Pedro Sauer Academy of Self-Defense
Authentic Martial Arts. A Remarkable History.
Learn authentic martial arts in a safe, welcoming, family-oriented academy.
We teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Kali, and Krav Maga for children and adults—from complete beginners to experienced martial artists. Behind what we teach is an extraordinary history that helped change martial arts around the world.
From Brazil to the UFC
Technique changed the equation.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu developed around a practical question: can technique allow a smaller person to defend against someone bigger and stronger?
- 1951
The Gracie challenges
Carlos and HĂ©lio Gracie spent decades developing and testing their Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil. HĂ©lio faced much larger opponents, including legendary Japanese judoka Masahiko Kimura in 1951. The shoulder lock used in that match is still widely known in Jiu-Jitsu as the Kimura.
- 1980s
Jiu-Jitsu reaches American martial artists
Rorion Gracie brought the family’s challenge tradition to Southern California. During a 1980 visit to Brazil, Chuck Norris trained with the Gracies and was struck by the effectiveness of their Jiu-Jitsu. In 1988, Rickson Gracie and members of the Gracie circle taught a seminar for Norris’s martial arts organization in Las Vegas—years before most Americans knew Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
- 1993
The first Ultimate Fighting Championship
Rorion Gracie and businessman Art Davie created a televised tournament where different martial arts could meet with few restrictions. At UFC 1 on November 12, 1993, Royce Gracie submitted three opponents and became the first UFC champion. He ultimately won three of the first four UFC tournaments, bringing worldwide attention to Jiu-Jitsu.
- 1970s
Professor Sauer begins his path
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Pedro Sauer began boxing at five and later studied judo and taekwondo. At fifteen, his friend Rickson Gracie invited him to try Jiu-Jitsu with Rickson’s younger brother Royler. The experience convinced Pedro that there was something different about the art, and he began training the next day.
Pedro learned directly from HĂ©lio and Rickson Gracie. He received his black belt in 1985 and the rare TĂ©cnico de Jiu-Jitsu certificate from HĂ©lio in 1986, recognizing his technical knowledge and teaching ability.
- 1990
From finance in Brazil to teaching in America
Professor Sauer studied Economics and Business Administration, completed postgraduate study at Fundação Getulio Vargas, and worked for eleven years as a stockbroker in Brazil. In 1990 he moved to the United States to teach Jiu-Jitsu full time, first training in California before moving to Utah that December.
In Utah, he became a pioneer of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the American Southwest, developed generations of students and black belts, and established the Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association.
- 2006
Northern Virginia
Professor Sauer moved to Northern Virginia in 2005 and opened One Spirit Martial Arts in 2006.
- 2026
Pedro Sauer Academy of Self-Defense opens its doors
Pedro Sauer Academy of Self-Defense opened its doors in Herndon to preserve Professor Sauer’s teaching legacy, grow the art, and train people of all ages in practical self-defense.
The 1994 Mr. Utah Challenge
A real test of technique.
In 1994, a much larger bodybuilder identified at the time as a former Mr. Utah challenged Professor Sauer to a no-holds-barred fight. Pedro accepted and prevailed.
The recorded challenge became a well-known early demonstration of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in America: a smaller practitioner using position, leverage, and composure against a dramatically stronger opponent.
Strength matters. Size matters. But technique can change the equation.
A direct teaching lineage
History we carry onto the mat.
The lineage behind our Jiu-Jitsu is unusually direct. It is not here simply to decorate the walls—it shapes how our instructors teach today.
Pedro Sauer Academy in Herndon is an affiliate of the Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association—a worldwide network of more than 150 affiliated schools. Herndon is our local academy, not the association’s headquarters. Explore the association’s schools.
Self-defense first
Four arts. One practical purpose.
Our programs develop skill, preparedness, confidence, and the ability to protect yourself and others. Explore a class to see how each art contributes.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Grappling, control, escapes, submissions, and ground self-defense built around leverage.
Muay Thai
Striking, movement, distance, timing, and conditioning taught in a structured environment.
Kali
Movement, coordination, awareness, and understanding of armed and unarmed encounters.
Krav Maga
Practical self-defense focused on recognizing and responding to threatening situations.
Built for long-term growth
More than a place to work out.
Good martial arts take time. We want the academy to be somewhere you can train safely, keep learning, and build relationships for years.
A place to train for years
Jiu-Jitsu has a deep learning curve: there is always another detail to understand and another problem to solve. Progress rewards patience, consistency, and curiosity—not just athleticism.
Your third place
Home is the first place and work or school is the second. A healthy “third place” is somewhere people choose to return, where training partners become friends and a genuine community forms.
Good adults in a child’s corner
Parents are a child’s most important influence. A trusted coach can reinforce listening, emotional control, responsibility, respect, resilience, and how to handle winning and losing well.
Serious martial arts. Welcoming people.
Start exactly where you are.
You do not need martial arts experience, natural athleticism, or perfect fitness before you begin. You do not need to prove that you are tough. Our responsibility is to meet you where you are and teach you.
A five-year-old walking onto the mat for the first time belongs here. So does an experienced black belt, a parent who finally decides to try a class, or someone beginning martial arts at 40, 50, 60, or beyond.
- Authentic, practical instruction
- Safe and structured training
- Programs for children and adults
- A welcoming academy community
- A free trial across all classes for 7 days