“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” This quote by Cicero illustrates one of the most important lessons that we learned from the eternal grandmaster Helio Gracie.

Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude and to reflect on the many blessings in our lives. This week, as we gather around the table and enjoy the timeless traditions of the season, let us pause to remember the many Americans fighting overseas to protect our freedom. Our hearts are with their families as they celebrate the holiday without their loved ones, and we are eternally grateful for their sacrifice.  We should also be grateful to all the men and women of law enforcement and fire protection for there outstanding service to promote our safety and well being. Professors Pedro, Gui, Joaquim, accompanied by brown belt Burak Eyilik, took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday to visit the Miami Beach Fire Station with Valente Brothers student and firefighter George Barreiro.  See the picture gallery.

We also want to personally thank our loyal students on behalf of the entire Valente Brothers family for their unwavering support of our school. Together we will work to maintain the spirit of friendship and knowledge that makes up Valente Brothers.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Today, Valente Brothers once again hosted the IX Hélio Gracie Self-Defense Challenge. The event displayed students’ excellent technical level. Participants were challenged with realistic street attacks and had to react instinctively. This event presents a valuable opportunity for students to perform under pressure.

The Valente Brothers Professors would like to congratulate every student who accepted the challenge and contributed to a wonderful experience.

See the event’s pictures on the Valente Brothers Facebook page.

Results:
Felipe Lay
Eric da Silva
Roberto Fleischmann
Steven Abood

Today, students, parents and teachers came together for a great day of Jiu-Jitsu, friendship, and knowledge. Our Little Champs and Juniors students participated in this year’s Youth Fellowship Challenge demonstrating high levels of technique and confidence. The event took off with a speech by Professor Pedro Valente, who stressed the purpose of the challenge as being to create self-confidence and provide a life lasting experience for all. Professor Valente also reminded parents that Jiu-Jitsu, unlike other recreational sports, should constitute an integral part of every child’s education. Following Pedro’s remarks, over 100 great sparring matches took place and filled parents, family members and teachers with pride. Finally, Professor Gui Valente, assisted by purple belt Eric Mainade, mesmerized the audience with a breathtaking demonstration of our stand up self defense system. He performed effective defenses against choke holds, grabs, bear hugs, punches and kicks. At the end, all participants were rewarded with a gold medal for their efficiency, dedication and discipline.

Valente Brothers would like to thank all of our students, staff and families for their ongoing support and commitment to our school.

See our Facebook Picture Gallery

Dr. Pedro Valente Sr. confirmed his presence for the upcoming belt ceremony on December 9th. Dr. Valente, a Master Professor and red an black belt under Grandmaster Hélio Gracie, will visit Valente Brothers for the first time in two years. The father and mentor of professors, Pedro, Gui and Joaquim, joined the famous Gracie Academy in 1953 and received the coveted Professors’ Diploma by Grandmaster Hélio Gracie. Dr. Valente is a world renowned plastic surgeon. This year’s ceremony is expected to be one of the biggest ever and multiple black belts could be awarded.

One week after over 30 seventh graders visited and trained at Valente Brothers, the eight grade class rolled in for a special self-defense class at our main school in North Miami Beach. The class, designed to introduce Jiu-Jitsu to Cushman’s teachers and students, covered a variety of standing and ground grappling techniques. All young students were very happy with the opportunity to learn a few Jiu-Jitsu tricks before moving on to high school next year. On a special note, VB students and brothers, Josh and Will Herbert, attended the class and assisted their Cushman peers during the session.

Upcoming Events

Hélio Gracie Self-Defense Challenge – Saturday, November 21st at 2PM (Register at the school)

Adult Programs Belt Ceremony – Wednesday, December 9th at 8PM

Valente Brothers Annual Dinner – Sunday, December 13th at 5PM (The location of this year’s dinner will soon be announced)

For additional information please contact us at info@ValenteBrothers.com

The belt ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 9th, at 8PM, following the Fundamentals class. The Throwing Techniques class will be canceled. As usual, during the December Belt Ceremony, black belts may be awarded and this year multiple students could receive this great honor.  All students should attend, family and friends are welcome.

What – Valente Brothers Belt Ceremony
Where – Valente Brothers Jiu-Jitsu
When – December 9th, 2009 at 8PM

Today over thirty seventh graders from the Cushman School had a special seminar/field trip at Valente Brothers. Professor Gui Valente and assistant instructor Felipe Lay covered basic self-defense techniques and shared a little bit of the Jiu-Jitsu philosophy with the students and teachers.

Note – The Cushman School was founded in 1924 and is the oldest PK-8 private school in Miami. The school was named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1991-1992, is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools.

The Youth Fellowship Challenge has been carefully designed to be a multi-cultural learning experience, to allow children the opportunity to exhibit their skills in an atmosphere of cooperation and respect for fellow participants, and most importantly to build confidence that will last a lifetime.

The event will take place on Novermber 15th. The Little Champs will lead the way starting at 10:30 AM.

We have redesigned our site to allow for easier access to our programs and updates, more information on our historical resources, and increased opportunities for our supporters and students to stay informed and get involved. New features you can explore today include – the revamped Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section where you can learn all about Valente Brothers and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu; our new About us section where you’ll learn more about Valente Brothers.

Over the coming month we will be adding new features and content to the site. Features to look forward to include a login section, where students will have access to their training history, ranking and other resources; an internal search engine; and new videos and photo galleries. So keep checking back to see what’s new and send your thoughts and suggestions to info@valentebrothers.com