We asked our students ages 3+ "Why do you love training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at RFT?" and this is what they had to say! 
Our RFTeam is so amazing!

"Kalea and I made the switch to Professor Rodrigo's academy in November of 2018. It only took 1 trial class for the two of us to know that Kalea would be supported in her competition journey. As we made our transition, we were immediately accepted into the RFT family with open arms. The instructors and students were all so kind, and friendships were built instantly. As excited as we were to start a new chapter in our Jiu Jitsu venture, I couldn't even begin to imagine the positive outcome that awaited us in the months ahead.

I was ultimately impressed with the children's program. The amount of support from adult students assisting the kids in every single class is amazing. There are eyes all around, and the kids receive quality mentorship. One factor that stood out the most to me was Professor Rodrigo not only being present at every class, but leading each class and playing an active role in the kid's training. Those that don't train may not understand that, unfortunately, it is not always common to have not only the head instructor, but the owner, actively involved in the children's program EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Aside from the Little Champions, he is present, instructing, and actively training with the adults! I have the utmost respect for Professor Rodrigo. He truly sets an example for his students, and because of his leadership, he has a successful team.

I couldn't be happier to say that Kalea has medaled in every tournament she has competed in since joining the RFT team. That alone speaks volumes of the quality training she is receiving. And after taking a 3-year break from tournaments to focus on Kalea's training, I finally competed again! I could not have stepped back onto the tournament mats if I was not taking the time to focus on my own training, as I am able to do now. I owe it all to Professor Rodrigo and his team of instructors. Because of them, I was able to have confidence in allowing Kalea to train freely (without my presence), rather than taking my personal time to fill in gaps.

In less than a year of training at RFT, our lives have changed for the better. Jiu Jitsu is a tremendous aspect of our everyday lives, and we both look forward to being present at RFT, as the environment is always glowing. I'm excited for our future with the RFT team.

'Leadership is not magnetic personality, that can just as well be a glib tongue....Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.' -Peter Drucken"


-Jessica Castillo

Just goes to show what you can achieve when you stay motivated and most importantly, stay dedicated,

"About three and a half years ago, Anand suggested that Aadi do some form of martial art. I was against it because I thought it would encourage him to go ham and start hitting people but then he explained Brazilian jiu jitsu to me. I was fully ready to refuse it until we went to our very first lesson. Wow. All of us were hooked. My hyper little guy started to focus, be attentive and respectful and genuinely enjoy learning.
Professor Rodrigo nurtured Aadi into being competitive, tenacious, disciplined and to still have a kindness about him. Michelle is all heart and makes the place shine.
Coach Manny, we will never forget your cool skateboarding tricks and double Adi will hopefully learn some of his own. Coach Gabriel - you have a gift with children and it’s amazing that you were with aadi on his first and last class.
Coach Lanna - keep that ship running smooth
Coach Summer and Coach Kathleen - thank you for being such kind and yet firm female role models for my little savage."

​-Lenika Shah

"To fully understand the depth of appreciation we have for the Rodrigo Freitas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu School you would have to know our son Luke and the story behind our road to finding the school.
 
Luke was an extremely quiet and shy little boy who always struggled with his self-confidence. Luke had never been the type of kid who wanted to participate in any team or group type activities as he preferred to stay in the background and away from being the center of any attention. With his personality and shyness you can imagine our surprise when Luke asked us to find him a place to enroll and learn martial arts. We were very excited that he was stepping out of his comfort zone and was interested in participating in an extracurricular activity. We visited several different places while trying to find the right fit for Luke without any luck. Each place was great and offered something different, but none of them felt right until we walked into Rodrigo Freitas. I knew it was the right place from the minute we walked in the door. Though I could tell Luke was nervous he was immediately intrigued and jumped at the chance to borrow a GI and try out the class. From that moment forward he has been in love with training at RFBJJ and he has never looked back.
 
There are so many reasons why I appreciate the Rodrigo Freitas BJJ School and what they have done for my son over the past nine months. The Professor and each of the coaches have demonstrated the ability to instill discipline and confidence in the students while setting a great example of sportsmanship and compassion for each other. Luke has gained such a high level of self-confidence and drive to continue to improve his jiu-jitsu skills as a result of their excellent teaching and high level of training. I think that it is wonderful that the coaching staff sets such a great example for the kids and I appreciate their willingness to be such great role models for my son. The best part about RFBJJ is the family atmosphere of the school where everyone greets you with a smile. From the first moment we walked into the school we have always felt welcome and appreciated. It is an honor for our family to be a part of the RFBJJ Family and we look forward to many more years here and being a part of their future."

-Daniel Mills