About Us
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About Our School
Since 2007, Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu has been specializing in traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Self-Defense with classes for all ages and fitness levels.
We are the lead provider of Self-Defense and Personal Development training for our community, and we are confident that we can help you reach and surpass the goals you have set for your self improvement.
Whether your aim is to achieve physical fitness, learn to protect yourself and your family or just feel better in your day-to-day life, we can help! Our structured youth classes are meant to help develop coordination, physical fitness, mental strength, as well as gain valuable social skills. Through positive reinforcement, we can bring out the best in your children to help them succeed in life.
If you are looking to live a safer, healthier, more fit lifestyle, look no further! Welcome to Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu Academy, where your success story begins!
Me and my baby sister. This was my outfit almost every Halloween.
Hanshi Jarrett and Me
Master Rickson Gracie
SWAT duty
When I'm not teaching or training, I enjoy fishing and being in nature.
Instructor/Owner Bruce Belfield
My name is Bruce Belfield, and I am the owner and head instructor at Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu. I want to personally thank you for taking an interest in our school and tell you a little bit about myself and my background.
I was born in Huntington, WV and started my martial arts training at the early age of 7 in 1985. I earned black belts in the arts of karate and judo from the world renowned instructor, "Hanshi" (Japanese for Model Instructor) Roger Jarrett of the USA Martial Arts Organization. Hanshi Jarrett continues to be one of my mentors and in 2023 promoted me to the rank of 5th Degree Black Belt in Judo / Jiu-Jitsu.
In 1993, the martial art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu was introduced to the United States in the first ever televised event where martial artists of different styles were paired against each other to determine how they measured up against each other in actual combat. The effectiveness of Brazilian jiu-jitsu as demonstrated by the famed Gracie family of Brazil who brought the art to the United States impressed me greatly. I immediately sought out this family and began learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu from them. Each Gracie family member I trained with: Helio, Rorion, Relson, Rickson, Royce, and Royler taught me a unique perspective of Brazilian jiu-jitsu which I incorporated into my own understanding of the art. In 2008, I earned the coveted Black Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
At the same time I was pursuing my study in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, I was earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University. Although I enjoy math and science, sitting at a desk all day did not satisfy my youthful sense of adventure. In 2001, I got a job as a police officer at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Because of my previous experience in teaching the martial arts, doors of opportunity kept opening for me in the police department. During my career, I held the positions of patrol officer, field training officer, detective, SWAT entry operator, SWAT Instructor, firearms instructor, and self-defense instructor.
In 2007, I decided to open Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu Academy. I wanted to share with the community all that the martial arts had given to me. At first, it was a part-time school because I was an active police officer; however, the school grew to the point that it required much more of my time. So I made the decision in 2012 to retire from the police department and teach martial arts full time.
When a person trains at Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu, they are going to learn the two very valuable aspects of the martial arts. First, they are going to learn to defend themselves and their loved ones. This brings with it a healthy mind and body as well as confidence that transfers into everything they do. The second aspect they are going to learn is the life success component. Although a person may never be forced to defend themselves against an attack, we will all face challenges in life that require the focus, self-discipline, respect, leadership, and character qualities that are taught at our school.
I hope this brief bio gives you some sense of my background, and I sincerely hope that I have a chance to meet you in person to see how Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu can be of service to you or your family. Please give us a call now or input your information into the website and we would be happy to give you a call to answer any further questions you may have.
Why Choose Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu?
YOUR MISSION
Our mission is to make a positive, long-term impact in our community. We use the ethics and principles of traditional martial arts to improve lives and build leaders of character. Our system is designed to make world class Jiu-Jitsu instruction accessible to people of all ages and skill levels. You don't need any experience at all. We're working hard to build you up one step at a time.
OUR EXPERT TEAM
Our team is committed to delivering the highest quality instruction around. Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu instructors stay current on all the latest trends and topics in martial arts, character development, leadership and teaching techniques and complete years of education before teaching. Our chief instructor, Bruce Belfield, is a retired Fort Lauderdale Police Officer and life long martial artist. He holds black belts in karate, judo, and traditional Helie Gracie style Brazilian JiuJitsu, one of the most rare and sought after styles in the world today.
OUR CORE VALUES
Jigoro Kano (founder of Judo) said, "It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than yesterday." We use this core value and the skillsets of Judo and Jiu-jitsu as methods for mental, physical, and emotional development. We value your successes in all aspects of life and are here to help you enjoy long-lasting results.
OUR PROMISE
We pledge to provide you with a safe, supportive environment where you can train with confidence and take on new skills one step at a time. We are proud to work with people from all across our community and we can't wait for you to be next!
Our Martial Arts Team Takes Great Pride In The Reviews We Receive
See What Our Community Members Say About Our Programs
I am a 31 year-old attorney and I have been training with Fort Lauderdale Jiu Jitsu since January 2021. I cannot overstate how much I have learned in less than two years of training, usually just twice a week. My primary interest was learning self-defense, but I also found a welcoming community of people from all backgrounds and all walks of life. Through Jiu Jitsu, I have developed critical self-defense skills, flexibility, and strength - and I have made many friends from the gym. It takes courage to walk through that door the first time, but I promise that you will always thank yourself that you did. Bruce will make you feel right at home, whether you have zero experience (like I did) or are a black belt already. I plan on training Jiu Jitsu forever.
Hello. My name is John Doody and I am the owner and operator of Celtic Athletic. And today I'd like to talk a little bit, about my experience of learning jujitsu at Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu under the instruction of Bruce Belfield. So when I moved to Florida, my plan had been to go around the area and try the different schools and see where it was the best fit for me. Now, throughout my years of experience as a strength conditioning coach, I have had the good fortune to work with some truly world class coaches. And it's given me an understanding of what it takes to be an elite level coach. So when I walked into Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu and met Bruce to try out the school, I knew there was no point in looking any farther. Bruce, this is truly an exceptional coach. He's able to take the most complex of concepts, the most complex of movements and break them down into simple terms. It's really going to accelerate your learning as a student of Jiu-Jitsu. Not only that, but Bruce understands the applications of Jiu-Jitsu. He's worked in law enforcement and he's even worked as a SWAT officer. He understands what will and what will not work when your life is on the line. That is the sort of person you need to be learning Jiu-Jitsu from. Not only that, but Bruce is truly one of the nicest people you will ever meet in your life. He has dedicated numerous hours after class to answering my questions. I was running through areas that I was a little weak on. That is a hallmark of a coach that cares. And that is the sort of coach you need to be working with. Get down to Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu. Try out a class and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
Hi, my name is Ali Rashid, and it's my pleasure to talk to you about my martial arts academy, Fort Lauderdale Jiu-jitsu. I've been training under Bruce Belfield the head instructor of Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu now for five years, and I love it. It's definitely one of the best parts of my life. At Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jitsu we recognize that people come and train at a martial arts Academy because they want to learn how to defend themselves. Self-defense is the number one priority. You're very quickly going to learn how to defend yourself against whatever's out there. Somebody comes at you with a weapon. Somebody tries to grab you. Someone tries to hurt you while standing up. Someone tries to throw you on the ground. Someone tries to beat you up on the ground. You're going to have the knowledge and the skills that's going to give you confidence. You're not going to be afraid of someone being bigger than you. Aggressive. Whatever's out there. The emphasis is on the student. The emphasis in the on learning experience. Everybody's learning. Everybody's improving. The best thing for sure that I can say about Fort Lauderdale Jiu-Jjitsu is the same thing that I tell anyone who's interested in the martial arts academy. You have to come and see it for yourself. You're going to find a beautiful, clean, respectful environment, a place you'd be okay to show up to at any time to bring even your children to. You're going to be learning very, very quickly, not hurting yourself and gaining that confidence through the knowledge, through the skills that you're developing more than anything. I hope to see you on the mat if you're interested in martial arts in the Fort Lauderdale area. Thank you for your time.