Founded by three brothers passionate about the martial art, the Miami-based space attracts students with its technique focused on self-defense
07/13/2024 04:01 AM Updated 2 days ago
Valente Brothers Academy, in Miami
A family tradition gave rise to one of the most well-known Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools in the United States. Founded in 1993 in Miami and led by brothers Pedro, Guilherme, and Joaquim Valente, the Valente Brothers academy attracts a clientele of celebrities and ordinary people seeking to learn the martial art that combines benefits for physical and mental health, such as developing strength, endurance, and flexibility, as well as teaching self-defense techniques and helping combat stress and anxiety.
Well-known personalities in the United States, such as Ivanka Trump, former advisor and daughter of the former US president, as well as Brazilian actresses living in the country like Carolina Dieckmann and supermodel Gisele Bündchen, are among the academy’s students. The supermodel takes classes with her children Benjamin and Vivian, 14 and 11 years old, and Ivanka also recently revealed that she takes her children to classes. “My 11-year-old daughter told me she wanted to learn self-defense. As a mother, I felt very proud and loved that she felt this desire and awareness at such a young age. So, I called some friends in Miami, who recommended Valente Brothers to me,” she said during a conversation on the Lex Fridman Podcast.
In an interview with Vogue, Guilherme Valente explains that one of the school’s differentials is that, in addition to the fighting technique, they also promote important values of the martial art’s philosophy, such as discipline, self-confidence, and respect. “We have developed our own codes with principles about quality of life and virtues that should be cultivated among fighters,” he says.
The brothers learned the modality from Hélio Gracie, a pioneer of the martial art in Brazil. The Valente family’s history with the fight began with their grandfather, Syllo Valente, was continued by their father, plastic surgeon Pedro Valente, and is now perpetuated by the sons. The journey in the United States began when the oldest brother, Pedro, moved to pursue an MBA in the country and decided to create a club to practice Jiu-Jitsu at the University of Miami. “Jiu-Jitsu was introduced to our family by my grandfather through a Japanese influence. My father was greatly motivated by this philosophy and used many of these concepts during our upbringing,” says the middle brother.
Guilherme, Pedro, and Joaquim Valente — Photo: @valentebrothers
Derived from Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport developed in the country, with a predominant focus on ground fighting techniques. Guilherme explains that the practice emphasizes the use of leverage, angles, and submission techniques, such as armbars and chokes, to neutralize opponents regardless of their strength or size, which makes the modality efficient in self-defense situations.
Headquartered in North Beach with branches in Pembroke Pines and Coral Gables, the facilities feature over a thousand square meters of space, five training areas, tatami systems, locker rooms, a rooftop, and even a museum with articles that tell the history of the martial art. The building was designed to emulate the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, inaugurated by Hélio and Carlos Gracie in 1952 in a prestigious building in downtown Rio de Janeiro.
Valente Brothers Academy, in Miami
Valente Brothers Academy, in Miami
Valente Brothers Academy, in Miami
In recent years, the school has also started investing in classes focused on the female audience. “The program for women is one of the most successful within our academies, mainly because our Jiu-Jitsu is centered on self-defense,” says Guilherme Valente, who also highlights the school as a center for teaching Jiu-Jitsu to children from 3 years old.
The academy offers a range of programs that cater to beginners through advanced students, with classes lasting 30 to 45 minutes. Introductory group courses cost $2,420 annually, while private lessons are offered at $250 per session, but the school offers scholarships for people with financial difficulties, in addition to promoting weekly classes at Lotus House, a shelter that serves homeless women and children.
