GRACIE JIU-JITSU ATHENS at American Black Belt Academy
“There is so much I want to say about Athens Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Every now and then, after hearing I train jiu-jitsu, someone tells me they want to learn jiu-jitsu, but as the conversation continues, I realize they are primarily talking about sport BJJ. The issue I find is that learning how to win a tournament and learning practical self-defense are not the same thing.
That distinction is one reason Athens Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is so special.
Randy McElwee is a retired Green Beret who helped develop and teach combatives training within Army Special Forces, including bringing members of the Gracie family into the mix. His lineage as a black belt and experience are rooted in decades of martial arts training, military service, and real-world application.
His son Ryan, now the academy’s chief instructor, has been studying Gracie Jiu-Jitsu since childhood. In my previous review, I called Ryan a prodigy, and after continuing to train with him, I cannot think of a more appropriate word. His deep level of knowledge, attention to detail, and ability to teach are remarkable.
If you are choosing someone to teach you, your wife, or your child how to defend themselves, whom else would you rather learn from?
Jiu-jitsu is commonly translated as “the gentle art,” but there is nothing weak about it. It teaches you to use leverage, timing, positioning, and composure to overcome strength. Jocko Willink has called jiu-jitsu a superpower, and once you begin training, you understand why.
There is another part of Athens Gracie that matters just as much to me. Men today do not always have many opportunities to develop real friendships with other men. Jiu-jitsu creates a camaraderie that I have not found in many other places. You struggle together, improve together, encourage one another, and form friendships that often become much stronger than those developed away from the mat.
My children have been involved since my youngest was 14, and the academy welcomes children as young as five. Watching the children’s classes, you see serious instruction combined with plenty of patience, encouragement, and fun. They are learning practical skills, but also confidence, discipline, humility, and respect. It's a great time of year with school starting to get them enrolled at the first part of the school year!
You gain the ability to defend yourself. You develop confidence and discipline. You build friendships that extend beyond the mat. Most importantly, you have the opportunity to learn from Randy and Ryan McElwee, two instructors whose knowledge, experience, character, and connection to the very source of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu are extraordinarily difficult to match.”
