Renzo Gracie NH

Why Jiu Jitsu is One of the Best Activities for Kids

Jiu Jitsu builds strong, confident kids from the inside out. While it’s easy to see the physical benefits—strength, flexibility, coordination—the deeper changes are often what parents value most.

Confidence That Sticks
Jiu Jitsu teaches children how to face challenges head-on. Every class is an opportunity to learn, make mistakes, and try again. That sense of progress adds up to real confidence. Kids walk a little taller when they know they can get through hard things.

Respect That Shows Up Everywhere
From day one, Jiu Jitsu students learn how to treat their coaches, training partners, and themselves with respect. These lessons naturally follow them to school, home, and beyond. Kids begin to understand the value of discipline, listening, and humility.

Real-World Problem Solving
Jiu Jitsu is like a moving puzzle. Kids are constantly using their minds while learning how to move their bodies. They think critically, react quickly, and make decisions under pressure—all in a safe, supportive environment.

Energy Well Spent
Many kids have energy to spare. Jiu Jitsu offers a structured, positive outlet that leaves them tired, happy, and proud. It also helps them build stamina and focus, which can carry into schoolwork and other areas of life.

A Place to Belong
Being part of a Jiu Jitsu academy means being part of a team. Classes are full of kids who support each other and cheer each other on. It’s an environment where every child is seen, valued, and encouraged to grow at their own pace.

At Renzo Gracie New Hampshire, we’ve seen firsthand how Jiu Jitsu helps kids become more confident, resilient, and respectful—on and off the mats. Whether your child is shy or full of energy, Jiu Jitsu can meet them where they are and help them grow in the best ways.

We’re here to help them start strong.

Ready to try a class? Fill out the form below or stop by one of our locations in Windham, Manchester, or Exeter.

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June 25, 2025/by Customer Care

Keeping Elbows In for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – Why Is This so Important?

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Keeping your elbows in is a fundamental concept in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a few key reasons, primarily related to protecting yourself, maintaining control, and improving your ability to move and submit effectively. Here’s why it’s so important:

1. Protection Against Submissions

Armbar Defense: One of the most common ways opponents attack the arms in BJJ is through the armbar, and keeping your elbows in tight to your body significantly reduces the chances of them getting isolated and extended. If your elbows are flared out, it becomes much easier for your opponent to attack with submissions like armbars, kimuras, or Americana.
Control & Escapes: When your elbows are too far out, your opponent can more easily control your arms, making it harder for you to escape from bad positions like side control or mount.

2. Energy Conservation

By keeping your elbows in, you use your body’s structure more efficiently. When your elbows are out, you’re using unnecessary muscle energy to hold your arms in awkward or vulnerable positions. This can tire you out faster, especially in longer sparring sessions.

3. Posture and Balance

Keeping your elbows in helps you maintain better posture, especially in positions like guard or top positions (like side control or mount). This balance is essential for effective pressure, control, and the ability to react quickly to your opponent’s movements.
It also minimizes openings for sweeps or submissions, making you a more difficult target.

4. Improving Offensive Opportunities

When your elbows are tucked, you can use your arms more efficiently to maintain grips and manipulate your opponent’s movements. For example, in guard, keeping your elbows in helps you maintain a stronger closed guard, keeping pressure on your opponent and making it harder for them to pass.
It also opens up a variety of submissions, such as the kimura, where a tight elbow position is critical for setting up the lock.

5. Preventing Injuries

When you flare your elbows out, you place more strain on your joints, which can increase the risk of injury over time, especially during transitions or scrambles where you’re trying to fight for position.

In short, keeping your elbows in is essential for maintaining good structure, controlling the fight, avoiding submissions, and conserving energy. It’s one of the basic principles that can make a huge difference in both defense and offense in BJJ!

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February 16, 2025/by Customer Care

Moving our Salem Academy to 20 Rocking Ham Rd.

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We would love to introduce you to the areas NEWEST & MOST PREMIER Jiu Jitsu academy. This new academy is fully state of the art boasting 4000 square feet of mat space, showers, and over 100 parking spaces. Also, we have a 1700 square foot MMA area. Keep your eye out for upcoming new programs and classes!

July 9, 2018/by Renzo Gracie NH

Master Renzo Gracie Teaching his NH students

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September 3, 2017/by Renzo Gracie NH

Train With The Family

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Adult & Childrens classes can now be held at the same time at both locations. The goal of every parent is to raise a happy and well-adjusted child. At Renzo Gracie NH we live by our values, family, teamwork, loyalty and integrity. We believe these basic values hold true for any family and we invite you to come in or call to learn more about our new family training classes.

We are offering a special spring 2017 discount to those interested.

50% off family enrollment special.

visit us to learn more..

We look forward to seeing you!

Shortly after my son turned four, my wife and I brought him to Renzo Gracie NH to check out the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Kids Program. After meeting with Professor Kevin Landry, I knew Renzo Gracie NH was perfect for us.

May 16, 2017/by Renzo Gracie NH

Team mate of the month 2

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What brought you into RGNH

I wanted to learn extra self defense, as a women you can never have enough.

What was the biggest change you’ve noticed since you enrolled

I’ve noticed I’ve gained a newfound confidence in every sense of the word.

What was the biggest change you’ve noticed since you enrolled

I’ve noticed I’m healthier and my body feels better from all the exercise.

What was the biggest change you’ve noticed since you enrolled

I’ve noticed I’ve gained a giant extended family that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

What was the biggest change you’ve noticed since you enrolled

I’ve noticed I’m more confident in my ability to defend myself if the need ever arises.

What was the biggest change you’ve noticed since you enrolled

I’ve noticed I enjoy being here and learning new techniques every day!

May 13, 2017/by Renzo Gracie NH

Team mate of the month

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What brought you into RGNH

I have always wanted to try a martial art, but it never seemed like the right time, and i never had enough confidence. One day I decided it was time for me to invest in my personal development on a physical level. I walked into RGNH and was immediately drawn to the warm environment. I didn’t have to look any further. I had found my academy.

What was the biggest change you’ve noticed since you enrolled

I have noticed a big difference in my level of confidence, the ability to get out of my comfort zone and try something completely new, both inside the academy and out.

What would you say to the person that is intimidated to come try a class

I had a friend say this to me and my response to her was, “step foot in my academy and you will never turn back. The environment is warm and the people are amazing.”

Do you feel strength is required

no. I never thought so. If I did then as a 4′ 11″ woman I wouldn’t have considered it. This was confirmed when inexperienced that the right technique can work for any size person. It is all about the technique.

What is the best challenge RGNH brings you

to challenge myself and not quit. You will have great days and bad days, but when you look back on the time you have spent training, you realize how far you have really come. That, in and of itself, is extremely gratifying.

Is short how do you feel RGNH has helped you

I have made amazing friends, I am in the best physical shape of my life, and I have gained confidence in my ability to do anything I set my mind to.

May 13, 2017/by Renzo Gracie NH

The 2017 GOOD Fight Championship

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Reflection, Pride and The Team

I probably mention the word Team in conversation with my students, family and friends about one hundred times a day. Many people hear the word and pass it by. They see a team as a group of people participating in a competition on the same field, in the same game, at the same time, and with one goal of winning. How can a martial art, like Jiu Jitsu, where individuals compete with one other person from an opposing team, represent their team as a whole?

That concept, in and of itself, is an art.

When I see my students teaching one another on the mats every day, celebrating each other’s advancements and encouraging each other when they need support, the pride I feel is immeasurable. They not only see their own success in the success of their teammates, but bond on a level that only they understand.

That bond, that pride, and that accomplishment, is exactly what I was feeling the day of the 2017 GOOD Fight Championship.

Each one of the competitors on the Renzo Gracie NH Team stepped onto the mat, not as individuals, but with the entire Team behind them, cheering them on, lifting them up, and celebrating their bravery for stepping onto the mat for competition. Some teammates placed in their division, others did not. But all of them represented the academy with the highest level of honor and pride. The growth I have witnessed in all of their techniques, the confidence and strength that has grown inside of them through the gentle art, and most of all, the love and affection that each teammate shows one another every day, makes my heart swell with joy.

At the GOOD Fight Championship, Renzo Gracie NH took home the winning trophies in both the kids and adult category. Number One, in both categories!

As a Professor who has loved the art of Jiu Jitsu for the past twenty-four years, I had to take a moment and reflect on the amazing people, amazing Team, amazing accomplishment, that has been brought to life.

It’s humbling, really, to think that nineteen years ago I was stepping onto the mat at my first competition under Master Renzo Gracie. I remember standing there, looking around at the other competitors, nervous of course, and having a vision that one day I would own my own academy and create a Team of Jiu Jitsu students who would carry on the lineage of the great Jiu Jitsu Masters that I was fortunate enough to learn from. I envisioned myself teaching at the academy and coaching their competitions, understanding all too well what they were feeling the first time they competed, the second time, the fourth time.

That vision became a reality while I watched my students compete at the GOOD Fight Championship. They may have walked onto the mat by themselves, but they had the whole Team behind them. For that, I am both proud and grateful.

May 1, 2017/by Renzo Gracie NH