our training philosophy
Learn by Doing. Create. Explore. Roll Free.
You adapt to *your* body, *your* opponent, *your* environment.
At American Jiu Jitsu Academy, we don’t just teach jiu jitsu — we unleash it.
We honor the time-tested genius of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — leverage, technique, discipline — but we’ve evolved it into something more alive, more creative, and more yours.
We call it Freedom Training: a blended approach where learning happens through doing, creating, and exploring — not just drilling.
We keep the core curriculum — armbars, triangles, guard passing, guard retention, and more— because they work. However, instead of 100 drills, we use a game, situation, or time-on-task in a specific position with “game conditions” that present a problem and require students to explore solving it.
Traditional BJJ: “Do this 50 times.”
AJJTX: “Here’s the problem. Solve it.”
The AJJTX Way: 70% Play, 30% Polish
What we call “freedom training” in-house is adapted from the Constraints-led approach, aka Ecological Dynamics…
At AJJ TX, we teach jiu jitsu in a smart, fun, and some would say “American way” — we blend more traditional methods with the modern — CLA, or the Constraints-Led Approach.
Think of learning to ride a bike by actually riding the bike. You just get on the bike. Learn to find balance. Learn to pedal. Learn to steer. Put it all together, and now you’re riding the bike — not memorizing 47 steps or drilling the same move 100 times. That’s CLA. No perfect technique. No robot reps. Just real problem-solving in motion.
We take this more modern approach to teaching and learning Jiu-Jitsu. We set up a fun challenge — for kids, it sounds like “Keep the shark off your back!” Then we tweak the rules — maybe a smaller mat area, two attackers, less time, or physical disadvantages — so your body and brain figure out what works for you.
That’s why white belts escape mounts on day one, adults roll smarter after one month, and teens beg to come back — because every class feels like a game. Skill doesn’t get taught… it emerges. You adapt. You improve. You win — faster, stronger, and with way more fun.
For a more “scientific” explanation, check out our friends at Adaptive Movement by clicking the button below.