Scholarship memberships and uniforms linked to local academies and behavioral health support.
Jiu-jitsu based nonprofit est. 2010
Support the rooms where discipline becomes belonging.
Jiu Jitsu Tribe helps young people in underserved communities access more than a class. Donations help fund mentors, mats, uniforms, healthy facilities, and long-term support across Arizona and Brazil.
501(c)(3) nonprofit
EIN 27-2625151
Arizona + Brazil
Support for coach salaries and operations so good local work can keep going.
Facility improvements, mats, and clean environments that make participation dignified.
Programs, partners, and founders are all legible, making the trust story easier to believe.
New for 2026 — our first three sponsored athletes
Next Generation The Jiu Jitsu Tribe athlete program
We're going beyond the classroom. Next Generation sponsors our young competitors from social projects in Brazil — one for each youth belt group — covering competition costs, building mentorship, and investing in who these athletes become on and off the mats.
Applications open now – close August 31
Want to fund an athlete's journey? →
Summer 2026 — season two
How High Can You Fly? The trip that turns dreams into belief
Last year, Enzo flew from a small town in southern Brazil to Arizona — and came home a champion. This season, we're bringing two young athletes and their coach to the 2026 AZBJJL Arizona State Championship.
Goal: $5,000 · July 18 in Arizona
Mission personal + social development
Jiu-jitsu is the entry point. Confidence, structure, and consistency are the deeper work.
The organization exists to inspire, impact, and improve the lives of at-risk children and young adults in underserved communities. The point is not only access to training. It is what the training environment can make possible.
That means strong local leadership, respectful spaces, and a model that funds the conditions around the class instead of treating a single event as the whole answer.
Support the ecosystem, not just the moment.
What the donation really buys
Belonging needs infrastructure.
Mats, uniforms, coaching continuity, healthy environments, and reliable places for young people to come back to.
2010
Founding year
15+
Years of mission-led work
200+
Students served through Projeto Gaditas
2 countries
Current footprint rooted in local relationships
Model three ways support becomes practical
Our work, both locally and abroad.
The generous support from our donors allows us to pursue these mission-aligned initiatives.
01
Mental health initiative
In Arizona, the work connects jiu-jitsu with behavioral health support and local academies. Training becomes part of a wider structure that can reinforce safety, confidence, and regulation.
- Scholarship access to academy memberships
- Uniforms and gear for students who need a starting point
- Trusted spaces where movement and mentorship can support healing
02
Social project sustainability
The strongest differentiator is long-term support. Not just a fundraiser, but the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a grassroots project standing after the applause ends.
- Facility improvements and better training environments
- Mats, uniforms, and practical equipment
- Coach salary support to stabilize local leadership
03
JJT Institute
The institute in Brazil shows the longer vision: a real home base for free classes, trusted local leadership, and youth development that can deepen over time.
- Free classes tied to a stable community anchor
- A setting that extends beyond technique into identity and discipline
- A model that proves the mission can outlast a single campaign
Communities where the mission becomes tangible
Jiu Jitsu Tribe projects that have impacted lives of at-risk youth.
Grassroots efforts by local community leaders from Arizona to Brazil.
Nova Hartz, Brazil
JJT Institute
Our dedicated institute in Nova Hartz, 70km from Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil provides free jiu-jitsu classes under black belt Leandro "Leo" Gonzaga. The institute also empowers personal development curriculum from the accredited Instituto Ascendendo Mentes @ascendendomentes. The content includes social-emotional learning, financial education, and professional certificate programs to prepare youngsters for the market.
Tucson, Arizona
Higher Ground
Higher Ground is a nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by Jansen Azarias that provides after-school programming centered around judo and jiu-jitsu for youth in economically disadvantaged communities in Tucson, Arizona. Serving a population that is predominantly Latino/Hispanic and largely qualifies for free or reduced lunch, the organization addresses significant challenges faced by local students, including high rates of disciplinary issues and widespread exposure to trauma. Through its mission to help individuals reach, transform, and elevate their communities, Higher Ground uses structured martial arts training as a vehicle for building discipline, resilience, and positive behavior.
At the core of its approach is a research-based Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum integrated directly into its judo and jiu-jitsu programming. Focused on emotion management, problem-solving, and initiative, the curriculum helps students develop self-awareness, navigate challenges constructively, and build perseverance toward personal goals. Implemented in partnership with local schools, including as a replacement for traditional P.E. classes, the program has demonstrated success in fostering meaningful behavioral improvements, enhancing both academic engagement and overall personal development beyond the training environment.
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Projeto Gaditas
Projeto Gaditas is a grassroots nonprofit founded by Eduardo Oliveira, whose life was transformed by Brazilian jiu-jitsu after growing up in a high-risk, impoverished community in Brazil. Having experienced firsthand the pull of crime and instability at a young age, Eduardo built Gaditas on a simple but powerful belief: "It's not about you; it's about others." What began with worn mats and donated uniforms has grown into a life-changing program that provides free jiu-jitsu training, mentorship, and structure to hundreds of children at risk of following the same path he once faced.
Today, Projeto Gaditas operates as both a jiu-jitsu academy and a full-scale support system—serving over 200 students and functioning as an orphanage housing Eduardo's family and adopted children. Supported by donations and a network of volunteers, the program extends far beyond martial arts to include tutoring, healthcare, and emotional support from professionals committed to each child's development. Despite ongoing financial challenges, Gaditas continues to expand its facilities and impact, using jiu-jitsu as a foundation to instill discipline, purpose, and hope—ultimately changing lives by showing young people a different path forward.
See the mission real faces, real rooms, real impact
Watch our story unfold.
Get involved clear actions, no dead ends
Choose a lane and move the work forward.
Donate
Make an immediate gift
Support uniforms, clean facilities, training resources, and the continuity that makes programs stable.
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Adopt
Adopt a social project
Commit to longer-term sponsorship and help a tribe stay supported month after month.
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Sponsor
Sponsor an athlete
Help young competitors from our social projects cover tournaments, travel, and growth — three athletes, three opportunities.
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Shop
Support through merchandise
Mission apparel and kimonos reinforce the story while helping fund gis for children in need.
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Follow
Stay close to the mission
Instagram remains one of the clearest ways to watch the day-to-day story unfold.
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Network sponsors, supporters, and adopted projects
The mission gets stronger when others help carry it.
We believe that together we can make a difference and positively impact society. That is why we seek partnerships with individuals and companies that share our values and aim for the common good.
A partnership is a collaboration between two or more parties with common goals. In our case, we seek partners who can contribute financially or with resources so that we can continue to develop our projects and achieve our goals as a non-profit organization.
If you are an individual or company that believes in our work and wants to be part of this journey, become one of our partners. Together, we can achieve significant results and positively transform people's lives. Contact us to find out more about becoming a partner.
Do not miss this opportunity to make a difference and become part of a network of collaboration and social impact. Be one of our partners!
Aggro Brand
Jiu-Jitsu na Estrada
OSK Graphics
RollUnion
BJJ Fanatics
VF Comunica
GD Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Control Physical Therapy
Bastos BJJ Academy
Founders the people behind the trust story
Leadership that makes the mission feel accountable.
Co-founder
Gustavo Dantas
Gustavo is a 6th-degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and serial entrepreneur based in Tempe, Arizona. He founded GD Academy and serves as a BJJ Mental Coach. His vision centers on inspiring and improving lives.
He emigrated from Brazil in 1999 with modest resources and a dream to build a jiu-jitsu academy. The Gustavo Dantas Jiu-Jitsu Academy, established in 2012, now serves 300+ students. He founded the Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu League, growing it from 40 competitors in 2001 to 6,000 annually by 2022, establishing Arizona as a U.S. jiu-jitsu powerhouse.
Gustavo co-founded Jiu-Jitsu Tribe in 2010, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit introducing jiu-jitsu as a personal development tool for at-risk youth in impoverished communities worldwide, partnering with mental health organizations and local academies.
Co-founder
Heath Flicker
Heath is a BJJ black belt and corporate executive turned philanthropist with a passion for physical and mental discipline. He built success in the technology industry through software consulting, helping companies leverage cutting-edge solutions.
He earned his black belt through dedication, developing focus and perseverance that informed his entrepreneurial approach. Beyond software, Heath served as tournament director for the Arizona Brazilian Jiu Jitsu League.
Recognizing his success, he committed to philanthropy, supporting organizations creating positive global impact while applying jiu-jitsu's lessons to community service.
Co-founder
Anthony Gonzales
Anthony is a tech startup founder, biotech executive, and BJJ black belt whose entrepreneurial and organizational experience helps translate mission ambition into something scalable and resilient.
Connect follow the mission