Grappling Mastery BJJ and Muay Thai Academy

Grappling Mastery BJJ and Muay Thai Academy has been training students in Lake County for more than twelve years, and it operates out of a dedicated facility on Plaza Drive in Eustis built specifically for grappling and striking arts rather than a converted storefront. The academy is owned and run by Brian Ruscio, a third degree Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who also holds a black belt in Bang Muay Thai kickboxing. His BJJ lineage traces back to Marcio Simas of Gracie Barra Orlando, which matters to anyone who cares about the pedigree behind their instruction, and the academy describes his IBJJF certification as a distinction few instructors in the area hold, according to the school’s own materials.

The class schedule is built around a wide range of ages and goals. Kids martial arts classes give younger students a structured introduction to grappling fundamentals, while adult Brazilian Jiu Jitsu covers both gi and no gi submission wrestling for students who want to compete or simply build practical ground skills. Bang Muay Thai kickboxing rounds out the striking side of the program for students who want a full body conditioning workout alongside technique. Grappling Mastery also runs a Rock Steady Boxing class, a program designed specifically to help people manage the effects of Parkinson’s disease through boxing based movement, and a Self Defense for Women course aimed at building practical, realistic skills rather than choreographed routines.

Two more programs point to the academy’s ties to the broader community: a Military Veterans Program and a Law Enforcement Officers Program, both of which are common offerings at serious grappling schools but still speak to a gym that sees itself as part of the fabric of the area rather than a purely commercial operation. The facility itself is built for the work. Students train on wall to wall safety mats surrounded by padded walls, with seven Thai heavy bags and three speed bag setups for striking work, throwing dummies for takedown practice, and a free weight room for strength training. There are separate men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers, and a parent seating area so families can watch kids classes comfortably rather than standing in a doorway.

New students can start with a free thirty day trial, which is a meaningful window for anyone deciding between BJJ, Muay Thai, or a mix of both, since grappling in particular tends to take a few weeks before its logic clicks. Grappling Mastery keeps an active Facebook page, Instagram account, and YouTube channel where it posts training footage and academy updates, and a Google listing where students leave reviews. For Eustis residents looking for serious martial arts instruction that also functions as a genuine gym workout, whether the goal is competition, fitness, self defense, or simply trying something new, Grappling Mastery has built more than a decade of local roots around exactly that mix.