Ages 3 to 16 · Vero Beach, Florida
The lessons don't stop
when class ends.
Jiu Jitsu for kids and teens, with a structured curriculum designed to build discipline, confidence, self-control, and respect, on and off the mat.
After you fill out the form, someone from our team will reach out to set the day and time.
- Ages 3 to 16 at both Vero Beach locations
- An instructor with the beginners on the mats, the whole time
- A twelve week curriculum written before your child walks in
- First class free nothing to sign to take part
Day one
What happens in your child's first class
The first class doesn't look like a fight. It looks like learning how to fall safely, how to get back up, and how to shake a hand before and after. An instructor stays with the new students the whole time.
Your child doesn't need a Gi, experience, or any conditioning to start. Comfortable clothes are enough.
No cost, and nothing to sign to take part.
Which class is theirs
Every age has its own class
- Little kids
- 3 to 5 RT Headquarters only
The class that takes kids from age 3.
- Kids
- 5 to 8 · 9 to 12 RT Beachside
- 6 to 8 · 9 to 12 RT Headquarters
Fundamentals, falling and getting back up, with an instructor next to them, and the twelve week curriculum among kids the same age.
- Teens
- 13 to 16 RT Headquarters
- 13 to 14 RT Beachside
Teens train with teens, in their own time slot, separate from the kids class.
Ask on any Tuesday
The curriculum, in plain words
What each of the twelve weeks covers is set before the cycle starts: on any given Tuesday you can ask what your child is working on and get a real answer.
Alongside the technique there is a second track that has nothing to do with technique: four behavior colors, one worked on every two weeks. Each color has a rule for the mats and a rule for home. When your child completes all four, they earn a stripe on the belt.
The rule for home is the part that follows your child out the door. What they work on here on Tuesday still counts in your kitchen on Wednesday.
The rest of the week
What changes off the mats
-
Getting it wrong stops being the end of the world.
Class is built out of trying, missing, and starting over, dozens of times, with someone right next to you.
-
They learn to measure their own strength.
It's the opposite of learning to hit: it's learning to control.
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The week gains an hour with no screen and no audience.
There is no phone and no scoreboard on the mats.
-
The rule doesn't stay at the academy.
Every behavior color has a rule for home: clean up after yourself, answer the first time, speak kindly to yourself.
None of this comes from one class. It comes from showing up, and it takes months. We would rather tell you that than promise you a different child in thirty days.
9 and 10 AM
Homeschool families train in the morning
Classes run at 9 and 10 in the morning: Monday and Wednesday at RT Headquarters, Tuesday and Thursday at RT Beachside, so your afternoon and your evening stay yours. The families in that time slot see each other every week, and that is how your child gets a steady group of friends instead of one more activity on the calendar.
If your child has a Step Up For Students scholarship, it covers the classes here. RT is a registered provider with the program, and more than 30 kids already train at both locations on the scholarship. At the front desk we walk you through how to direct it to the classes.
Tell our team on the call that the morning is your time slot.
Where to train
Two locations, the same curriculum
Master Renato Tavares
Who leads RT Martial Arts
The person teaching your child was trained by someone who learned directly from Carlson Gracie. 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.
He leads both locations. That lineage is where RT's way of teaching comes from: the detail somebody corrects in your child's 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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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.
How old does my child have to be to start?
Three at RT Headquarters and five at RT Beachside. Classes are grouped by age, and the teens class starts at 13 at both locations.
Does my child need a Gi?
Not for the first class: a t-shirt and shorts are enough. If they keep going, the front desk walks you through the Gi.
My child has never played a sport. Is that a problem?
Not at all. New students spend their first classes on fundamentals, with no pressure and no training against resistance, and an instructor on the mats the whole time. Their class has other kids at the same point.
What if they don't like it?
The first class costs nothing and there is nothing to sign to take part. You come in, they try it, and the decision comes after.
Does RT accept the Step Up For Students scholarship?
Yes. RT is a registered provider with the program, and the scholarship covers Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai classes at both locations. More than 30 kids already train here on it. When you come in for the first class, the front desk walks you through how to direct it to the classes.
Are there morning classes for homeschool families?
Yes, at 9 and 10 AM: Monday and Wednesday at RT Headquarters, Tuesday and Thursday at RT Beachside. The same families train together every week, so your child gets a steady group, and your afternoon stays yours.
Your child's first class
Book your child's first class
Fill out the form and someone from our team will call to set the day and time. The first class costs nothing, and there is nothing to sign to take part.