You're Not Too Old.
You're Just Not Here Yet.
Adult BJJ for all levels – from first-timers to experienced grapplers. Ages 16 and up. No contract, no experience, no ego required.
I started jiu-jitsu at 39. I earned my black belt at 47. Eight years, white to black — not because I was the most talented person in the room, but because I refused to quit.
If you’ve been thinking about starting — this is what I want you to know: the only thing standing between you and your first class is the story you’re telling yourself about why you can’t.
— Robert GoodloeOwner & Black Belt @ Gracie Barra Centennial
Whoever You Are,
There Is a Place for You Here.
The adult program at Gracie Barra Centennial is not built for a specific type of person. It is built for every person willing to show up and do the work. That said — here’s how it lands for different people who walk through the door. Join families from Centennial, Highlands Ranch, and Littleton who train here every week.
Complete Beginners
Never trained a day in your life?
Start with Fundamentals — a structured introduction built specifically for people who are starting from zero. Every technique explained from the ground up. No experience needed, ever.
Adults 35+
Think you’re too old to start?
Our owner started at 39 and earned his black belt at 47. Jiu-jitsu is built on technique over strength — which means as you mature, your game can get better, not worse. Age is context here, not a ceiling.
Former Athletes
Wrestler, football player, gym regular?
Every athletic skill you’ve built translates here. Jiu-jitsu adds the one dimension that pure athleticism can’t buy: technique, strategy, and the ability to think clearly under pressure.
Experienced Grapplers
Already training somewhere else?
The Gracie Barra curriculum is the most structured and respected BJJ system in the world. Come see why 1,000+ schools worldwide have committed to it. You’ll learn things you haven’t seen before.
Busy Professionals
No time, high stress, need something real?
There is no email on this mat. No deadlines. An hour that belongs entirely to you — spent on something that challenges your body, clears your mind, and leaves you better than you walked in.
Anyone on the Fence
Been thinking about it for months?
The first class is free. You have nothing to lose and everything to find out. The mat will answer every question you have better than this page ever could.
This Isn’t a Workout.
It’s a Practice.
A workout ends when you put down the weights. A practice goes with you. The calm under pressure, the ability to think clearly when things get hard, the discipline of showing up when you don’t feel like it — that’s what consistent jiu-jitsu training builds.
Most adults come in looking for a physical challenge. They stay because of something they didn’t expect: a community of people who push each other to grow, a curriculum that gives them real, measurable progress, and an hour every day that belongs entirely to them.
“Ask any of our adult students why they keep coming back. Very few say ‘because I want to win competitions.’ Most talk about their training partners and the hour that’s entirely theirs.”
— Robert Goodloe
It changes your brain
Consistent training rewires how you handle stress, failure, and pressure — on and off the mat. The research is real. So is the experience.
Technique beats size
Jiu-jitsu was designed so that a smaller person can control a larger one. Skill is the great equalizer. Strength helps — it is never the point.
Humility is the practice
You can’t fake your way through a round. The mat strips the ego every single class — and builds something more useful in its place.
The community is real
You spend an hour with someone trying to submit each other, then shake hands and get water together. That shared experience creates something rare and genuine.
Every Class Is Structured.
Every Minute Has a Purpose.
Classes at Gracie Barra Centennial follow the Gracie Barra curriculum structure — a deliberate format developed and refined across 1,000+ schools worldwide. You always know what to expect when you walk in. You never know exactly what you’ll learn — and that’s exactly right.
| Class element | |
|---|---|
| Warm-Up | |
| Technical Drill | |
| Water Break | |
| Technique 1 — Self-Defense / Takedown | |
| Technique 2 — Ground | |
| Live Training / Sparring Rounds | |
| Cool Down & Class Close | |
| Total class time |
A Note on Sparring for Beginners
Live training — rolling — is the part of jiu-jitsu where everything you’ve drilled gets tested. It can feel intimidating before your first class. Here’s what actually happens: you are paired thoughtfully, by size, experience, and where you are in your training. You are never thrown in unprepared. And every experienced student on this mat knows that how you treat a new training partner says everything about who you are.
Beginners start with positional rounds — controlled, specific, and guided. Open sparring is introduced progressively as your fundamentals develop. Nobody’s first class is a gauntlet. It’s an introduction.
The World’s Most Respected
BJJ Curriculum. On Your Mat.
In 1986, Grand Master Carlos Gracie Jr. did something radical: he built a structured curriculum for jiu-jitsu. Before Gracie Barra, the art was passed down informally — from professor to student, with no consistency and no clear path of progression. Grand Master Carlos changed all of that.
He built a system that could be taught the same way in Colorado as in Rio de Janeiro. A system where a white belt knows exactly what they’re working on, a blue belt has clear standards to meet, and every class builds intentionally on the one before it. That curriculum has been refined over four decades and is now used in over 1,000 Gracie Barra schools in more than 50 countries. It is what you train every time you step on this mat.
A Clear Path. Honestly Earned.
White Belt
Foundation. Survival. Beginning to understand position and movement.
Blue Belt
Competence. Defense becomes reliable. Offense begins to develop.
Purple Belt
Refinement. Your game starts to emerge. Technical depth builds.
Brown Belt
Mastery in progress. Teaching, competing, refining under pressure.
Black Belt
The beginning, not the end. A lifetime of learning opens up.
Belt promotions at Gracie Barra Centennial are earned through demonstrated skill, consistent attendance, and character. They are never given for participation. They are never rushed. The belt means something here because of what it takes to get one.
You Are Not Learning
From a YouTube Channel.
The curriculum on this mat carries a direct, unbroken line of transmission from the co-founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through Grand Master Carlos Gracie Jr., through Professor Rafael Oliveira — who trained at the original Gracie Barra school in Rio from the age of 12 — to Professor Robert Goodloe, who stands in front of you today.
That lineage is not a marketing detail. It is the difference between training a system that has been tested and refined for over 100 years, and training whatever someone put on YouTube last week.
- Co-founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Grand Master
Carlos Gracie Jr. - Professor
Rafael Oliveira - Professor
Robert Goodloe - Gracie Barra Centennial
“What you learn here carries the fingerprints of the people who created this art.”
39
Age our owner started. Black belt at 47.
75+
Competitions entered by Professor Goodloe — white through black belt.
1,000+
Gracie Barra schools worldwide using the same curriculum.
50+
Countries where Gracie Barra operates.
Gracie Barra Centennial is hands-down the place to be for jiu-jitsu in Colorado. Under the expert guidance of Professor Robert Goodloe, this school has built something truly special—a welcoming, high-energy environment where everyone belongs, from complete beginners
to seasoned competitors. I started training at Gracie Barra Centennial about 2 years ago as a beginner at 48 years old.
— Anthony C.
Gracie Barra Centennial is an incredible facility! The gym is always clean, well-organized, and welcoming. The staff goes above and beyond to make everyone feel comfortable, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner.
— Rodrigo M.
I did a lot of research before joining Gracie Barra Centennial, and by far, this is the best program out there. Super clean facility, excellent professors, and a strong unified culture. I highly recommend regardless of your age or background.
— Steve C
Nobody Throws You to the Wolves
on Day One. Here’s What Actually Happens.
01
You arrive. Someone meets you at the door.
Come dressed in comfortable workout clothes. You’ll get a quick welcome, a tour of the school, and a chance to ask any questions before class starts. Nobody starts in the deep end.
02
You warm up with the class.
Warm-ups are movement-based and approachable. If something is unfamiliar, you follow along at your own pace. There is no judgment on day one — or any day, honestly.
03
You learn a technique. You drill it with a partner.
The instructor demonstrates step by step — what the technique is, why it works, what you’re looking for. Then you practice it at a controlled pace with a partner. Nobody expects perfection on day one. Curiosity is enough.
04
You do guided positional training.
For new students, live training starts with positional rounds — specific, controlled, and guided by the instructor. Open sparring is introduced as your fundamentals develop, not on your first day.
05
You leave already better than when you walked in.
That’s the promise. One class. One thing you didn’t know before. That’s how it starts — and it never stops feeling that way, no matter how long you’ve been training.
FAQ
Questions People Ask
Before They Walk In
Am I too old to start?
No. Professor Goodloe started at 39, earned his black belt at 47, and still trains and competes. The mat does not have an age limit.
Do I need to be in shape before I start?
No. Jiu-jitsu will get you in shape. What you need to start is willingness.
Is it dangerous? Will I get hurt?
Training has physical risk, but we manage it deliberately with proper warmups, thoughtful pairings, supervised live training, and a culture where tapping is respected immediately.
What do I wear to my first class?
Comfortable workout clothes. No shoes on the mat. Do not buy anything before you come in.
How long until I see real progress?
You will learn something useful in your first class. Real progress comes from consistent attendance, thoughtful drilling, and staying curious when the work gets hard.
Explore Other Programs
Eight Years of
“I’ll Start Next Month”
Ends Today.
Your first class is free. No contract, no gear, no experience required. Come see what this is about — and what it can be for you. The mat is ready when you are.
We’ll be in touch within 24 hours to confirm your class time.