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Alameda Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Self-Defense Academy
Providing State of the art service in Alameda since 2008
What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The Essence of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is not just a martial art—it’s the science of human movement, leverage, and strategy. Built on the principle that technique can overcome size, strength, and aggression, it allows a smaller, weaker individual to neutralize and control a much larger opponent using precision, timing, and intelligence instead of brute force.
At its core, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the art of leverage—the ability to use your opponent’s strength against them. Every sweep, choke, and joint lock is a demonstration of physics and efficiency. BJJ transforms the human body into a system of gears and levers, where balance, pressure, and timing matter far more than raw power.
Through training, practitioners learn how to control distance, manipulate energy, and dominate space, making it the most effective and realistic self-defense system in the world. It teaches calm under pressure, problem-solving in chaos, and respect through discipline.
As Professor Sergio Silva often says, “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is not about fighting others—it’s about mastering yourself.”
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Self-Defense
Alameda Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Self-Defense Academy
Led by Professor Sergio Silva, a 5th-degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Black Belt in Judo, and former World Champion of Submission Wrestling, our academy embodies the authentic spirit and discipline of the world’s most effective martial art — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Professor Silva began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1992 in Curitiba, Brazil, and started competing in 1994, earning victories in major tournaments across Brazil, Canada, and the United States. His journey in martial arts has been defined by passion, perseverance, and a relentless drive to share the art with others.
In the year 2000, Professor Silva moved to the Bay Area and began teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Self-Defense as an assistant instructor at the Gracie Academy in San Francisco. Later that same year, after receiving his brown belt, he was sent to Seattle to help establish and lead a new Gracie Academy location.
In 2003, after winning the United Gracie Championships, he earned his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—a milestone that marked the beginning of his own legacy. Shortly after, he opened his first academy in Oakland, bringing authentic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the East Bay. By 2008, his success and community support led him to open the Alameda Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Self-Defense Academy, which continues to thrive today.
Professor Silva has spent more than three decades teaching kids, adults, law enforcement, and private security professionals the principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Self-Defense, and Verbal Jiu-Jitsu—a system he has refined to focus on avoiding confrontation and mastering emotional control.
At Alameda Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, students learn more than techniques—they learn confidence, focus, and discipline for life. Under the leadership of Professor Silva, our academy continues to build stronger individuals and a safer, more resilient community.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for
Self-Defense
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Self-Defense and Restraining Control
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is more than a sport—it’s a complete self-defense system designed to protect, control, and neutralize opponents without relying on brute strength or aggression. Built on leverage, balance, and technique, BJJ allows you to restrain and subdue an attacker safely and effectively, whether you’re standing or on the ground.
Unlike striking arts that depend on punches and kicks, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses on control, teaching how to close distance, clinch, take the fight to the ground, and dominate positions such as mount, side control, or back control. From these dominant positions, you can apply holds, joint locks, or chokes to neutralize threats without causing unnecessary harm.
This makes BJJ the most practical martial art for real-life self-defense, trusted by law enforcement, military, and security professionals worldwide. Under the instruction of Professor Sergio Silva, a 5th-degree black belt in BJJ, black belt in Judo, and former World Champion of Submission Wrestling, students learn the science behind control and restraint—how to defend themselves with precision, protect others, and stay calm under pressure.
Through Professor Silva’s Verbal Jiu-Jitsu training, students also master the art of avoiding confrontation through communication, awareness, and emotional intelligence—proving that the most powerful defense begins before a fight ever starts.
At Alameda Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Self-Defense Academy, we don’t just teach how to win fights—we teach how to end them before they begin.