Adults · Vero Beach, Florida
Get stronger. Learn to defend yourself.
Find a new way to train.
Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai for adults of all levels, including those who have never trained before.
After you fill out the form, someone from our team will reach out to set the day and time.
- Beginner classes on the schedule, at any age
- Two locations in Vero Beach, ten minutes apart
- First class free nothing to sign to take part
Who you train with
What it's like on our mats
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Respect
Nobody here is made to feel small about where they are. That goes for the person who started four weeks ago and for the black belt.
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Empathy
Everyone on the mat has been the new person, and they remember what that felt like. The ones who have been here longer teach the ones just getting started.
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Community
Kids, teens and adults training in the same academy. If you moved to town without knowing anybody, you will find your people here.
What you get
What changes when training has a time, a class, and someone teaching you
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An hour without your phone
Working on a problem that takes all of your attention. The day stays outside the mats.
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Confidence that follows you out the door
It isn't about fighting anyone: it's about losing that uneasy feeling of not knowing what you would do.
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A place where you are expected
The class notices when you are not there.
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Consistency that doesn't run on motivation
A class on the schedule, an instructor expecting you, and a group that counts on you. Discipline comes from that, not the other way around.
Two arts
Adult classes
Leverage, not strength
Jiu Jitsu for women
Here, women train in the same classes, with the same instructors and the same program, and every other week there is a class for women only. And they train the art where size matters least: Jiu Jitsu works on leverage and distance, not on strength.
Where to train
Two locations, the same program
Master Renato Tavares
Who leads RT Martial Arts
Master Renato Tavares has been training Jiu Jitsu for 52 years, 31 of them as a black belt, and he is a 6th degree black belt under Carlson Gracie Sr., one of the names that shaped Jiu Jitsu into what is taught today.
He leads both locations. That lineage is where RT's way of teaching comes from: the detail somebody corrects in your first week comes out of five decades of doing this.
And he still competes, and still wins: IBJJF World Master champion in 2026, with Pan American and European titles along the way.
- Black belt 6th degree under Carlson Gracie Sr.
- World Master champion IBJJF, multiple times, the latest in 2026
- Pan American champion IBJJF Pans, the latest in 2026
- European champion IBJJF European Championship
The instructors
Who teaches at RT Martial Arts
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Both locations
Leandro Paes
5th degree black belt · Black prajied
Over time, the person learns things that go far beyond the mat, such as discipline, resilience, humility, self-control, trust, respect and responsibility.
- Jiu Jitsu
- No-Gi
- Muay Thai
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RT Headquarters
Melissa Bentley
3rd degree black belt
Jiu Jitsu has taught me so much about myself and has given me life long tools that I can hopefully pass on to future generations.
- Jiu Jitsu
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RT Beachside
Julio Cesar Pereira
Black belt · Black prajied
In my students, especially the children, I see confidence replacing fear, respect replacing insecurity, and a stronger sense of responsibility developing every day.
- Jiu Jitsu
- Muay Thai
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RT Headquarters
Professor Jake Hess
Black belt
I watch the quiet student find their voice, the person who lacked confidence begin to believe in themselves, and the student who once wanted to quit learn that they are capable of pushing through difficult moments.
- Jiu Jitsu
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Both locations
Danny Tat
Brown belt
The biggest impact to me is the confidence it instills in every student. The ones who were once quiet and shy are now suddenly the ones leading the group.
- No-Gi
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RT Headquarters
Ben Pelton
Brown belt
If you're thinking about giving it a try, just do it! That's how I started, and I'm so glad I did. See you on the mats!
- Jiu Jitsu
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Both locations
Matt Ross
It teaches you to hold yourself accountable and to keep showing up even on the days you don't feel like it.
- Muay Thai
Before you come in
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question? Someone from our team will answer it on the call.
I'm 45 and I have never trained. Can I start?
You can, and that is how almost every adult gets here. Everyone starts in the beginner class, at any age and any level of conditioning. You don't get dropped into the advanced class.
Do I need to be in shape to start?
No. The first class is one hour, with an instructor next to you the whole time, and nobody is paying attention to how out of breath you are. Conditioning comes out of training, not before it.
Am I going to get hurt?
Beginners train fundamentals, without training against resistance, and learn to fall safely before anything that involves falling. The instructor stays on the mats with the beginners the whole time.
Are there other women in class?
There are. Classes are mixed, with women training in the same program and with the same instructors, and every other week there is a class for women only.
Do I need a Gi?
Not for the first class: a t-shirt and shorts are enough. Once you keep training, the front desk walks you through the Gi.
What if I don't like it?
The first class is free and there is nothing to sign to take part. You come in, you train for an hour, and you decide after.
Your first class
A year from now you will have been training for a year, or you will be reading this page again.
The difference between those two is the decision you can make right now. Fill out the form and someone from our team calls to set the day and time. The first class is free, and there is nothing to sign to take part.