Groundstone Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

09/11/2026

09/06/2026

See you on the mats! 🥋
Roll-A-Thon rules will be given IN PERSON. 😉
No spoilers. Just show up ready to roll. 😏

09/04/2026

~SATURDAYS~

Adult Open -10am-12pm
Youth Open- 10am-11am

Gi & NoGi

Slap, Bump, Repeat

09/02/2026

🎉 HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY, ! 🥋
Nine years of our GSBJJ family building mats, building warriors, building community, and creating a place people can call home.

Not everyone will ever understand the value of the mats we’ve built …and that’s okay. We know what they mean to us. We know the sacrifices, the prayers, the long days, the lessons, and the lives changed along the way.

Groundstone Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wasn’t created to follow the martial arts industry. It was built to introduce authentic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to a region that had never experienced it before.

Professor Tulsa Simpson founded Groundstone in 2014 with a handful of mats in a garage and a commitment to preserving the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Before Groundstone, there wasn’t a dedicated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy serving Sneads Ferry, Surf City, Holly Ridge, or the Topsail beaches. The culture that exists today was built one student, one class, and one roll at a time.

In 2017, Groundstone opened its first brick-and-mortar academy, creating a permanent home for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu along the coast. It was here that local students became homegrown grapplers, hobbyists evolved into competitors, and families found a place to train together under one roof.

When the world slowed down in 2020, Groundstone doubled down.
Rather than taking a step back, Professors Tulsa and Bianca Simpson purchased an aging warehouse at 1031 Old Folkstone Road and transformed it into the academy that stands today. Every wall, every mat, and every square foot represents years of sacrifice, long nights, and an unwavering belief that this community deserved a world-class academy to call its own.

Today, Groundstone proudly represents the lineage of Professor Fredson Paixão, a 6th Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, IBJJF World Champion, and internationally respected instructor known as the “Wrist Lock King.” As an IBJJF Certified Academy, we remain committed to authentic instruction while embracing the modern evolution of the sport.

Fredson Paixao
Tulsa Simpson Bianca Simpson ~ Groundstone BJJ

08/12/2026

Building champions isn’t just about what happens on the mats. 🥋
It’s about family, discipline, character, and the people standing beside you through the journey.

Groundstone is family-oriented by nature. Professors Tulsa & Bianca are raising four daughters who support Groundstone behind the scenes, grow up around the academy, and are learning what it means to build something that matters.

Champions on the mats. Champions in life.
The medals are great. The belts are earned. But the person you become along the way? That’s the real victory.

🥋 Building Champions On & Off the Mats.

Fredson Paixao

08/06/2026

It isn’t the building, mats, or fancy posts that make Groundstone Brazilian Jiu Jitsu what it is today.
It’s the support , commitment, loyalty, and care from the people here.

07/24/2026

🚨 CO-ED OPEN MAT TOMORROW! 🚨 10am-12pm
Look who’s invading Groundstone tomorrow... 😏🥋

We’re pumped to have some of the ladies from making the trip to train with us! Nothing beats getting fresh rounds with good people who are just as crazy about jiu-jitsu as we are.
If you’ve been thinking about coming to open mat... consider this your sign.

06/19/2026

Our Sensory Roll Program waitlist is now open, with a limited number of spots available. Please complete the form below to secure your place, and a staff member will be in touch with you shortly.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSePwm678eGxdJdx-xF0bXR9jNeaqb0pfzBEtmfOpBa7FEBixg/viewform

06/16/2026

We’re incredibly grateful to the Man’s Legacy Foundation for sponsoring our 2-Day Raider Family Summer Camp! 🙌

Over two days, kids had the opportunity to learn how go be apart of a team and to not give up when things get hard. For many of these young athletes, this was their very first introduction to BJJ, making the experience even more special.

A special thank you to Trey Fagan from Spearit Fishing, a retired Raider, who came out on both days of the camp to deliver a resilience lesson - learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

We loved seeing new friendships form, skills develop, and smiles all around. We can’t wait for the next one! 🤩

Groundstone Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Fredson Paixao Academy SPEARiT Veteran Spearfishing Project

06/12/2026