When you train BJJ, the BJJ academy is a central part of your life. It’s where you spend a lot of time every week, and for some people where they spend most of their day.
We have already made an article about the most beautiful academies in the world:
BJJ Heaven: Most Beautiful BJJ Academies in the World
Now it’s time to do one on the biggest BJJ academies in the world in terms of number of students.
Coming up with these numbers is not always an easy task. We had to directly ask a chosen few academies around the world to come up with the figures. The biggest ones had around 500 to 1,000 but two academies were way above the rest.
Here are the two biggest which have around the same amount of students.
Gracie University (Formerly Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy)
Gracie University of Jiu-Jitsu (formerly Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy) is headquartered in Torrance, CA, and services approximately 1500 students every month. Led by the grandsons of Grandmaster Helio Gracie, Ryron and Rener, this organization focuses heavily on the self-defense aspect of jiu-jitsu and has pioneered the development of several very popular programs including Gracie Bullyproof for kids, Gracie Combatives for adults, Women Empowered for women, and Gracie Survival Tactics for Military/Law Enforcement.
The Gracie Brothers have certified instructors at approximately 150 Certified Training Centers to offer their proprietary programs around the world, and their online branch, GracieUniversity.com boasts over 170,000 active members in 196 countries. Based on their rapid growth in recent years, Gracie University just recently moved their headquarters to a 30,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility with 15 showers, 220 all-glass lockers and over 6,500 square feet of mat space. At this rate, it doesn’t look like the Gracie Brothers will be slowing down anytime soon!
Rener Gracie told us:
We fluctuate around 1300 consistent students between group and private students. Next week we have 95 police officers here for the full week for training in our GST course, and last month we had 105 instructors here for the ICP, and we have so many students visiting from the online university every month that it’s not uncommon for our total student load to hit 1500 in any given month.
Renzo Gracie Academy NYC
The Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhatan is a spacious 15, 000 square ft academy covering three floors and is beautifully laid out. The academy is matted with Zebra Mats. They provide changing rooms, each with day lockers and showers. The facility is climate controlled.
They have an amazing level of BJJ instructors and high level grapplers: John Danaher and his Danaher Death Squad, consisting of Garry Tonnon, Eddie Cummings, and Gordon Ryan, fighters like Georges St Pierre, Frankie Edgar, Eddie Alvarez, Rolles and Igor Gracie come to train.
Renzo Gracie told us last week:
We have just over 1,500 students with 15 classes a day, which makes us the biggest privately owned BJJ academy in the world.
Take a tour:
BJJ Hacks documentary on Renzo GRacie Academy:
Honorable mention:
Jiu-Jitsu Heaven: Valente Bros Amazing New Academy in Miami
Jiu-Jitsu Heaven: Atos San Diego HQ’s New Academy Tour
