Maybe it's a good thing the founders of Brazilian jiujitsu were not huge men. At just 135 pounds, co-founder Helio Gracie was forced to rely on leverage rather than rote strength or merciless tickling to help him overcome larger opponents. So in an effort to reduce the natural advantage of size, he worked these techniques into Brazilian jiujitsu's system of joint locks, chokes, and take-downs. In that way, Brazilian jiujitsu became a practical form of self-defense; you didn't have to be able to kick down a tree to become dangerous.

At Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu, black belt martial artist Dave Clahan and his team have armed students of every size with these same leverage-based self-defense techniques. Inside their 4,000 square foot studio, students of all ages and levels soak up grappling and submission skills they can refine for the ring or reserve for life-saving moments on the street. In addition to building physical ability, the instructors also emphasize building intangible qualities, such as confidence and self-respect.