barra Orlando more for anybody looking to challenge themselves, get in shape, and/or learn a new craft. read more

Amazing place to train and be. Everyone at Gracie Barra has taught me so much in the past year and half that I am surely grateful for that. you can be looking to get back in shape, try something new, or even start to compete. Gracie barra focuses on all of that and more. It is even a great family oriented place from the moment you walk in. Highly recommend Gracie barra to everyone and anyone; from kids to adults. Jiu jitsu for everyone. read more

I've been training there for 2 years so far and I can tell that I couldn't have found a better place and environment to learn a self defense, stay in shape, have fun, and relief daily life stress. Teachers and fellow students are so nice that you get addicted to training and start to miss it if you stay a week off for whatever reason. All of that allied with a great infrastructure, fair price, and class schedule for those who work. read more

Marcio Simas and Gustavo Muggiat are two impeccable men. There commitment to Martial Arts is unparalleled. I have had the honor of training with many Martial artists in the past and, never have I seen or experienced such a high caliber of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mastery. They are worth twice what they charge and I found a great payment plan that fit perfectly into my budget and schedule. read more

I have trained at Gracie Barra Orlando for the last 7 years. During that time I have been treated with respect, as a teammate, and as a student. GBO is a great place for anyone looking for physical fitness, self defense, or competition training. I truly believe that the instruction is top notch and fair. If you ever have considered BJJ this is the place to learn. read more

I love this place for it's cool and knowledgeable instructors and the fact that they teach both gi and no-gi jujitsu. 100 bucks a month allows you to train as many times a week as you want to. Igor Andrade in Kissimmee and Rodrigo in Sand Lake are the guys who have thought me, very knowledgeable and friendly people. read more

Trained here for two and a half years, it is like a second family to me. The instruction is world class, contract is flexible, and friendliness from the door all the way to the mat is courageous. I am very proud to be a member of the best club in Florida. read more

I've been at gracie Barra for 3 years. From the beginning everyone has always been very nice. The classes are organized well and very accommodatiing. I would recommend anyone who is looking to get in shape or learn something very useful and fun. read more

I only attended the school for a short period, but the skills I learned at GBO will last a lifetime. Awesome atmosphere, great instructors, good staff, well maintained equipment.***** read more