About Us

Larry Shealy, M.B.A.: Kid-Jitsu® Founder and Instructor

Larry Shealy began studying Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1995 at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California. He is a Black Belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu under the direction and instruction of Master Carlos Gracie Jr. and is the Gracie Barra Representative in Jacksonville, FL.

He has also learned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technique over the years from Royce Gracie, Rorion Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Royler Gracie, Rolker Gracie, Relson Gracie, Rodrigo Gracie, Carlos “Caique” Elias, Jacare’ Cavalcante, Flavio Almeida, Charles Dos Anjos, Steve Hall and Aparacido Bill. He has traveled extensively in the United States to study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and also two times to Rio de Janiero, Brazil to further his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu studies. He has trained at the world famous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies: The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California (Rorion and Royce Gracie), Gracie Barra in Barra de Tijuca, Rio de Janiero, Brazil with Carlos Gracie Jr. and Marcio Feitosa and Gracie Humatai in Rio de Janiero Brazil with Royler and Rolker Gracie.

In 2003, Larry began developing the “Kid-Jitsu®” program along with the “Kid-Jitsu® Values Program”.  This trademark registered program teaches children the fundamentals of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, while weaving targeted values into each lesson within the “Kid-Jitsu®” Children’s Curriculum.

His career has been quite varied with a Marketing Degree from Florida State University, a Masters Degree in Business from Jacksonville University and over 20 successful years in Sales, Sales Training, and Sales Management in the Medical Device Field.

Larry received a black belt in TKD in the mid-1990’s and had the good fortune of being given a ticket for admission to a Rickson Gracie seminar in Jacksonville, Florida. What he learned in a 2-day seminar was the catalyst for making not only an immediate change in his martial arts disciplines, but also a long-term change in his lifestyle and eventually his career.

During this same time frame in the mid-1990’s Larry was at the height of his success in the Medical Device Sales Industry and he spent a significant amount of time in California where he began training at the Gracie Academy in Torrance. It was also around this time that a rather strange and unique event at the time began appearing on Pay-Per-View: The Ultimate Fighting Challenge.  (Later the name was changed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship).  It was at this time that Larry, like many others, observed a skinny Brazilian kid beat all comers in 3-4 no holds barred, bare fisted fights in a given night.

Of course that skinny kid was Royce Gracie, and along with his family-style of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu he single handedly changed the way fighting would be done forever.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu became a household name and the fight game was changed forever; and so was Larry’s life.

For Larry, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has morphed from a hobby and a means to stay in shape, to a total way of life. Along with the Black Belts in Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu and in TKD, Larry Shealy is a Certified Instructor in the Haganah F.I.G.H.T. System under the leadership of Haganah Founder, Mike Lee Kanarek. He is also a Certified Instructor in Muay-Thai under world renowned Master Toddy out of Las Vegas, NV.

He teaches and trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kid-Jitsu® 6 days per week, personally teaching over 20 classes in a given week. He trains and spars with the young adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students several times per week. He also teaches Haganah F.I.G.H.T and Haganah F.I.T. five times per week. He has over 200 students in his school ranging in age from 4 years old to 60 years of age.

His students say that he has a big heart, is a master motivator, is extremely loyal and has the God given ability to draw out the best in each student, young and old, that he comes in contact with.

The most ironic thing about the phenomenal growth in Larry’s school is that this all has been accomplished in just over one year as a full time business!!! You too can have this type of growth, and beyond, as you implement “Kid-Jitsu®” into your martial arts curriculum.