Vernon Hills BJJ for Kids Ages 3 to 11
Vernon Hills is a park district town. Century Park wraps around Big Bear and Little Bear Lakes, the Sullivan Community Center on Aspen Dr hosts classes all year, and the Vernon Hills Athletic Complex fills up with youth sports on weekends. Add Hawthorn Mall and Mellody Farm at Milwaukee Ave and Townline Rd, and schools like Hawthorn Middle School North and Vernon Hills High School, and you have a lot of busy families.
Many of those parents are looking for an activity that does more than burn energy. At Brazil 021, kids learn Arlington Heights BJJ from world champion black belts in classes split by age, so a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old each get coaching that fits them. Compare our jiu-jitsu classes to find the right fit for you or your child.
Co-founders Hannette Staack, a 7x World Champion and 3x ADCC champion, and Andre “Negão” Terencio, a 6th-degree black belt, lead the team with black belts Vinicius “Machine” Pereira and Patrick Mullen. Patrick started training in 2017 alongside his teenage daughter, so he knows what it means for a family to learn together.
How Vernon Hills Families Get to Class
Take Milwaukee Ave (IL-21) south from Townline Rd through Lincolnshire to Lake-Cook Rd, then head west to the start of the IL-53 expressway. Follow IL-53 south, exit at Euclid Ave, go east and turn left onto Salt Creek Ln.
If you would rather skip Lake-Cook Rd, stay on Milwaukee Ave into Wheeling and turn west on Dundee Rd (IL-68), which also meets IL-53.
Kids Jiu-Jitsu Near Vernon Hills, Plus Classes for Parents
In kids jiu-jitsu, Kids Class 1 is for ages 3 to 6. Coaches use games, movement and short lessons so little ones learn to listen, wait their turn and follow directions while they tumble, roll and fall safely. Kids Class 2 is for ages 7 to 11. These kids learn real positions and escapes, practice staying calm when a partner is pressing on them, and build the kind of confidence that makes a child a harder target for bullies. There is no striking in jiu-jitsu, and coaches keep every round controlled.
Parents can train too. Adults Fundamentals starts at 6:30 PM on Monday and Wednesday and needs no experience, and many parents start after watching a few of their kids’ classes from the side of the mat.
- Kids Class 1, Beginners (ages 3–6): Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri 4:15–5:00 PM
- Kids Class 2, All Levels (ages 7–11): Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri 5:15–6:15 PM; Sat 10:30–11:30 AM (No-Gi)
- Adults Fundamentals (Gi): Mon & Wed 6:30–7:30 PM
- Adults All Levels (Gi): Tue 6:30–7:30 PM
- Adults Advanced No-Gi: Thu 6:30–7:30 PM; Sat 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
After-School and Summer Camp Interest Lists
We are building a Kids After-School Program with school pickup, snack and homework time, jiu-jitsu training, and parent pickup at the gym at a set time. It is coming soon, and families on the interest list hear first. Kids Summer Camp is coming back too. The 2026 camp ran for a week in July for kids 5 and up, 9 AM to 3 PM, and dates for Summer Camp 2027 are still to be announced.
The easiest way to know if your child will love it is to try. Brazil 021 has 4.9 stars from 32 Google reviews, and the first class is free for kids and adults.
From our blog: Jiu-Jitsu and Mental Focus: How Training Sharpens Your Mind.
