Beacon Mixed Martial Arts — Local services in Chapel Hill

There are a lot of options for jiu jitsu training, particularly in the triangle. I have trained at a few different schools over the past couple years as a permanent student, or visiting while traveling.

Coach Kirby Farrales is a detail-oriented instructor. His school uses the G13 system, which means that rather than teaching whatever random technique he feels like teaching during a given class, he follows a system of repetitive reinforcement. This is particularly helpful for new students to jiu jitsu.

Unlike at some schools where new students are getting lost trying to follow advanced, multi-step techniques in their first week that they may not see again for weeks or months later (see prior statement), new students spend time to perfect a smaller number of moves, and then build on those over time.

Another thing that separates Coach Kirby’s school and the G13 curriculum is the emphasis on the stand-up aspects of jiu jitsu often ignored at other academies. Each sparring session starts on the feet, which better prepares students for tournament, or ultimately, for self defense, where all encounters start standing.

When you are looking to start jiu jitsu for the first time, take note of the beginner’s curriculum, how students take in techniques at a given class, and whether the school works on takedowns.

If you have trained elsewhere, you will find that Coach Kirby’s attention to detail and the school’s emphasis on standing will improve your practice.

For anyone, the mats are...

Coach Kirby is an excellent instructor and an even better man. When I first met him at Beacon MMA I was coming from two terrible experiences with two different MMA/BJJ schools. On my first visit he asked me questions that I’d never been asked before in regards to why I was interested in learning MMA/Jiu Jitsu and in my attempt to answer him truthfully I realized I was still holding on to trauma from my prior experiences. He didn’t even flinch. He didn’t judge me, never made me feel uncomfortable and even taught me the triangle on my first day (helped me tap out so many of my training partners 😁). I was always excited to go to class because I knew Coach Kirby was going to be there. The tone he set for the classes was exactly what I was hoping for. Everyone took care of each other even though we were training really hard. Coach Kirby always seemed to have a great gauge on the pulse of the class, pulling back when we were exhausted and pushing forward when we were getting too comfortable. He is a wonderful teacher with an ability to connect with everyone in the room. I hope to be able to visit his new location in North...

If your looking to be a competitor at a high level In Jiu jitsu, look no no further then Beacon Mma Chapel Hill. I trained under coach Kirby from my first day in the Gi until until I reached the rank of purple belt. Prior to that, I had been fighting MMA for 3 years and had been involved with wrestling since I was a young Lad. First and foremost he guided me through the process of having to start as a beginner again in the Gi. It was a humbling process and I certainly needed his good leadership to navigate it with patience and confidence. While at Blue belt I competed in and won Pan ams with coach Kirby in my corner. He was a Key component in making my way through the bracket with each adversary offering unique challenges. He was that calm voice amongst the chaos that every contender needs. It was OUR win. I’m so stoked to see him open up his new school. Regardless of distance he will always be my coach, as I incrementally make my way towards...