What is this Future Champions program at Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu Highland Village Texas?

If you are looking at the Future Champions program at the Highland Village academy, you have to understand that it is not a typical after school activity where kids just run around and burn off energy. It is a very deliberate system designed to build a specific kind of character that is getting harder to find in the world today. When you drop your child off on those mats, you are essentially enrolling them in a leadership academy that happens to use grappling as the primary teaching tool. Under the guidance of Professor Sirilo Santiago and his team, the focus is on taking a child who might be shy or overly aggressive and leveling them out into a confident, disciplined human being.

The program is broken down into three distinct age groups because a six year old and a twelve year old process information in completely different ways. For the youngest ones, the Little Champions, the style is almost entirely based on coordination and following directions. They play games that are secretly high level jiu jitsu movements. By the time they realize they are learning how to bridge their hips or shrimp across the mat, they have already built the muscle memory to escape a bad position. It is a brilliant way to trick a child into developing elite athleticism without them ever feeling like they are sitting through a dry lecture.

As they move into the older brackets, the focus shifts toward a very honest version of self defense. In a place like Highland Village, you want your kids to have the “mental armor” to handle a bully without becoming one themselves. They learn the “non violent” way to end a conflict. Instead of being taught to throw a punch that could get them suspended, they learn how to close the distance, take an aggressor to the ground, and just hold them there. It takes an incredible amount of maturity to neutralize a threat without hurting someone, and that kind of restraint builds a quiet confidence that most bullies will not even try to test.

There is also a fascinating cultural layer to the classes. Because the school is so connected to its Brazilian roots, your kid is going to naturally pick up pieces of the Portuguese language. You will hear them counting out their jumping jacks and repetitions by shouting um, dois, tres with the rest of the group. They hear the native pronunciations for the different grips and positions every single day. It keeps their brains working in a way that is totally different from their schoolwork, turning a physical workout into a bit of an unintentional language immersion.

The physical discipline also forces a conversation about health at home. When a kid is training that hard, they start to realize that their body needs real fuel to keep up. You might find yourself talking to them about why they need to eat better or why they need to stay hydrated with more than just sports drinks. You will see the older kids even starting to pay attention to their own recovery, maybe realizing they need a good night of sleep or a solid meal with the right vitamins like zinc and B12 to feel sharp for the next day of training. It turns their physical well being into a personal project.

Are you looking to get a younger child into the introductory games of the Little Champions group, or do you have an older kid who is ready for the more structured self defense drills of the Future Champions II block?

If you want me to pull up the exact schedule for the Highland Village kids sessions this week so you can come by and see a class in action, I can grab those times for you right now.

🥋 Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu Highland Village: A Comprehensive Profile

Gracie Barra Highland Village is a top-tier martial arts academy located in Highland Village, Texas, serving the communities of Highland Village, Flower Mound, Lewisville, and Lantana. As an official franchise of Gracie Barra (GB)—one of the largest and most respected Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) organizations in the world—this academy adheres to high standards of instruction, safety, and curriculum.

Here is a detailed breakdown of everything you can expect from this specific academy.

1. Philosophy and Mission

The academy operates under the global Gracie Barra motto: “Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone.”

This means the school is not an intimidating “fight club” for professional cage fighters. Instead, it is an educational center designed to make BJJ accessible to toddlers, teenagers, working professionals, and seniors alike. The goal is personal development through martial arts, focusing on:

 Self-Defense: Real-world protection.

 Wellness: Physical fitness and mental health.

 Community: Building a positive social environment.

2. Program Structure

Gracie Barra Highland Village utilizes a standardized, week-by-week curriculum. This means a student knows exactly what they are learning, and if they visit another GB school, the instruction remains consistent.

1. Future Champions (Kids Program)

This is a cornerstone of the Highland Village location, given the family-oriented demographics of the area.

 Little Champions I (Ages 3–6): Focuses on “mat awareness,” coordination, following instructions, and basic body movements. It is heavily game-based to keep toddlers engaged.

 Little Champions II (Ages 7–9): Introduces technical Jiu-Jitsu. Students learn escapes, controls, and the Gracie Barra Anti-Bullying system (verbal de-escalation and non-violent control).

 Juniors & Teens (Ages 10–14): A more mature curriculum that prepares students for the adult program. It focuses on fitness, discipline, and complex problem-solving.

1. GB Adult Program

The adult curriculum is split into tiers to ensure safety and proper progression.

 GB1: Fundamentals (White Belts): The entry-level program. It focuses on self-defense, safety, and the core principles of BJJ (base, posture, leverage). There is usually no full-contact sparring (rolling) in the first few weeks to prioritize safety.

 GB2: Advanced (Blue Belt & Up): Once the basics are mastered, students move to GB2. This class involves more complex techniques, combinations, and live sparring (“rolling”).

 GB3: Black Belt Program: Designed for advanced practitioners to refine their style, flow, and transitions.

1. Private Training

For students who want to accelerate their learning or work on specific weaknesses, the professors at Highland Village offer one-on-one private lessons.

3. The Class Experience

A typical 60-minute class at GB Highland Village follows a rigid structure:

1. Line Up: Students line up by rank (belt color) and bow in to show respect.
2. Warm-up: 10–15 minutes of calisthenics and BJJ-specific drills (shrimping, breakfalls).
3. Technique: The Professor demonstrates a technique (e.g., an escape from the mount) and explains the leverage points.
4. Partner Drills: Students pair up to practice the move.
5. Specific Training  Rolling:

 Beginners: Positional training (starting from a specific spot and resetting).

 Advanced: Free sparring.

6. Bow Out: Class ends with a formal dismissal and handshake line.

4. Facility and Standards

Gracie Barra Highland Village maintains the “Premium School” standards required by the franchise.

 Hygiene: The mats are sanitized professionally every day. Personal hygiene (clean Gi, trimmed nails) is strictly enforced.

 Uniforms: Students are required to wear the official Gracie Barra Uniform (Gi). This fosters a sense of equality and team unity—on the mats, a CEO and a student are equals.

 Atmosphere: The facility is designed to be bright, clean, and welcoming to families. It typically includes a lobby for parents to watch their children train.

5. Instructors and Lineage

The instructors (Professors and Coaches) at GB Highland Village are certified through the Gracie Barra ICP (Instructor Certification Program).

 This ensures they are not just good fighters, but trained teachers who know how to handle safety, first aid, and pedagogy.

 The Texas region of Gracie Barra is historically very strong, influenced heavily by high-level Brazilian professors who settled in the Dallas/Houston areas. The instruction at Highland Village reflects this high-level lineage.

6. Benefits for Highland Village Residents

 Community Connection: It serves as a “third place” (outside of home and work/school) for residents of Highland Village and Flower Mound to socialize.

 Bully Prevention: For local school-aged children, the program provides confidence and tools to handle social and physical aggression.

 Stress Relief: For working adults, the intense focus required in BJJ acts as a form of “moving meditation,” clearing the mind of work stress.

7. Getting Started

The enrollment process at Gracie Barra Highland Village is standardized:

1. Free Introductory Class: New students are almost always offered a free trial class to experience the culture.
2. Introduction: You will likely meet with a Program Director who will give you a tour, explain the schedule, and discuss membership goals.
3. The “Red Shield”: Upon signing up, you receive your uniform and are welcomed into the team.

Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu Highland Village is a structured, safe, and family-centric martial arts academy. It combines the rigorous physical training of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with a supportive community atmosphere, making it a popular choice for families in the Denton County area.

Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu Highland Village

Informations

ADDRESS

200 Marketplace Ln, Suite 205, Highland Village, TX, United States, Texas

PHONE

+1 (972) 439-7411

What is this Future Champions program at Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu Highland Village Texas?