The Academy
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When Rorion Gracie and his brothers first began revealing the secrets of their family art of Jiu-Jitsu,
they taught anywhere they could throw down a mat. Known as the "garage days" by those early students who
fondly remember grappling in makeshift classrooms cobbled together in spare bedrooms and empty car garages,
it was a period of growth and experimentation for Rorion and his family. During this initial phase, the Gracies
established their curriculum and teaching methods, adapting them to best meet the needs of their students.
It wasn't long, however, before the demand for Jiu-Jitsu instruction by Rorion mushroomed beyond his
cottage-industry facilities. In order to accommodate the expanding list of applicants pleading for instruction,
he began to design what was to be the first American Gracie Jiu-Jitsu AcademyŽ. And so it was that in August of
1990, Rorion officially opened the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy at 1951 West Carson Street in Torrance California.
The world of martial arts would never be the same again.
The Torrance Academy quickly became a beacon for martial artists, not just from California or across America,
but from around the world! Its reputation for teaching the absolute best empty-hand system attracted expert
and novice alike. Once again, the Gracies found themselves unable to keep up with the demand for instruction.
Responding to the wishes of anxious students, Rorion expanded the facilities in 1994 and again in June of 1995,
more than quadrupling the size of the existing Academy.
The facility was a 15,000+ square foot training center, featuring spacious, well-designed instruction
rooms, complete dressing facilities for men and women and a comfortable juice bar where students can refresh
themselves after a hard work-out. Leaving the concept of the austere, traditional martial arts school behind,
the Gracie Academy is an attractive, inviting environment.
As of May 2007, the Gracie Academy has moved to a new 12000+ square foot training facility located at 3515 Artesia Blvd still in Torrance, CA. The new Gracie Academy although is smaller (due to less office space) boasts )the largest continous training mat roughly 4000+ square feet. There are two large private rooms, a comfortable lobby area, even larger locker rooms for men and women, vending machines, and of course the Gracie Musuem. In addition to regular private, semi-private and
group instruction, the Academy is a center of learning for numerous Federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies which regularly convene there for G.R.A.P.L.E.® (Gracie Resisting Attack Procedures for Law Enforcement)
intensive camps and refresher courses. The Torrance facility is also the base for Rorion's WOMEN EMPOWERED®
program, the innovative rape prevention course which is being enthusiastically embraced by women's groups
nationwide.
It's amazing how much things have changed since the early days. However, the most essential feature of the
Torrance Academy is one it shares with its "garage days" ancestors: It's still the home of the most effective
self-defense instruction in the world.
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