Pure Jiu-jitsu Core Curriculum is divided into 2-phases:

Phase One: Fundamentals of Self-Defense is a required course for all academy members. In Phase One Students are introduced to the core of the Gracie system of self defense and are taught how to survive on the street in real-life situations.

Phase Two: Advanced Techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, offers advanced level instruction for students who have completed Phase One and are ready to take their training to the next level. During this program, students will continue their self-defense training, but will be introduced to more complex grappling and submission techniques, counters and attacks.

Professor Goo’s philosophy follows Grandmaster Helio’s closely in that Pure Jiu-jitsu is primarily a martial art aimed at self-defense.

The techniques of Pure Jiu-jitsu should work on the street, on the mats, in a cage and with or without a kimono/gi. Pure Jiu-jitsu is primarily a defensive system aimed at arming the average individual with the knowledge of leverage, timing and biomechanics needed to defend themselves from bigger, stronger and more conditioned opponents.

Our children’s program will promote healthy, active lifestyles and instill confidence, discipline and responsibility. Our goal is the holistic development of our youth in order for them to become productive members of society. We will enhance children’s physical fitness, movement forms, and cognitive abilities all through a fun and safe self-defense program.

Children’s classes consist of four age levels. Little Samurai’s (age 3-5), Junior Samurai’s (age 6-9), Junior Shogun 1 (age 10-14) and Junior Shogun 2 (age 14-17)

View Photos of our Kids Classes

The effectiveness of the Gracie style of Jiu-Jitsu has lead the U.S. Army to officially adopt the techniques of Jiu-jitsu as the underpinnings of their hand-to-hand combat curriculum.

Ever since Royce Gracie opened the world’s eyes to the effectiveness of Jiu-jitsu many of the U.S. Special Operations Forces including The United States Navy Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) Units and the U.S. Army Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force) have been trained in the art of the Gracie Style of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

The Pure Jiu-jitsu Academy is an approved off duty training facility of the Phoenix Police Department. Pure Jiu-jitsu offers tailored seminars aimed at Law Enforcement personnel.

Professor Kendall Goo is Pure Jiu-jitsu main instructor. He is one of Royce Gracie's eight trained black belts in Gracie Jiu Jitsu. He is undefeated as the Hawaiian State Heavy Weight Jiu-Jitsu Champion. He was also the World Jiu-Jitsu Champion in 1997 and 2001 being the second American to ever win a gold medal in World Jiu-Jitsu competition.

Kendall Goo In Action

Brian Sam-Bodden is a Purple Belt under Professor Kendall Goo. He assists professor Goo with beginning instruction and kids classes. Before relocating to Arizona, Brian trained with the folks at Gracie Ohio since the mid-1990s where he received his blue belt from Master Relson Gracie.

Grappling is one of the two basic aspects of un-armed combat. Evidence of grappling technique development can be traced back to ancient times. The walls of the Tomb of Khety in the ancient Beni-Hasans cemetery in Egypt depicts scenes of grappling that can be traced back as far as 1630 BC. Babylonian copper artifacts also show scenes of grappling techniques similar to those found in modern grappling arts.

Jiao li an earlier form of the grappling style Shuai Jiao was practiced in China around 221-207 BC. Grappling arrived in Rome via the Etruscans and evolved in the Greek isles as sport and as part of their military training. India also had an ancient form of grappling around 11 AD. Indian wrestling is known as Pahalwani, Mallavidya and the a lesser known Vajra-Musti. Buddhist monks in northern India are said to have develop the grappling arts greatly before influencing Japan’s grappling arts.

Jujutsu is unique form other martial arts in that the principle of yielding or using the attacker’s force by redirecting it is not found in other arts before it. Jujutsu is “the art of flexible adaptation” which basic tenet is to achieve maximum effect with the minimum effort. The oldest form of Japanese Jujutsu is the Takenouchi-Ryu created by Takenouchi Hisamori in 1532. Many different styles of Jujutsu focusing on different disciplines emerged during Japan’s feudal period, particularly during the isolationist period of Tokugawa Iemitsu Shogun. During this period only the Samurai were permitted to carry weapons, contributing to the development of many different Jujutsu styles. Jujitsu evolved as the Samurai’s empty hand combat but also from those to which weapons were not an option. At the end of the 19th century, many Japanese martial arts styles, including many forms of Jujutsu started to fade. Kito-ryu, Tenjin-ryu, and Daito-ryu in particular remained in existence but the number of practitioners greatly diminished.

After the fall of the feudal system in Japan and the Samurai class a rapid decline in all martial arts ensued. Most styles of Jujutsu stagnated and some even disappeared. As a young man (circa 1870) Jigoro Kano studied Tenjin Shinyo Ryu Jujutsu and later Kito Ryu Jujutsu. Kano then began a comprehensive study of many forms of Jujutsu and is credited with the revival of Jujutsu during the Meiji restoration, adapting it to the times. In 1882 Kano selected what he thought were the best techniques into a style first known as Kano’s Jujutsu and later as Kodokan Judo.

Judo was revolutionary in that it created a system for practicing these techniques without permanent or frequent injury. Kano amalgamated an art perceived then as being different from the violent archaic Jujutsu of feudal times. In Judo, Kano created a powerful martial art masquerading as a sport and introduced an organized curriculum of study along with belt rankings.

Mitsuyo Maeda was a student of the Kodokan starting in 1895. Judo’s founder Jigoro Kano placed Maeda under the tutelage of Tsunejiro Tomita. In the early 20th century, Tomita, Maeda and other members of the Kodokan were sent to the americas to spread Judo. After a stint in the United States giving Judo demonstrations Maeda parted ways with Tomita and began his evolution by taking on a few wrestling tournaments in the United States and later in Europe and many countries in Latin America. Maeda developed a style of fighting that combined a mixed bag of techniques he’d learned while fighting all comers. He combined sumo, judo, jiu-jitsu, “catch-as-catch-can”, Greco-Roman, boxing, luta livre, karate, and other forms of free fighting lumped in with inventions of his own. In 1914 Maeda arrived in Brazil and in 1921 Maeda founded his first judo academy in Brazil. Maeda philosophy was to test and refine his Judo/Jujutsu through combat. At the time of his death he was a naturalized Brazilian citizen under the name Otávio Maeda.