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At Summit Martial Arts, safety is our first priority. We are not a sport or competition-based school. We believe in training by working with our partners to learn the techniques, rather than fighting against an opponent in order to win. Our students are normal working adults, most with families. They want to feel great, move great and be able to defend those they care about and themselves.
We teach as Helio Gracie taught - a realistic method of self-defense and not as a tournament sport. BJJ is a self-defense martial art based on grappling (ne-waza or ground fighting) and submission holds. It focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, controlling one's opponent, gaining a dominant position, and using several techniques to force them into submission via joint locks or chokeholds. |
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BJJ revolves around the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger, heavier opponent by using leverage and weight distribution. Gracie Jiu‐Jitsu does this by the detailed study of correct body mechanics, feel, timing and placement. This greatly benefits you, the student, because the methods are not based on strength or speed so the skills will not fade with age. This is also in line with the self‐defense mindset of Gracie Jiu‐Jitsu meaning your training should prepare you for a street encounter in which you don’t get to choose what weight class you will be fighting in. This self defense mindset is important because statistics say 90 to 95% of all violent attacks and street fights end up on the ground, where Gracie Jiu‐Jitsu’s techniques are most effective. Unlike most sport based Jiu‐Jitsu, BJJ not only studies grappling but also teaches the student how to deal with an opponent that tries to strike you in each position.
Pedro Sauer 8th Degree Coral Belt
Certified Instructor under Rickson Gracie · Recipient of Técnico de Jiu-Jitsu from Helio Gracie
Pedro Sauer was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where from an early age he began training in the martial arts. At age five he began boxing and later took up judo and taekwondo. At age fifteen his friend, Rickson Gracie, invited him to train jiu-jitsu with his younger brother, Royler. That experience changed his direction entirely, and he began training jiu-jitsu the very next day.
Pedro worked toward degrees in Economics and Business Administration, completed postgraduate study at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, and spent eleven years as a stockbroker in Brazil before moving to the United States in 1990 to teach jiu-jitsu full time. After training in California with the Gracie family and other influential instructors, he moved to Utah later that year and helped pioneer Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the American Southwest. In 2005 he relocated to Northern Virginia and opened One Spirit Martial Arts in 2006, which remains the headquarters of the Pedro Sauer Association.
Técnico de Jiu-JitsuIn 1986, Pedro received the Técnico de Jiu-Jitsu certificate directly from Helio Gracie, a rare distinction recognizing mastery in teaching Jiu-Jitsu through a deeply technical approach. Only a small number of practitioners have ever received this honor from the founder of the art. Voted the "Best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor in the world"
Instructor Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda was fundamental to the development of Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu through his teaching of Carlos Gracie and others in the Gracie family. His influence shaped the art that would become modern Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
Certified Instructor under Rickson Gracie · Recipient of Técnico de Jiu-Jitsu from Helio Gracie
Pedro Sauer was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where from an early age he began training in the martial arts. At age five he began boxing and later took up judo and taekwondo. At age fifteen his friend, Rickson Gracie, invited him to train jiu-jitsu with his younger brother, Royler. That experience changed his direction entirely, and he began training jiu-jitsu the very next day.
Pedro worked toward degrees in Economics and Business Administration, completed postgraduate study at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, and spent eleven years as a stockbroker in Brazil before moving to the United States in 1990 to teach jiu-jitsu full time. After training in California with the Gracie family and other influential instructors, he moved to Utah later that year and helped pioneer Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the American Southwest. In 2005 he relocated to Northern Virginia and opened One Spirit Martial Arts in 2006, which remains the headquarters of the Pedro Sauer Association.
Técnico de Jiu-JitsuIn 1986, Pedro received the Técnico de Jiu-Jitsu certificate directly from Helio Gracie, a rare distinction recognizing mastery in teaching Jiu-Jitsu through a deeply technical approach. Only a small number of practitioners have ever received this honor from the founder of the art. Voted the "Best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor in the world"
Instructor Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda was fundamental to the development of Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu through his teaching of Carlos Gracie and others in the Gracie family. His influence shaped the art that would become modern Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
- 7th Dan Black Belt in Judo
- Won 2,000+ professional fights in his career
- Instructor of Carlos and Helio Gracie
- Carlos Gracie: 10th Degree Red Belt in BJJ
- Helio Gracie: 10th Degree Red Belt in BJJ
- Instructors of Rickson Gracie
- 9th Degree Red Belt in BJJ
- Retired undefeated in BJJ and MMA
- Instructor of Pedro Sauer
The physical benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are significant. Most students experience a physical change in their bodies within 30 days of beginning their training. Students will lose weight and become more lean, gain useable strength, become more flexible and loosen the body. Many experience lower levels of stress which leads to higher levels of day to day energy.
REady to try it out? give us a call!
You can start the program any time and participate in a class without any previous experience. Have more questions? Check out our FAQ page!
our lineage
Summit Martial Arts is proud to be an affiliate of the Pedro Sauer Jiu Jitsu Association. We are the only certified Pedro Sauer training center in Central Ohio and Summit Martial Arts is one of the oldest JiuJitsu schools and Pedro Sauer affiliate in the Midwest. Our affiliation means that the rank you receive here is recognized and backed by Master Pedro Sauer which places you in the Gracie Jiu Jitsu lineage. At Summit, we are committed to preserving Grand Master Helio Gracie's vision and teaching methods.
From left to right: Pedro Sauer, Jamie Brewbaker, Charles Riedmiller, Helio Gracie, Rorion Gracie