Mario Roberto Jiu-Jitsu

MRJJA STUDENTS,

Our landlord just informed us that snow removal has been delayed due to equipment issues so all classes are canceled tonight. We apologize for the inconvenience! Classes will resume as normal tomorrow 3/17.

Please reach out if you have any additional questions.

-MRJJA STAFF
(507) 202-0036

I want to congratulate my teacher, Anibal Braga, on his promotion to 9th Degree Red Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

It is a rare and historic achievement that reflects a lifetime dedicated to the art, to teaching, and to the growth of countless students around the world.

There have been many posts celebrating his promotion, so I would like to share a more personal side of the story.

I started training under Anibal around 1992. My first teacher, Pedro Carvalho, moved to the United States and Anibal took over his gym in Gávea, in the south zone of Rio.

Very few students stuck around during the transition, but even though I was only a teenage yellow belt at the time, I felt that Anibal took a personal interest in my progression.

We spent a lot of time training together, and I had the chance to observe a few things. First, this guy had a real passion for Jiu-Jitsu. Second, he had a true curiosity and thirst for knowledge, never claiming to have the final answer to any technical question. Third, and most importantly, he was completely unselfish in sharing his knowledge. I decided then that he would be my teacher.

As the years went by, my skill level slowly increased. Many instructors would have isolated their top student and aggressively protected him from other schools potentially poaching him.
Anibal did none of that. Instead, he personally took me to visit countless gyms, always introducing me to the instructors and making sure I faced as many challenges as possible. I am pretty sure he had some fun with the process, since I found myself in some tough spots here and there 😆

I even ended up joining and competing for a bigger gym, always with his blessing and support. I eventually went to medical school and decided to transition to MMA. After graduating, I moved to the US and started my own gym. Jiu-Jitsu has been my livelihood ever since.

I am blessed. Several male figures have positively influenced my life throughout the years. However, only one was the steward of my exposure to the most impactful element in my life: Jiu-Jitsu.

For that, I am forever indebted and grateful. Mestre, you deserve this recognition and much more. Congratulations and thank you!

Huge congratulations to on his impressive win last weekend 🏆 thanks to the coaches and students for making the trip to Iowa to show support and represent 💪

*updated open mat schedule* we will be hosting two open mats tomorrow at 11 am and 5 pm. See you there! Only open to active MRJJA students.

Open mat schedule this week— reminder that normal classes will resume on Friday, Jan. 2nd!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday! Open mat this Saturday from 11 am — 12 pm.

Great job to the MRJJA crew today at the competition in Minneapolis!

Thanksgiving schedule for the remainder of this week!

Wishing you all a safe holiday. See you back on the mats on Dec 1!

What an amazing group of women today at our x self-defense seminar! It was incredible to see everyone step out of their comfort zone and learn practical tools to feel stronger and more confident — both on and off the mats 🥊

This week’s highlights— Father-son duo training at BJJ fundamentals and stripe promotions for our hardworking white belts! Great job all around everyone. 🥋

Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday’s Grappling for Cody event and the entire community for their support. It was great having back on the mats. The hard work, dedication, and resilience of our students are unmatched🥋