Gracie Raleigh

Come support your teammates on Saturday September 12th at the Apex Martial Arts Center PKB! We’re currently set to have Brad, Coleson, Isaiah, Jamanuel, and Tony all competing.

Just as a reminder the team will be competing at Tap Cancer Out Raleigh Saturday, September 5, 2026.

We will be closed Monday September 7th for Labor Day.

We're excited to announce that we're hosting another free in-house tournament. These events give students something to focus on and train for, a chance to push themselves, and a fun way to get more experience on the mat.

Every student who competes will receive a medal for their bravery, their courage, and all the hard work they put in leading up to the event. A lot of time and effort goes into hosting these tournaments, and we're grateful to our volunteers and coaches for making them happen.

Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026

Time: 12:30 PM

What to know before you register

Divisions

Divisions are built based on weight, age, and experience.

Submissions
Submissions are permitted in the older children's divisions. They are not allowed in the 4 to 6 age bracket.

Membership status
Competitors must be active students with a membership in good standing and be training regularly leading up to the tournament.

Attendance
Students need at least 20 completed classes and consistent attendance leading up to the event.

Cancellations
If you register and can no longer attend, please let us know by email or in writing so we can adjust the brackets and format.

One thing we want to be clear about: this day is meant to be fun and empowering, not pressure. Competing is a choice. The real value is in the weeks before it, when a student has a goal to train toward and shows up with a little more purpose. Some kids are eager to test themselves and some aren't ready yet, and both of those are completely fine.

We'd love to see students there either way. Kids who aren't competing are welcome to come watch, cheer on their teammates, and be part of the day. Some of the best moments at these events happen on the sidelines.

Registration will close 1 week before the Tournament!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfS3bRPOrohrTdIrD81vpQdBdONV0VevDwzyhmJKUmjsk8b-A/viewform

Hard rounds only work because of who you're rolling with.
Someone who'll actually put you in a bad spot instead of going easy.

Who'll also stop and show you the way out after the round instead of just tapping you and moving on.

Teammates wants you better next week, not just beat today.
Come find out what that's like.

Free Kids In-House Tournament. Sunday, October 11th, 12:30 PM. All belts, all levels.

Competition gives kids something to aim at. Once a match is on the calendar, drilling stops being something they do and starts being something they need. You can see it in how they train.
The in-house format takes the scary parts out. Their mats, their coaches, their teammates in the crowd. Nothing to figure out except the person in front of them.
Win or lose, every kid walks off that mat with a little more pride and a little more understanding of what they are made of. As parents we want our kids safe, but we also want them getting comfortable being uncomfortable and coming out stronger for it. An in-house tournament with matchmaking set by the coaches is how you get both.

Sign-up sheet coming soon at the gym and by email. Come cheer them on.

📍 1609 Old Louisburg Rd, Raleigh

Our student Paul stepped onto the mat this weekend for his first-ever judo tournament, and in his opening match he threw an orange belt clean off his feet with a tomoe nage into a pin for the win.

He lost his next matches, but he never stopped attacking, never stopped hunting for the throw or the submission. That's the kind of fight we love seeing out of our students.

Read Paul's story and drop him some congrats in the comments 👇

Student Spotlight: Paul's First Judo Tournament at ATJA Nationals Gracie Raleigh BJJ student Paul competed in his first judo tournament at the 2026 ATJA Nationals in Wendell, NC, opening with a tomoe nage win and fighting hard the rest of the day

Our founder Brandon Garner got interviewed by Voyage Raleigh, and it's worth a read.

He didn't set out to build a gym. Brandon started training back in 1997, was competing in MMA within two years, and kept chasing the craft for over a decade after that, training in Brazil and teaching hand-to-hand combat to special operations soldiers at Fort Bragg. In 2011 he finally opened Gracie Raleigh, commuting to Fort Bragg to keep it afloat until the gym could stand on its own. As Brandon put it: "You have to be willing to go all in when betting on yourself." He did.

That's still what this place runs on. Radical self-belief, and the principle that doing the hard work, whether that's chasing a dream, getting healthier, or just making time to get on the mats with your friends and get a good workout in, is always worth it. Life will constantly pull you in different directions and throw roadblocks in your way. Fifteen years later, we've made lifelong friends, started families, and won more championships than we can count. But the trophies were never really the point.

Walk into our 10,000 sq ft space on any given day and you'll see it. Adult BJJ, Kids BJJ, Muay Thai, and a room full of members who show up for each other, not just for themselves. They're the ones who make this place what it is. Every day, that same legacy, betting on yourself, putting in the extra effort, gets carried forward by them.

Full interview here 👇

Inspiring Conversations with Brandon Garner of Gracie Raleigh Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Garner. Hi Brandon , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.I began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing in high school in 1997. Within two years, I was competing in mixed martial art...

This is Tom Webb. If you've rolled with him, you already know he's tough. What you might not know is what he's been fighting off the mat.

In 2020 Tom got diagnosed with prostate cancer. Surgery got him through 2021 — until 2024, when his numbers crept back up and he ended up doing 33 rounds of radiation last fall. Anyone who's trained knows what jiu-jitsu asks of your body on a good day. Tom did it anyway, testosterone tanked, exhausted, still showing up to roll with the rest of us because staying on the mat is what kept him going.

The story of recovery doesn't end with the last treatment. Now Tom's pushing into something he's never done before — stepping on the mat to compete at Tap Cancer Out. That's not just getting back to normal. That's Tom saying cancer doesn't get the last word.

Here's how we show up for him:

🥋 **Compete alongside him** — sign up for Tap Cancer Out and let's give Tom a squad on the mat.
💛 **Donate or fundraise with him** — every bit helps push cancer research and support programs forward.
📣 **Come cheer September 5th** — pack the stands and be loud for Tom and everyone competing.

And Tom wants everyone to walk away with this — get your PSA checked in your 40s. He was diagnosed at 46. Early detection made all the difference.

Donate or join him here: https://wecan.tapcancerout.org/fundraiser/7405109

Let's go get it, Tom. The whole gym's got your back. 💪

The medal isn't what we're celebrating. 🥇

This weekend, Coach Lewter stepped back onto the competition mats for the first time in years and won gold at the Newbreed North Carolina State Championship.

Many of our students know him as the coach who's always helping others improve. What many don't know is that before earning his black belt, he was a multiple-time IBJJF Masters World Champion at brown belt. Shortly after receiving his black belt, a serious back injury forced him to step away from competing.

The road back wasn't quick. It took years of rebuilding his body, training consistently, and trusting the process. A huge thank you goes to HEAT Strength, whose coaching and programming have played a major role in helping him get healthy, strong, and confident enough to compete again.

Even after years of experience, competition is intimidating.

Students often worry they'll let their coaches or teammates down. The truth is... you don't.

When someone from Gracie Raleigh steps onto the mat, we're not thinking about whether they win or lose. We're proud because they had the courage to test themselves, represent the team, and step outside their comfort zone.

Coach Lewter did exactly that.

His gold medal is incredible, but what makes us proud is that he lived the same lesson we ask every student to embrace: show up, trust the process, and be willing to challenge yourself.

That's what our culture has been about since 2011. Not collecting medals—but becoming better people through difficult things, while surrounded by teammates who are genuinely happy to have you beside them.

Congratulations, Coach Lewter. Thank you for leading by example.

🥇Christopher Lewter is the 2026 North Carolina State Championship Men's Gi Black Belt Absolute Champion! Representing Gracie Raleigh - .

Drop some respect for a great performance this weekend.👇