Any school can put kids on a mat and call it a program. What we’ve built is different — and the difference starts before your child throws a single technique.
We separate our kids by age and developmental stage, not just by size or experience. A 3-year-old and a 12-year-old are not the same learner, and they don’t belong in the same class. At Gracie Barra Centennial, they never are. That’s not standard practice. It’s ours.
Four Programs.
One for Each Stage of Childhood.
Most martial arts schools run one or two kids classes — maybe sorted loosely by “little kids” and “big kids.” A 4-year-old ends up next to an 11-year-old, and neither gets what they actually need.
We don’t do that. We’ve built four separate, age-specific programs because a child’s ability to learn, process instruction, handle physical challenge, and respond to competition changes dramatically between age 3 and age 13. Each program has its own curriculum, its own class length, its own teaching approach, and its own developmental goals.
Most martial arts schools in Colorado run 1–2 kids classes for all ages. Gracie Barra Centennial runs four distinct, age-specific programs. That’s not a small difference — it’s the difference between a class your child tolerates and a program that actually shapes who they become.
3–4
Tiny Champs
The first step onto the mat · 30-minute class
Before Technique,
There Is Foundation.
Tiny Champs is purpose-built for 3 and 4-year-olds — not a simplified version of a bigger class, but a program designed from the ground up around how children at this age actually learn. The goal is not jiu-jitsu yet. The goal is readiness.
We teach listening, coordination, body awareness, and the foundational habits of a great student — how to follow direction, how to move intentionally, and how to be safe alongside another person. Every class is structured, every minute has a purpose, and every child leaves having done something real.
By the time a Tiny Champ moves to Little Champs 1, they do not just know what a mat is. They know how to be on one.
- Coordination and body awarenessRolling, tumbling, and basic movement patterns that serve every sport they’ll ever play
- Listening and following directionThe single most valuable skill a 3-year-old can develop, in an environment that earns their attention rather than demanding it
- Partner awarenessLearning that the person next to them matters and deserves care
- Respect and ritualBowing on and off the mat, addressing the instructor. Structure creates safety at this age.
Class element
Warm-Up
Physical Drill
Water Break
Technique
Game
Class Ending
Tiny Champs classes are kept intentionally small. Students are never mixed with older age groups. Focus: discipline, fun, and proper pairings at all times.
5–6
Little Champs 1
Where jiu-jitsu begins in earnest · 45-minute class
Ready to Learn.
Ready to Earn.
Five and six-year-olds have crossed a critical developmental threshold. They can receive and repeat instruction, understand cause and effect in a technique, and begin to grasp what it means to earn something.
Little Champs 1 is where the Gracie Barra curriculum begins. Students are introduced to the same structured system used in over 1,000 schools worldwide — adapted at the right pace and complexity for this age group. Both self-defense/takedown concepts and ground-based techniques are introduced, giving students a complete foundation from the start.
Stripes and belts begin to mean everything at this age. Every stripe is earned in class, demonstrated in front of their peers, and recognized in front of their family.
Class element
Warm-Up
Physical Drill
Water Break
Technique 1 — Self-Defense / Takedown
Game
Technique 2 — Ground
Training Drill
End-of-Class Message
Instruction is kept clear and visual. Parent viewing is encouraged — watching your child earn something is part of the experience.
7–9
Little Champs 2
Where jiu-jitsu starts to click · 50-minute class
This Is Where
Jiu-Jitsu Takes Hold.
Seven to nine-year-olds can think abstractly. They can strategize. They can begin to understand why a technique works — not just how to perform it. That cognitive shift changes everything about how we teach this age group.
- Technical depthMore complex sequences, combinations, and real understanding of position and leverage.
- Live drilling and positional trainingApplying technique against a resisting partner in a controlled setting.
- Friday Matches2-minute supervised rounds introducing competition in a safe, structured, positive environment.
- Character developmentHandling winning and losing with equal grace.
Class element
Warm-Up
Physical Drill
Water Break
Technique 1 — Self-Defense / Takedown
Game
Technique 2 — Ground
Training Drill
End-of-Class Message
Balance of discipline, challenge, and fun. Students begin building genuine technical foundations they’ll carry for life.
9–13
Juniors
The bridge to lifelong training · 50-minute class
Old Enough to Be Serious.
Young Enough to Change Everything.
The Juniors program is where young people stop being students of jiu-jitsu and start becoming practitioners of it. At 9 to 13, they can absorb the full Gracie Barra curriculum with genuine depth. They spar. They compete when they choose to. They begin to understand jiu-jitsu as a class they attend — but as something that belongs to them.
This is also the most important character window in a young person’s development. The mat accelerates that process in the best possible direction.
I’ve coached youth teams for decades across baseball, basketball, and soccer. Nothing I’ve seen builds a young person the way jiu-jitsu does at this age. Nothing comes close.
Robert Goodloe, Owner & Black Belt
- Full Gracie Barra curriculumSame structured system as adult training, calibrated for this age group.
- Live sparringSupervised, structured, and built around learning — not just winning.
- Competition teamTournaments are available for students who want them, never required.
- Pathway to adult trainingAdvanced Juniors may be invited to adult Fundamentals classes.
Class element
Warm-Up
Physical Drill
Water Break
Technique 1 — Self-Defense / Takedown
Game
Technique 2 — Ground
Training Drill
End-of-Class Message
Students who begin Juniors and train consistently through their teens arrive at the adult program ahead of most adults who start from scratch.
Safety Isn’t a Policy Here.
It’s a Standard That Overrides Everything Else.
Before your child takes a single class, you deserve to know exactly what is in place to protect them. Safety overrides schedule, intensity, and ego.
ICP Certified
Every instructor holds a current Gracie Barra ICP (Instructor Certification Program) credential
ICP certification is the Gracie Barra global standard for instructor qualification. It verifies technical competency, teaching methodology, and knowledge of the GB curriculum. Only ICP-certified instructors teach at Gracie Barra Centennial — no exceptions.
Background Check
Every instructor undergoes a thorough background check before joining our staff
No instructor steps on this mat in a teaching role without a completed, verified background check. This is a non-negotiable requirement, applied to every hire, every time.
Two-Adult Rule
We follow the two-adult rule with minors at all times
No child is ever alone with a single instructor in an unsupervised setting. No private instruction without full transparency. Our protocols align with best-practice child safety standards — and we hold ourselves accountable to them every class.
Pairing Standards
Students are paired by age, size, experience, and emotional readiness
Mismatched pairings are never acceptable. Instructors adjust pairings immediately if any safety concern arises — during class, without hesitation, without exception.
Zero Tolerance
Zero-tolerance policy for abuse, harassment, or boundary violations
Any behavior involving abuse, harassment, reckless endangerment, or inappropriate conduct with a minor results in immediate action — up to and including termination and removal from the school. There are no second chances on this.
Injury Protocol
Clear incident response protocol — every instructor knows exactly what to do
Training stops immediately. The student is assessed calmly and professionally. Parents and guardians are contacted. Every incident is documented and reported. We never minimize an injury or allow continued training when it is unsafe.
I built this school to be a place I would trust with the people I love most. My own kids train here. That’s the standard I hold — and it’s the standard every instructor on this mat is held to.
Robert Goodloe, Owner & Black Belt
Your Child Learns From
an Unbroken Line Going
Back Over 100 Years.
Most studios cannot tell you who trained their instructor, or where the curriculum they teach actually came from. We can — all the way back to the beginning of the art.
1
Mitsuyo Maeda
Japanese Judoka · Arrived in Brazil, early 1900s
Taught the Gracie family — planting the seed that became Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The entire art traces back to this single act of transmission.
2
Carlos Gracie Sr. & Hélio Gracie
Co-Founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Hélio rebuilt the system around leverage and technique over strength — so a smaller person could overcome a larger one. This is the foundation of what your child learns today.
3
Rolls Gracie
Visionary · Master Carlos Gracie Jr.’s defining mentor
His vision for what jiu-jitsu could become directly shaped the man who built the organization your child is now part of.
4
Grand Master Carlos Gracie Jr.
Founder of Gracie Barra · Rio de Janeiro, 1986
Built the world’s first structured BJJ curriculum — so jiu-jitsu could be taught the same way in Colorado as in Rio de Janeiro. His mission: Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone. Today, over 1,000 schools in more than 50 countries. The program your child is in was built on this foundation.
5
Professor Rafael Oliveira
Black Belt · Trained at the original Gracie Barra school in Rio de Janeiro from age 12
Not an affiliate. The original school. Rafael grew up inside the philosophy, culture, and direct instruction of Master Carlos Gracie Jr.’s program from childhood.
→
Professor Robert Goodloe
Owner & Black Belt · Gracie Barra Centennial
Received his black belt directly from Professor Rafael Oliveira. The curriculum your child receives carries an unbroken line of transmission from Mitsuyo Maeda to this mat.
“This is not history on a wall. It is alive on this mat — every single class.”
Questions Every Parent Asks
Answered Directly
Why do you separate kids by such specific age ranges?
Because a 3-year-old and a 9-year-old are not the same student, and treating them as if they are produces inferior results for both.
Is jiu-jitsu safe for young kids?
Yes. Tiny Champs students don’t spar. Little Champs 1 students train in structured drills. Supervised positional training and live rounds are introduced progressively as students develop.
My child has no experience. Is that a problem?
That’s actually ideal. Every child in our program started exactly where yours is.
Will this make my child more aggressive?
The opposite. Children who train consistently become calmer and more confident.
How is this different from Tae Kwon Do or other kids’ programs?
Gracie Barra’s curriculum is built around live problem-solving with another person. That’s a fundamentally different kind of challenge.
Explore Other Programs
Let Them Try It Once.
We’ll Take It From There.
Your child’s first class is free. No commitment, no gear required. Just bring them in, let them meet our instructors, and see what happens when a young person is challenged in exactly the right way.
We’ll reach out within 24 hours to confirm a class time that works for your family.