BJJ in Clearwater

Clearwater holds four BJJ listings anchored by two affiliated academies at opposite ends of the lineage spectrum. Gracie Barra Clearwater is the flagship: head instructor John Keller is a 3rd-degree black belt who began training in 2004 under Eduardo De Lima (6th-degree, Gracie Barra pioneer), giving the school a direct Eduardo De Lima lineage shared with St Pete Brazilian Jiu Jitsu across the bay. Keller runs a full program slate — adult BJJ, no-gi, kids and teens, women's self-defense, competition training, and a wrestling component led by Dryden Dennis (D1 wrestler, University of Oklahoma). On the other side of the lineage spectrum, Concept Jiu-Jitsu of Clearwater is led by Brian Frias, a black belt under Andre Galvao of ATOS who received his promotion in 2019 after three years training at ATOS headquarters in San Diego; Frias also served six years as an active-duty Marine and as a San Diego PD SWAT officer, and the academy's programs run from Tiny Grapplers (ages 4–6) through adult competition track. Rising Tide Jiu Jitsu (Brian Youakim, 1st-degree black belt) completes the BJJ-focused trio with adult, women's, kids, and family programs plus a standing Saturday open mat. Sityodtong Muay Thai Clearwater is also present in the city's martial arts landscape but is a striking-only school.