Taught by black and brown belts
Experienced black and brown belts run the kids classes at Wall Street — rare for a children’s program anywhere in the city.
Kids program · Financial District
Lower Manhattan’s home for kids’ jiu-jitsu.
Nearly 200 children train with us on New Street, in three age groups from 3 to 15, with classes seven days a week. This is what your child will do on the mat, what they will learn, and how they progress.
Jiu-jitsu rests on two ideas we teach from the first class: get the most out of every movement, and make the people around you better. Our children learn to fall safely, to move with control, and to treat their training partners as teammates. Both Renzo Gracie academies in Manhattan run the same program; here is how it works at Wall Street.
Why families choose us
Renzo Gracie’s own academy
Renzo, co-owner of the academy, brought his game to New York in 1996 and became the city’s jiu-jitsu pioneer. He beat five UFC champions in his fighting career and coached Matt Serra, Chris Weidman and Frankie Edgar to UFC titles.
Luca Atalla on the mat
The head instructor teaches at Wall Street twice a week. He has trained jiu-jitsu for 34 years, taught for 26, holds a judo black belt, and learned from Renzo Gracie, Carlos Gracie Jr., Rickson Gracie and Hélio Gracie.
One trip for the whole family
Every weekday at 5 PM an adult class runs at the same time as ages 9 and up, so a parent can train while their child trains. Unusual in Manhattan, where adult classes usually start at 6.
9,000 square feet downtown
One of the largest jiu-jitsu academies in Manhattan, on New Street in the Financial District, a short walk from Battery Park City, FiDi and Tribeca.
A program families recommend
Wall Street parents single out patient, encouraging coaching with high standards, and real progress for neurodiverse children in body awareness, attention and confidence. More than 50 of our kids train alongside a sibling.
Three age groups
Open a group to see a typical class, how we keep it safe, and what your child learns.
Ages 3 to 5 · 30 minutes
Learn to fall safely, move with control, and treat “fighting” as a game where nobody gets hurt. Techniques arrive the way small children learn best: repetition, games, and plenty of one-on-one time with an instructor.
Ages 3 to 5 · 30 minutes
Learn to fall safely, move with control, and treat “fighting” as a game where nobody gets hurt. Techniques arrive the way small children learn best: repetition, games, and plenty of one-on-one time with an instructor.
A typical class
- 1Breakfalls in a circle. Every way of falling, five to ten times each: sitting, kneeling, squatting and standing — backward, sideways and forward.
- 2Instructor stations. Each child goes to an instructor who takes them down gently (“fast or slow?”) and coaches the fall. Then the roles flip: the child learns the grips and takes the instructor down with a basic leg trip.
- 3Water break. At the halfway mark.
- 4Partner activities. In pairs, one pair per instructor: leg trips, sumo inside a circle, or a wrestling game of protecting your legs. When there is resistance, the instructor holds both children by the belt.
- 5A ground position. Passing or recovering the guard, practiced slowly to learn the movement.
- 6Backpack. Kids ride on an instructor’s back, learning back control with their feet hooked in. It is everyone’s favorite and ends the class on a high.
What they learn
- Body
- Falling without getting hurt, agility, coordination, balance, and a first sense of leverage.
- Jiu-jitsu
- A first look at the self-defense core: throws, guard, pins and back control.
- Character
- Respect, discipline and listening. “Fighting” is a game and nobody gets hurt. My partner helps me learn and I help them. There is no losing, only learning.
Safety
- Children never apply a submission on each other at this age.
- In “backpack,” small arms hold around the shoulders because they are too short for the proper grip yet. It is a hold, never a squeeze.
- No more than six children per instructor, usually fewer.
Ages 6 to 8 · 45 minutes
Children start training with each other, not only with instructors. They learn real techniques, test them against a partner who resists, and learn to keep it safe for both. Every child is also a training partner: helping your partner improve is how you improve.
Ages 6 to 8 · 45 minutes
Children start training with each other, not only with instructors. They learn real techniques, test them against a partner who resists, and learn to keep it safe for both. Every child is also a training partner: helping your partner improve is how you improve.
A typical class
- 1Warm-up. Breakfalls and rolls across the mat, some exercise, and solo movements on the ground.
- 2Technique. Usually a throw. The instructor explains it, partners practice it without resistance, and instructors correct each pair.
- 3Focused training. The same situation with resistance, often with a specific goal.
- 4Technique and focused training on the ground. For example, an open guard and a sweep. The child underneath tries to sweep, the child on top tries to pass, and they switch roles after two or three minutes.
- 5Free training. Short live rounds of two to three minutes, one or two per class.
What they learn
- Technique
- Classic throws, guards, sweeps and passes, and the habit of drilling them properly.
- Training with others
- Tapping and letting go, controlling strength, and taking care of your partner.
- Character
- Mutual benefit: everyone has to improve for everyone to get better.
Safety
- Submissions are rarely taught at this age, and only simple ones. In training, the goals are sweeps and passes.
- Partners are matched by size and level. When that is not possible, the stronger child’s job is to mentor, not to win.
Ages 9 and up · 45 minutes
The same structure as 6 to 8, with more depth. Children learn more detailed techniques, more submissions, and more of the strategy that connects them, on a path toward the adult classes.
Ages 9 and up · 45 minutes
The same structure as 6 to 8, with more depth. Children learn more detailed techniques, more submissions, and more of the strategy that connects them, on a path toward the adult classes.
A typical class
- 1Warm-up. Breakfalls and rolls, and often throwing drills with a partner straight away.
- 2Technique and focused training. Throws and ground work, each followed by training with resistance and a clear goal.
- 3Formats that keep it fresh. Stations, “king of the hill” rotations, and groups of three.
- 4Free training. Short live rounds where children use everything they know.
What they learn
- Technique
- Classic positions plus more advanced variations, such as hooking the leg from the outside in the open guard.
- Submissions
- Arm locks, triangles and chokes, learned with control.
- Toward the adult classes
- Usually around 13 to 15, when a teenager is ready, we invite them into adult classes and look after them closely through the change.
Safety
- Arm locks, triangles and chokes are taught and become goals in training, always with the rule of tapping early and letting go immediately.
- Instructors watch every pair during live training.
Belts and stripes
Children earn stripes on their belt and, after five stripes, the next belt. Every promotion has two minimums — time since the last one and classes attended — and instructors also look at technique and behavior before promoting.
- White and gray-and-white belts
- At least 1 month and 8 classes per stripe or belt
- Gray belt and up
- At least 2 months and 16 classes per stripe or belt
White → Gray (from age 3) → Yellow (from 7) → Orange (from 10) → Green (from 13). Each color has three steps: with a white bar, solid, and with a black bar. At 16, children move to the adult belts.
How often to come
Three times a week · What we recommend
Steady progress, and skills that really stick.
Twice a week · A good rhythm
Steady progress for most children.
Once a week · Possible, but slow
A missed week becomes a two-week gap, and from gray belt a stripe takes about four months instead of two. Children notice when friends move ahead.
Plans are available for once, twice or three times a week, and unlimited.
Moving up
Age sets the range; readiness decides the moment.
From 3 to 5 into 6 to 8
The biggest change in the program: longer classes, and training with other children instead of mostly with instructors. We give you our honest recommendation on timing; a child who moves before they are ready often struggles.
From 6 to 8 into 9 and up
Mostly by age. We may suggest waiting a little when a child would benefit from it.
Into the adult classes
Usually around 13 to 15. For a period, teenagers can train in both the kids’ and adult classes at no extra cost.
Before the first class
- Uniform
- Every child trains in a gi, the jiu-jitsu uniform. We lend one for trial classes.
- Bare feet, short nails
- No socks on the mat, and nails kept short so nobody gets scratched.
- No shoes on the mat. Ever.
- Our faces, and your children’s faces, touch that mat. Shoes stay outside the training area, the way they would in a Japanese home.
- Water
- Bring a bottle and keep it outside the mat. Classes have a set water break. The bathroom is always allowed.
- The first classes
- Many young children watch from the side several times before stepping on the mat. That is normal; most join in their own time.
- Games
- Many classes end with a game after the lesson. It is a bonus, not part of the class.
What we ask of parents
- Stay and watch, from outside the mat. Parents never step onto it.
- Leave the coaching to the instructors, even with the best intentions. Two voices confuse a child.
- No phone calls during class, and keep conversations quiet.
See every kids class this week on the full schedule.
Class Schedule
Every kids class this week. Pick your child’s age group.
All-LevelsNo-GiYouth
Kids 3 to 5
30 min · Floriano Junior
Kids 6 to 8
45 min · Floriano Junior
Kids 9 and up
45 min · Daniel Souza
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the youngest age you accept?
Three. Our 3 to 5 class runs for 30 minutes and is mostly falling skills, games and time with an instructor. From age 6, classes run 45 minutes.
How do you keep children safe?
Jiu-jitsu has no punches or kicks. Breakfalls come first, tapping and letting go are taught from day one, and partners are paired by size and level. Children under 6 never use submissions on each other. As in any contact sport, bumps and tears happen; we have not had a serious injury, but no sport can rule one out.
Can my child try a class first?
Yes. Trial classes are free for families who live or work nearby; book ahead and we will have a loaner gi ready. It is normal for a young child to watch once or twice before stepping on the mat.
Can I train while my child trains?
Yes, with children aged 9 and up: every weekday at 5 PM, an adult class runs at the same time. Ask the front desk about family training.
How many classes a week do you recommend?
Three for the best progress, two for a steady rhythm. One a week works, but slowly: a single missed week turns into a two-week break.
Is the program a good fit for neurodiverse children?
Many neurodiverse children train with us, and we work to keep every child in the group classes. Talk to us before the first class so we can plan together; some children start better with private lessons.
Book Your Trial Class
Take the first step. No experience needed, no obligation.
Find Us
Address
22 New Street
New York, NY 10005
Getting Here
At 22 New Street, on the west side of the New York Stock Exchange between Wall Street and Exchange Place. The Wall Street entrance to New Street is closed to pedestrians by NYSE security — please approach via Exchange Place. From Broadway: walk east on Exchange Place toward Broad Street, then turn left at New Street. From Broad Street: walk west on Exchange Place toward Broadway, then turn right at New Street. Closest stations: Wall Street (2/3), Broad Street (J/Z), and Bowling Green (4/5), with the Fulton Street transit hub (A/C/J/Z/2/3/4/5) a short walk north.
Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 6:45 AM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday, Thursday: 5:45 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday – Sunday: 9:45 AM – 2:00 PM
Contact
Phone: (212) 217-6380
Email: wallst@renzograciewallst.com