ALLIANCE JIU JITSU ASSOCIATION

What ALLIANCE JIU JITSU ASSOCIATION does

Alliance Jiu Jitsu Association, operating through its Brazilian legal entity Alliance Jiu Jitsu Licenciamentos LTDA, is a privately held Jiu Jitsu franchise and licensing organization founded in 1993 by Romero 'Jacaré' Cavalcanti, Alexandre 'Gigi' Paiva, and Fabio Gurgel. The company's core offering is a proprietary group-class teaching methodology, formalized in 2000, that organizes techniques into modules respecting belt complexity and codifies a 1,275-class attendance-based progression with 16 degrees before black belt. Alliance licenses this methodology and brand to independent school owners, operating more than 300 affiliated academies across approximately 30 countries spanning the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Supporting products include the Alliance Future children's programs (Baby Eagle, Little Eagle, Eagle Warrior, Eagle Youth), a Student App on iOS and Android, the Alliance Learning Center, the Instituto Alliance teacher training institute, an official merchandise store, and teacher certification courses distributed via Hotmart.

The business operates a B2B2C model monetizing three primary streams: methodology and brand licensing to franchisees, sale of Alliance-branded merchandise and apparel, and professional teacher training courses. Distribution is conducted through the franchised school network, supplemented by management software partnerships with EVO, ABC, and Glofox, the Student App, the merchandise storefront at alliancejiujitsu.com.br, and events such as Winter Camp and the Annual Summit. Affiliate pricing for classes is set by individual schools and is not publicly disclosed.

Customer segments span adults seeking fitness, self-defense, and discipline; children aged 4-15 enrolled in age-specific programs; women in dedicated classes; competitive athletes preparing for IBJJF and ADCC events; and franchise owners seeking a turnkey academy operation. The company's competitive positioning rests on the most successful competition record in the sport (15 Men's, 10 Women's, and 4 Kids IBJJF World Team titles), the pedigree of its founders and coaches, and a globally distributed ecosystem of schools bound by a shared methodology, values, and operational tooling.

Name

ALLIANCE JIU JITSU ASSOCIATION

Legal name

Alliance Jiu Jitsu Licenciamentos LTDA

Website

https://allianceofficial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alliance Jiu Jitsu Association licenses a proprietary group-class teaching methodology and brand to a global network of 300+ affiliated Jiu Jitsu schools in 30+ countries, serving students, children, competitive athletes, and franchise owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts Training Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Combat Sports Gyms & Dojos (MMA, Boxing, Wrestling, Martial Arts) (MPAKAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Kids & Youth Martial Arts Programs (HSADADAG)

Keywords

• Jiu jitsu training
• Martial arts franchise
• Teaching methodology licensing
• Fitness academy network
• Affiliate school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Methodology Licensing to Affiliates: The company licenses its teaching methodology to franchise school owners (affiliates) who operate under the Alliance Jiu Jitsu brand. Affiliates pay for brand usage, access to Learning Center, management consulting, and IBJJF accreditation.
2. Merchandise and Official Products: Sale of Alliance-branded merchandise through the online store (alliancejiujitsu.com.br), including official products and apparel.
3. Teacher Training Programs: Sale of methodology courses for teachers through platforms like Hotmart, including beginner module and Little Eagle module programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Alliance Jiu Jitsu Association licenses a proprietary group-class Jiu Jitsu teaching methodology to independent academy owners who operate franchised Alliance schools in over 30 countries. Its core deliverables to franchisees include the brand and methodology, the Alliance Learning Center platform, instructor certification (Instituto Alliance), age-structured children's programs under the Alliance Future sub-brand, operational management software, and IBJJF competition accreditation. The organization also sells branded merchandise directly through its online store and distributes teacher methodology courses online.

Product overview

Alliance Jiu Jitsu Association operates as a unified martial arts education platform consisting of a franchised network of over 300 Jiu Jitsu schools worldwide, a proprietary teaching methodology developed in 2000, and supporting digital products. The core offering includes group Jiu Jitsu classes at affiliated schools, supplemented by the Alliance Store (merchandise), the Student App (attendance and progress tracking), Alliance Learning Center (instructor training), and Alliance Future (children's programs including Baby Eagle, Little Eagle, Eagle Warrior, Eagle Youth, Competition, No Gi, Women, and Private Classes). The Instituto Alliance provides teacher certification, while the Affiliate Program enables new school openings with brand licensing and management support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alliance Future: Children's and youth Jiu Jitsu methodology program with age-specific programs including Baby Eagle (4-5 years), Little Eagle (5-7 years), Eagle Warrior (8-12 years), and Eagle Youth (13-15 years).

Products and services

• Alliance Jiu Jitsu Schools (Affiliate Network) Franchised network of 300+ Jiu Jitsu academies operating under the Alliance brand in 30+ countries, delivering group Jiu Jitsu classes using the proprietary teaching methodology. Open to adult students, children, and competitive athletes.
• Affiliate Program (Franchise Opportunity) Franchise opportunity enabling entrepreneurs to open Alliance Jiu Jitsu schools, with access to brand usage, methodology licensing, management consulting, management software, marketing support, and IBJJF accreditation.
• Alliance Teaching Methodology (Group-Class Curriculum) Proprietary Jiu Jitsu group-class teaching methodology dividing techniques into modules by belt complexity, with attendance-based progression (1,275 classes to black belt across 16 degrees). Sold/licensed to franchisees.
• Alliance Future (Children's Methodology) Age-structured children's Jiu Jitsu methodology: Baby Eagle (4-5 years), Little Eagle (5-7 years), Eagle Warrior (8-12 years), and Eagle Youth (13-15 years), integrating physical skills, ethical-moral values, and behavioral development.
• Alliance Jiu Jitsu Student App Mobile application for Alliance students to track attendance, belt progression, and journey through the methodology. Available on iOS (Apple Store) and Android (Google Play).
• Alliance Learning Center Online platform for Alliance affiliates that delivers the teaching methodology, instructor courses, and training materials.
• Instituto Alliance Teacher training institute offering certification and formation programs to develop Jiu Jitsu instructors under the Alliance methodology.
• Alliance Store (Official Merchandise) Official online store selling Alliance Jiu Jitsu branded merchandise and apparel (kimonos, apparel, accessories) to consumers and affiliates.
• Beginners Jiu Jitsu Program Entry-level group class program for new students, covering foundational Jiu Jitsu techniques and fundamentals.
• Competition Program Training module for preparing high-level athletes from blue belt to black belt with specific competition strategies and conditioning for IBJJF tournaments.
• Women Jiu Jitsu Program Women's-only Jiu Jitsu classes developed by women instructors, focusing on self-defense, physical agility, confidence, discipline, and personal growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% increase in student enrollment at affiliated school implementing children's methodology
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EVO SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationManagement software provided to affiliates for academy operations, scheduling, and student management.
• ABC SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationManagement software solution offered to Alliance franchisees for academy management.
• Glofox SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationManagement software for franchise affiliates to handle scheduling, payments, and member communications.
• IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial accreditation and access to IBJJF competitions for Alliance Jiu Jitsu athletes and affiliates. IBJJF recognizes Alliance as the most successful team with 15 Men's World Championships.
• BTG PactualminorOthersFounder Fabio Gurgel serves as BTG Pactual ambassador, bringing Jiu Jitsu values (discipline, leadership, excellence) to the corporate world.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Checkmat BJJ: Checkmat is a globally distributed BJJ competition team and academy network. It competes with Alliance in the same competition circuits and offers comparable affiliation opportunities to aspiring academy owners.
• Brazilian Top Team (BTT): Brazilian Top Team is a historic BJJ and MMA organization with affiliated academies globally. It competes with Alliance for elite coaches and championship prestige in the IBJJF competition circuit.
• Gracie Barra: Gracie Barra is the largest global Brazilian Jiu Jitsu franchise network and the most direct competitor to Alliance. Both organizations license proprietary BJJ methodology through affiliated schools worldwide, compete for the same franchisee and student pools, and rely on championship heritage for brand authority.
• 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu: 10th Planet is a major no-gi focused Jiu Jitsu organization with affiliated schools globally. It targets the same practitioner base as Alliance with a differentiated no-gi methodology, making it a direct competitor for both students and franchisees.
• Atos Jiu Jitsu: Atos is another leading international BJJ organization with affiliated schools and competition teams. It competes directly with Alliance for elite athletes, IBJJF championship titles, and franchise growth in core markets.

Emerging players

• Gracie University: Gracie University is an online-first BJJ instruction platform that licenses curriculum globally. While Alliance focuses on physical franchised schools, Gracie University represents a digital-native alternative targeting the same Jiu Jitsu learner market.

Broad incumbents

• UFC Gym: UFC Gym is a multi-discipline MMA and fitness franchise that includes BJJ among its offerings. While broader in scope than Alliance, it competes for the same martial-arts-curious consumer and franchisee segments with stronger brand awareness and corporate backing.
• Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts: Tiger Schulmann's is a large North American multi-discipline martial arts franchise (kickboxing, karate, jiu jitsu). It overlaps with Alliance on Jiu Jitsu programming but serves a broader consumer base and competes for martial arts school franchisees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Alliancejj
• Facebookfacebook.com/allianceofficialbrasil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliancejiujitsuofficial

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ALLIANCE JIU JITSU ASSOCIATION