Located in Crestview off P.J. Adams Parkway at 723 Ashley Drive, Breakwater BJJ is a training academy for both children and adults alike. Whether you want your daughter to have self-defense skills, or you’re middle aged and looking for a fitness community to join, Breakwater BJJ is the place for you.
Owner and Head Instructor Rachel Demara is a first-degree black belt with more than 20 years of experience on the mats. She has trained all over the globe including Brazil, Canada, Sweden and Denmark. Rachel is a five-time world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Rachel grew up on a farm in Laurel Hill and played many sports, such as softball and volleyball. When she got to college and became an adult, she missed playing sports and discovered jui-jitsu. She fell in love with the sport and trained to win. Now she loves to teach others Brazilian jui-jitsu and instill passion in them.
Rachel’s long-time partner Fred Thomsen, who started as a bouncer in college, is also a black belt and instructor at Breakwater BJJ with 10 years of teaching experience and almost 20 years of practice and dedication to the art of BJJ. He is a software engineer by day and warrior by night.
No experience is necessary at Breakwater BJJ, and all ages are welcome.
“We’ve had kids as young as four train with us and the oldest person I’ve ever coached was in their 60s,” Rachel said.
Breakwater is currently offering a 1-Week Free Trial to try this unique type of martial art at no charge.
“Just try it out and see if you love it as much as we do,” Rachel said.
If commitment scares you, don’t worry. Memberships are month to month.
Jui-jitsu is ground-submission heavy, which means you spend most of your time trying to get your opponent into a choke or ground lock. Brazilian jui-jitsu got famous in 1990s in UFC, when they started mixed martial arts and BJJ reigned victorious.
The name Breakwater BJJ is inspired by a breakwater near the shore, which is a barrier that acts as a shield to guard a coastline, like the Destin Jetties.
“A breakwater protects the shore and redirects heavy-crashing waves. That’s kind of how I view jui-jitsu,” Rachel said. “In order to deconstruct powerful things, I must be strategic and technical and leverage physics and biomechanics. That’s the only way I’m going to survive in this sport.”
If you’re going to compete in BJJ, levels are measured by skill, age and size. However, in academy, everybody trains with everybody.
“In class, I roll with 300-pound dudes, and I roll with the 6-year-olds,” Rachel said.
Breakwater BJJ is different than their competitors because Rachel and Fred designed their programs with the whole family in mind. At the gym, there is a playroom, a break room and homework tables. Children can get off the bus and get into a routine that flows and is optimized for their success.
“I literally built an intermission in the schedule, so I could feed my kids,” Rachel said with a smile.
However, Breakwater is not for children only.
“Jui jitsu have a very diverse crowd,” Rachel said. “It’s a melting pot that ranges from first responders who have had combative training and want to learn more, to fathers who want to teach their daughters to defend themselves, to nerds, attorneys, accountants and engineers who want to build their strength and agility, to women who want to feel empowered.”
The kid’s program is three days a week, while the adult’s program is up to seven days a week. The athlete pays for the month and can come in and train whenever they’d like.
Breakwater BJJ offers a military discount for active-duty service members. They also offer a Family Package, with a reduced rate for the first three family members. After that, you don’t pay for child number four or beyond.
The atmosphere at Breakwater is family-focused and a wonderful place for the whole family to spend their evenings doing something productive. It can be a great bonding experience to build skills together.
Rachel has a zeal for Brazilian jui-jitsu and describes it as a way to destress and clear her mind.
“I like it because it’s truly like a puzzle,” she said. “I’ve been practicing for 20+ years and there’s still stuff I haven’t mastered. You can do this for a long time and never get bored.”
She also loves the community it provides. She loves being around like-minded people who enjoy being fit and taking care of themselves.
“It’s like somebody is trying to choke you, and you don’t want to be choked, so you do everything you can to stop them,” Rachel said. “I really love it. It’s hard to describe, but it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done and gotten involved with.”
Breakwater BJJ
723 Ashley Drive, Crestview, FL 32536
(850) 889-0815
www.breakwaterbjj.com