Gracie Cincinnati

What Gracie Cincinnati does

Gracie Cincinnati is a privately held Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy operating a single training facility at 11263 Williamson Rd, Blue Ash, Ohio, serving Cincinnati and the surrounding area. The company delivers the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu system under the Pedro Sauer lineage, organized into age-tiered programs: children's tracks (Little Cubs for ages 5-8 and Junior Lions for ages 8-14 with a four-belt progression system) and adult tracks spanning Intro, Fundamentals (with monthly positional themes), Advanced, No-Gi Intermediate, Skills and Drills, and Open Mat. Instruction is delivered by four certified Black Belts (Randal Burton, Kenny Bria, Steve Wong, Ian Sadler) under the Jim Kelly/Justin Christopher lineages.

The core technical offering is a structured BJJ curriculum emphasizing leverage, weight distribution, and timing for self-defense, with a standardized belt-based progression system under the Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association. The academy operates as a family-friendly, professional instructional environment rather than a competition-focused "fight gym," and supplements core classes with specialized seminars (e.g., a Women's Seminar series covering Standing, Mount, Guard, and Boundaries/Defense).

Commercially, Gracie Cincinnati runs a direct-to-consumer, community-led go-to-market model anchored on a free one-week no-commitment trial and scheduled intro classes, with pricing discussed only in-person after meeting prospective students. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring monthly membership tuition, supplemented by paid seminar registrations and uniform (gi) sales, with discounts offered for active-duty military, law enforcement, first responders, and families. The academy markets via its website, educational blog content, and word-of-mouth referrals, and is independently owned with no disclosed external investors or parent company.

Name

Gracie Cincinnati

Legal name

Gracie Cincinnati

Website

https://graciecincinnati.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gracie Cincinnati is a privately held Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Blue Ash, Ohio, delivering age-tiered Gracie/Pedro Sauer curriculum to children (ages 5-14) and adults via recurring memberships, free intro classes, and specialty seminars.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts Training

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSADADAC

Grappling & Submission Arts Training (Judo, BJJ, Wrestling)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Martial Arts & Self-Defense Training

SECONDARYHSADADAG

Kids & Youth Martial Arts Programs

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Martial Arts & Self-Defense Training

SECONDARYMPAKAJAG

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

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Camps, Academies & Training Centers

Keywords

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training
• Martial arts academy
• Self-defense classes
• Kids martial arts
• Adult jiu-jitsu programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Blue Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership/Tuition Fees: Recurring membership fees for access to classes. The academy offers discounts for active duty military, law enforcement, first responders, and families. Pricing is discussed in-person at the academy and is described as 'affordable and competitive.'
2. Seminars: Additional revenue from hosting seminars (e.g., Women's Seminar at $150 per person). Seminars can be held at Gracie Cincinnati or at host facilities.
3. Uniform/Gi Sales: The academy requires students to wear traditional uniforms (kimonos), with only white or blue kimonos allowed. Revenue may be generated from uniform sales or referrals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gracie Cincinnati operates a physical Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy delivering in-person classes for adults and children, including introductory, fundamentals, advanced, no-gi, and open mat formats, as well as specialized seminars. The academy runs structured belt-progression programs with separate tracks for kids (ages 5-14) and adults, taught by certified Black Belt instructors under the Pedro Sauer lineage.

Product overview

Gracie Cincinnati is a professional Jiu-Jitsu academy offering a structured curriculum of classes and programs. The academy provides separate tracks for adults and children: adult programs include Intro to Jiu-Jitsu, Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals, Advanced Jiu-Jitsu, No Gi Intermediate Jiu-Jitsu, Skills and Drills, and Open Mat; kids programs include Little Cubs (ages 5-8) and Junior Lions (ages 8-14) with a belt-based progression system. Seminars are offered as supplemental programs, including specialized Women's Seminars with certification requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Little Cubs Jiu Jitsu Class A foundational Jiu-Jitsu class for children ages 5-8 using movement and coordination exercises, drills, and games to develop confidence, spatial awareness, coordination, and control.
• Junior Lions Jiu Jitsu Class A Jiu-Jitsu class for students ages 8-14 with under 18 months of experience, focusing on fundamental techniques, assertiveness, responsibility, self-restraint, and respect, with supervised sparring.
• Intro to Jiu-Jitsu A 45-minute introductory class designed for beginning students to learn fundamental movements and positions before transitioning into the Basic class; does not include sparring.
• Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals A class providing a solid understanding of core Jiu-Jitsu techniques, conditioning, body movement, and self-defense centered around commonly encountered self-defense scenarios with a monthly positional theme.
• Advanced Jiu-Jitsu A class focusing on transitions, combinations, and advanced movements including competitive Jiu-Jitsu applications and self-defense scenarios with sparring (strikes and grappling); requires Blue belt or above to attend.
• No Gi Intermediate Jiu-Jitsu Jiu-Jitsu practiced without the traditional uniform (kimono), merging submission grappling and wrestling concepts with Jiu-Jitsu positional strategy and movement.
• Skills and Drills An open-level class designed to apply Jiu-Jitsu techniques from the fundamentals class through high repetition drilling and situation sparring to develop timing, weight distribution, and angles.
• Open Mat An open training session where students drill, train, and spar with other members to improve physical performance and technical ability, available with or without the kimono.
• Seminars (e.g., Women's Seminar) Seminars held at Gracie Cincinnati or at the host facility, including a Women's Seminar covering modules on Standing, Mount, Guard, and Boundaries/Defense.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association (PSBJJA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGracie Cincinnati is affiliated with the Pedro Sauer BJJ Association, providing lineage-based credibility and standardized curriculum under the Pedro Sauer Jiu-Jitsu system. This affiliation enables access to instructor certifications, promotional standards, and the broader network of associated academies.
• Academy Jiu-Jitsu MelbourneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliated academy partner within the Pedro Sauer network, listed as a partner on Gracie Cincinnati's website.
• Exploring With GraceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization with a race-related initiative, linked on Gracie Cincinnati's partners page for community collaboration and cross-promotion.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TITLE Boxing Club: National membership-based boxing/kickboxing fitness franchise. Comparable as a subscription-based combat-sports training business targeting similar adult fitness and self-defense customers, but not a BJJ-specific school.
• Premier Martial Arts: Multi-discipline martial arts franchise offering kids and adult programs across karate, kickboxing, and jiu-jitsu. Comparable as a family-oriented martial arts instruction business with a similar kids/adult mix and community-led culture.
• UFC Gym: National franchise offering MMA-inspired group fitness, BJJ classes, and personal training. Comparable as a broader combat-sports fitness brand serving Cincinnati-area consumers, though not BJJ-specialized.

Direct peers

• Atos Jiu-Jitsu: Internationally recognized BJJ competition team with affiliated academies offering kids, adult, fundamentals, and competition programs. Directly comparable to Gracie Cincinnati in curriculum structure, segment coverage, and competitive lineage.
• Gracie Barra: The largest Gracie-affiliated BJJ franchise globally, operating hundreds of academies worldwide under a standardized curriculum and belt system. Directly comparable to Gracie Cincinnati as a Gracie-branded, structured BJJ instruction business serving general and youth students.
• Checkmat BJJ: Major BJJ competition team and academy network offering adult, youth, and fundamentals programs globally. Comparable as a BJJ-specific instruction business with structured curriculum and belt progression.
• Alliance BJJ: World-champion BJJ association with affiliated academies across the Americas and beyond. Comparable as a multi-academy BJJ instruction brand with structured curriculum, kids/adult programs, and lineage-based credibility.
• 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu: No-gi-focused BJJ system with affiliated academies worldwide. Directly comparable to Gracie Cincinnati's No Gi Intermediate offering and adult programming, though differentiated by no-gi specialization.
• Gracie Humaita: Historic Gracie-affiliated BJJ academy network with global affiliated schools offering structured adult and youth programs. Comparable as a Gracie-branded BJJ instruction brand competing in the same category.

Regional players

• Rhino Academy (Cincinnati): Local Cincinnati-area BJJ and martial arts academy offering structured kids and adult programs. Comparable as a direct regional competitor competing for the same Cincinnati-area student base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gracie-cincinnati

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Gracie Cincinnati