GFTEAM black belt leading an adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class

A New GFTEAM Academy

World-Class Jiu-Jitsu For Adults & Kids

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu · Mt. Juliet, TN · Now Open

Kids Classes Adult Classes Anti-Bullying Program Competition Classes
Explore the Programs →

The legendary GFTEAM system, forged in Rio de Janeiro — now raising confident, capable kids and families in Mt. Juliet. Kids classes, Parent & Child, and an anti-bullying program build real character on the mat — alongside a strong adult program, from total beginner to competitor. The doors are open — come see it for yourself.

0 Founding Spots
0 Programs For Every Age
0 World Champions In Lineage
0 Family Friendly

The Arrival

A New Standard
Finds Its Home

GFTEAM — Grappling Fight Team — was built in Rio de Janeiro under Master Julio Cesar into one of the most decorated competition teams in the history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Now that system arrives in Mt. Juliet — built first and foremost for families. GFTEAM APEX brings the exact curriculum and the exact standard, taught in a welcoming academy where kids, parents, and neighbors grow together. Our biggest goal is a strong family environment, right in the heart of a community full of young families like yours.

  • Classes for the whole family — from little ones to adults
  • Confidence, character, and an anti-bullying focus for kids
  • Authentic GFTEAM curriculum, Gi & No-Gi for every level
  • A welcoming home for total beginners and growing families
The GFTEAM Jiu-Jitsu building exterior Est. July 2026

The Founding Offer

Be One Of
The First 50

Founding membership is a one-time window. Three advantages, reserved only for the first 50 people who claim a spot.

A GFTEAM APEX black belt instructor kneeling on the mat with four young students in gis and a baby, in front of the GFTEAM wall logo.
One of the first fifty.
01

Founder Rate, Locked For Life

Lock the lowest membership rate GFTEAM APEX will ever offer. It never goes up, for as long as you train. Every member who joins after the founding fifty pays more.

02

Only 50 Charter Spots

Founding membership is capped at fifty. When they are gone, they are gone, and the founding rate closes with them. No exceptions, no second round.

03

Founders-Only Pricing

Claim founder pricing held exclusively for the first fifty — the window closes when the spots do. Get in early, train first, pay the least.

Spots are claimed in the order requests arrive.

The Programs

A Program For
Every Age

One academy, the whole family on the mat. From your little one's first class with you, to kids and teens, to a strong adult program and competition team — all taught through the proven GFTEAM curriculum.

A parent and young child training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu together
Ages 3–5 Parent & Child

Parent & Child

Step onto the mat together. Our Parent & Child classes help little ones build coordination, listening, and confidence side-by-side with mom or dad — the perfect first step for young families.

A First Step For Young Families
Kids learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in class
Ages 6–12 Anti-Bullying

Kids Jiu-Jitsu

Confidence, discipline, and respect that carry off the mat. Our kids program builds character and real anti-bullying skills, teaching focus and resilience that screens never will.

Confidence & Anti-Bullying
Teens training on the GFTEAM APEX mats
Ages 13–15 Gi & No-Gi

Teen Jiu-Jitsu

A positive outlet and a tight-knit crew. Teens build strength, self-control, and genuine self-defense while staying grounded, challenged, and part of something bigger than themselves.

Strength & Self-Control
Adults training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the gi
All Levels Gi & No-Gi

Adult Jiu-Jitsu

A complete, serious adult program — the full GFTEAM path from your first day to black belt. Fundamentals, live training, and the details that win, in a room that pushes you and welcomes you. Train while your kids train, or come on your own.

Beginner To Black Belt
The GFTEAM APEX training floor
No-Gi Competition

No-Gi & Competition

Pace, scrambles, and relentless submission hunting. For anyone chasing the competitive edge under championship coaching.

The Competitive Edge
The GFTEAM APEX academy, where beginners take their first class
Beginners

Foundations Program

Never trained before? Start here. A focused, ego-free on-ramp into jiu-jitsu that gets you comfortable and capable, fast.

No Experience Needed

For Families & Kids

More Than Jiu-Jitsu

We are not just opening a gym — we are building a family. Our number-one goal is a strong, welcoming environment where kids grow in confidence and character, and parents become part of a real community. For the young families in our neighborhood, the mat becomes a second home.

Children building confidence in a GFTEAM APEX kids class

Our Kids Program

Confidence
That Carries
Off The Mat

Jiu-jitsu gives kids something no screen can: the quiet confidence of knowing they can handle themselves. In a safe, structured, encouraging room, children learn focus, respect, and self-control — and how to stand up to bullies without throwing the first punch. Every class is a lesson in character as much as technique.

  • Parent & Child classes for little ones (ages 3–5)
  • A dedicated anti-bullying focus — and the confidence to use it
  • Discipline, focus, and respect that show up at home and school
  • A safe, positive place to make friends and burn energy

Character Development

Respect, discipline, and perseverance are taught on the mat the same way technique is — deliberately, in every single class.

Anti-Bullying Confidence

Kids learn to stay calm, set boundaries, and protect themselves — building the self-assurance that keeps them from becoming a target in the first place.

A Family Community

Train together, cheer each other on, and grow alongside other local families. When parents train too, kids stick with it — and everyone wins.

Why APEX

A Standard You Can Feel

Two GFTEAM APEX students working a grip on the mat, one coaching the other through the detail.
Coached, detail by detail.

Authentic Lineage

Train the real GFTEAM system, direct from one of Rio's most accomplished competition teams. No watered-down, off-the-shelf curriculum.

Built For Families

Never trained? You — and your kids — are exactly who we built this for. Structured fundamentals, zero ego, and a room that genuinely wants your whole family to stay.

Brand-New Facility

Fresh mats, clean space, a modern training floor. You are not inheriting someone else's gym. You are founding it from day one.

Family Friendly• Kids & Teens• Adults• Parent & Child• Anti-Bullying• Competition• Gi & No-Gi• All Levels• Beginner Program

The Lineage

A Direct Line To The Source

GFTEAM APEX is not inspired by the GFTEAM system. It is the GFTEAM system, carried by a black belt in the lineage, taught the same way it produced champions in Rio.

A GFTEAM black belt instructor leading a class

Who You'll Learn From

A Brazilian
Black Belt In
The Area

Every class at GFTEAM APEX is led by a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt trained in the GFTEAM system — a rare thing to have right here in our area. No part-timers, no shortcuts. Your family learns the art from someone who has earned the right to teach it, the way it was meant to be taught.

  • A Brazilian black belt teaching right in your neighborhood
  • Decades of combined mat experience
  • Specialists in kids, families, and complete beginners

Meet Professor Nando →

World-Class Pedigree

GFTEAM has produced world and national champions across every belt and weight, from Rio de Janeiro to the global stage.

A Proven System

Decades of refinement in one of the most competitive jiu-jitsu environments on earth, delivered here without compromise.

Led By A Black Belt

Every class is guided by an experienced GFTEAM black belt, so you learn the art the way it was meant to be taught.

Questions

Before You Step On

Founding members lock the lowest rate GFTEAM APEX will ever offer for as long as they train, secure one of only 50 charter spots, and claim founder pricing reserved exclusively for the first members.
Yes — the academy is open and training at 1003 Meb Court, Suite 400, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122. Book your free class to come see it, and ask about the remaining founding memberships while they last.
More than okay. Our Foundations Program is built specifically for total beginners. You will start with structured fundamentals in a supportive, ego-free room. Most of our founding members are starting from zero, right alongside you.
Yes. As long as your membership stays active, your founding rate never increases, even as standard prices rise after launch. It is our thank-you for believing in the academy before the doors opened.
Exactly 50. When the charter fills, founding membership closes and the founder rate closes with it. Spots are reserved in the order requests arrive.
Absolutely — kids are at the heart of GFTEAM APEX. We have age-specific classes for little ones (Parent & Child, ages 3–5), Kids (ages 6–12), and Teens (ages 13–15). Each one is focused on confidence, discipline, coordination, character, and real jiu-jitsu skill in a safe, structured, encouraging environment.
They are classes designed for little ones (ages 3–5) to train right alongside a parent. You will roll, play, and learn together — building your child's coordination, listening, and confidence while sharing the mat. It is the perfect, low-pressure first step for young families, and a great way to spend quality time together.
Yes. Anti-bullying is a core part of our kids curriculum. Jiu-jitsu teaches children to stay calm under pressure, set firm boundaries, and protect themselves without ever throwing the first punch. Just as importantly, it builds the quiet self-confidence that makes them far less likely to be targeted in the first place.
That is exactly what we are built for. Many families train together at GFTEAM APEX — little ones in Parent & Child, kids and teens in their age groups, and parents in adult classes, often while their kids are on the mat. Building a strong family community is our number-one goal, and we would love yours to be part of it.
Just comfortable athletic clothing and a water bottle. No gi or equipment required to start. When you are ready to commit, we will get you outfitted in an official GFTEAM gi.
GFTEAM APEX is located at 1003 Meb Court, Suite 400, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122. Book your free class and come see the academy — we will help you find the right program from there.

Founding Memberships Closing Soon

Secure Your Founding Spot

50 spots. One founding rate. Now open in Mt. Juliet.

GFTEAM APEX · 1003 Meb Court, Suite 400, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122