Exploring Life & Business with Rodrigo Augusto of Gracie Barra Long Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rodrigo Augusto.

Hi Rodrigo , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Manaus, Brazil, and began training in Jiu Jitsu at the age of six. With the support of my family, i came to the United States in 2009 to compete in tournaments like the world championship, where i quickly fell in love with the city of Long Beach where the tournament was located. Since then I have dedicated myself to sharing Jiu Jitsu with the community and making the art accessible to everyone.
My personal mission is to ensure that every student learns the core values of Jiu Jitsu discipline, respect, and perseverance so they not only become skilled fighters but also martial artists who contribute positively to their community.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road was never easy but the challenges made us stronger during covid we lost 90% of our revenue but we adapted to virtual classes at first then I taught classes out in my parking lot and once we came back inside we adhered to all regulations which at first demanded a lot from us, but never closing our doors gave us an advantage and made us grow to quadrupling the number of students and off course our revenue.

As you know, we’re big fans of Gracie Barra Long Beach. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Established in 2009.
Gracie Barra Long Beach, offers world-class level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction for individuals, families, Kids age 3 and up and Law Enforcement Officials and is being developed to become a reference for physical education, character development, self-defense, and world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training. The GB Long Beach classes are aligned with the Gracie Barra Program Structure developed by Master Carlos Gracie Jr. to meet specific learning needs from people with different ages, gender and levels. Our clean, friendly and progress oriented environment allows the students to have a challenging, inspirational and warm learning and training experience that always make them feel like coming back.
Gracie Barra is one of the world’s largest and most influential Jiu-Jitsu organizations, leading the way in excellence, discipline, and community. Founded in 1986 by Master Carlos Gracie Jr., Gracie Barra has grown to over 1,000 schools worldwide, empowering hundreds of thousands of students – including numerous World Champions.
What sets Gracie Barra apart is our structured, global curriculum, designed to ensure consistency, safety, and progress at every level – from beginner to black belt. More than a martial arts school, we are a global family committed to personal growth, leadership development, and making Jiu-Jitsu accessible to everyone, regardless of age, background, or experience.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First my wife Lysset she believed in me and before we were even married she invested money into the business.
My staff has become my family since I moved here by myself they were the ones helping me like a family would.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gblongbeach.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gblongbeach/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gblongbeach72