New Schedules begin June 7th!
We’re excited to announce a major step forward for our team: Renzo Gracie Austin is now officially part of the Renzo Gracie Lone Star Team, joining Renzo Gracie Round Rock and Renzo Gracie Pflugerville.
For us, this is about much more than adding another academy. It’s about building a stronger Jiu-Jitsu community throughout Central Texas and giving our students more opportunities to train, learn, compete, and grow together.
One of the biggest benefits of bringing Austin into the Lone Star Team is that our students will now have access to an even larger training community.
Students from Renzo Gracie Austin, Renzo Gracie Round Rock, and Renzo Gracie Pflugerville are welcome to cross-train at our other Lone Star Team academies at no additional charge.
That means more training partners, more instructors to learn from, more classes to choose from, and more opportunities to get on the mats.
Each academy will continue to have its own identity, schedule, instructors, and community, but when we compete, train, and represent Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, we are one team.
As part of this new chapter, we’re putting a strong leadership team in place at Renzo Gracie Austin.
Professor Ramiro Leon will serve as Head Instructor, leading the adult Jiu-Jitsu program and helping establish the culture and training standards of the academy.
Professor Gabe Hansell and Coach Bobby will serve as managers, helping oversee the academy’s operations and ensuring Austin students receive the same level of instruction, organization, and community that we expect across the Lone Star Team.
Professor Ellis Ward will serve as Head Kids Instructor, leading the development of the Renzo Gracie Austin kids program and helping build the next generation of Lone Star Team students.
Having three academies gives us the ability to create opportunities that would be much harder for a single location to accomplish.
Throughout the year, we’ll be bringing our academies together for team training sessions, seminars, competition camps, in-house tournaments, kids events, open mats, social events, and more.
We want students to know the people they see representing the Lone Star Team at tournaments. We want our kids to develop friendships with teammates from the other academies. And we want our adults to have a huge network of training partners throughout the Austin area.
When one academy succeeds, the entire team succeeds.
Our vision for the Lone Star Team has always been bigger than simply operating individual gyms.
We want to build a Jiu-Jitsu community where someone can walk into any of our academies and immediately feel like they are training with teammates.
With Renzo Gracie Austin, Renzo Gracie Round Rock, and Renzo Gracie Pflugerville, our students now have three places to train, a growing group of coaches and professors to learn from, and an even larger community supporting them.
Whether your goal is to learn Jiu-Jitsu for the first time, get in better shape, build confidence, compete at a high level, or simply become part of a great community, there is a place for you on the Lone Star Team.
We’re incredibly excited about what comes next for Renzo Gracie Austin and the entire Renzo Gracie Lone Star Team.
Three academies. One team. One community.
We’ll see you on the mats.
We’re proud to officially introduce the relationship between Renzo Gracie Round Rock and Renzo Gracie Pflugerville two academies, one vision, and the foundation of what we are building together as Renzo Gracie Lone Star Team.This isn’t about opening a second location and running two separate schools. This is about creating a unified team, a shared culture, and a training environment where our students have more opportunity than ever before.
Renzo Gracie Round Rock and Renzo Gracie Pflugerville are sister programs, not separate academies.A membership at one location gives you full access to classes at both.You are not choosing between gyms you are gaining access to an expanded training schedule, more coaching, more teammates, and more opportunities to grow.
Renzo Gracie Lone Star Team represents the next step in our journey not just as a school, but as a community.Two homes.One standard.One culture.One team.We’re grateful for every student, parent, and teammate who has helped us build this. The future of jiu jitsu in Round Rock and Pflugerville is something we’re creating together—one class, one round, and one team at a time.“
Starting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Between learning techniques, rolling with teammates, and adjusting to the physical demands, many new students make the same mistakes early on. The good news is these mistakes are easy to fix once you know what to look out for.
In this blog, we’ll cover the most common jiu jitsu mistakes beginners make and how you can avoid them, so you progress faster and enjoy training more.
One of the biggest beginner mistakes in jiu jitsu is forgetting to breathe. When rolling, many students tense up and hold their breath, which causes fatigue and panic.
Fix it: Focus on slow, steady breathing especially when you’re stuck in a tough position. Relaxed breathing helps you conserve energy and think clearly.
It’s natural to want to muscle your way out of bad spots, but over-relying on strength slows down your progress. Jiu jitsu is about leverage, timing, and technique.
Fix it: Train with smaller or more experienced partners and challenge yourself to use as little strength as possible. This forces you to rely on technique instead of raw power.
Beginners often focus only on submissions and forget that defense is just as important. If you can’t escape bad positions, you won’t be able to apply your own game.
Fix it: Spend time learning escapes from mount, side control, and back control. A strong defense builds confidence and makes you harder to submit.
Every beginner has been there: refusing to tap to a submission out of pride. But holding out too long can lead to injuries and setbacks.
Fix it: Tap early and often. Tapping isn’t losing, it’s learning. You’ll come back stronger and healthier for the next round.
Some new students want to jump straight into rolling without building a foundation. Skipping drills slows down technical growth and makes bad habits harder to break.
Fix it: Embrace warm-ups and repetition. Drilling builds the muscle memory you’ll need when rolling at full speed.
In the beginning, enthusiasm runs high. Many beginners try to train every day, roll at 100%, and push through injuries. This usually leads to burnout or time off the mats.
Fix it: Aim for consistency, not exhaustion. Two to three classes per week is plenty for most beginners. Prioritize recovery, and you’ll improve faster in the long run.
Beginners often lean too far forward, cross their feet, or leave arms exposed, making them easy targets for sweeps and submissions.
Fix it: Always think about posture (keeping your spine straight) and base (staying balanced). A good posture makes you harder to sweep or submit.
Some students are too shy or embarrassed to ask questions in class. This slows down progress and keeps them stuck repeating the same mistakes.
Fix it: Ask your instructor or training partners when something feels confusing. Most teammates are happy to help, and good questions show you’re serious about learning.
Because there are thousands of techniques in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, beginners often try to memorize everything they see. This creates information overload and prevents mastery.
Fix it: Stick to the fundamentals. Focus on learning a few core positions, escapes, and submissions really well before adding new layers to your game. Depth is better than breadth when you’re starting out.
Making mistakes in jiu jitsu is part of the journey, every black belt started as a beginner who tapped thousands of times. By avoiding these common jiu jitsu mistakes, you’ll save yourself frustration, prevent injuries, and accelerate your progress.
The most important thing to remember: relax, stay consistent, and enjoy the process.
One of the most common questions I get from students is some variation of:
How many times a week should I be coming?
Should I train through injuries?
How hard should my rolls be?
The truth is, like most things in jiu jitsu, it depends. Everyone’s situation, body, and goals are different. What works for a 20-year-old competitor isn’t the same as what works for a 40-year-old hobbyist with a busy career and family.
If you can, I always recommend training at least three times a week. That seems to be the sweet spot where you get the best returns for the least investment. It’s enough to retain what you’re learning, improve your timing, and build consistency without burning out.
If you can only make it twice a week, that’s still great—just know progress will feel a little slower. If you’re able to go four or five times a week, fantastic—just make sure you’re balancing intensity and recovery.
Not every roll has to be a battle. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Think of your training partners as tools in your toolbox: some are there to push you and test your limits, while others are there to let you slow things down and focus on technique. Both are equally valuable.
I recommend at least one session a week where you push yourself hard. That means rolling with intensity, testing your cardio, and challenging yourself mentally. This type of training prepares you for the moments that really matter—whether that’s competition, self-defense, or simply proving to yourself that you can handle discomfort.
The rest of your sessions can be at a more moderate pace, where you’re refining skills, experimenting, and staying safe.
This is where balance comes in. If you wait until you feel 100% healthy every time you train, you’ll end up taking weeks off between sessions. On the other hand, if you ignore serious injuries and try to “tough it out,” you risk sidelining yourself for months.
The key is to train around injuries, not through them. Tweaked knee? Maybe sit out guard passing rounds and play more top. Sore shoulder? Work your legs and guard retention. Banged-up ribs? Take drilling more seriously that week and minimize live rounds.
Jiu jitsu is a long game, and the athletes who last are the ones who learn how to manage their bodies intelligently.
How hard you should be training depends on your age, goals, and physical condition—but consistency beats everything else. Train three times a week if you can, push yourself hard at least once a week, and learn to balance effort with recovery. Over time, you’ll find your rhythm, and your body will thank you for it
When it comes to jiu jitsu, people tend to fall into two camps:
Belts are everything, the ultimate measure of skill.
Belts don’t matter at all, it’s all about who can win in a roll.
The truth? Belts do matter. But they matter in a different way than most people think.
In many ways, belts could almost be swapped out with the word “experience.”
Take the common example people love to bring up: a collegiate wrestler walks into a jiu jitsu academy as a white belt and starts dominating brown and even black belts. Does that mean belts don’t matter?
Not exactly. That wrestler has probably logged more mat time than most of the higher belts they are beating. It is not magic, it is years of grappling experience translating into jiu jitsu success.
Belts are not an arbitrary ranking, but they are also not a perfect, fixed measurement. They are more like a band of skill.
On average:
The average blue belt will lose to the average purple belt.
The average purple will lose to the average brown.
The average brown will lose to the average black.
But averages are not absolutes. You will always find outliers, blue belts who can tap black belts, brown belts who cannot keep up with certain purples, and so on. Those cases usually involve someone who has significantly more experience than their belt suggests.
There is also a big difference between different promotion standards. Some instructors, especially at the highest levels, can hold students at a belt for years. You cannot fairly compare those students to an average athlete at the same belt who trains at a gym with faster promotions.
Here is something that is often overlooked: you can have a lower belt who is more technically skilled in certain areas than a higher belt. But they may lack the broader context that only years of training bring.
For example, when Renzo Gracie teaches the triangle choke, he does not just show the mechanics. He explains when it was first introduced, what passing strategies dominated before it, and how its arrival completely changed the course of jiu jitsu. That kind of perspective helps you appreciate the evolution of the art, and that perspective takes time.
Experience also changes your focus. Early on, jiu jitsu is often about what you can get out of it, how you can improve, win, and learn. Over time, it becomes more about what you can pass on to the next generation. That shift is a huge part of what higher belts represent.
Yes, a 60-year-old black belt with 40 years on the mat might not physically keep up with a young, athletic blue belt. But the wealth of knowledge they carry, the decades of problem solving they’ve done, and the history they have lived through are invaluable.
So do belts matter? Absolutely. They are not the only measure of skill, and they do not always tell the whole story, but they represent more than just who can win on a given day. They represent time, contribution, and the responsibility to keep the art alive.
By Professor Gabe, Renzo Gracie Round Rock
One of the most common things I hear from students, especially around blue belt, is some version of “I feel stuck” or “I don’t think I’m getting any better.”
And if you’ve been training for a while, you probably know exactly what they mean.
Early in your jiu jitsu journey, everything feels new and exciting. You’re learning new positions, hitting new techniques in live rolls, and progressing seemingly every week. Those are your “newbie gains” and they’re a lot of fun. You show up, you learn something, and that thing actually works. It’s addicting.
But here’s the truth: jiu jitsu progression is not linear
You’ll have stretches where it feels like everything clicks, where you’re learning and improving faster than ever. And then out of nowhere, you’ll hit a plateau. Sometimes it lasts a few weeks. Sometimes it lasts a year. You might even feel like you’re getting worse.
That’s part of the deal.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re going to have good months and bad months. Sometimes even good years and bad years. The only way to fail at jiu jitsu is to quit.
There’s a reason people talk about the “blue belt blues.” Blue belts have been training long enough to know some things, and they’ve likely put in enough mat time to feel like they’ve accomplished something. But that initial honeymoon phase is over. They stop seeing big gains. They feel like they’re treading water or worse, going backwards.
For some, this is where it ends. They got the blue belt, they’ve “done jiu jitsu,” and they move on. But those who keep going, who push through, tend to come out stronger, sharper, and more deeply connected to the art.
One thing I’ve noticed that doesn’t get talked about much is the slump that can hit around brown belt. You’ve been training for 7 to 10 years. You’ve poured a huge part of your life into this. And then suddenly, for some people, that voice creeps in:
“Why am I even doing this?”
“What have I really accomplished?”
“Was this all a waste of time?”
At brown belt, people start questioning everything. Their motivation dips. They feel disconnected. It’s quiet and subtle, but it can be intense and it often hits right before that final push to black belt.
I’ve seen it again and again. People give up just before achieving the goal they’ve been working toward for nearly a decade.
But I’ve also seen people make it through that slump by rediscovering the fun in training. By reconnecting with the joy they felt when they first started. They let go of the pressure they’ve put on themselves, they stop trying to live up to imaginary rules, and they just show up, roll, and fall back in love with the art.
If you’re in one of these plateaus, whether it’s early on at blue belt or deep into the journey at brown, talk to your coach. You’re likely closer to a breakthrough than you realize. You’re not broken, you’re not failing, you’re just in one of those valleys that every serious practitioner walks through.
And if your coach doesn’t make space for that kind of conversation, if they don’t listen or they dismiss what you’re feeling, then it may not be you or jiu jitsu that’s the problem. It might be the environment.
No one gets through this alone. The mats teach us a lot, but so do the people we train with. Stick with it, lean on your team, and remember the only way to fail is to stop showing up.
Renzo Gracie Round Rock Explains the Real Answer
As parents, we’re all looking for tools to help our kids grow into respectful, disciplined, and confident young people. One of the most common questions we get at Renzo Gracie Round Rock is:
“Does jiu jitsu help with behavior problems in children?”
The short answer? Yes absolutely.
But the full truth is a little deeper.
Our kids’ jiu jitsu program is designed to teach children structure, accountability, and self-control. On the mats, they learn to follow instructions, respect their instructors and training partners, and work through challenges even when things get hard.
We see kids every day transform from unfocused or disruptive into disciplined and confident students over time. But that change doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
Here’s the part most gyms won’t say out loud:
If a child comes to jiu jitsu class and is held accountable for their behavior only to go home and spend eight hours eating junk food, glued to screens, and avoiding any structure you will not see meaningful long-term change.
At Renzo Gracie Round Rock, our instructors are committed to helping improve your child’s behavior
As long as that effort is being reinforced at home.
We can’t be the only source of discipline in your child’s life. Consistency is key. If your child learns to respect authority and control their emotions at practice but doesn’t experience the same boundaries at home, they’ll stay stuck and you’ll be disappointed in the results.
Let’s be real. There will be days when your child doesn’t want to go to jiu jitsu. There will be days they’re tired, stubborn, or flat-out say, “I don’t want to do this anymore.”
And here’s the truth
Every single parent who has seen long-term behavioral improvements with our program has pushed through those days.
They’ve taught their kids that we show up even when we don’t feel like it. That discipline isn’t just for the easy days. And as a result? They’ve watched their children grow into more respectful, confident, and emotionally resilient human beings.
At Renzo Gracie Round Rock, we take our role in your child’s development seriously. We’ll support, guide, and hold them accountable. But jiu jitsu is just one piece of the puzzle.
Lasting change happens when what we teach on the mats is reinforced at home.
If you’re ready to be part of that team, we’re ready to help your child thrive.
Contact us or stop by Renzo Gracie Round Rock to see how our program can help your child grow on and off the mats.
If you’ve ever looked at jiu jitsu and thought, “I wish I could do that… but I’m too old” or “I need to get in shape before I start,” let me stop you right there.
At Renzo Gracie Round Rock, we hear this all the time, and we’re here to tell you that it’s just not true.
We have students in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s who train consistently and love it. In fact, some of our most dedicated members are older adults who train every day. Jiu jitsu isn’t just for young athletes or competitors, it’s a lifelong art that meets you where you’re at and evolves with you.
You don’t need to be flexible, fast, or in peak physical condition to get started. You just need the willingness to learn, and we’ll take care of the rest.
One of the biggest misconceptions we hear is that people feel they need to lose weight or build endurance before stepping on the mats. But the truth is, there’s no way to get in “jiu jitsu shape” without actually doing jiu jitsu.
Jiu jitsu is a full-body workout that builds strength, cardio, flexibility, and confidence all at once. Many of our students came in feeling out of shape, unsure, or intimidated, and now they’re thriving. They’ve dropped weight, improved mobility, reduced stress, and found a community that supports them every step of the way.
The jiu jitsu mats are packed with people who have lost 10, 20, even 30 pounds of fat over their years of training. Other people have gained muscle, improved heart health, even improved mental faculties.
We know trying something new can be intimidating. That’s why our academy is built on respect, humility, and encouragement. You won’t find egos or cliques here, just a family of people helping each other grow.
Whether you’re a parent looking for a new way to stay active, a retiree seeking a new challenge, or someone just tired of the treadmill routine, there’s a spot for you on our mats.
At Renzo Gracie Round Rock, we specialize in helping beginners of all backgrounds take their first steps into jiu jitsu. We’ll guide you at your pace, help you learn the basics, and make sure you feel welcome every time you walk through our doors.
So if you’re wondering if you’re too old or too out of shape to start, you’re not.
You’re ready.
Come try a class and see for yourself.
We get asked this a lot at Renzo Gracie Round Rock:
“Is Jiu Jitsu actually useful for self-defense?”
And the honest answer is, absolutely. In fact, that’s kind of the whole point.
When Jiu Jitsu was first developed, it wasn’t for sport, medals, or Instagram highlights. It was for real-life situations — how to survive and stay safe if someone bigger and stronger came after you.
Let’s talk about why it works so well, especially for everyday people right here in Round Rock.
Jiu Jitsu is different from a lot of other martial arts because it doesn’t rely on speed, strength, or aggression. It’s about technique, leverage, and staying calm under pressure.
We’ve got adults in our program who’ve never trained a day in their life before walking through our doors. Parents who just want to know how to keep their kids safe. Women who want to feel more confident going out alone. College students, nurses, teachers, real estate agents — all learning the same thing:
How to stay safe in a chaotic situation — without needing to throw a punch.
One of the reasons Jiu Jitsu is so effective for self-defense is because it teaches you what to do when someone grabs you, tackles you, or tries to hold you down. Most real-world altercations end up like that — and when they do, striking usually goes out the window.
That’s where Jiu Jitsu shines. You learn how to stay calm, protect yourself, and take control, even if your opponent is bigger, stronger, or more aggressive.
And the best part? You actually get to practice it safely. In every class, we’re testing our skills in live training. No guessing, no theory — just real experience.
The truth is, most people who train Jiu Jitsu long enough get calmer, not more aggressive. It’s humbling. You learn to breathe, think, and problem-solve — not just on the mats, but in life too.
And we work hard to keep the culture at Renzo Gracie Round Rock ego-free. No tough guy energy, no weird cliques — just good people helping each other get better. It’s not about being a fighter. It’s about being ready, and feeling confident in your own skin.
Whether you’re a total beginner or you’ve trained before, we’ve got a spot for you here. We run adult and kids classes, and every single class is focused on building real skill, in a safe and supportive environment.
You’ll learn how to:
Stay safe in close-quarters situations
Get out of bad positions
Control someone without hurting them
Build real confidence in yourself and your ability to handle stress
And you’ll do it with a great group of people who are all working toward the same thing.
If you’re in Round Rock and curious about what Jiu Jitsu can do for you — come train with us. Your first class is free, and there’s no pressure to sign up on the spot. Just come in, meet the team, and see what it’s all about.
Visit us at Renzo Gracie Round Rock
2051 Gattis school road ste 600 Round Rock Texas
Questions? Shoot us an email at info@renzogracieroundrock.
The origins of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be traced back to Japan, where Jiu-Jitsu (or Jujutsu) was developed as a method of unarmed combat. This ancient art focused on using an opponent’s force against them, employing joint locks, throws, and grappling techniques.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jiu-Jitsu began to evolve as different schools (or ryu) developed their own variations. One of the most influential figures during this period was Jigoro Kano, who founded Judo by refining and systematizing Jiu-Jitsu techniques into a more sport-oriented form. Judo quickly gained popularity and began spreading internationally.
Judo’s international reach eventually brought it to Brazil, thanks to Mitsuyo Maeda, a skilled Japanese Judoka and a direct student of Jigoro Kano. In 1914, Maeda traveled to Brazil as part of a worldwide tour demonstrating Judo. During his stay, he met Gastão Gracie, a prominent businessman who helped Maeda settle in Brazil. In gratitude, Maeda began teaching Judo (referred to as Kano Jiu-Jitsu at the time) to Gastão’s sons, including Carlos Gracie.
Carlos Gracie quickly became proficient in the art and began teaching it to his siblings, most notably his younger brother, Hélio Gracie. While Carlos adhered to traditional Judo techniques, Hélio found some of them difficult to execute due to his smaller stature and physical limitations. This led Hélio to adapt and modify the techniques, focusing more on leverage, timing, and ground fighting rather than strength and size.
Hélio Gracie’s innovations laid the foundation for what would become Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He emphasized the importance of ground fighting and developed a system where a smaller, weaker person could defend themselves effectively against a larger, stronger opponent. This new approach to Jiu-Jitsu was revolutionary and marked the birth of BJJ as a distinct martial art.
The Gracie family began to challenge other martial artists to prove the effectiveness of their style. These “Gracie Challenges” became legendary, showcasing the superiority of BJJ in real combat situations. Over time, the art spread throughout Brazil and eventually reached the United States, gaining international recognition.
Among the Gracie family members who have significantly contributed to the art’s global prominence is Renzo Gracie, a grandson of Carlos Gracie. Renzo has been a pivotal figure in the evolution and dissemination of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Known for his exceptional skills and deep understanding of the art, Renzo has competed at the highest levels of both BJJ and MMA, further proving the effectiveness of his family’s techniques.
Renzo Gracie has not only succeeded as a competitor but also as a teacher and ambassador of BJJ. He has established numerous academies worldwide, spreading the knowledge and philosophy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to thousands of students. His contributions have solidified the Gracie legacy and ensured the continued growth and development of BJJ.
The 1990s saw a significant turning point for BJJ with the advent of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Royce Gracie, one of Hélio’s sons, entered the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993. Royce’s dominance in the tournament, despite facing much larger and stronger opponents, showcased the effectiveness of BJJ to a global audience and sparked a surge of interest in the art.
Today, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is practiced worldwide, both as a sport and a self-defense system. It has become an integral part of MMA training and has produced countless champions and practitioners dedicated to mastering its techniques.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s history is a testament to the art’s adaptability and effectiveness. From its Japanese origins to its transformation in Brazil, BJJ has continually evolved, blending tradition with innovation. Figures like Renzo Gracie have played a crucial role in bringing BJJ to the world stage, ensuring its legacy continues to grow. Whether you’re looking to improve your self-defense skills, compete in sport BJJ, or simply enjoy a rigorous workout, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers something for everyone. Join us at Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to become part of this rich and ongoing legacy.
