Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
The ‘Gentle Art’, renowned as the most effective form of self-defense across all martial arts; No matter the size or strength of your opponent.
A Perfect Fit For Everyone
Kids Program
We supplement our classes with life lessons applicable for ages 3-15, teaching your children how to stand up to bullies, treat others with compassion, take responsibility, and more.
Adult Program
We tailor our classes to your every need; self-defense, weight-loss, cross-training athletes for competition, law enforcement, and more.
What Should I Expect?
Natural Mood Regulation
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Excerpt from betterhealth.gov ‘We don’t understand exactly why exercise is so good for improving mood conditions yet, but we do know that it works.
This may be due to a combination of reasons, including:
1. Exercise helps chronic depression by increasing serotonin (which helps your brain regulate mood, sleep and appetite) or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (which helps neurons to grow).
2. Exercise reduces immune system chemicals that can make depression worse.
3. Exercise increases your level of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters.
4. Exercise helps by getting your sleep patterns back to normal. We know getting enough sleep can protect the brain from damage.
5. Exercise gives you a focused activity that can help you feel a sense of accomplishment.
6. Exercise limits the effect of stress on your brain.’
If you’re interested in more incredible benefits of not only exercising, but also training in our environment, click HERE to go to our front page!
Positive Habit-Building
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Taking better care of ourselves is often difficult, but new research has helped uncover some of those difficulties. Studies show childhood PE experiences are a major factor in our overall attitude towards physical activity. Kids are systematically learning to judge themselves based on how their fitness test results compare to others, and it harms them in the long run. When kids enjoy their physical activities, they nurture a fun, healthy habit for the future. In our environment at SIA, both kids and adults love training SO MUCH, that they drag family and friends to class with them! Not to mention, the benefits across the board of making a healthy lifestyle change and thriving in a supportive community with healthy relationships. Read the research article HERE!
FIT3D Body Scans
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Our FIT3D Body Scanner renders a 3D version of your body in virtual reality for future reference. It keeps track of useful information like your body fat percentage, lean muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, posture, weight distribution, measurements, and more. If you’d like to be scanned, show up 15 minutes early to class. Our FIT3D Body Scanner is at the Plano location, but our Allen family is more than welcome! If you’re in Allen, please make an appointment by calling 214-227-7111, and we’ll take care of the rest!
Inspiring Testimonies
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So many of our students have had their lives changed by Jiu Jitsu, and it continually reminds us of why we do what we do. We’re in the business of changing lives for the better, not running a gym. We’ve had an adult student lose over 100 pounds with us, we’ve had parents come to us and talk about the massive change in their child’s confidence and demeanor at home, and some kids even have stories of standing up to bullies. It’s disheartening to say, but kids are experiencing bullying as early as 5 years old. Equipping everyone we can with the tools they need is so important to us.
A Warm Community
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Just like it’s hard to explain how tasty a mint, white chocolate latte is to someone who has never drank it; It’s hard to explain a loving community like ours until you’re in it. For example, we put you in a group chat with other wonderful members when you sign up, and it can get pretty crazy in there! Many students host impromptu watch parties for things like GOT, UFC, F2W, other sports, and more. We’re looking to make events like this happen more often, and in different environments more conducive to bringing the WHOLE family! Pretty soon, we’ll be (hopefully) gathering every month for all-inclusive activities like soccer, ultimate frisbee, beach volleyball, bowling, painting, etc. Stay tuned!
Family-Friendly Environment
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We work hard to keep our atmosphere free of anything you wouldn’t want your grandkids to be around. Our staff is respectable in all manners, and we expect the same of our students and guests. We don’t allow profanity or explicit music.
Free Wifi & Coffee
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We know this is a big deal to parents, and happily offer these completely gratuitous. We have special spaces for those of you who need to charge your laptop and lock-in while we take care of your kids. We also have a cafe at our Plano location should you get hungry, and plan to open a cafe in our Allen location soon!
World-Class Instruction
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If you’d like to know more about our instructors qualifications and accomplishments, press HERE! We recruit athletes and instructors across the world who have proven themselves elite in the competion. All of our athletes have been ranked extremely high on a global scale, and some being ranked #1 in their respective divisions. We know all-too-well that the best athletes don’t always make the best teachers, and we vet them accordingly before handing over the huge responsibility of empowering the champions in our academy.
A Full-Body Workout
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While we encourage everyone to train hard, that doesn’t mean to train aggressively or with excessive strength. A normal-paced workout is tiresome, and we don’t want you burnt out after the first day. It’s common to wake up sore the next day in areas you didn’t know could be sore!
Award-Winning Gym
Voted ‘Best Gym for Men’ in Plano in 2016.
With a contagious family environment that nurtures healthy competition, we’ve been blessed with the recognition of multiple publications – including Plano Magazine, FloGrappling, IBJJF Weekly, Fight2Win, XKO Promotions, GracieMag, MMA Junkie and others.
Getting Started is Easy
We're Here for YOU!
We offer a variety of resources for your benefit, like monthly community events, holiday celebrations, and more.
Book an Intro Class
Try a class with us before anything! Just give us a call, shoot us an email, or leave your contact info below. Talk to you soon!
Have a Question?
If you are uncertain about anything, feel free to reach out! We will serve you the best we can!
Get in the best shape of your life
AND learn self-defense along the way…Fill in the form below to get started.
Plano // 214-227-7111
4017 Preston Rd Suite 542, Plano, Tx 75093
Allen // 214-901-4449
190 E Stacy Rd Suite 1605, Allen, TX 75002
Frequently Asked Questions
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
What is Jiu Jitsu?
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was founded in 1925 by brothers Carlos and Hélio Gracie, and then taught to their extended family. While both brothers played a vital role in its creation, they both had different focuses. Carlos looked to evangelize it for business and sport, while Hélio faithfully stuck to the traditional meaning; self-defense. It’s no surprise, as Hélio was notoriously small and light, afflicted with different health conditions that rendered him an easy target for even the average-sized fellow. Hélio continued evolving new moves with Carlos, molding them into techniques suitable for someone of his stature. Our academy was once known as Gracie Gym USA, having opened the gym with a descendant of Carlos. We’ve since parted ways with them, and have been known as Sharpen Iron Academy since 2018.
Is Jiu Jitsu effective?
Jiu Jitsu has been proven as the best way to defend yourself time and time again. While punches and kicks are also effective, they don’t have much use against someone twice your size. Jiu Jitsu was crafted for this very purpose – neutralizing larger and stronger aggressors. Since we can’t share every impactful, life-saving story (we wish we could), we encourage you to do a bit of research on your own. Our members are quick to share their stories about weight-loss, confidence, community, self-defense, and more.
What will my first Jiu Jitsu class be like?
Introductory classes are tailored to your goals, so they vary accordingly. You spend one on one time with an instructor, learning some foundational movements and techniques of Jiu Jitsu. We know everyone has different limits, and we aren’t commanding or limited in our teaching. We encourage you to move at your own pace, and only do what’s comfortable. Our instructors are well-versed in physical care for both casual students and die-hard athletes, and have your best interest in mind.
Isn’t it better to learn how to punch/kick?
This was a common question when Jiu Jitsu was first founded, and has been proven many times to be the superior form of self-defense. One such example is of founding members of the Gracie family walking into traditional martial art dojos to challenge the head instructor. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu always prevailed, and is loved all over the world for its endless strategy opportunities.
FIT3D
What is a FIT3D Body Scan?
Our FIT3D Body Scanner renders a 3D version of your body in virtual reality for future reference. It keeps track of useful information like your body fat percentage, lean muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, posture, weight distribution, measurements, and more.
Do I get scanned my first visit?
If you’d like to be scanned, show up 15 minutes early to class. Our FIT3D Body Scanner is at the Plano location, but our Allen family is more than welcome! If you’re in Allen, please make an appointment by calling 214-227-7111, and we’ll take care of the rest!
Is it really free, even if I don't sign up?
Yes! Even if you don’t sign up with us, our staff and community has an unwavering belief in changing lives. This is our contribution to your first step to wellness, wherever that may be!