The Smith Family:
We might think of the Smith Family when we think of Gracie Barra. Their 3 kids train with GB and have been with us almost since we opened the school 2 years ago. They are here to stay! The oldest daughter, Sophie is a yellow and white belt with 4 yellow stripes on her belt! She comes to class all the time! It’s great to see how much BJJ she knows now and how great of a partner she is for the newest members of our school! Cute she is, but don’t let that fool you! She trains with all the boys and holds her own!
Emma is the middle child in the family. She, too, is a very cute little girl and even with being one of the smaller kids in the class, her BJJ is like that of someone older than her age! She is tough as nails. Other kids pass her guard, but she has spent countless time recovering guard and looking for the sweeps and she gets them! Thats not all folks, after the sweeps come, and she is in mount, watch out for the arm-bars and the chokes!
Luke, or as I call him LUUUKE, is the youngest of the Smith kids and always has to deal with being small on the mats! Luke is a very talented young man who caught the eyes of the Coaches early on. He recently moved up to the Little Champs 2 class, but being the youngest and the smallest in the family or on the mats is not going to stop this young man from getting to the top! Luke loves his chokes – always asks, “Coach, can i go for the choke now?” He is so eager to learn and always has a smile on his face!
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are always here watching the kids and cheering them and the rest of the kids on as well! They are great role models for their kids and great parents! We here at Gracie Barra want to thank the Smith family, for not only being part of our family, but also for allowing the Coaches to be a part of their lives!
Coach Charles

Drew Vangrin:
Each time I teach a Little Champs class I’m always impressed with the level of excitement, enthusiasm and knowledge that a human being at such a young age can have. It is always an honor to pair up with the parents and be a part of the development of their child, to be a positive influence in their kid’s life and help them guide our young generation in the right direction. At the end of each class, we as Professors and Coaches, have a unique opportunity to connect with the kids and talk to them about our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle Circle.
Last Thursday evening, at the end of our Little Champions 1 Class, I was talking to the kids about why it is so important for us to train BJJ, self defense, and to focus, be disciplined, stay calm in emergency situations, make new friends, have fun, and of course, to exercise and be healthy. After I talked to them about exercising and that I had already done my exercise that morning, our dear student Drew Vangrin (5 years old) told me, “Of course you did your exercise so you can keep your job!” We were all laughing and I asked him what he meant and he said, “You exercise so you can be healthy and teach Jiu Jitsu. If you don’t, you will get fired!!”
So once again, I was very surprised at how intelligent these kids are and how important my role as a Coach is, to be a good example for these kids. Thank you, Drew, for reminding me to exercise and stay healthy so I can keep teaching you some good Jiu Jitsu for many, many years to come. Because of times like that, teaching the kids classes is one of the most rewarding parts of “my job.”
Coach Felipe

Bailey Hoss:
We often recognize students for their acheivements, and yet another one from the Juniors class has made a huge step in his training. He is Bailey Hoss! After he earned his Yellow/ White belt, all of the coaches encouraged him to come to the Adult Fundamentals class to step up his training because of his hard work and determination training in BJJ. He has progressed substantially in the sport and we are very proud of his accomplishments.
Coach Kanai

We want to thank all our GB students, large and small, for their hard work, discipline and efforts in BJJ. We recognize that all of you are doing a great job and we appreciate your dedication to the beautiful art of BJJ. We look forward to seeing you on the mats and are grateful for the time we get to spend with you each week!
Cheers!
GBSC/GBDP Team
March 12th 2010 Posted to
Events