Foundations
Conceptual and practical foundations; designed to give beginners a safe, intelligible start.
Gi + no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu · Banja Luka
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Gi and no-gi training in Banja Luka for beginners and experienced grapplers. Classes follow a planned curriculum, with tasks adapted to each member’s level.
We teach concepts and techniques through demonstrations, practice, games, and sparring.
- Location
- Užička 2
- Membership
- 50 BAM€30
- New group · 13 Oct
- 3 · free
- Weekly
- 8 sessions
Our academy
Gi and no-gi training
We train gi and no-gi, from a first class to competition preparation. The curriculum combines focused units, technical practice, games, and sparring. Each member works on tasks suited to their experience.
Rob Biernacki is our pedagogical mentor. His conceptual approach and BJJ Concepts material inform our teaching. Our formal affiliation is Fenix BJJ, through Professor Đorđe Vasić.
See how we trainChoose the information most useful to you
Your first class, equipment and basic rules
Your first class, equipment and basic rules
- New group from 13 October: 3 free classes
- Beginners need no gi
- Four weekly times for your first visit
- Visitors and cross-training welcome
Your first class
Starting at Gavran
You do not need previous experience, exceptional fitness, unusual flexibility, or a gi. We introduce safety, movement, positions, and live practice at a level suited to your ability.
Choose a session
Choose one of the four trial sessions and mention any experience, concern, or injury that should shape your first class.
Try a class
Wear clean athletic clothing. We orient you, give you a workable task, and keep sparring optional until you are ready.
Decide if it suits you
After your trial classes, decide whether you want to keep training with us.
Curriculum structure
Themes, units, and individual tasks
Themes connect the curriculum over several months. Units and modules focus each session, while the instructor adapts individual tasks.
- Months
Thematic core
A broad problem—retention, passing, escapes, wrestling, submissions—connects work over time.
- ≈ 1 month
Unit
Two sessions per week are devoted to studying and practising the unit’s material.
- 1–2 sessions
Module
A smaller technical or conceptual exploration inside the unit.
- Today
Personal task
Work on the newest material or a compatible problem that currently matters to you.
Unit study
Detailed study of a theme. White belts can attend, with tasks adapted to their ability.
Advanced
Ad-hoc sessions for established members, scheduled as needed rather than publicly advertised.
Additional
Fridays at 17:30. Additional work may include movement, sparring, competition preparation, wrestling, MMA-related work, or occasional striking.
Competition + academy media
Gavran at competitions.
Competition photographs of club members.
Gavran BJJ / photographs
Competition photographs
At competition together
A photograph with the medals.
On the competition mat
Competitors and referee.
Mentorship + affiliation
Rob Biernacki and Fenix BJJ
Rob Biernacki · pedagogical mentor
Rob Biernacki is Gavran’s pedagogical mentor and has taught at our club in Banja Luka. His conceptual framework and BJJ Concepts material inform our curriculum, including alignment, body mechanics, and learning through games. These photographs are from his visits.
BJJ Concepts
Professor Đorđe Vasić · Fenix BJJ
Gavran’s formal affiliation and belt standards run through Professor Đorđe Vasić in Novi Sad. Igor is his purple belt; promotion requires both the local recommendation and Đorđe’s approval.
Fenix BJJ
Teaching experience
Igor has more than 15 years of sports teaching experience, including work with talented students in different disciplines. The instructor group has roughly 30+ years of combined teaching experience, which it applies to feedback, adapting tasks, and curriculum design.
Schedule + membership
Weekly training schedule
Four main sessions, with optional training listed separately. For your first visit, choose a main session below.
Main sessions
Open to first visits
Optional sessions
Additional training during the week
White belts can train in 201. First visits are available at the four marked sessions.
All regular adult classes
Visitors welcome · please message before coming
Frequently asked questions
Questions about training
Am I too old or too unfit to start?
No. You are paired and coached for your current experience, size, condition, and composure. Building movement capacity is part of our job. Nobody is required to perform a movement or train at an intensity for which they are not ready.
Do I need to get fit before joining?
No. Training gradually develops coordination, conditioning, mobility, and grappling skill. We may recommend additional exercise when it would help, but you do not need to reach a fitness standard before joining.
Is previous martial-arts experience required?
Not at all. We teach the basic movements and positional vocabulary from the beginning, at a pace you can absorb. Experienced practitioners are equally welcome.
What happens in my first class?
You receive an orientation to tapping, partner safety, basic movement, and a simple position or game. We give you a task that makes sense even if the current group is halfway through a unit.
Do I have to spar?
No. A sparring block concludes regular BJJ sessions, and live resistance is strongly recommended because it develops your ability to apply techniques against an opponent. Your own participation is not forced before you are prepared; a coach can begin with a constrained, technical game instead.
Can I join in the middle of a unit, and which classes may I attend?
Yes. For your first visit, choose a session marked “Choose this class” in the timetable. White belts can train in 201; joining mid-unit may mean working on a simpler adjacent task while the established group continues the main material.
Find the room
Užička 2, Banja Luka.
Gavran BJJ and Fenix judo club train at the same location. Open the map for the exact pin.
Join the club on Discord
Anyone may join our Discord for updates and conversation. Serbian is the primary language, with English-language channels for visiting students. Email us if you have questions about your first visit.
Užička 2 · Banja Luka