If you have ego, then you can't keep your safety and the safety of others as a priority. Safety and humility go hand-in-hand. This is rule number one. This rule also applies to the culture and environment of our gym; we believe people should feel safe, comfortable, and accepted.

We teach fundamentals from the source. Professor Larry Shealy learned Gracie Jiu-Jitsu from legendary figures such as Rorion Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, and the Machado Brothers. Larry is a 4th degree Black Belt with Master Rigan Machado. We believe fundamentals and perfect practice are at the core of growing excellent Jiu-Jitsu skills. Rorion Gracie once said "The water is the purest the closer it is to the source."

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a complete fighting system, designed and adopted for self-defense. At Hendo BJJ we focus on the martial art vs. sport jiu-jitsu. We believe Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is more about being a competent fighter to defend yourself and others than it is about scoring points for competition. If you want to travel to other gyms to train, or compete occasionally, you will do well. But know that this gym is focused on real self-defense, not sport. We often safely mix in Brazilian "Vale Tudo" into our practice to keep our Jiu-Jitsu honest.

No participation trophies at Hendo BJJ. If you get a stripe or a new BJJ belt be proud; you earned it. This is as important with our children program as it is our adult program. There are no shortcuts.

If you come train, stay safe, and keep your ego out of it, you WILL get better. The safer you are, the more you can train. The more you train, the more you learn. The discipline to show up even when you aren't motivated shows your heart. Motivation is hit or miss, discipline is consistent.

We are a team. We are here to learn and teach each other, always. We are not training to 'beat' our teammates or to 'win' practice. We are here to make ourselves better and to help our teammates get better as ‘iron sharpens iron’. Whether it's your first moment experiencing martial arts, or you've been honing your Jiu-Jitsu skills for 30+ years, we believe that everyone has something new to learn.

While anyone is welcome to train with us, Hendo BJJ and our core values are anchored in Christian values. We support several non-profits that raise money for things like shoes and food for those in need, and are a huddle group with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Come join us on Saturday mornings for Bible study prior to training.