Marcelo Garcia Jiu Jitsu Academy of Gainesville

Marcelo Garcia Jiu Jitsu Academy of Gainesville is led by Kon Ying, whose connection to Marcelo Garcia goes back to Garcia’s arrival in New York in 2006. Ying began training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Renzo Gracie Academy in 2000, later became a direct student of Garcia and received his black belt from him in 2019. His own academy describes the Gainesville school as an extension of Marcelo’s teaching legacy rather than simply an association using the name. The program includes gi and no-gi jiu jitsu, beginner training and kids classes. Visitors are welcome, with a currently listed $20 drop-in on Let’s Roll. That makes the academy useful both to Gainesville residents and to grapplers passing through the University of Florida area who want to train in the Marcelo Garcia lineage without traveling to New York. For students who care about instructor lineage, the strongest reason to choose this academy is Ying’s long personal relationship with Garcia. He trained with Marcelo through multiple belt levels before becoming a black belt and association head, giving Gainesville a direct technical connection to one of the most accomplished competitors and teachers in the sport.

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