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    • location_on

    Renzo Gracie Academy

    categoryAcademy
    calendar_month1996
    location_onNew York City United States
    id_card

    Description

    Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Midtown Manhattan founded by Renzo Gracie in 1996. It is associated with John Danaher's Danaher Death Squad and has trained fighters and grapplers including Georges St-Pierre, Matt Serra, Gordon Ryan, and Garry Tonon.

    Also known as

    Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy

    Locations (1)

    • location_onNew York City United States
      224 West 30th Street, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States
      warning No sources cited

    Founder

    Renzo Gracie

    Instructors (2)

    • Renzo Gracie
      Head instructor
      1996
      Probable
      Probable
      One secondary source (Wikipedia) states he founded and heads the academy since 1996.
      The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      1 source expand_more
      fact_check
      One secondary source (Wikipedia) states he founded and heads the academy since 1996.
      “Renzo Gracie Academy is a martial arts school headed by Renzo Gracie, located in Midtown Manhattan. [...] Renzo Gracie founded the academy in 1996.”
      — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Renzo Gracie Academy - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info
    • John Danaher
      2006

    Trained here (4)

    • John Danaher
      sports_martial_artsBrazilian jiu-jitsu Confirmed
      Confirmed
      Wikipedia, BJJ Heroes, and Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu all confirm Danaher trained under Renzo Gracie at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan; black belt date confirmed by BJJ Heroes
      The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.
      under Renzo Gracie (1991 – 2002)
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      2 sources expand_more
      fact_check
      Wikipedia, BJJ Heroes, and Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu all confirm Danaher trained under Renzo Gracie at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan; black belt date confirmed by BJJ Heroes
      “After arriving in New York, Danaher was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu by a friend at the university, and began taking classes at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan.”
      — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). John Danaher (martial artist) - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info
      “John Danaher is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt under Renzo Gracie”
      — BJJ Heroes. John Danaher - BJJ Heroes. BJJ Heroes link history info
    • Firas Zahabi
      sports_martial_artsBrazilian jiu-jitsu Confirmed
      Confirmed
      BJJ Heroes confirms Zahabi holds a black belt under John Danaher and was promoted at the Renzo Gracie Academy in 2011; corroborated by Zahabi's own public statements and Wikipedia's list of Danaher's notable students
      The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.
      under John Danaher (2006 – 2011)
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      4 sources expand_more
      fact_check
      BJJ Heroes confirms Zahabi holds a black belt under John Danaher and was promoted at the Renzo Gracie Academy in 2011; corroborated by Zahabi's own public statements and Wikipedia's list of Danaher's notable students
      “Pierre, arguably MMA's greatest fighter of all time, would frequently visit jiu-jitsu coach extraordinaire, Mr. John Danaher in New York City, at the Renzo Gracie Academy, a trip Firas started taking as well from around the mid-2000s.”
      — BJJ Heroes. Firas Zahabi - BJJ Heroes. BJJ Heroes link history info
      “Firas Zahabi's hard work on the mats would lead to his black belt promotion, an endorsement by John Danaher in an event that took place in 2011.”
      — BJJ Heroes. Firas Zahabi - BJJ Heroes. BJJ Heroes link history info
      “I'm a black belt under John Danaher. He is the greatest jiu-jitsu coach of all time and arguably the greatest MMA coach of all time.”
      — Firas Zahabi: John Danaher Is The Greatest Jiu Jitsu Coach Of All Time (BJJDOC)link
      “Firas Zahabi”
      — John Danaher - Wikipedia (EN)link history
    • Georges St-Pierre
      sports_martial_artsBrazilian jiu-jitsu Probable
      Probable
      Wikipedia explicitly states Renzo Gracie awarded GSP his BJJ brown belt on July 21, 2006
      The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.
      under Renzo Gracie (2006)
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      1 source expand_more
      fact_check
      Wikipedia explicitly states Renzo Gracie awarded GSP his BJJ brown belt on July 21, 2006
      “St-Pierre received his brown belt in BJJ from Renzo Gracie on July 21, 2006.”
      — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Georges St-Pierre - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info
      sports_martial_artsBrazilian jiu-jitsu Probable
      Probable
      Wikipedia infobox lists John Danaher as one of GSP's BJJ trainers; Danaher was also a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 12 for GSP's team
      The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.
      under John Danaher (2008 – 2013)
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      1 source expand_more
      fact_check
      Wikipedia infobox lists John Danaher as one of GSP's BJJ trainers; Danaher was also a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 12 for GSP's team
      “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: John Danaher, Bruno Fernandes, Renzo Gracie”
      — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Georges St-Pierre - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info
    • Travis Stevens
      sports_martial_artsBrazilian jiu-jitsu Probable
      Probable
      Wikipedia credits Travis Stevens's BJJ black belt to John Danaher and Renzo Gracie jointly, with Danaher performing the promotion itself
      The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.
      under Renzo Gracie
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      1 source expand_more
      fact_check
      Wikipedia credits Travis Stevens's BJJ black belt to John Danaher and Renzo Gracie jointly, with Danaher performing the promotion itself
      “Stevens also holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under John Danaher and Renzo Gracie, which Danaher awarded on November 19, 2013.”
      — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Travis Stevens. Wikipedia (English)link history info
      sports_martial_artsBrazilian jiu-jitsu Confirmed
      Confirmed
      Wikipedia states Travis Stevens holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under John Danaher and Renzo Gracie, which Danaher awarded on November 19, 2013; BJJEE reproduces Danaher's own Facebook post calling Stevens "my friend and student"
      The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.
      under John Danaher
      fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
      Frederico Muñoz
      Researcher, Martialis
      2 sources expand_more
      fact_check
      Wikipedia states Travis Stevens holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under John Danaher and Renzo Gracie, which Danaher awarded on November 19, 2013; BJJEE reproduces Danaher's own Facebook post calling Stevens "my friend and student"
      “Stevens also holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under John Danaher and Renzo Gracie, which Danaher awarded on November 19, 2013.”
      — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Travis Stevens. Wikipedia (English)link history info
      “It is with considerable pride and happiness that I learned this memorial weekend of the outstanding success of my friend and student, Travis Stevens.”
      — BJJEE. (2016). John Danaher On The Heart & Work Ethic of Travis Stevens. BJJ Eastern Europe (BJJEE)link history info

    Tags

    bjj · academy · new-york · gracie

    Sources

    Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Renzo Gracie Academy - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info
    “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: John Danaher, Bruno Fernandes, Renzo Gracie”
    — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Georges St-Pierre - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info

    Identifiers

    https://martial.is/entity/01KYYYTTW3RXYAKA5JVNCFB9CA
    Wikidata

    Cite and reuse

    CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
    Plain text
    Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Renzo Gracie Academy. In Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01KYYYTTW3RXYAKA5JVNCFB9CA - CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
    BibTeX
    @incollection{martialis_01KYYYTTW3RXYAKA5JVNCFB9CA, author = {Muñoz, Frederico}, title = {Renzo Gracie Academy}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database}, year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url = {https://martial.is/entity/01KYYYTTW3RXYAKA5JVNCFB9CA}, urldate = {ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
    data_object JSON-LDdata_object Turtle

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