Valente Gracie Jiujitsu Fort Lauderdale

Long review for those who need it:
I’ve been a student now for just over six months after a long break from training with the Valente Brothers and other martial arts and sports, and here are my thoughts.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is widely recognized as arguably the most effective martial art out there. This goes for self defense, practicality, training no matter your size, gender or athleticism, and being able to be very effective well into old age. The Gracie system is the purest and most mature implementation of BJJ and the Valente Brothers name is unsurpassed in BJJ and Martial Arts. This isn’t my opinion, it’s widely recognized and well deserved. If you are doing your homework, please feel free to research and verify this yourself.
The big advantages of this school include first being part of the Valente Brothers network. Their instruction is very high quality and they frequently have seminars by some of the biggest names in the art: Gracie’s Rorion, Royce, Rickson, Rener, etc. (and before he passed away Grandmaster Hélio was a frequent and visible presence).
The next advantage of the VB network is being able to train at any center with them: Ft Lauderdale, North Miami Beach, Pembroke Pines, Coral Gables, and Guatemala (of course you probably won’t drive to the last one as easily) at no extra fee, just whichever part of town you happen to be in.
Finally, and probably most importantly, my feedback on this school. The Fort Lauderdale school is very much a reflection of the head instructor, Bruce Belfield, who is just one of the most impressive instructors I’ve ever met and I think you’ll ever meet. Looking back on years of education, both for schooling and physical training, I’ve had very few teachers for anything who are this good. Bruce is very highly skilled, has a deep and extremely detailed knowledge of the art, and most importantly is an amazing teacher. It’s almost weird sometimes when I think «boy I’m not sure how I’d do that move real time» and he’ll say «I know you’re probably thinking you’re not sure how you can do that move real time, but try it out and I’ll give you feedback!» He’s just very good at getting the point across and I am surprised at my own pace of growth, which is first and foremost a testament to the quality of my instruction.
The school is very clean and the environment very friendly and professional. Many of the students are professionals themselves: police officers, lawyers, pharmacists, a dentist, several physicians (including myself) and medical students, business men and women, etc.
There is a big presence of female students. In some lessons they will even outnumber the men although it’s usually just over one third of the regular class (I’m not counting the women’s self defense, which is at least 15 – 20 women per class).
As for price they are about average for martial arts instruction in town. What you get is way above average instruction and you can come to as many lessons as you like at whichever schools you like, and you have plenty of resources for very high quality instruction, so it adds up to a better deal than average martial arts schools. Add to that the amazing environment and you simply can’t do any better.
My biases: I’m still a student at this school (also spend time at the North Miami school), I’m about the same age as Bruce, I’m male, I’m a professional (who works lots of hours), I’ve trained other martial arts/​sports before, I don’t have any particular interest in sports competition (although wouldn’t entirely rule it out), and I want something effective that I can reasonably participate in 100% for the rest of my life.
I hope my feedback helps. When in doubt, contact the school and stop by to see for yourself :)

Best place for kids and adults to learn self defense! Helio Gracie pioneered in self defense for the weak and small being able to defend against anyone no matter their size or strength. VB Fort Lauderdale is a great environment for all to learn the techniques and with that gain confidence.
My kids (5 year old girl and 7 year old boy) are benefiting from the positive vibes and life lessons, as well as developing great athletic skills. For myself I have found that there easy and yet very powerful techniques that I can use to feel safe and confident in any situation. The amazing and supportive environment is a plus for all. The owner/​main instructor is highly trained and skilled in his ways of teaching, making sure everyone gets the most out of their training. This is a great place for all. Can’t wait to see you there :)

There really aren’t enough words to describe the impact that Valente Brothers Ft. Lauderdale Jiu Jitsu has had on my life. I have been involved in Martial Arts for over 25 years. The format that the Valente brother’s use is very effective in developing well trained Gracie Jiu jitsu practitioners. They stay true to the traditional Helio Gracie Jiu Jitsu teachings. The instruction is high quality and a must for anyone seeking Gracie Jiu Jitsu training or training for self defense purposes. Instructor Bruce Belfield maintains the highest quality of teaching to his students and devotes almost all of his time to the school. The students are all very respectful, friendly and fun to be around. We are like family. The women’s self defense program is what brought me into the school, and the techniques that Instructor Belfield has given me to use to defend myself against a REAL LIFE street situation far surpass anything I have encountered in all my years as a martial artist. The women I train with are amazing and we encourage other women to learn this form of self defense. It will save your life and you will never have to be afraid of being attacked or wonder what you would or wouldn’t do if someone tried to hurt you. Gracie Jiu Jitsu has changed my life in such a positive way and I owe that change to Instructor Belfield and the entire Valente Brothers Ft. Lauderdale family. I would highly recommend this facility.

The greatest school ever !