Technique first
Kids learn to throw every strike the right way before they ever speed up.
Kids learn to throw every strike the right way before they ever speed up.
Listening, control and respect for partners are part of every class.
Pad work, footwork and drills that build stamina and coordination.
Kids learn they can stay calm and keep going when it gets tough.
Pad work, footwork and drills for kids 6 and up, at both academies.
See class times →Embrace has a fantastic atmosphere for families and does a great job of youth development in the world of martial arts. The Professors and Coaches do a phenomenal job of teaching and holding the students accountable but are also approachable and offer safe environment for the kids.
My daughter has been enrolled for a few months now and I am tremendously impressed with the professionalism and instruction of this gym and instructors is top notch. I have no experience with martial arts other than this, but she is learning great tools that will transfer to the outside world.
Try to bring gloves if you have them. Shin guards and a mouth guard are great too. Don't own any gear yet? No problem, we'll find you something to use.
Then you're in the right place. You don't need any experience to start. Beginners and people who have trained for years take the same classes, and our coaches make sure both get what they need.
No. Competing is completely optional and nobody gets pushed into it. Learning comes first here. If you want to compete, talk to a coach and they will help you get ready.
Still wondering about something? Call us at (919) 777-3649.
Muay Thai · Kids and adult Jiu Jitsu · Private lessons
BJJ black belt, 1st degree
Training since 2008 and coaching since 2014, with fighters on shows up to the UFC. A first degree black belt teaching kids and adults.
He began coaching in 2014. Since then he has coached Muay Thai fighters to titles in Brazil and Thailand, ran his own gym in Brazil before moving to the US in 2019, and coached amateur and professional MMA fighters on shows including Jungle Fight, Predador FC, Future FC, LFA, Fury FC, Maverick MMA, CFFC and the UFC.
Tiago started coaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a brown belt in 2020, and his students have won IBJJF opens and events like Pan Kids, Kids Con, Master Worlds and the ADCC Atlanta Open. He is a first degree black belt under Professor Joel Garcia, in the Carlson Gracie and Renato Tavares lineage.
Today his focus is helping each student reach their own goals, with martial arts as an inclusive way of life. He teaches students from age 5 to over 70, and his classes are dynamic: he is always working to get the best out of you.
Camps, daycare and play for days off school. Kids spend the day on our ninja course, playing ball games, training jiu jitsu on the mats and winding down with a movie.
Right next door to our Wake Forest academy at 1021 Forestville Rd, Suite 106.
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