Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Welcome to Gracie Gym Maine!
Gracie Gym Maine is a premier Brazilian Jiujitsu facility located in Windham, Maine. We are conveniently located on Route 302 by Shaws, Staples and a nearby Walmart. Our facility has state of the art equipment using Dollamur swain grappling mats. We have 5 changing rooms, 2 bathrooms, a weight room as well as a recovery lounge featuring a cold plunge and an infrared sauna. We offer classes for all ages and have a full schedule including 6:00am, noon and evening classes. We also offer a free one-week trial for our beginners’ classes! Our instructors are highly qualified black belts who are currently competing in the most prestigious tournaments in grappling Jiu-Jitsu, both in Gi and No-Gi competitions. Our academy lineage goes all the way back to the roots of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil and we have an extended Jiu-Jitsu family all over the USA, most closely connected to Texas at our Headquarters in Dallas!
What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
A family tradition since 1925, founded by brothers Carlos and Hélio Gracie, and passed on to their extended family, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a self-defense martial art system and combat sport, focused on grappling and ground fighting. It promotes the concept that smaller and weaker people can successfully defend themselves against bigger, stronger, and heavier attackers. It emphasizes getting an opponent to the ground in order to use ground fighting techniques such as submissions, involving joint-locks and chokeholds. A more precise way of describing this would be to say that on the ground, physical strength can be offset or enhanced by an experienced grappler, who knows how to maximize force, using leverage and technique as an advantage. This system of maneuvering and manipulation can be likened to a form of kinetic chess, when used by two experienced practitioners. A submission hold is the equivalent of checkmate, reflecting a disadvantage which would be extremely difficult to overcome in a fight (such as a dislocated joint or unconsciousness).
The Benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
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Self-Defense: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been proven to be one of the most effective martial arts in the world, by an endless stream of mixed martial artists who have arm barred and choked their way to victory. Boiled down to its essence, a martial art is a tool for defending yourself.
2
Health & Fitness: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an amazing full body workout. The warm-up, the drills, and the sparring, will leave you crawling off the mats at the end of class. You’ll lose weight, and be inspired to eat healthy, setting yourself up for a much longer and healthier life.
3
You’re never too old to start: Whether you’re 20, 40 or 70 years old, it’s never too late to start. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses on your (perceived) disadvantages. While youth certainly have its benefits, age also has its strengths. Experience suggests you’re probably a better decision maker, something that could certainly improve your game. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is about making yourself better. Nothing more.
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Problem Solving: BJJ teaches you that there’s an intelligent solution for every problem, even if the solution is tapping out. When you learn, you’re basically lifting weights with your brain. Studying and training will keep your brain quick, agile, and young.
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Friendship: When you train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you’ll instantly make friends. You need the help of other people to master the art.
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Escapism: When you’re in class, the drudgery of a 9 to 5 grind immediately goes away. When you have bigger and stronger training partners trying to choke you, you won’t be thinking about your troubles, and when you’re done, you’ll feel inspired and optimistic.
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Self-Confidence: While learning BJJ, you’ll overcome many challenges, which will greatly boost your self-esteem.
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Teaching: On your first day of BJJ you’ll learn how to tie your belt. On your second day you can show someone else how to tie their belt. BJJ teaches you how to teach.
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Humility: There’ll always be someone faster, stronger, and younger on the mat, but there is no losing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, only learning.
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Patience & Longevity: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu takes time. After about 6 months you’ll start to feel like you might know what to do. After almost a lifetime, you’ll feel much younger than your age, healthier, and like there’s still a lot more to learn.