Why it matters
My priority is the competition team. It has grown to where it is because I've worked hard to protect it.
We're Gracie Barra, training under the Gracie Barra flag, and Gracie Barra is about the team and unity. Competition team athletes set the tone for everyone else in the School, so the standards for this group are clear and they don't shift for one person.
The standard
Non-negotiable
- Full Gracie Barra uniform in training and at competition. Stock GB gi, GB belt.
- Respect referees. No yelling, ever.
- No training with staph or ringworm.
- Focus in training, every session.
- Turn up to team events and team dinners, and support your teammates.
- No dating Students. No inappropriate language.
- Gracie Barra aligned: no sponsor patches or other teams' gear.
- The GB Foundations and GB Institute material stays as it is.
The full list to agree to is at the bottom of this page.
How to do it
Know what's negotiable
Athletes, older teens especially, like to be independent. That's fine. Every teen athlete I've coached has found something on this list they don't like, and that's normal too. So I'll always say whether something is negotiable or not.
Non-negotiable
A deal breaker
If you can't live with one of these, that's okay. No harm, no foul, no drama. It just means this program isn't the right fit for you right now.
Negotiable
Let's talk
A lot of this plan has room for compromise, and I'm open to the conversation. Come to me the right way (see Communication) and we'll work it out.
Wear the full uniform
- At comps: the full GB uniform. The red competition T-shirt or the red hoodie, GB attire. A bit of your own streetwear is fine, as long as there's something Gracie Barra on you.
- Stock GB gi. No patches, no name, no Instagram handle, no quote. Stock.
- GB belt. A belt that was a gift, even one with your name on it, can mean a lot. It still stays at home. On the mat it's a Gracie Barra belt.
Hold the conduct standard
- Respect. No yelling at referees: not on the mat, not from the side, not online afterwards. Bad calls are part of competing.
- No training with staph or ringworm. Come, watch and learn instead. Full protocol in Skin & Staph.
- Focus in training. Locked in, every session. It's the free part of the plan. See Focused Training.
- No dating Students. If you train with, coach or assist our Students, that line doesn't move.
- No inappropriate language. On the mat, at comps, in team chats, online. There are kids everywhere at a Jiu-Jitsu event.
Put the team first
- Turn up to team events and team dinners. They're part of the program, not optional extras.
- Coach and support other people. Corner your teammates, warm them up, watch their matches, help the younger ones. We're here for the team.
- Stay to the end when your teammates are still competing.
Check with me before any deal
Gracie Barra alignment sounds abstract until it comes up. This is where it usually does:
"A company wants to sponsor me..."
"...but I need to put their patch on my gi." The answer is no.
"I can go on this superfight show..."
"...but they need me to wear their rashguard." The answer is no.
I'm a Gracie Barra coach and a Gracie Barra Ambassador, so I'm Gracie Barra aligned. I won't go against Gracie Barra for the interest of one athlete. If that doesn't suit you, that's fine: there are other teams that can help you. Talk to me before you say yes to anything like this, not after.
Learn to follow
Wanting individual recognition is natural. Putting it ahead of the team is where a lot of problems start, so I don't encourage it. Recognition comes, and it comes through the team.
The expectation is discipline and follow-through: learning to follow, and being humble enough to accept the rules of this program over the long term. That isn't about control. It's about being part of something bigger than one athlete, and it's a skill that makes you better at everything else in this guide.
Common mistakes
- Wearing a gifted or custom belt to training. Keep it at home. GB belt on the mat.
- Patches, names or handles on the gi. Stock GB gi only.
- Arguing with referees, on the mat or online. Shake hands, thank the ref, bring the call to your coach later.
- Treating team dinners and events as optional. They're part of the program.
- Leaving once your own matches are done. Stay and support your teammates.
- Saying yes to a sponsor or a superfight first, then asking. Ask first.
- Asking for sponsors or privates after one good result. Keep building with the team. Recognition follows the work.
The list
Non-negotiables
I agree to these
Plus the minimums from the rest of this guide: no drinking, smoking, vaping or drugs (Clean Athlete), and under 18, no weight cutting (Diet).