Best Martial Arts Instruction

Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

178 Valencia (at Duboce), 552-4777, www.ralphgracie.com

So you want to slap a rear naked choke on a fool, eh? Maybe you want to stick someone in an arm bar and hear a joint pop? Well, Grasshopper, you've got some learning to do. You'll probably be on the receiving end of hundreds of brutal ass-kickings before you reach your goal, but there's no better place to take a beating than the friendly confines of Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the Mission. Gracie teaches a form of jiujitsu created by three generations of his family in Brazil. The style has proven its effectiveness in mixed martial arts competitions like the Ultimate Fighting Contest and Pride Bushido, allowing knowledgeable beanpoles to manhandle hulking beasts. Now every mixed martial artist worth a lick knows some Gracie grappling skills -- or suffers the consequences. Classes meet every day except Sunday and range in price from $80 to $180 per month.