Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Lexington is a Level 4 Certified Training Center® authorized by the Gracie Academy Headquarters in Torrance, California. Originally established as Carter's Academy of Self-Defense in Columbia, SC in January of 1997, our academy continues to be a training center where students receive a first-class education in the martial arts.  We teach authentic Gracie Jiu-Jitsu programs for self-defense in Lexington and continue to offer specialized training in Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Aikido and Karate at our second location in Chapin. Our mission is to teach the highest percentage responses to the most common attacker behaviors. Men, women and children from all walks of life come to our Lexington and Chapin locations for the best self-defense instruction in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu®, Nihon Goshin Aikido (a blend of Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo & Karate), Women's Self-Defense and Youth Programs. 

Our school offers a professional, safe and fun method of learning martial arts.   All our instructors have had many years of martial arts and self-defense training and are required to meet high standards when achieving and maintaining their national instructor certifications. The academy is open daily and evenings, Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings. We offer month-to-month memberships, have an easy sign-up process, and keep classes small for personalized attention. If you are considering joining our academy, come by and watch a class, try any class on our schedule for free, meet our Head Instructor and see our training facility. We look forward to meeting you soon.