Gustavo Dantas Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy

Introduction: Gustavo Dantas Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Tempe, AZ is the premier martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) school in Arizona. GDJJA has been providing world-class instruction building champions on the mat and in life for over 10 years. Team GD Jiu-Jitsu has been rated as the number-one team in the AZSBJJF school ranking for four consecutive years. The first class is free. Click on the website or call us to get more info. At GDJJA, we will not only get you in the best shape of your life, we will also boost your self-confidence and introduce you to a wonderful group of new friends. It’s not an issue how old or young you are, if your goal is to lose weight or build strength; it doesn't matter if you’re male or female, or even if you want to compete or not. In shape or out of shape, all are welcome. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art that focuses on grappling and ground fighting, with the goal of gaining a dominant position from which to force an attacker to submit. It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper technique can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger assailant. BJJ can be trained for self-defense, sport competitions, and fitness. About the owner: Gustavo Dantas is a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from the world-renowned team, Nova Uniao. With over 15 years of coaching experience and being a world-class competitor with international experience, Gustavo has competed in tournaments in Brazil, United States, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, including his most recent accomplishment, the 2012 U.S. National Jiu-Jitsu Champion at the black belt, feather weight, and senior 1 division, and the 2012 World Champion at the black belt, feather weight, and senior 1 division. A motivational speaker, certified mental and fitness coach with a bachelor’s degree in physical education from UFRJ (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro), Gustavo left Brazil in 1999 with three thousand dollars, 2 bags, and one teenage dream: to have his own 100% jiu-jitsu academy and make his living through the passion of his life, jiu-jitsu. The Gustavo Dantas Jiu-Jitsu Academy was established on March 6th, 2012, re-enforcing the statement, “Believe in your dreams. Hard work pays off”. Gustavo was the jiu-jitsu coach of the mixed martial arts gym, Arizona Combat Sports, for eleven years, where he achieved his 2-0 MMA record. During that time, Gustavo started the mission of promoting jiu-jitsu in the state of Arizona, becoming the vice-president of the Arizona State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation and turning a small, 40-competitor, in-house tournament in 2001 to an impressive 705 competitors in 2011. This helped Arizona to be recognized as one of the jiu-jitsu power houses in the United States, where he produced over 20 world championship medalists. Well respected in the jiu-jitsu community as well as a great competitor, coach and human being, Gustavo continues to build champions on the mat and in life in Arizona, and he hopes to spread out his coaching philosophy to more jiu-jitsu practitioners for years to come. We service Phoenix and all of the East Valley (Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale, Gilbert, and Apache Junction).