Without the use of violence!

With a curriculum focusing on position control and escapes, Gracie Tampa will teach your child how to “push someone away” or “hold someone down” as a first resort, rather than the barbaric “gauge him in the eyes/kick him in the groin” approach that most traditional martial arts take. In our Kids MMA program, violence is taught to be avoided at all costs, and minimized when necessary. In an ever-growing world of lawsuits and zero-tolerance policies, we understand the need to equip our children with the right tools to defend themselves. Why teach them brutal, destructive techniques that can’t be trained full force, when Jiu-jitsu is safer and more effective anyway? We don’t cater to the natural athletes or the “Coach’s kid” here. At Gracie Tampa we know that every child can be a champion…. And we are committed to give each one of them the attention and instruction to bring out their best.

Call us right now. Let our full-time, professional team make your child a success! FREE TRIAL!!

813-319-5800

My son was new to martial arts when we first came to Gracie Tampa. We were the typical baseball playing family. I noticed a difference in our son after his first class. He stood taller and walked with an air of confidence. After just one class with Cris (aka the Midget Twister) I knew he was hooked.

Coach Cris has instilled in our son a sense of pride, discipline and confidence that extends into all the facets of his life. His self-esteem has improved greatly. He is learning life lessons in each class that he takes, ranging from never giving up to gaining something even if you don’t win. Coach Cris has taken the time to help him on and off the mat. As a parent, that is deeply appreciated.

Her classes and programs are innovative and creative in their approach to teaching the students. The time she spends preparing things for the kids to do is equally apparent. The kids are always encouraged and motivated in positive ways. She is more than just a coach, she is a friend, mentor and role model. In a place where all things are earned, the kids understand that HARD WORK really does PAY OFF!!!!!

- Dawn Baker (Mother)

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We can prove our program up-and-down and give you examples of happily-involved students’ success stories (which you’ll see below), but wouldn’t you agree the best way to really see if our program will meet your needs is to come see for yourself with a private lesson and class, absolutely FREE?

At GT your child will learn patience, respect and a “never quit” work ethic along with proven self-defense techniques. With success comes confidence and self-esteem. Our goal is not to teach our students how to fight, but how to be successful, in whatever they undertake. No experience is necessary to participate. Gracie Tampa’s Programs offer numerous styles of “real-world” martial arts. With a focus on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, our program also offers instruction in Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Judo, and Wrestling. With multiple classes offered a week for all GT Kids, you can be comfortable knowing your child is learning a mixed martial art that is not only fun as a sport, but could also help save her/his life. Here’s more PROOF that our academy is the best MMA school for your child to try:

My daughter and I live in Singapore where she has been learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the past year. While on Summer break in Tampa, we researched programs in Florida and elected to continue her training at the Gracie Tampa Academy with Cris Rodriguez. Coach Cris specialized in working with children and she established her reputation for managing the very best kids programs for BJJ and MMA. We found it to be true. The experience working with Coach Cris and the GT Team was awesome! The GT students received us with such an impressive degree of warmth and enthusiasm. The students at GT perform BJJ at the highest level; they are disciplined, dedicated, respectful, and they make the learning process fun.
We had specific objectives for tournament preparation while we were in the USA. Coach Cris and members of the GT Competition Team worked daily with my daughter to refine her skills. In addition to improving her BJJ techniques, they increased her endurance level. Just as important, Coach Cris taught her a series of fight tactics and strategies to use in tournament competition. The results of working with Coach Cris were immediately measurable -– my daughter won 1st Place in the NAGA 2011 U.S. East Coast Championship and she won 1st Place in the Grapplers Quest 2011 U.S. National Championship. Coach Cris and her students are great representatives for the sport of BJJ. We travelled around the World to train with Coach Cris at Gracie Tampa. We plan to make this journey a regular part of my daughter’s BJJ development and advancement. Thank you Coach Cris, Gracie Tampa … and a special ‘shout-out’ to the some terrific sparring partners, especially “Macho” and “Bullet”!

Sincerely and respectfully,

PNA

How about a little more proof?

Gracie Tampa and Coach Cris….. Our daughters, Jordan and Jianna Diaz, have been attending Gracie Tampa and under the instruction of Coach Cris for a little less than a year. We would have to say that the experience has been nothing short of spectacular. The results we have seen in our girls has been amazing. At first we got our girls involved because we wanted them to learn self-defense. Now, we got that and way more! Our girls physically have both developed during their time at Gracie Tampa. Their confidence and self-esteem has also grown a great deal as well. The spirit of community and teamwork has also been a blessing to them as well. We cannot say enough great things about Gracie Tampa and specifically Coach Cris….her enthusiasm and commitment to the Youth program is exemplary. My girls respect her as a coach and look forward to being at class especially when they know she is there. As parents, we mostly appreciate her “I rather be honest as opposed to being just Nice” approach to her coaching. While she loves on her kids a great deal, there is a strong sense of “this is serious business’” and you need to realize that as you go through your journey in maximizing your potential in jiujitsu. We would recommend Gracie Tampa and Coach Cris to anyone who would ask…..A special thank you goes out to Coach Cris for everything that she does and brings to the table. God bless! -Arcadio and Maria Diaz

 

Gracie Tampa has helped kids for years. It’s the combination of our award-winning Life Skills Program and our commitment to making kids succeed that has us winning the “War against quitting!” Life is hard and our kids need the tools to help them get over the hump. Now don’t get me wrong, great parenting can go a long way, but in our age of single parent households—or with two parents who are forced to work to try and get ahead, not every parent has the time to think straight, let alone spend the hours a day necessary to instill major life skills like:

• Discipline
• Perseverance
• Determination
• Teamwork

Well, I have a suggestion for all you hard-working, well-intentioned parents: Let Gracie Tampa and Coach Cris Help! Call us right now. Let our full-time, professional team make your child a success!

FREE TRIAL! 813-319-5800

Look, I know you want the best for your child, and never has it been more important for kids to get the head start on life that they deserve! With our Mixed Martial Arts Program, your child will learn:

• Confidence
• Self Respect
• Courtesy
• Discipline
• Concentration

The list goes on and on! And that’s not all—your child will do all this at Gracie Tampa along with the #1 rated kids team in Tampa! That’s not an exaggeration or a typo. We’ve been at this for a while—we are serious professionals when it comes to helping our kids get ahead.

All Youth Mixed Martial Art classes at Gracie Tampa are taught by Cristina Rodriguez. She is a 3 Stripe BJJ Brown Belt under Royce Gracie Black Belt Rob Kahn, a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, a member of the 1st ever USA Grappling team, an event/ring director for Grapplers Quest (The World’s Largest Submission Grappling Tournament), and actively competes against professional grapplers all over the United States. With over 17 years of martial arts experience and over 10 years of teaching experience, Coach Cris is one of the best children’s instructors in the country. Caring, Inspiring, and Motivating, Coach Cris is a role model and friend to all of her students.

Here is a list of her accomplishments thus far:

• Elementary Education Degree from USF
• Grapplers Quest National Champion
• NAGA National Champion
• Bronze Medalist @ 2007 World Submission Grappling Games in Turkey
• Brown Belt in BJJ under Royce Gracie Black Belt Rob Kahn
• 3rd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do/Kickboxing
• 17 Years of Martial Arts Experience
• 10 Years of Teaching Experience
• 1-0 Mixed Martial Arts Record
• Grapplers Quest Executive Director
• MMAC Grappling Tournament Coordinator

Call us right now. Let our full-time, professional team make your child a success!

FREE TRIAL! 813-319-5800

Call us right now. Let our full-time, professional team make your child a success!

-Coach Cris