August 31, 2026
A new 16-week curriculum cycle kicks off this week at Gracie Barra Centennial, and there’s no better place to start than the beginning — literally. Week 1’s theme across every program is “Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone,” and it pairs with our word of the week: Respect.
Respect is the foundation everything else on the mat gets built on — respect for your training partners, for the instructors guiding you, and for the process of learning something that takes years to get good at. It’s fitting that it’s the very first word of the cycle.
What Everyone’s Working On
This week’s position focus is Guard Bottom, with self-defense centered on strikes — specifically, how to stay safe and composed when someone’s throwing punches at close range. It’s a theme that runs through every class this week, just tailored differently depending on who’s on the mat.
GB1 (Adults): The Details
For our adult Fundamentals and All Levels students, Week 1 is about building a real toolkit from the guard. You’ll be working escapes from sidemount and mount when your opponent is striking — learning to recover guard, bridge, and re-establish posture under pressure. From there, the class moves into pulling guard off the foot-on-hip grip and finishing with the scissor sweep, plus two variations of the X collar choke from closed guard (four-fingers-in and thumb-in grips). It’s a complete, connected sequence — not a random grab-bag of techniques — so if you’re newer, don’t worry about mastering all of it in one class. The drills are designed to repeat.
Kids Programs: Age-Appropriate, Same Spirit
Our kids classes are working the same core idea — guard and recovery — scaled to each age group:
- Tiny Champions are building foundational movement skills this week (supine locomotion drills like the Ice Cream Race) alongside “Kitten Guard,” and having fun with the Bulldog game.
- Little Champions are drilling the scissor sweep and guard recovery, tied to a double-leg takedown response, plus the same Bulldog game to reinforce the movement in a playful way.
- Juniors & Teens are working guard pulls, wrist grab escapes, and their choice of scissor sweep or triangle from guard, capped off with “Never Two” — a game that keeps the energy high while reinforcing partner awareness.
Across every kids program, the goal this week isn’t just technique — it’s connecting the physical skill to the word Respect: respecting a training partner’s body, respecting the instructor’s directions, and respecting their own effort as they learn.
GB2 / GB3: Advancing the Game
For our advanced and competition-focused students, GB2 and GB3 classes continue building live rounds, deeper technical detail, and No-Gi training. The specific focus in these classes flexes week to week based on what our professors see the team needs — so if you’re training at this level, the best move is simply to show up and trust the instruction in the room that day.
What’s Coming Up
A few things worth putting on your calendar over the next few weeks:
- Sunday, Sept 7 — Labor Day. The academy is closed for the holiday, but we’re hosting a Labor Day Live Training for all GB Students who wants to come roll.
- Friday, Sept 11 — Parents Night Out! Drop the kids off for an evening session while you get a night to yourselves. Click here to Register
- Friday, Sept 18 — GB Women’s Community Event, out at the Lone Tree Symphony.
- Sunday, Sept 20 — GB Community Event: Manitou Incline. Get off the mats and get outside with the team for one of Colorado’s toughest hikes.
- October Kids Comp Classes – Register Here
Looking further out, October brings Pedro Marinho’s seminar (Oct 3) and our Fall Camp, running Oct 12–16 — five days of extra training for kids over fall break. More details on both as they get closer.
See you on the mats this week. Bring your best effort, and remember: respect is what makes all of this work.
