Professor Dana Bridger

Black Belt professor Dana Bridger, martial arts instructor in Ashburn, VA and Leesburg, VA

BJJ Rank: Black Belt

What BJJ means for me: Most people know that jiu-jitsu is an amazing form of self-defense. Some people know that it is a great path to a healthy and fit lifestyle. But many do not know that Jiu-jitsu is not a martial art that only happens on the mats of the school. Instead, the jiu-jitsu lessons that are taught, learned and practiced on the mats will carry on with you day to day throughout your life. Jiu-jitsu is not only a physical sport, it is a mental sport as well. Shortly after you begin training you learn that your greatest opponent is not another student on the mat, but instead yourself. Daily, in training, you are in defensive positions that help your mind and body learn to stay calm and think clearly under pressure. Confidence and problem solving are easy when you are comfortable, but training jiu-jitsu means you are training your mind and body to gain confidence when you are uncomfortable as well. Daily, you are also in dominating positions which are easy to lose if you are too eager to get to the end of the match, and not diciplined enough to be present in the now. The same as in life- we often are too busy chasing after a goal that we lose sight of where we are within our journey to that goal. These are all skills that are transferrable to every aspect of your life. Jiu-Jitsu instills confidence and dicipline, teaches self-defense, and is an amazing way to stay healthy and fit.

Favorite Quote: “In this individual sport, your team is the most important.”

Background: I began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the summer of 2011 and instantly fell in love wtih the art of jiu-jitsu. I have participated in contact sports my whole life, but none had presented as great of a challenge mentally to me as jiu-jitsu. After 7 years of training it was clear that I needed to follow my passion for training and coaching. In June of 2019 Gracie Barra Ashburn was opened and I was able to now dedicate my time teaching jiu-jitsu for everyone in the surrounding communities.

In June 2023 we opened a second location, Gracie Barra Leesburg, expanding our ability to reach and positively impact more lives. In June 2023 I also received my black belt from Professor Charles Gomes.

Professor Dana Bridger

Gracie Barra Black Belt and School Owner