Women’s jiu-jitsu and self-defense
A women’s class every Friday at 10:00 AM, open to every level, plus co-ed beginner classes six days a week. Your first class is free, and we provide the gi.
The Friday women’s class
Fridays at 10:00 AM is the women’s class. It’s open to every level, from first-timers to experienced students, and it’s one of the classes you can book as a free intro.
It teaches the same Gracie Barra jiu-jitsu as the rest of the academy: escaping holds, getting back to your feet, and controlling someone larger without striking. Training with other women is a comfortable way to start.
Program Director Paula Galter is a regular part of the women’s training community here.
Training more than once a week
One class a week is a fine start. If you want to train more, every adult class is open to women, beginning with GB1 Fundamentals, which runs Monday through Saturday with early-morning, late-morning and evening options. You can sit out any round.
How jiu-jitsu fits with a self-defense course
Short self-defense courses, like the R.A.D. classes the Chandler Police Department runs for women, teach awareness and a set of responses in a few sessions. Jiu-jitsu adds weekly practice against a partner who is really resisting, which is how the escapes become automatic. The two work well together.
Class times for women
The women’s class plus the co-ed beginner classes. Times are Arizona time.
Monday
- 10:00 AMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levelsFree intro OK
- 6:00 PMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levels, mat 2Free intro OK
Tuesday
- 6:30 AMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levelsFree intro OK
- 10:00 AMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levelsFree intro OK
- 7:00 PMAdult No-GiAdults, all levelsFree intro OK
Wednesday
- 6:30 AMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levelsFree intro OK
- 10:00 AMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levelsFree intro OK
- 6:00 PMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levels, mat 2Free intro OK
Thursday
- 10:00 AMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levelsFree intro OK
- 6:00 PMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levels, mat 2Free intro OK
Friday
- 10:00 AMWomen’s ClassWomen, all levelsFree intro OK
- 6:00 PMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levels, mat 2Free intro OK
Saturday
- 10:00 AMGB1 FundamentalsAdults, all levels, mat 2Free intro OK
Questions women ask first
Still unsure? Call (480) 512-9177.
Is the women’s class only for beginners?
No. It’s open to women of every level, Friday at 10:00 AM, and it’s a beginner-friendly first class.
Can women train in the regular classes too?
Yes. Every adult class is open to women, including GB1 Fundamentals six days a week, so you can train more than once a week from the start.
Does the women’s class teach self-defense?
Yes. It teaches Gracie Barra jiu-jitsu in a class for women, and the techniques are practical self-defense: escaping holds, getting up safely and controlling a larger person.
Try the Friday class
Enter your age and you’ll see the Friday women’s class and this week’s Fundamentals times. Arrive 15 minutes early; we provide the gi.
Book a free class
Free, and we provide the gi. Takes about a minute.