The first Gracie Barra school was first founded in the upper-class Barra da Tijuca (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈbaʀɐ dɐ tʃiˈʒukɐ]) neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro.

In a few years Carlos Gracie Jr. was able to turn Gracie Barra into one of the most dominant teams in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu winning many consecutive world titles. Despite the outstanding results in tournaments, Carlos Gracie Jr. worked hard to create a positive learning environment where all kinds of people could learn the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. At the school, people can see world champions training with lawyers, doctors, business professionals, etc. on a mutual supportive environment dedicated to development of the individual.

Gracie Barra has graduated more than 600 black belts all over the world.