Women Empowered - Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saratoga
Martial arts for children and adults!
Saratoga Beginner Women's Self-Defense Classes!

Learn to neutralize threats of violence and enforce boundaries with the practical and effective self-defense techniques of Women Empowered®.

GET 10-DAYS OF WOMEN EMPOWERED BEGINNER CLASSES IN SARATOGA,  COMPLETELY RISK FREE

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Self-defense that actually works.

It’s not just a workout — it’s a life-saving skillset. Learn time-tested self-defense techniques based in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to protect yourself and your loved ones, even if an attacker is bigger and stronger than you.
Come start your martial art journey in a safe, fun environment, right here in Saratoga!

Tap into your power. Unleash your potential.

For our Women Empowered students, learning to defend themselves not only enhances their physical confidence, but also their sense of freedom to live life to the fullest.

Learning to set verbal and physical boundaries plays an important role in our safety and our ability to pursue what we want out of life. This is one of many reasons women choose Women Empowered for their martial arts training.

Join our tribe.

In Women Empowered, we work with each other, not against each other, on our journeys of empowerment. Our instructors and students love helping newcomers who may be experiencing nerves on their first day!


Come for the jiu-jitsu, stay for the community of women supporting one another.

Women Empowered is so much more than self-defense.

In this 15-lesson program, you will learn how to neutralize the 20 most common attacks carried out by perpetrators in a safe, supportive environment. This program addresses scalable self-defense options ranging from verbal boundary setting to lethal force techniques, so you feel prepared for any potential threat.

Get the Gracie University® advantage

In addition to live classes, every Women Empowered student receives a subscription to Gracie University Online, which gives you unlimited online access to the Women Empowered streaming instructional video archive.

Use this resource to review past lessons, learn new techniques, and prepare for future belt tests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from any computer or mobile device!

Take advantage of this powerful tool and take your technique to the next level!

The Gracie Difference

Building a Strong Foundation for a Lifelong Journey

Step 1: Learn The Techniques

Law enforcement officials and survivors of sexual assault helped us identify the 20 most common attack strategies that a male assailant is likely to use on a woman. From hair-grabs and chokeholds, to bear hugs and weapon defenses, the Women Empowered programs covers it all.

Step 2: Develop Your Reflexes

Once you complete each of the 15 Women Empowered lessons once, you will qualify to participate in the Reflex Development (RD) classes.
In Reflex Development classes, you will learn how to combine the 20 techniques to address the most common occurrences in a real self-defense situation.

Step 3. Earn Your Pink Belt

Once you complete each of the Women Empowered lessons four times, and you’ve completed at least 8 Reflex Development Classes, you may be ready to test for promotion to pink belt! This is to test your understanding of the techniques and philosophies that are essential for survival in life-threatening scenarios. Once you earn your pink belt, you can attend WE classes for free, for the rest of your life!

Frequently Asked Questions

Most frequent questions and answers about our Women's Martial Arts Program.

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I hate doing gym workouts, I find them boring. Will this be similar?

Definitely not! Our students are often so into the class and learning the techniques, that it’s only after the class that they realize they worked up a sweat!
The variety, challenge, and the feeling of accomplishment when you master a self-defense skill or technique is why students love our Jiu-Jitsu classes at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saratoga .
But we find it’s the friendships and fun that keep students coming back. It’s like their second family. Why not find out for yourself? Book an intro class today!

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I have no experience, what do I do?

Just show up! Upon arriving, you will be given a uniform (called a “gi”) and will be given a focused introductory lesson by one of our instructors before you join in the group class.

Every beginner class is taught with no previous experience necessary, so you will not feel left behind.

Our program is structured by class number (15 group classes), so you will always know exactly what techniques you will be learning on any given day. You could even check out the techniques of the day on GracieUniversity.com before class to get a head start!

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I’m not very sporty or co-ordinated. Will that be a problem?

Not at all. In fact, many students starting in our adult martial arts classes may have described themselves like that before they started. There is absolutely no experience necessary for any of our beginner classes. You will fit right in!

Give yourself some time, and you will be astounded at what your body is capable of, and how much you can improve! Our certified martial arts instructors are trained to keep their teaching simple, effective, and beginner-focused. So even the most uncoordinated person will develop ‘ninja-like’ skills! Come see for yourself!

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How do I claim your limited time offer?

We only have a certain amount of space in our martial arts training area. To take advantage of our limited time offer, the fastest way is to fill in the form at the top of this page!

Additionally, you can always give us a call. We would love to chat with you about what we do, and to help you determine if our Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Saratoga martial arts classes would be a great fit for you and your family!

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Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for women?

Absolutely! Specifically because Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) has proven reliable in defending against larger opponents for nearly a century, it is the perfect martial art for women.

Many women train in our Women Empowered program, and then transition to the co-ed Gracie Combatives classes to learn even more self-defense techniques. 

We love seeing the physical confidence develop in our female students as they gain self-defense skills on the mat!

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What do I need to bring to my first martial arts lesson?

Upon arriving for your first jiu-jitsu class, we will provide a uniform, called a gi, for you wear. We recommend wearing comfortable undergarments or leggings, and a t-shirt or rashguard that you can wear under your gi. We will also have training attire available for purchase after your class.