What is Gracie Combatives? The 36-technique beginner programme explained
By Michael Palin, Head Instructor
Gracie Combatives is the beginner programme for adults at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Fourways. It teaches 36 core Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques over 23 one-hour lessons. The goal is simple: to help you defend yourself against someone heavier, stronger or more athletic than you.
You don't need to be fit, and you don't need any experience. Here's what new students usually want to know before they start.
What is Gracie Combatives?
Gracie Combatives is part of the Gracie University curriculum. It was originally developed for the US Army.
The 36 techniques were chosen because they deal with the most common situations in a real fight. That includes defending a punch, escaping a choke or headlock and getting back to your feet safely.
They rely on technique and timing, not size or strength. That's what lets a smaller person defend against a bigger one.
Who is it for?
It's for adult beginners, and the class is open from 13 years old. Our classes are co-ed, so men and women train together.
Some women prefer to start in our women-only Women Empowered programme and move into Gracie Combatives later. Both are suitable for women who are new to jiu-jitsu.
If you've never done a martial art, you're exactly who the programme was built for.
Do I need to be fit or have experience?
No. There are no fitness requirements to start. Our students arrive at all different fitness levels, and your fitness improves as you train.
Every beginner class assumes no previous experience, so you won't be left behind. If you think of yourself as "not sporty" or uncoordinated, you'll fit right in. Plenty of our students felt that way before they started.
What does a class look like?
When you start your free trial, we lend you a trial uniform (called a gi) to use for the 10 days. On your first visit, one of our instructors takes you through a focused introductory lesson before you join the group class.
The programme is organised by class number, from 1 to 23. You always know which techniques are coming. On our schedule you'll see classes such as "Class 05 – Punch Block Series" and "Class 17 – Kimura Armlock – Guard | Leg Hook Takedown".
Each class is technique work coupled with positional retention games. You learn the lesson's techniques step by step with a partner, then put them to work in retention games built around the positions you've just covered.
Training is cooperative. You work with your partner, not against them, and safety comes first in every class.
Every student also gets a Gracie University Online subscription. You can watch the lesson before class or review it afterwards, on your phone or computer.
How does it lead to Master Cycle?
Gracie Combatives has three steps:
- Learn the techniques. Work through the 23 lessons.
- Develop your reflexes. Once you've done each lesson twice, you can join the Reflex Development classes, where you learn to combine the techniques the way a real fight unfolds.
- Earn your Gracie Combatives belt. When you're proficient in all 36 techniques, you're ready for your belt evaluation. It shows you can defend yourself against an untrained opponent who is heavier, stronger and more athletic than you.
Most students move from Gracie Combatives to Master Cycle in four to eight months, after an evaluation with our instructors. Students can be evaluated for Master Cycle from 14.
Master Cycle is where you learn the rest of the basic jiu-jitsu techniques, and it continues on the path to black belt. It organises hundreds of techniques into seven positional chapters and runs both Gi and NoGi classes.
You can join Master Cycle if you:
- hold the Gracie Combatives belt,
- are a registered blue belt, or
- have 18 months of training experience at another Brazilian jiu-jitsu school.
Why do certified instructors matter?
We're a Certified Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Training Center. That means we teach the Gracie University curriculum, which is the same at every certified training centre worldwide.
Our instructors are certified through the Gracie Instructor Certification Program (ICP). For you, that means a structured lesson taught the way it was designed, by someone trained to keep it simple, safe and beginner-friendly.
Gracie University describes the ICP as a rigorous, highly comprehensive programme that teaches instructors the teaching methods and training programmes the Gracie family has refined over three generations.
What should I bring?
We lend you a trial gi for your 10-day free trial. Wear comfortable undergarments or leggings, plus a T-shirt or rash guard to go under the gi. Training gear is available to buy after class if you want your own.
Also bring:
- A water bottle. Plastic or steel, not glass. Water is also on sale at the academy.
- A pair of slip-on shoes.
Please arrive 20 minutes before class.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be fit to start Gracie Combatives?
No. There are no fitness requirements. Jiu-jitsu relies on technique and timing rather than strength or speed, and your fitness builds as you train.
I've never done a martial art. Will I keep up?
Yes. Every beginner class assumes no experience. Your first visit includes an introductory lesson with an instructor before you join the group.
Can women join Gracie Combatives?
Yes. Classes are co-ed. Women can also start in our women-only Women Empowered programme and move across later.
How does the free trial work?
Your free trial of Gracie Combatives runs for 10 calendar days from your first class, so you can come to as many classes as fit into that time. We lend you a trial gi for the 10 days. Book online, and we'll set up your introductory lesson.
Try it for yourself
Read more about the Gracie Combatives programme, or book your 10-day free trial.
We're at Pineslopes Boulevard, corner of Witkoppen and The Straight, Lonehill, Sandton, 2191, next to RocoMamas.