Marcelo Garcia Gainesville Association

Marcelo Garcia Gainesville Association Brazilian Jiu Jitsu- Gainesville, FL Welcome to the Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu Academy of Gainesville .

We specialize in teaching the martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as taught directly to us from one of the living legends of the sport, Marcelo Garcia. We are so confident that you will love training at our academy, we are offering you an exclusive 30-Day No Risk Free Trial. Come train with us- you will have a wonderful time!

* To clear up any confusion- Marcelo Garcia is not teaching at this academy...I wish I could convince him to move to Gainesville, but he's very happy living in NYC. However, his BJJ, his attitude, and his good vibes will always be present here!

09/19/2026

Another move that Marcelo popularized is the back step pass.

Not only is this technique useful against half, delariva, and seated guards, it's become even more popular as leg lockers use it to get to saddle, 411, honeyhole position.

Let's try it!

09/18/2026

This is Marcelo’s favorite—and most effective—way to open a stubborn closed guard. It isn’t easy and requires you to lift your opponent up, but like he always says, hopefully, you only have to do it once!

A few notes I didn’t have time to include in the voiceover:

• Lifting your opponent is more effective when they are hiding their arms/wrists to prevent you from gripping them- that allows you to reach their collars.

• It’s preferable to have a square stance vs. staggered stance so you’ll be more balanced when lifting your opponent. (No need to worry about double ankle sweeps because they are off the ground:)

Enjoy!

09/17/2026

Closed guard break number 1!

Volume up for my first voiceover ever :p

09/17/2026

With Kyle's 40th birthday coming up tomorrow, I asked him what Marcelo techniques he wanted to learn tonight.

I joked with him that he asked for the least glamorous and unsexy BJJ technique—breaking closed guard—but I'm actually so impressed that he asked for something as important and fundamental as this.

I told him one of the first things Marcelo preaches before any technique is to have the mindset that we never accept our opponent's guard pull.

Very impressive moves for 40-year-olds (Steve with the blue belt is also 40)! ❤️

(We will look at two of Marcelo's fave closed guard breaks tomorrow ;)

09/15/2026

Marcelo didn't attempt his first takedown in competition until he was a brown belt.

Which is pretty awesome, considering that his technique , timing, and awareness are so good that I've seen him take down some very good wrestlers in competition.

One of his fave takedowns is the ankle pick—which he showed recently at the IBJJF Con when he did a free seminar.

Of course, anything Marcelo teaches, we gotta teach as well. :)

I was so happy to see my amazing custom belt by the wonderful Mira wrapped around one of the most famous gis in BJJ his...
09/15/2026

I was so happy to see my amazing custom belt by the wonderful Mira wrapped around one of the most famous gis in BJJ history.

-Created by the ultra-talented for the GOAT, Marcelo Garcia ❤️

(Also, we used it because nobody else brought a belt, and I never leave home without mine 😂)

09/13/2026

Marcelo Garcia is considered the GOAT by many BJJ practitioners because, in addition to being the only (male) ADCC competitor to have won his weight class 4 times, he innovated, popularized, and introduced techniques that are now staples in bjj and submissions grappling.

Today, Felipe Pena won the 2026 ADCC Absolute title (huge congrats to him too!) and he was able to secure pivotal points in his semifinal match by taking his opponent down with an arm drag inside foot trip.

Even though this is a pretty routine takedown in wrestling, a lot of BJJ practitioners first saw Marcelo using it to great effect in his matches. :)

09/12/2026

Another perfect day ❤️

✅ Teach & train BJJ
✅ Watch ADCC
✅ Lie in bed for the rest of the day

This weekend marks my favorite weekend of the year—and has for the past 26 years.It’s ADCC weekend!!!Historically, every...
09/12/2026

This weekend marks my favorite weekend of the year—and has for the past 26 years.

It’s ADCC weekend!!!

Historically, every two years, the best No-Gi competitors in the world come together to compete for the ADCC World Championships.

When I started BJJ in 2000, I attended the Renzo Gracie Academy in NYC, which had already made a huge mark on this tournament, with our leader, Renzo, winning ADCC in both 1999 and 2000.

Then, when the team competed in 2003, I was in awe of one of Renzo’s opponents—a last-minute replacement named Marcelo Garcia.

Marcelo ended up surprising everyone by winning his first ADCC World Championship in thrilling fashion, introducing the world to his unique style of Jiu-Jitsu, with his patented X-guard sweeps, arm drags, and chokes.

Who would have ever guessed that, by 2026, I would have attended four ADCCs in person, proudly become one of Marcelo’s black belts, watched him become the winningest weight-class champion in ADCC history with four titles, and even been backstage in 2021 to watch him receive his ADCC Hall of Fame honor?

And most importantly, who would have imagined that and his wife would also become two of my dearest friends? ❤️❤️❤️

This year’s ADCC is in Kraków, Poland, which is why I happily woke up at 4:15 AM to watch the opening rounds.

LET’S GOOOOOOO!!!

09/08/2026

This is a unique sequence Marcelo likes to teach— forcing the back take from side control.

However, I'll affectionately remember it as my $1,000 move, because I skipped out on a $1,000 American Airlines voucher just to get to class on time. 😂

Address

220 NW 8th Avenue, Suite 40
Gainesville, FL
32609

Opening Hours

Monday 6pm - 7:30pm
Tuesday 6pm - 7:15pm
Wednesday 6pm - 8:30pm
Thursday 6pm - 8:30pm
Friday 6pm - 7:30pm
Saturday 12:30pm - 2:30pm

Telephone

+13523282768

Website

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